Australia

Best Time to Dive in SS Yongala

19.30°S 147.62°E

What draws people is the SS Yongala wreck. There is no season to it, so the weather picks your month: August to December. The wider season runs June to December.

Best time
Aug–Dec
Water
23–29 °C
Visibility
15–30 m
Season runs
Jun–Dec
Dived from
day boat
Tidal range
1.2–2.6 m
Species logged
15

Where it is

Australia
25 kmN

111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m

Diving in SS Yongala — monthly breakdown

Best months at this destination

A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.

Month by month conditions, water temperature, visibility and marine life
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
ConditionsPoorPoorPoorModerateModerateGoodGoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentGood
Water temp (°C)292929282624232324262728
Visibility (m)15–2515–2515–2515–2515–2520–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–30
Marine lifeBusyBusyBusyBusyBusyBusyBusySteadySteadyBusyBusyBusy
Best timePeakPeakPeakPeakPeak
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Aug–Dec

Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.

The SS Yongala diving season

3 seasons

January to March · Off season

3 months
Water temperature
29–29 °C
Visibility
15–25 m
Rain
16 days a month

Diving conditionsExpect some swell. It rains more.

Marine lifeScalloped hammerhead (hit-or-miss) peaks at SS Yongala in these months.

April to May · Shoulder season

2 months
Water temperature
26–28 °C
Visibility
15–25 m
Rain
12 days a month

Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. The sea is rougher. The wind is up.

Marine lifeGreat hammerhead (hit-or-miss) peaks at SS Yongala in these months.

June to December · Peak season

7 months
Water temperature
23–28 °C
Visibility
20–30 m
Rain
6 days a month

Diving conditionsIt rains less. The sea is calmer.

Marine lifeGreat hammerhead (hit-or-miss), Whale shark (hit-or-miss), Scalloped hammerhead (hit-or-miss) peak at SS Yongala in these months.

  • Spring tides run 2.6 m against 1.2 m on neaps, so currents build around the full and new moon.
  • Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
  • Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.

SS Yongala water temperature and weather

9,928 underwater observation records · 27 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature

Water & weather

SS Yongala water temperature by month

The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.

20222426283032JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (°C)

10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean

4
rough days a month

Seas top 1.5 m on 14% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat

6
blowy days a month

Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port

9
wet days a month

3 of them bring heavy rain

Monthly sea state, wind, rain, air temperature and daylight
MonthSwellGusts over 40 km/hWet daysHeavy rainAirDaylight
January1.6 m19%16729 °C13.0 h
February1.7 m20%16729 °C12.6 h
March1.6 m24%17628 °C12.1 h
April1.8 m31%13327 °C11.6 h
May1.7 m33%11125 °C11.1 h
June1.5 m16%7123 °C10.8 h
July1.6 m12%7122 °C10.9 h
August1.6 m15%3023 °C11.3 h
September1.7 m19%2024 °C11.9 h
October1.4 m11%4126 °C12.5 h
November1.1 m10%6127 °C12.9 h
December1.6 m17%11328 °C13.2 h

Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 10 years, waves 4.

Pick your week

48 weeks from the daily record. Darker is better, against this site's own year. Pick a month for the detail.

Conditions by week, four weeks per month
Week 1January week 1: PoorFebruary week 1: PoorMarch week 1: PoorApril week 1: GoodMay week 1: ModerateJune week 1: GoodJuly week 1: ModerateAugust week 1: GoodSeptember week 1: GoodOctober week 1: ExcellentNovember week 1: ExcellentDecember week 1: Excellent
Week 2January week 2: PoorFebruary week 2: ModerateMarch week 2: PoorApril week 2: GoodMay week 2: ModerateJune week 2: ExcellentJuly week 2: ModerateAugust week 2: GoodSeptember week 2: ModerateOctober week 2: GoodNovember week 2: ExcellentDecember week 2: Good
Week 3January week 3: PoorFebruary week 3: PoorMarch week 3: PoorApril week 3: PoorMay week 3: GoodJune week 3: GoodJuly week 3: GoodAugust week 3: ExcellentSeptember week 3: GoodOctober week 3: ExcellentNovember week 3: ExcellentDecember week 3: Good
Week 4January week 4: PoorFebruary week 4: PoorMarch week 4: PoorApril week 4: PoorMay week 4: GoodJune week 4: ModerateJuly week 4: ExcellentAugust week 4: GoodSeptember week 4: ExcellentOctober week 4: ExcellentNovember week 4: GoodDecember week 4: Moderate
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of October

October, week by week

WeekConditionsWaterSwellWindRain chance
Week 1Excellent25 °C1.5 m27 km/h6%
Week 2Good26 °C1.6 m27 km/h11%
Week 3Excellent26 °C1.3 m25 km/h15%
Week 4Excellent27 °C1.1 m25 km/h14%

10 years of daily records, averaged into weeks.

Gear & storms

What to wear

Off the coldest water of each month, not the average — that is what the suit has to cope with.

Wetsuit thickness by month
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
SuitJanuary: skinFebruary: skinMarch: skinApril: 3 mmMay: 3 mmJune: 5 mmJuly: 5 mmAugust: 5 mmSeptember: 5 mmOctober: 3 mmNovember: 3 mmDecember: skin
  • Dec–Marskin or 3 mm shorty
  • Apr–May3 mm full suit
  • Jun–Sep5 mm full suit
  • Oct–Nov3 mm full suit

Swell through the year

The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.

JanJanuary: 1.6 metresFebFebruary: 1.7 metresMarMarch: 1.6 metresAprApril: 1.8 metresMayMay: 1.7 metresJunJune: 1.5 metresJulJuly: 1.6 metresAugAugust: 1.6 metresSepSeptember: 1.7 metresOctOctober: 1.4 metresNovNovember: 1.1 metresDecDecember: 1.6 metres

Amber is over 1.5 m.

Tides

springs 3.1 mneaps 0.9 mneapsone lunar month
Daily tidal range across one lunar month.

Tropical storms

6 of the last 30 Marchs saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jan–Apr.

JanJanuary: 5 of 30 yearsFebFebruary: 4 of 30 yearsMarMarch: 6 of 30 yearsAprApril: 2 of 30 yearsMayMay: 0 of 30 yearsJunJune: 0 of 30 yearsJulJuly: 0 of 30 yearsAugAugust: 0 of 30 yearsSepSeptember: 0 of 30 yearsOctOctober: 0 of 30 yearsNovNovember: 0 of 30 yearsDecDecember: 0 of 30 years

Share of the last 30 years with a storm that month.

  • NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
  • ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
  • OBISMarine species records within 60 km
  • IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025

SS Yongala marine life — what you'll see diving

9,928 records within 60 km
SpeciesWhenObserved windowReliabilityEvidenceRecords
Napoleon wrasseApr, Jun–JulLikely
15/27
74
Bull sharkAll yearHit-or-miss
6/27
879
Great hammerheadMay, JulHit-or-miss
4/27
107
Tiger sharkAll yearHit-or-miss
6/27
24
Grey reef sharkAll yearHit-or-miss
4/27
4850
Silvertip sharkAll yearHit-or-miss
2/27
3858
Whale sharkOct–DecHit-or-miss
6/27
12
Scalloped hammerheadJan, Mar, Oct–NovHit-or-miss
5/27
11
Loggerhead turtleApr, JunHit-or-miss
5/27
11
Blackfin barracudaApr–May, JulHit-or-miss
7/27
9
Zebra sharkOct–DecHit-or-miss
6/27
8
Humpback whaleAug–SepHit-or-miss
5/27
8
Green turtleFeb, Jun–Jul, DecLikely
9/27
17
Hawksbill turtleApr, Jun, NovLikely
9/27
16
Whitetip reef sharkMay, SepHit-or-miss
6/27
9
Peak Present
Observed window
Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
Reliability
  • Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
  • Likely 30% to 60%
  • Hit-or-miss under 30%
Evidence
Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
Records
OBIS sightings within 60 km.

These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.

Diving SS Yongala — common questions

When is the best time to dive SS Yongala?
What draws people is the SS Yongala wreck. There is no season to it, so the weather picks your month: August to December. The wider season runs June to December.
When is the diving season in SS Yongala?
The diving season in SS Yongala runs June to December, and it is at its best August to December.
Is the diving in SS Yongala good for beginners?
It is better with some experience. It suits Advanced Open Water divers or equivalent, so newer divers should ask the local operator which sites fit their level.
How warm is the water in SS Yongala?
Between 23 and 29 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in July and warmest in February. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
What wetsuit do I need in SS Yongala?
A 5 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a skin or 3 mm shorty is enough.
What is the visibility like in SS Yongala?
Roughly 15 to 30 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
What will I see diving SS Yongala?
The most consistently recorded species are Napoleon wrasse (likely), Bull shark (hit-or-miss) and Great hammerhead (hit-or-miss), from 9,928 records within 60 km.
Does SS Yongala get tropical storms?
Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jan–Apr, most often in March at 6 of 30 years.
Is there current in SS Yongala?
The tide rises and falls 2.6 m around the full and new moon, against 1.2 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
When should I avoid SS Yongala?
January–March are the weakest months for conditions.
How do you dive SS Yongala?
Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jun–Dec.