Australia
Best Time to Dive in Tasmania
41.87°S 148.32°E
Dive it January to May once the water has warmed to 17 °C from 14. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The wider season runs December to May.
- Best time
- Jan–May
- Water
- 13–19 °C
- Visibility
- 5–25 m
- Season runs
- Dec–May
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.7–1.3 m
- Species logged
- 3
Worth knowing: 31% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Tasmania — monthly breakdown
A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Good | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Poor | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 |
| Visibility (m) | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 10–20 | 10–20 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Quiet | Busy | Busy | Busy | Steady | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jan–May
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Tasmania diving season
January · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 18–18 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 10 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough.
February to May · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 16–19 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 9 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases.
June to July · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 13–14 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 9 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough.
August to December · Shoulder season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 13–16 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 11 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. It rains more.
Marine lifeCape fur seal (likely) peaks at Tasmania in these months.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Tasmania water temperature and weather
375 underwater observation records · 22 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Tasmania water temperature by month
The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.
10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean
9
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 31% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
1
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
10
wet days a month
2 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.9 m | 1% | 10 | 2 | 21 °C | 14.7 h |
| February | 2.0 m | 1% | 10 | 2 | 21 °C | 13.6 h |
| March | 2.3 m | 2% | 10 | 2 | 20 °C | 12.3 h |
| April | 2.0 m | 1% | 7 | 1 | 18 °C | 10.9 h |
| May | 1.7 m | 3% | 7 | 1 | 15 °C | 9.6 h |
| June | 2.4 m | 3% | 9 | 2 | 13 °C | 9.0 h |
| July | 2.7 m | 6% | 8 | 1 | 13 °C | 9.2 h |
| August | 2.0 m | 4% | 10 | 1 | 13 °C | 10.3 h |
| September | 1.8 m | 5% | 9 | 2 | 15 °C | 11.7 h |
| October | 2.2 m | 6% | 11 | 3 | 16 °C | 13.2 h |
| November | 2.0 m | 2% | 12 | 3 | 18 °C | 14.4 h |
| December | 1.9 m | 2% | 11 | 2 | 20 °C | 15.0 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.
| Week 1 | January week 1: Poor | February week 1: Moderate | March week 1: Good | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Moderate | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Excellent | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Moderate | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Moderate | December week 2: Excellent |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Good | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Excellent | September week 3: Excellent | October week 3: Moderate | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Good | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Excellent | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of April
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 17 °C | 2.0 m | 24 km/h | 36% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 18 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 33% |
| Week 3 | Good | 18 °C | 1.9 m | 25 km/h | 28% |
| Week 4 | Good | 18 °C | 1.8 m | 24 km/h | 32% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 18 °C | 1.9 m | 24 km/h | 41% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 19 °C | 2.0 m | 24 km/h | 39% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 19 °C | 2.0 m | 24 km/h | 32% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 19 °C | 2.3 m | 24 km/h | 27% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 18 °C | 2.5 m | 24 km/h | 27% |
| Week 2 | Good | 18 °C | 2.3 m | 23 km/h | 30% |
| Week 3 | Good | 18 °C | 1.9 m | 22 km/h | 38% |
| Week 4 | Good | 18 °C | 2.3 m | 22 km/h | 34% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 18 °C | 2.8 m | 22 km/h | 26% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 17 °C | 2.4 m | 21 km/h | 27% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 17 °C | 1.8 m | 19 km/h | 25% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 17 °C | 1.7 m | 18 km/h | 23% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 16 °C | 1.7 m | 19 km/h | 28% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 16 °C | 1.5 m | 20 km/h | 24% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 15 °C | 1.6 m | 18 km/h | 19% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 15 °C | 2.0 m | 19 km/h | 21% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 15 °C | 2.3 m | 21 km/h | 26% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 14 °C | 2.8 m | 21 km/h | 33% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 14 °C | 2.5 m | 20 km/h | 33% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 14 °C | 2.1 m | 19 km/h | 24% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 14 °C | 2.0 m | 18 km/h | 18% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 13 °C | 2.6 m | 19 km/h | 25% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 13 °C | 2.8 m | 22 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 13 °C | 2.7 m | 22 km/h | 30% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 13 °C | 2.4 m | 20 km/h | 25% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 13 °C | 2.2 m | 21 km/h | 30% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 13 °C | 1.9 m | 22 km/h | 33% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 13 °C | 1.9 m | 22 km/h | 33% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 13 °C | 2.0 m | 24 km/h | 34% |
| Week 2 | Good | 13 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 31% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 13 °C | 1.9 m | 24 km/h | 29% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 13 °C | 1.8 m | 23 km/h | 30% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 13 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 34% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 13 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 36% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 13 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 39% |
| Week 4 | Good | 13 °C | 2.2 m | 24 km/h | 37% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 14 °C | 2.0 m | 24 km/h | 34% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 14 °C | 2.0 m | 24 km/h | 35% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 14 °C | 2.1 m | 24 km/h | 39% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 15 °C | 2.2 m | 24 km/h | 46% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 15 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 44% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 16 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 37% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 16 °C | 1.9 m | 23 km/h | 35% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 17 °C | 1.8 m | 23 km/h | 35% |
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.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suit | January: 5 mm + | February: 5 mm + | March: 5 mm + | April: 7 mm | May: 7 mm | June: 7 mm | July: dry | August: dry | September: dry | October: dry | November: 7 mm | December: 7 mm |
- Jan–Mar5 mm with hood and gloves
- Apr–Jun7 mm semi-dry
- Jul–Octdrysuit
- Nov–Dec7 mm semi-dry
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 1.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
No tropical storm has come within 250 km in 30 years of records. Swell and wind set the season, not cyclones.
- 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
Tasmania marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whale | Dec | Likely | 247 | ||
| Cape fur seal | Aug–Oct, Dec | Likely | 18 | ||
| Orca | Jan, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 11 |
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 Tasmania — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Tasmania?
- Dive it January to May once the water has warmed to 17 °C from 14. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The wider season runs December to May.
- When is the diving season in Tasmania?
- The diving season in Tasmania runs December to May, and it is at its best January to May.
- Is the diving in Tasmania good for beginners?
- Not really. It is for experienced divers, so it is not a place to learn or to make your first dives after certification.
- How warm is the water in Tasmania?
- Between 13 and 19 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in September and warmest in February. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Tasmania?
- A drysuit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a 5 mm with hood and gloves is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Tasmania?
- Roughly 5 to 25 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Tasmania?
- The most consistently recorded species are Humpback whale (likely), Cape fur seal (likely) and Orca (hit-or-miss), from 375 records within 60 km.
- Does Tasmania get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current in Tasmania?
- The tide rises and falls 1.3 m around the full and new moon, against 0.7 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Tasmania?
- July is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive Tasmania?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Dec–May.