Malaysia
Best Time to Dive in Tioman
2.81°N 104.23°E
The best conditions run May to September, when the downpours ease — 2 days a month of heavy rain instead of 7. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month. The full season runs February to October.
- Best time
- May–Sep
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Season runs
- Feb–Oct
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 1.4–2.7 m
- Species logged
- 4
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Tioman — 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 | Poor | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 |
| Visibility (m) | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 |
| Marine life | Steady | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Steady | Busy | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season May–Sep
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Tioman diving season
February to October · Peak season
9 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 19 days a month
Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. The sea is calmer. The wind eases.
November to January · Off season
3 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsThis is the wet season topside. The sea is rougher. The wind is up.
- Spring tides run 2.7 m against 1.4 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.
Tioman water temperature and weather
174 underwater observation records · 22 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Tioman 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
2
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 6% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
0
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
21
wet days a month
5 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.9 m | 0% | 25 | 7 | 28 °C | 11.9 h |
| February | 1.6 m | 1% | 19 | 4 | 28 °C | 11.9 h |
| March | 1.4 m | 0% | 18 | 3 | 29 °C | 12.0 h |
| April | 0.8 m | 0% | 22 | 3 | 30 °C | 12.1 h |
| May | 0.6 m | 0% | 23 | 3 | 30 °C | 12.1 h |
| June | 0.6 m | 0% | 19 | 3 | 30 °C | 12.2 h |
| July | 0.8 m | 0% | 15 | 2 | 30 °C | 12.1 h |
| August | 0.7 m | 0% | 16 | 1 | 30 °C | 12.1 h |
| September | 0.8 m | 0% | 17 | 3 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 0.7 m | 0% | 23 | 5 | 30 °C | 11.9 h |
| November | 1.1 m | 0% | 28 | 14 | 29 °C | 11.9 h |
| December | 1.7 m | 0% | 28 | 12 | 28 °C | 11.8 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: Good | March week 1: Good | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Excellent | July week 1: Excellent | August week 1: Excellent | September week 1: Excellent | October week 1: Excellent | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Good | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Excellent | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Excellent | October week 2: Excellent | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Excellent | July week 3: Excellent | August week 3: Excellent | September week 3: Excellent | October week 3: Good | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Good | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Excellent | July week 4: Excellent | August week 4: Excellent | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of July
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 21 km/h | 83% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 21 km/h | 83% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 21 km/h | 80% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.8 m | 21 km/h | 74% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 20 km/h | 69% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 20 km/h | 63% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 20 km/h | 63% |
| Week 4 | Good | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 20 km/h | 66% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 19 km/h | 64% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 17 km/h | 58% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 16 km/h | 55% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 14 km/h | 60% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 13 km/h | 68% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 13 km/h | 70% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 74% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 81% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 77% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 72% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 76% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 14 km/h | 72% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 14 km/h | 63% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 15 km/h | 60% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 15 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 15 km/h | 60% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 16 km/h | 51% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 17 km/h | 51% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 18 km/h | 51% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 18 km/h | 48% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 18 km/h | 43% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 17 km/h | 47% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 17 km/h | 54% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 16 km/h | 55% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 16 km/h | 56% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 16 km/h | 55% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 15 km/h | 53% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 59% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 65% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 67% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 78% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 87% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 91% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 12 km/h | 96% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 13 km/h | 96% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 14 km/h | 94% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 16 km/h | 91% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 17 km/h | 90% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 18 km/h | 90% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.8 m | 20 km/h | 86% |
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: skin | February: skin | March: skin | April: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
One suit covers the whole year: a skin or 3 mm shorty.
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
1 of the last 30 Decembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. December is the only month with a recorded pass.
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
Tioman marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 174 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluespotted ribbontail ray | All year | Likely | 47 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Mar–May, Aug | Likely | 49 | ||
| Blacktip reef shark | Feb, Apr, Jul, Sep | Likely | 30 | ||
| Green turtle | Apr, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 31 |
Peak Present No survey data
- 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 Tioman — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Tioman?
- The best conditions run May to September, when the downpours ease — 2 days a month of heavy rain instead of 7. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month. The full season runs February to October.
- When is the diving season in Tioman?
- The diving season in Tioman runs February to October, and it is at its best May to September.
- Is the diving in Tioman good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Tioman?
- Between 28 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in May. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Tioman?
- A skin or 3 mm shorty covers the coldest water of the year. The same suit works all year.
- What is the visibility like in Tioman?
- 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 Tioman?
- The most consistently recorded species are Bluespotted ribbontail ray (likely), Hawksbill turtle (likely) and Blacktip reef shark (likely), from 174 records within 60 km.
- Does Tioman get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Dec, most often in December at 1 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Tioman?
- The tide rises and falls 2.7 m around the full and new moon, against 1.4 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Tioman?
- November–December are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Tioman?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Feb–Oct.