Best Time to Dive in the Togean Islands
Go August to October, when the downpours ease — 8 days a month of heavy rain instead of 13. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Aug–Oct
- Water
- 30–31 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.6–1.4 m
- Species logged
- 3
Worth knowing: 12 days a month of heavy rain.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in the Togean Islands — 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 | Good | Moderate | Poor | Moderate | Poor | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
| Water temp (°C) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 |
| Visibility (m) | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 |
| Marine life | Quiet | Peak | Peak | Busy | Quiet | Busy | Quiet | Peak | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Togean Islands diving season
April to May · Off season
2 months- Water temperature
- 31–31 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 29 days a month
Diving conditionsSeas are usually flat. This is the wet season topside.
June · Shoulder season
1 month- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsSeas are usually flat. This is the wet season topside.
July · Off season
1 month- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 23 days a month
Diving conditionsSeas are usually flat. This is the wet season topside.
August to March · Peak season
8 months- Water temperature
- 30–31 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 25 days a month
Diving conditionsSeas are usually flat. This is the wet season topside.
Marine lifeGolden jellyfish (near-guaranteed) peaks at Togean Islands in these months.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Togean Islands water temperature and weather
47 underwater observation records · 10 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Togean Islands 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
Seas top 1.5 m on under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
12 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.3 m | 0% | 27 | 12 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| February | 0.3 m | 0% | 26 | 12 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| March | 0.3 m | 0% | 29 | 13 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| April | 0.2 m | 0% | 29 | 17 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| May | 0.1 m | 0% | 30 | 17 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| June | 0.1 m | 0% | 27 | 16 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| July | 0.2 m | 0% | 23 | 11 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| August | 0.3 m | 0% | 21 | 7 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| September | 0.3 m | 0% | 19 | 7 | 31 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 0.2 m | 0% | 26 | 10 | 31 °C | 12.0 h |
| November | 0.2 m | 0% | 28 | 12 | 31 °C | 12.0 h |
| December | 0.3 m | 0% | 28 | 11 | 30 °C | 12.0 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: Good | March week 1: Good | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Moderate | August week 1: Excellent | September week 1: Excellent | October week 1: Moderate | November week 1: Good | December week 1: Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Moderate | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Excellent | October week 2: Good | November week 2: Good | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Good | April week 3: Moderate | May week 3: Moderate | June week 3: Moderate | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Excellent | September week 3: Excellent | October week 3: Good | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Moderate |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Moderate | February week 4: Moderate | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Moderate | May week 4: Moderate | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Moderate | August week 4: Excellent | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Good |
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 8 km/h | 86% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 9 km/h | 85% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 9 km/h | 85% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 10 km/h | 89% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 91% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 9 km/h | 86% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 9 km/h | 88% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 9 km/h | 92% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 9 km/h | 93% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 9 km/h | 92% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 92% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 94% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 95% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 8 km/h | 95% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 8 km/h | 96% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 8 km/h | 96% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.1 m | 8 km/h | 97% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.1 m | 8 km/h | 98% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.1 m | 8 km/h | 99% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 8 km/h | 95% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 8 km/h | 88% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.1 m | 8 km/h | 89% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.1 m | 8 km/h | 93% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.1 m | 8 km/h | 94% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.1 m | 9 km/h | 89% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 78% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 11 km/h | 69% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 11 km/h | 70% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 66% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 66% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 68% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 10 km/h | 64% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 10 km/h | 62% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 10 km/h | 61% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 10 km/h | 65% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 9 km/h | 74% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 81% |
| Week 3 | Good | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 86% |
| Week 4 | Good | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 87% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 8 km/h | 89% |
| Week 2 | Good | 31 °C | 0.2 m | 8 km/h | 94% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 8 km/h | 97% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 94% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 9 km/h | 92% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 9 km/h | 92% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 10 km/h | 89% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 10 km/h | 88% |
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
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
Togean Islands marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 47 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacktip reef shark | Jun | Likely | 9 | ||
| Golden jellyfish | Feb–Mar, Aug | Near-guaranteed | 12 | ||
| Bluespotted ribbontail ray | Jun, Nov | Likely | 9 |
- 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 the Togean Islands — common questions
- When is the best time to dive the Togean Islands?
- Go August to October, when the downpours ease — 8 days a month of heavy rain instead of 13. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season at the Togean Islands?
- The diving season at the Togean Islands runs August to October.
- Is the diving at the Togean Islands good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water at the Togean Islands?
- Between 30 and 31 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in January and warmest in May. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need at the Togean Islands?
- A skin or 3 mm shorty covers the coldest water of the year. The same suit works all year.
- What is the visibility like at the Togean Islands?
- Roughly 20 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 the Togean Islands?
- The most consistently recorded species are Blacktip reef shark (likely), Golden jellyfish (near-guaranteed) and Bluespotted ribbontail ray (likely), from 47 records within 60 km.
- Does the Togean Islands get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current at the Togean Islands?
- The tide rises and falls 1.4 m around the full and new moon, against 0.6 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid the Togean Islands?
- May is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive the Togean Islands?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Aug–Oct.