Indonesia
Best Time to Dive in Wakatobi
5.83°S 123.78°E
The best conditions run August to November, when the rain backs off — 9 wet days a month instead of 22. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Aug–Nov
- Water
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 1.1–2.1 m
- Species logged
- 6
Worth knowing: 7 days a month of heavy rain.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Wakatobi — 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 | Poor | Poor | Good | Poor | Poor | Good | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
| Visibility (m) | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Busy | Peak | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady | Peak | Busy | Peak | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Aug–Nov
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Wakatobi diving season
July to November · Peak season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 10 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less.
December to June · Off season
7 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 23 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more.
- Spring tides run 2.1 m against 1.1 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.
Wakatobi water temperature and weather
87 underwater observation records · 16 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Wakatobi 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
Rarely
rough enough to cancel
Seas top 1.5 m on 3% 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
17
wet days a month
6 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.3 m | 1% | 27 | 9 | 29 °C | 12.3 h |
| February | 1.4 m | 2% | 25 | 9 | 29 °C | 12.2 h |
| March | 1.1 m | 0% | 25 | 10 | 29 °C | 12.0 h |
| April | 0.9 m | 0% | 21 | 7 | 29 °C | 11.9 h |
| May | 1.2 m | 1% | 21 | 8 | 29 °C | 11.7 h |
| June | 1.2 m | 1% | 18 | 8 | 28 °C | 11.7 h |
| July | 1.3 m | 0% | 12 | 3 | 28 °C | 11.7 h |
| August | 1.4 m | 1% | 4 | 1 | 27 °C | 11.8 h |
| September | 1.0 m | 0% | 6 | 1 | 28 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 0.8 m | 0% | 8 | 2 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| November | 0.9 m | 0% | 18 | 4 | 29 °C | 12.3 h |
| December | 1.3 m | 3% | 24 | 8 | 29 °C | 12.3 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: Poor | March week 1: Poor | April week 1: Good | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Moderate | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Excellent | November week 1: Excellent | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Poor | April week 2: Good | May week 2: Poor | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Good | September week 2: Excellent | October week 2: Excellent | November week 2: Good | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Poor | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Excellent | August week 3: Good | September week 3: Excellent | October week 3: Excellent | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Moderate | April week 4: Moderate | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Excellent | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Excellent | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of September
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 20 km/h | 85% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 21 km/h | 84% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 22 km/h | 91% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 23 km/h | 90% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 24 km/h | 89% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 22 km/h | 88% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 21 km/h | 87% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 20 km/h | 85% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 19 km/h | 83% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 19 km/h | 82% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.2 m | 18 km/h | 76% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 18 km/h | 82% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 17 km/h | 83% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 16 km/h | 73% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 18 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 61% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 23 km/h | 69% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 26 km/h | 69% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 27 km/h | 62% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 27 km/h | 64% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 27 km/h | 59% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 28 km/h | 56% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 29 km/h | 56% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 29 km/h | 63% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 29 km/h | 63% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 29 km/h | 45% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 28 km/h | 28% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 28 km/h | 22% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 29 km/h | 19% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 29 km/h | 14% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 29 km/h | 10% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 29 km/h | 16% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 28 km/h | 23% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 26 km/h | 20% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 24 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 23 km/h | 20% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 22% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 21 km/h | 27% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 27% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 17 km/h | 32% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 16 km/h | 42% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 17 km/h | 54% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 17 km/h | 64% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 18 km/h | 70% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 18 km/h | 69% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 21 km/h | 74% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.3 m | 24 km/h | 83% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.7 m | 22 km/h | 87% |
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: 3 mm | August: 3 mm | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Sep–Junskin or 3 mm shorty
- Jul–Aug3 mm full suit
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 Novembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. November 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
Wakatobi marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 87 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocellated eagle ray | Nov | Hit-or-miss | 10 | ||
| Bluespotted ribbontail ray | Apr, Jul, Sep, Nov | Near-guaranteed | 20 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Mar, Jun, Nov | Likely | 16 | ||
| Green turtle | Jul–Aug, Nov–Dec | Likely | 12 | ||
| Napoleon wrasse | Apr, Jun, Sep–Oct | Likely | 11 | ||
| Bumphead parrotfish | Apr, Sep, Nov | Likely | 8 |
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 Wakatobi — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Wakatobi?
- The best conditions run August to November, when the rain backs off — 9 wet days a month instead of 22. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Wakatobi?
- The diving season in Wakatobi runs August to November.
- Is the diving in Wakatobi good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Wakatobi?
- Between 27 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in April. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Wakatobi?
- A 3 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 Wakatobi?
- Roughly 5 to 15 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Wakatobi?
- The most consistently recorded species are Ocellated eagle ray (hit-or-miss), Bluespotted ribbontail ray (near-guaranteed) and Hawksbill turtle (likely), from 87 records within 60 km.
- Does Wakatobi get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Nov, most often in November at 1 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Wakatobi?
- The tide rises and falls 2.1 m around the full and new moon, against 1.1 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Wakatobi?
- January–February, May–June are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Wakatobi?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Aug–Nov.