Best Time to Dive in Gansbaai
The reason to dive it is white shark cage diving — though the sharks have been largely absent since 2017. It runs all year, so pick your month on the sea and the sky: December to April. Diving holds up from October to April.
- Best time
- Dec–Apr
- Water
- 15–20 °C
- Visibility
- 0–15 m
- Season runs
- Oct–Apr
- Dived from
- cage diving
- Tidal range
- 0.7–1.6 m
- Species logged
- 10
Worth knowing: 97% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Gansbaai — 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 | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Good | Good | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 |
| Visibility (m) | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 |
| Marine life | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | 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 Gansbaai diving season
May to August · Off season
4 months- Water temperature
- 15–16 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 10 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more.
Marine lifeCape fur seal (near-guaranteed), Great white shark (near-guaranteed), Southern elephant seal (hit-or-miss) peak at Gansbaai in these months.
September · Shoulder season
1 month- Water temperature
- 15–15 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 9 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough.
Marine lifeCape fur seal (near-guaranteed), Great white shark (near-guaranteed), Shortfin mako (hit-or-miss), Blue shark (hit-or-miss) peak at Gansbaai in these months.
October to April · Peak season
7 months- Water temperature
- 16–20 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 7 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less.
Marine lifeCape fur seal (near-guaranteed), Great white shark (near-guaranteed), Southern elephant seal (hit-or-miss), Shortfin mako (hit-or-miss) peak at Gansbaai in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.6 m against 0.7 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.
Gansbaai water temperature and weather
1,208 underwater observation records · 32 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Gansbaai 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 97% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
1 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.3 m | 3% | 7 | 0 | 24 °C | 14.1 h |
| February | 3.5 m | 3% | 5 | 0 | 24 °C | 13.3 h |
| March | 3.3 m | 2% | 8 | 1 | 22 °C | 12.3 h |
| April | 3.8 m | 3% | 6 | 1 | 21 °C | 11.1 h |
| May | 4.2 m | 5% | 7 | 2 | 19 °C | 10.2 h |
| June | 4.8 m | 13% | 11 | 3 | 18 °C | 9.7 h |
| July | 5.4 m | 13% | 10 | 3 | 16 °C | 9.9 h |
| August | 5.2 m | 14% | 10 | 3 | 16 °C | 10.7 h |
| September | 4.7 m | 10% | 9 | 2 | 17 °C | 11.8 h |
| October | 3.5 m | 9% | 7 | 1 | 20 °C | 12.9 h |
| November | 3.3 m | 6% | 6 | 1 | 21 °C | 13.8 h |
| December | 3.4 m | 6% | 7 | 0 | 22 °C | 14.3 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: Excellent | February week 1: Excellent | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Good | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Good | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Excellent | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Moderate | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Good | November week 2: Good | December week 2: Good |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Excellent | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Good | November week 3: Excellent | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Moderate | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Moderate | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Excellent | December week 4: Excellent |
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 20 °C | 3.2 m | 28 km/h | 20% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 20 °C | 3.2 m | 29 km/h | 21% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 20 °C | 3.5 m | 29 km/h | 24% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 20 °C | 3.5 m | 27 km/h | 22% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 20 °C | 3.3 m | 26 km/h | 17% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 20 °C | 3.5 m | 27 km/h | 18% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 20 °C | 3.5 m | 27 km/h | 19% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 19 °C | 3.4 m | 27 km/h | 17% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 19 °C | 3.3 m | 26 km/h | 23% |
| Week 2 | Good | 19 °C | 3.3 m | 26 km/h | 27% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 18 °C | 3.3 m | 26 km/h | 23% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 18 °C | 3.5 m | 26 km/h | 23% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 18 °C | 3.8 m | 26 km/h | 24% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 17 °C | 3.6 m | 24 km/h | 21% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 17 °C | 3.6 m | 23 km/h | 16% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 17 °C | 4.0 m | 22 km/h | 18% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 17 °C | 3.9 m | 21 km/h | 17% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 16 °C | 4.0 m | 21 km/h | 15% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 16 °C | 4.2 m | 21 km/h | 20% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 16 °C | 4.3 m | 24 km/h | 31% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 16 °C | 4.5 m | 22 km/h | 34% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 16 °C | 4.8 m | 22 km/h | 35% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 16 °C | 5.0 m | 26 km/h | 38% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 15 °C | 4.8 m | 27 km/h | 38% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 15 °C | 5.4 m | 26 km/h | 38% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 15 °C | 5.6 m | 24 km/h | 33% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 15 °C | 5.0 m | 23 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 15 °C | 5.0 m | 23 km/h | 30% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 15 °C | 5.0 m | 24 km/h | 28% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 15 °C | 4.9 m | 26 km/h | 32% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 15 °C | 5.5 m | 27 km/h | 37% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 15 °C | 5.4 m | 27 km/h | 36% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 15 °C | 4.6 m | 26 km/h | 31% |
| Week 2 | Good | 15 °C | 4.7 m | 25 km/h | 26% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 15 °C | 4.7 m | 26 km/h | 27% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 16 °C | 4.2 m | 28 km/h | 30% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 16 °C | 3.8 m | 28 km/h | 25% |
| Week 2 | Good | 16 °C | 3.5 m | 28 km/h | 21% |
| Week 3 | Good | 16 °C | 3.3 m | 28 km/h | 23% |
| Week 4 | Good | 17 °C | 3.4 m | 29 km/h | 25% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 17 °C | 3.4 m | 29 km/h | 25% |
| Week 2 | Good | 17 °C | 3.2 m | 28 km/h | 21% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 18 °C | 3.3 m | 27 km/h | 20% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 18 °C | 3.3 m | 27 km/h | 21% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 18 °C | 3.2 m | 28 km/h | 22% |
| Week 2 | Good | 19 °C | 3.5 m | 27 km/h | 25% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 19 °C | 3.4 m | 28 km/h | 23% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 19 °C | 3.4 m | 29 km/h | 19% |
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: 7 mm | August: 7 mm | September: 7 mm | October: 7 mm | November: 7 mm | December: 5 mm + |
- Dec–Mar5 mm with hood and gloves
- Apr–Nov7 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
Gansbaai marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape fur seal | All year | Near-guaranteed | 318 | ||
| Great white shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 89 | ||
| Bronze whaler | All year | Likely | 243 | ||
| Humpback whale | Jun–Jul | Likely | 226 | ||
| Yellowfin tuna | Apr–May | Hit-or-miss | 171 | ||
| Common dolphin | Feb–Mar, Sep, Dec | Hit-or-miss | 48 | ||
| Southern elephant seal | Feb, Jul | Hit-or-miss | 33 | ||
| Shortfin mako | Apr, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 18 | ||
| Blue shark | Apr, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 14 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | Feb, May, Oct | Hit-or-miss | 10 |
- 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 Gansbaai — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Gansbaai?
- The reason to dive it is white shark cage diving — though the sharks have been largely absent since 2017. It runs all year, so pick your month on the sea and the sky: December to April. Diving holds up from October to April.
- When is the diving season in Gansbaai?
- The diving season in Gansbaai runs October to April, and it is at its best December to April.
- How warm is the water in Gansbaai?
- Between 15 and 20 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in January. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Gansbaai?
- A 7 mm semi-dry 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 Gansbaai?
- Roughly 0 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 Gansbaai?
- The most consistently recorded species are Cape fur seal (near-guaranteed), Great white shark (near-guaranteed) and Bronze whaler (likely), from 1,208 records within 60 km.
- Does Gansbaai get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current in Gansbaai?
- The tide rises and falls 1.6 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 Gansbaai?
- June–August are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Gansbaai?
- Mostly from a shark cage. Trips run through the season, Oct–Apr.