Maldives · Baa / Hanifaru
Best Time to Dive in Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives
5.30°N 73.10°E
Go September to November for reef manta. 8 days a month of heavy rain then. The calmest water is January to April.
- Best time
- Sep–Nov
- Water
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.4–0.9 m
- Species logged
- 9
Worth knowing: 8 days a month of heavy rain.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives — 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 | Poor | Poor | Good | Good | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| Water temp (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Visibility (m) | 15–25 | 15–25 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 |
| Marine life | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Busy | Busy | Busy | Peak | Peak | Peak | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Sep–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 Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives diving season
April to May · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 19 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more.
June to March · Peak season
10 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–29 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 15 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less.
Marine lifeReef manta (near-guaranteed), Whale shark (likely) peak at Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives in these months.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Maldives water temperature and weather
347 underwater observation records · 16 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives 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 1% 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
16
wet days a month
5 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.0 m | 2% | 11 | 3 | 28 °C | 11.7 h |
| February | 0.9 m | 0% | 5 | 1 | 28 °C | 11.8 h |
| March | 0.8 m | 0% | 8 | 2 | 29 °C | 12.0 h |
| April | 0.6 m | 0% | 15 | 3 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| May | 1.4 m | 12% | 24 | 11 | 29 °C | 12.2 h |
| June | 1.2 m | 1% | 17 | 3 | 29 °C | 12.3 h |
| July | 1.3 m | 5% | 20 | 6 | 29 °C | 12.3 h |
| August | 1.3 m | 4% | 17 | 6 | 28 °C | 12.2 h |
| September | 1.0 m | 3% | 18 | 6 | 28 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 1.2 m | 5% | 21 | 10 | 28 °C | 11.9 h |
| November | 0.7 m | 1% | 19 | 9 | 28 °C | 11.8 h |
| December | 1.0 m | 2% | 17 | 6 | 28 °C | 11.7 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: Moderate | February week 1: Moderate | March week 1: Moderate | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Good | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Excellent | October week 1: Excellent | November week 1: Good | December week 1: Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Moderate | July week 2: Good | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Excellent | October week 2: Good | November week 2: Good | December week 2: Good |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Good | April week 3: Poor | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Good | July week 3: Good | August week 3: Good | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Excellent | November week 3: Excellent | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Moderate | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Moderate | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Good | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: second of September
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 23 km/h | 40% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 34% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 23 km/h | 30% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 23 km/h | 21% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 18% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 16% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 23 km/h | 21% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 21 km/h | 26% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 18 km/h | 29% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 17 km/h | 29% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 15 km/h | 23% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 15 km/h | 28% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 15 km/h | 47% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 18 km/h | 57% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 59% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 21 km/h | 66% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.2 m | 25 km/h | 77% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.4 m | 29 km/h | 80% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.4 m | 31 km/h | 75% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 30 km/h | 67% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 28 km/h | 55% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 27 km/h | 56% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 27 km/h | 61% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 26 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 26 km/h | 65% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 27 km/h | 66% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 26 km/h | 60% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 27 km/h | 56% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 27 km/h | 50% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 24 km/h | 48% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 24 km/h | 59% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 26 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 24 km/h | 57% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 24 km/h | 60% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 25 km/h | 65% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 25 km/h | 64% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 28 km/h | 66% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 26 km/h | 69% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 65% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 18 km/h | 63% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 18 km/h | 63% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 19 km/h | 59% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 60% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 64% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 57% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 23 km/h | 45% |
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 Januarys saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. January 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
Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacktip reef shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 106 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 68 | ||
| Reef manta | Sep–Nov | Near-guaranteed | 36 | ||
| Ocellated eagle ray | All year | Near-guaranteed | 35 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Likely | 32 | ||
| Spinner dolphin | All year | Likely | 15 | ||
| Grey reef shark | Jan, Mar | Likely | 9 | ||
| Napoleon wrasse | Feb, Apr, Jul | Likely | 18 | ||
| Whale shark | Feb–Mar, Sep | Likely | 12 |
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 Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- Go September to November for reef manta. 8 days a month of heavy rain then. The calmest water is January to April.
- When is the diving season in Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- Conditions are good January to April, but most divers come September to November for the marine life.
- Is the diving in Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- Between 29 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in January and warmest in April. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- 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 Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- 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 Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- The most consistently recorded species are Blacktip reef shark (near-guaranteed), Hawksbill turtle (near-guaranteed) and Reef manta (near-guaranteed), from 347 records within 60 km.
- Does Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jan, most often in January at 1 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- The tide rises and falls 0.9 m around the full and new moon, against 0.4 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- January, April–May are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Baa / Hanifaru, Maldives?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jan–Apr.