South Africa
Best Time to Dive in the Protea Banks
30.85°S 30.50°E
Aim for January to May once the water has warmed to 26 °C from 23. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The wider season runs November to July.
- Best time
- Jan–May
- Water
- 22–27 °C
- Visibility
- 10–30 m
- Season runs
- Nov–Jul
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.6–1.8 m
- Species logged
- 13
Worth knowing: 96% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
222 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in the Protea Banks — 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 | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 25 |
| Visibility (m) | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 20–30 |
| Marine life | Busy | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jan–May
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Protea Banks diving season
June · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 23–23 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 3 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less. The wind eases.
July · Peak season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 22–22 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 4 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less.
Marine lifeBronze whaler (hit-or-miss) peaks at Protea Banks in these months.
August to October · Off season
3 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 22–22 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 9 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up.
November · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–24 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 12 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. It rains more.
December to May · Shoulder season
6 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–27 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 11 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more.
Marine lifeSand tiger shark (hit-or-miss), Tiger shark (hit-or-miss), Scalloped hammerhead (hit-or-miss), Sailfish (hit-or-miss) peak at Protea Banks in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.8 m against 0.6 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.
Protea Banks water temperature and weather
3,621 underwater observation records · 26 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Protea Banks 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
29
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 96% 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
9
wet days a month
2 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.8 m | 2% | 13 | 4 | 27 °C | 13.8 h |
| February | 2.8 m | 2% | 13 | 3 | 27 °C | 13.1 h |
| March | 3.1 m | 1% | 11 | 3 | 27 °C | 12.2 h |
| April | 3.4 m | 3% | 10 | 3 | 25 °C | 11.2 h |
| May | 3.5 m | 1% | 5 | 2 | 24 °C | 10.4 h |
| June | 3.8 m | 2% | 3 | 1 | 23 °C | 10.0 h |
| July | 3.7 m | 3% | 4 | 0 | 22 °C | 10.2 h |
| August | 4.3 m | 6% | 6 | 1 | 22 °C | 10.9 h |
| September | 3.9 m | 4% | 9 | 2 | 23 °C | 11.8 h |
| October | 3.5 m | 8% | 12 | 3 | 23 °C | 12.8 h |
| November | 3.0 m | 3% | 12 | 3 | 24 °C | 13.6 h |
| December | 2.8 m | 4% | 15 | 4 | 26 °C | 14.0 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: Good | February week 1: Good | March week 1: Good | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Moderate | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Excellent | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Good | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Poor | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Good |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Good | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Good | June week 3: Good | July week 3: Good | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Good |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Good | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Good | May week 4: Good | June week 4: Good | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Good |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: second of January
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 26 °C | 2.5 m | 25 km/h | 44% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 26 °C | 2.6 m | 25 km/h | 45% |
| Week 3 | Good | 26 °C | 2.8 m | 26 km/h | 41% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 26 °C | 2.9 m | 27 km/h | 39% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 26 °C | 2.8 m | 25 km/h | 41% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 2.8 m | 24 km/h | 49% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 2.9 m | 24 km/h | 49% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 3.0 m | 24 km/h | 41% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 3.0 m | 24 km/h | 36% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 3.2 m | 25 km/h | 40% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 3.2 m | 25 km/h | 42% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 3.0 m | 25 km/h | 36% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 3.3 m | 24 km/h | 37% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 3.7 m | 24 km/h | 37% |
| Week 3 | Good | 25 °C | 3.6 m | 23 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Good | 25 °C | 3.1 m | 23 km/h | 27% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 25 °C | 3.0 m | 22 km/h | 20% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 25 °C | 3.4 m | 21 km/h | 19% |
| Week 3 | Good | 24 °C | 3.6 m | 21 km/h | 16% |
| Week 4 | Good | 24 °C | 3.8 m | 21 km/h | 11% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 24 °C | 4.0 m | 21 km/h | 13% |
| Week 2 | Good | 23 °C | 3.9 m | 21 km/h | 11% |
| Week 3 | Good | 23 °C | 3.8 m | 21 km/h | 8% |
| Week 4 | Good | 23 °C | 3.7 m | 22 km/h | 8% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 23 °C | 3.6 m | 22 km/h | 7% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 23 °C | 3.6 m | 22 km/h | 11% |
| Week 3 | Good | 22 °C | 3.4 m | 23 km/h | 14% |
| Week 4 | Good | 22 °C | 4.0 m | 24 km/h | 12% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 22 °C | 4.1 m | 24 km/h | 12% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 22 °C | 3.9 m | 25 km/h | 18% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 22 °C | 4.4 m | 26 km/h | 20% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 22 °C | 4.5 m | 26 km/h | 18% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 22 °C | 3.8 m | 25 km/h | 23% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 22 °C | 4.0 m | 25 km/h | 29% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 22 °C | 4.6 m | 26 km/h | 33% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 22 °C | 4.0 m | 27 km/h | 37% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 22 °C | 3.6 m | 28 km/h | 38% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 22 °C | 3.5 m | 29 km/h | 37% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 22 °C | 3.5 m | 28 km/h | 37% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 23 °C | 3.3 m | 27 km/h | 39% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 23 °C | 3.2 m | 27 km/h | 46% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 23 °C | 2.9 m | 27 km/h | 44% |
| Week 3 | Good | 24 °C | 2.8 m | 27 km/h | 40% |
| Week 4 | Good | 24 °C | 2.9 m | 26 km/h | 40% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.9 m | 26 km/h | 44% |
| Week 2 | Good | 24 °C | 3.1 m | 26 km/h | 48% |
| Week 3 | Good | 25 °C | 2.9 m | 26 km/h | 51% |
| Week 4 | Good | 25 °C | 2.7 m | 26 km/h | 48% |
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: 3 mm | February: 3 mm | March: 3 mm | April: 3 mm | May: 5 mm | June: 5 mm | July: 5 mm | August: 5 mm | September: 5 mm | October: 5 mm | November: 5 mm | December: 5 mm |
- Jan–Apr3 mm full suit
- May–Dec5 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 Aprils saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. April 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
Protea Banks marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowfin tuna | All year | Likely | 3316 | ||
| Bull shark | Mar–Apr | Hit-or-miss | 40 | ||
| Sand tiger shark | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 35 | ||
| Tiger shark | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 31 | ||
| Scalloped hammerhead | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 25 | ||
| Humpback whale | Jun, Aug–Sep | Hit-or-miss | 19 | ||
| Smooth hammerhead | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 24 | ||
| Sailfish | Dec–Feb | Hit-or-miss | 20 | ||
| Oceanic manta | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 22 | ||
| Spotted eagle ray | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 22 | ||
| Whale shark | Jan, Mar | Hit-or-miss | 13 | ||
| Common thresher | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 8 | ||
| Bronze whaler | Mar, Jul, Dec | Hit-or-miss | 11 |
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 the Protea Banks — common questions
- When is the best time to dive the Protea Banks?
- Aim for January to May once the water has warmed to 26 °C from 23. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The wider season runs November to July.
- When is the diving season at the Protea Banks?
- The diving season at the Protea Banks runs November to July, and it is at its best January to May.
- Is the diving at the Protea Banks good for beginners?
- Not really. It is for experienced divers, so it is not a place to learn or to make your first dives after certification.
- How warm is the water at the Protea Banks?
- Between 22 and 27 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in February. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need at the Protea Banks?
- A 5 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a 3 mm full suit is enough.
- What is the visibility like at the Protea Banks?
- Roughly 10 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 Protea Banks?
- The most consistently recorded species are Yellowfin tuna (likely), Bull shark (hit-or-miss) and Sand tiger shark (hit-or-miss), from 3,621 records within 60 km.
- Does the Protea Banks get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Apr, most often in April at 1 of 30 years.
- Is there current at the Protea Banks?
- The tide rises and falls 1.8 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 Protea Banks?
- August–October are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive the Protea Banks?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Nov–Jul.