Mozambique
Best Time to Dive in Tofo
23.86°S 35.56°E
Go October to February for whale shark. 48% of days see seas over 1.5 m then — May to September is calmer, but the animals have gone. The full season runs April to December.
- Best time
- Oct–Feb
- Water
- 24–28 °C
- Visibility
- 10–30 m
- Season runs
- Apr–Dec
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.9–2.7 m
- Species logged
- 5
Worth knowing: 48% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Tofo — 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 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| Visibility (m) | 15–25 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 |
| Marine life | Peak | Peak | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Peak | Peak | Peak |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Oct–Feb
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Tofo diving season
March to September · Off season
7 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–28 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 9 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Tofo in these months.
October to February · Peak season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 25–28 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 13 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more. The wind is up.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Tofo in these months.
- Spring tides run 2.7 m against 0.9 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.
Tofo water temperature and weather
1,192 underwater observation records · 25 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Tofo 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
14
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 46% 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
10
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% | 18 | 3 | 29 °C | 13.3 h |
| February | 2.5 m | 4% | 17 | 4 | 29 °C | 12.8 h |
| March | 2.7 m | 1% | 15 | 2 | 28 °C | 12.2 h |
| April | 2.3 m | 1% | 10 | 1 | 27 °C | 11.4 h |
| May | 2.0 m | 0% | 9 | 1 | 26 °C | 10.8 h |
| June | 2.2 m | 0% | 9 | 0 | 24 °C | 10.5 h |
| July | 1.9 m | 1% | 6 | 1 | 24 °C | 10.7 h |
| August | 2.3 m | 3% | 5 | 0 | 24 °C | 11.2 h |
| September | 2.1 m | 2% | 6 | 0 | 26 °C | 11.9 h |
| October | 2.2 m | 3% | 8 | 1 | 26 °C | 12.6 h |
| November | 2.1 m | 0% | 7 | 2 | 27 °C | 13.2 h |
| December | 2.0 m | 1% | 13 | 3 | 29 °C | 13.5 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: Moderate | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Moderate | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Good | November week 1: Good | December week 1: Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Poor | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Excellent | November week 2: Excellent | December week 2: Good |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Excellent | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Moderate | April week 3: Poor | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Excellent | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Good |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Poor | April week 4: Poor | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Moderate | August week 4: Moderate | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Good |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: second of October
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.2 m | 21 km/h | 46% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 2.1 m | 22 km/h | 56% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.8 m | 23 km/h | 64% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 3.0 m | 22 km/h | 60% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.6 m | 21 km/h | 56% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 2.2 m | 21 km/h | 59% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 22 km/h | 60% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.7 m | 22 km/h | 58% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.8 m | 22 km/h | 53% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.7 m | 21 km/h | 53% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.7 m | 20 km/h | 51% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 18 km/h | 36% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.3 m | 18 km/h | 31% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.5 m | 19 km/h | 38% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.4 m | 19 km/h | 35% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.1 m | 18 km/h | 33% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.8 m | 17 km/h | 32% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 17 km/h | 30% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 18 km/h | 30% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 17 km/h | 27% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 25 °C | 2.2 m | 19 km/h | 31% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.2 m | 21 km/h | 32% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.1 m | 19 km/h | 30% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.2 m | 19 km/h | 29% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 25 °C | 2.0 m | 19 km/h | 23% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.9 m | 20 km/h | 20% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.9 m | 20 km/h | 21% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.1 m | 20 km/h | 20% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.1 m | 20 km/h | 17% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.1 m | 22 km/h | 14% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.2 m | 23 km/h | 15% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.6 m | 22 km/h | 17% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.4 m | 21 km/h | 21% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.0 m | 21 km/h | 19% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.6 m | 22 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.4 m | 23 km/h | 23% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 25 °C | 2.2 m | 23 km/h | 25% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.1 m | 22 km/h | 24% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.1 m | 23 km/h | 25% |
| Week 4 | Good | 25 °C | 2.0 m | 23 km/h | 29% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 23 km/h | 29% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 22 km/h | 25% |
| Week 3 | Good | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 22 km/h | 21% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 2.2 m | 22 km/h | 25% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 2.2 m | 21 km/h | 32% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 21 km/h | 40% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 1.8 m | 21 km/h | 45% |
| Week 4 | Good | 28 °C | 2.0 m | 21 km/h | 44% |
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: 3 mm | May: 3 mm | June: 3 mm | July: 5 mm | August: 5 mm | September: 5 mm | October: 3 mm | November: 3 mm | December: 3 mm |
- Jan–Marskin or 3 mm shorty
- Apr–Jun3 mm full suit
- Jul–Sep5 mm full suit
- Oct–Dec3 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
5 of the last 30 Februarys saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jan–Apr.
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
Tofo marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 1028 | ||
| Humpback whale | Aug–Sep | Likely | 69 | ||
| Loggerhead turtle | Feb | Hit-or-miss | 45 | ||
| Potato cod | Dec–Jan, May | Likely | 10 | ||
| Zebra shark | Jan, May | Hit-or-miss | 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 Tofo — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Tofo?
- Go October to February for whale shark. 48% of days see seas over 1.5 m then — May to September is calmer, but the animals have gone. The full season runs April to December.
- When is the diving season in Tofo?
- Conditions are good April to December, but most divers come October to February for the marine life.
- Is the diving in Tofo good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Tofo?
- Between 24 and 28 °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 in Tofo?
- A 5 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 Tofo?
- 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 Tofo?
- The most consistently recorded species are Whale shark (near-guaranteed), Humpback whale (likely) and Loggerhead turtle (hit-or-miss), from 1,192 records within 60 km.
- Does Tofo get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jan–Apr, most often in February at 5 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Tofo?
- The tide rises and falls 2.7 m around the full and new moon, against 0.9 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Tofo?
- March–September are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Tofo?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Apr–Dec.