Jordan

Best Time to Dive in Aqaba

29.46°N 34.97°E

The pull is the Gulf of Aqaba's coral walls and wrecks. That does not change through the year, and neither do the conditions, so any month works.

Best time
Any month
Water
21–28 °C
Visibility
5–25 m
Dived from
day boat and shore diving
Tidal range
0.3–0.7 m
Species logged
3

Where it is

Jordan
25 kmN

111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m

Diving in Aqaba — monthly breakdown

Conditions do not vary here

Conditions barely change across the year, so no month beats another — pick on wildlife or price.

A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.

Month by month conditions, water temperature, visibility and marine life
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
ConditionsEvenEvenEvenEvenEvenEvenEvenEvenEvenEvenEvenEven
Water temp (°C)222121222426272827262524
Visibility (m)5–1510–2010–205–1510–2015–2515–2510–2010–2010–2010–205–15
Marine lifeSteadySteadySteadySteadyBusyBusySteadyPeakPeakSteadySteadySteady
Excellent Good Moderate PoorSame all year

Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.

The Aqaba diving season

1 seasons

Good all year

12 months
Water temperature
21–28 °C
Visibility
10–20 m
Rain
1 days a month

Diving conditionsSeas are usually flat.

  • Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
  • Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.

Aqaba water temperature and weather

104 underwater observation records · 20 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature

Water & weather

Aqaba water temperature by month

The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.

202224262830JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (°C)

10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean

Rarely
rough enough to cancel

Seas top 1.5 m on under 1% 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

1
wet days a month

0 of them bring heavy rain

Monthly sea state, wind, rain, air temperature and daylight
MonthSwellGusts over 40 km/hWet daysHeavy rainAirDaylight
January0.4 m0%1021 °C10.3 h
February0.4 m0%2022 °C11.0 h
March0.4 m0%1026 °C11.8 h
April0.5 m0%0031 °C12.7 h
May0.5 m0%0036 °C13.5 h
June0.4 m0%0039 °C13.9 h
July0.4 m0%0040 °C13.7 h
August0.4 m0%0040 °C13.1 h
September0.4 m0%0037 °C12.2 h
October0.4 m0%0033 °C11.3 h
November0.3 m0%0028 °C10.5 h
December0.4 m0%1023 °C10.1 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.

Conditions by week, four weeks per month
Week 1January week 1: ModerateFebruary week 1: ModerateMarch week 1: ModerateApril week 1: ModerateMay week 1: ModerateJune week 1: ModerateJuly week 1: ModerateAugust week 1: ModerateSeptember week 1: ModerateOctober week 1: ModerateNovember week 1: ModerateDecember week 1: Moderate
Week 2January week 2: ModerateFebruary week 2: ModerateMarch week 2: ModerateApril week 2: ModerateMay week 2: ModerateJune week 2: ModerateJuly week 2: ModerateAugust week 2: ModerateSeptember week 2: ModerateOctober week 2: ModerateNovember week 2: ModerateDecember week 2: Moderate
Week 3January week 3: ModerateFebruary week 3: ModerateMarch week 3: ModerateApril week 3: ModerateMay week 3: ModerateJune week 3: ModerateJuly week 3: ModerateAugust week 3: ModerateSeptember week 3: ModerateOctober week 3: ModerateNovember week 3: ModerateDecember week 3: Moderate
Week 4January week 4: ModerateFebruary week 4: ModerateMarch week 4: ModerateApril week 4: ModerateMay week 4: ModerateJune week 4: ModerateJuly week 4: ModerateAugust week 4: ModerateSeptember week 4: ModerateOctober week 4: ModerateNovember week 4: ModerateDecember week 4: Moderate
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of October

October, week by week

WeekConditionsWaterSwellWindRain chance
Week 1Moderate27 °C0.4 m20 km/h0%
Week 2Moderate26 °C0.4 m20 km/h0%
Week 3Moderate26 °C0.4 m18 km/h1%
Week 4Moderate26 °C0.3 m17 km/h1%

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.

Wetsuit thickness by month
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
SuitJanuary: 5 mmFebruary: 5 mm +March: 5 mmApril: 5 mmMay: 5 mmJune: 3 mmJuly: 3 mmAugust: skinSeptember: 3 mmOctober: 3 mmNovember: 5 mmDecember: 5 mm
  • Nov–Jan5 mm full suit
  • Feb5 mm with hood and gloves
  • Mar–May5 mm full suit
  • Jun–Jul3 mm full suit
  • Augskin or 3 mm shorty
  • Sep–Oct3 mm full suit

Swell through the year

The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.

JanJanuary: 0.4 metresFebFebruary: 0.4 metresMarMarch: 0.4 metresAprApril: 0.5 metresMayMay: 0.5 metresJunJune: 0.4 metresJulJuly: 0.4 metresAugAugust: 0.4 metresSepSeptember: 0.4 metresOctOctober: 0.4 metresNovNovember: 0.3 metresDecDecember: 0.4 metres

Amber is over 1.5 m.

Tides

springs 0.7 mneaps 0.4 mneapsone lunar month
Daily tidal range across one lunar month.

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

Aqaba marine life — what you'll see diving

104 records within 60 km

Only 104 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.

SpeciesWhenObserved windowReliabilityEvidenceRecords
Bluespotted ribbontail rayJun, Aug–SepNear-guaranteed
15/20
55
Hawksbill turtleAll yearLikely
11/20
17
Ocellated eagle rayMay, Aug–SepLikely
7/20
10
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 Aqaba — common questions

When is the best time to dive Aqaba?
Conditions barely change across the year at Aqaba, so any month works — pick on wildlife or price.
When is the diving season in Aqaba?
There is no real season in Aqaba: conditions barely change, so you can dive any month.
Is the diving in Aqaba good for beginners?
Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
How warm is the water in Aqaba?
Between 21 and 28 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in March and warmest in August. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
What wetsuit do I need in Aqaba?
A 5 mm with hood and gloves 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 Aqaba?
Roughly 5 to 25 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
What will I see diving Aqaba?
The most consistently recorded species are Bluespotted ribbontail ray (near-guaranteed), Hawksbill turtle (likely) and Ocellated eagle ray (likely), from 104 records within 60 km.
Does Aqaba get tropical storms?
No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
Is there current in Aqaba?
The tide rises and falls 0.7 m around the full and new moon, against 0.3 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
How do you dive Aqaba?
Mostly from day boats and the shore. Trips run through the season, Oct–Jan.