Oman
Best Time to Dive in the Daymaniyat Islands
23.86°N 58.10°E
Conditions are good all year, so the month is decided by wildlife: September to October for whale shark.
- Best time
- Any month
- Water
- 24–32 °C
- Visibility
- 5–25 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 1.4–2.6 m
- Species logged
- 4
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in the Daymaniyat Islands — monthly breakdown
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.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 24 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 26 |
| Visibility (m) | 10–20 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 10–20 |
| Marine life | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Steady | Steady | Quiet | Quiet |
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 Daymaniyat Islands diving season
September to October · Peak season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 30–31 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 1 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is calmer. The wind eases.
November to August · Off season
10 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–32 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 1 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher. The wind is up.
Marine lifeWhale shark (hit-or-miss) peaks at Daymaniyat Islands in these months.
- Spring tides run 2.6 m against 1.4 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.
Daymaniyat Islands water temperature and weather
150 underwater observation records · 19 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Daymaniyat Islands 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 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
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.1 m | 5% | 2 | 0 | 23 °C | 10.7 h |
| February | 1.0 m | 4% | 1 | 0 | 23 °C | 11.2 h |
| March | 1.0 m | 4% | 1 | 0 | 25 °C | 11.8 h |
| April | 0.7 m | 1% | 1 | 0 | 29 °C | 12.6 h |
| May | 0.6 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 32 °C | 13.2 h |
| June | 0.6 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 34 °C | 13.5 h |
| July | 0.7 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 33 °C | 13.3 h |
| August | 0.7 m | 1% | 0 | 0 | 31 °C | 12.8 h |
| September | 0.6 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 31 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 0.6 m | 0% | 1 | 1 | 31 °C | 11.4 h |
| November | 0.5 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 28 °C | 10.8 h |
| December | 0.8 m | 4% | 2 | 0 | 25 °C | 10.5 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: Poor | February week 1: Poor | March week 1: Poor | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Moderate | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Good | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Poor | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Poor | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Good | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Poor | April week 3: Poor | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Excellent | October week 3: Good | November week 3: Moderate | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Poor | April week 4: Moderate | May week 4: Moderate | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Moderate | August week 4: Moderate | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of September
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.1 m | 20 km/h | 8% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.1 m | 21 km/h | 8% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 6% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 6% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 5% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 0.9 m | 21 km/h | 5% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 3% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 0.8 m | 23 km/h | 6% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 25 °C | 0.7 m | 22 km/h | 5% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 3% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.2 m | 22 km/h | 2% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 0.8 m | 22 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 0.6 m | 22 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 22 km/h | 3% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 22 km/h | 1% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 22 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 22 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 31 °C | 0.5 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 32 °C | 0.4 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 32 °C | 0.5 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 32 °C | 0.7 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 32 °C | 0.7 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 32 °C | 0.6 m | 22 km/h | 0% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 32 °C | 0.6 m | 24 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 32 °C | 0.7 m | 24 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 32 °C | 0.7 m | 24 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.7 m | 23 km/h | 1% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 31 °C | 0.7 m | 22 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 31 °C | 0.7 m | 23 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 31 °C | 0.7 m | 22 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.6 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 31 °C | 0.6 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Good | 31 °C | 0.6 m | 21 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 31 °C | 0.6 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 31 °C | 0.5 m | 19 km/h | 2% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 31 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 3% |
| Week 2 | Good | 31 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 20 km/h | 2% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 20 km/h | 3% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 20 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 0.5 m | 20 km/h | 6% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 0.5 m | 19 km/h | 7% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 27 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 6% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 0.7 m | 20 km/h | 6% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 26 °C | 0.8 m | 20 km/h | 6% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.0 m | 19 km/h | 7% |
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: 3 mm | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: 3 mm | December: 3 mm |
- Jan–Mar5 mm full suit
- Apr3 mm full suit
- May–Octskin or 3 mm shorty
- Nov–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
2 of the last 30 Junes saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jun, Oct.
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
Daymaniyat Islands marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 150 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green turtle | May–Jun | Likely | 108 | ||
| Whale shark | May–Jul | Hit-or-miss | 8 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Apr–May, Dec | Likely | 10 | ||
| Zebra shark | Apr, Oct | Hit-or-miss | 9 |
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 Daymaniyat Islands — common questions
- When is the best time to dive the Daymaniyat Islands?
- Conditions barely change across the year at Daymaniyat Islands, so any month works — pick on wildlife or price.
- When is the diving season at the Daymaniyat Islands?
- There is no real season at the Daymaniyat Islands: conditions barely change, so you can dive any month.
- Is the diving at the Daymaniyat Islands good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water at the Daymaniyat Islands?
- Between 24 and 32 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in June. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need at the Daymaniyat Islands?
- 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 at the Daymaniyat Islands?
- 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 the Daymaniyat Islands?
- The most consistently recorded species are Green turtle (likely), Whale shark (hit-or-miss) and Hawksbill turtle (likely), from 150 records within 60 km.
- Does the Daymaniyat Islands get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jun, Oct, most often in June at 2 of 30 years.
- Is there current at the Daymaniyat Islands?
- The tide rises and falls 2.6 m around the full and new moon, against 1.4 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- How do you dive the Daymaniyat Islands?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Aug–Dec.