Djibouti

Best Time to Dive in Djibouti

11.74°N 42.78°E

Go December to January. Conditions are at their best and the whale shark season is on.

Best time
Dec–Jan
Water
27–31 °C
Visibility
5–15 m
Season runs
Oct–Apr
Dived from
liveaboard
Tidal range
1.2–2.1 m
Species logged
1

Where it is

Djibouti
25 kmN

111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m

Diving in Djibouti — monthly breakdown

Best months at this destination

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
ConditionsExcellentGoodPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorGoodExcellent
Water temp (°C)272728293131313031312928
Visibility (m)5–15——5–15————————
Marine lifeBusySteadyQuietQuietQuietQuietQuietQuietQuietQuietSteadyBusy
Best timePeakPeak
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Dec–Jan

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

The Djibouti diving season

2 seasons

March to October · Off season

8 months
Water temperature
28–31 °C
Rain
5 days a month

Diving conditionsThe wind is up. It rains less.

November to February · Peak season

4 months
Water temperature
27–29 °C
Rain
12 days a month

Diving conditionsIt rains more. The wind eases.

Marine lifeWhale shark (likely) peaks at Djibouti in these months.

  • Spring tides run 2.1 m against 1.2 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.

Djibouti water temperature and weather

57 underwater observation records · 12 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature

Water & weather

Djibouti water temperature by month

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

26272829303132JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (°C)

10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean

Rarely
rough enough to cancel

Seas top 2.5 m on under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing

0
blowy days a month

Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port

7
wet days a month

1 of them bring heavy rain

Monthly sea state, wind, rain, air temperature and daylight
MonthSwellGusts over 40 km/hWet daysHeavy rainAirDaylight
January0.6 m0%13127 °C11.4 h
February0.6 m0%12227 °C11.6 h
March0.6 m0%10230 °C11.9 h
April0.5 m0%8132 °C12.3 h
May0.3 m0%4036 °C12.5 h
June0.3 m1%1041 °C12.7 h
July0.5 m1%2042 °C12.6 h
August0.4 m0%6140 °C12.4 h
September0.3 m0%3039 °C12.1 h
October0.4 m0%6033 °C11.7 h
November0.5 m0%10130 °C11.4 h
December0.5 m0%12128 °C11.3 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: GoodFebruary week 1: GoodMarch week 1: ModerateApril week 1: ModerateMay week 1: PoorJune week 1: PoorJuly week 1: PoorAugust week 1: PoorSeptember week 1: PoorOctober week 1: PoorNovember week 1: ExcellentDecember week 1: Excellent
Week 2January week 2: GoodFebruary week 2: ModerateMarch week 2: PoorApril week 2: ModerateMay week 2: PoorJune week 2: PoorJuly week 2: PoorAugust week 2: PoorSeptember week 2: PoorOctober week 2: ModerateNovember week 2: ExcellentDecember week 2: Excellent
Week 3January week 3: ExcellentFebruary week 3: GoodMarch week 3: ModerateApril week 3: ModerateMay week 3: PoorJune week 3: PoorJuly week 3: PoorAugust week 3: PoorSeptember week 3: ModerateOctober week 3: ModerateNovember week 3: GoodDecember week 3: Good
Week 4January week 4: ExcellentFebruary week 4: ExcellentMarch week 4: ModerateApril week 4: ModerateMay week 4: PoorJune week 4: PoorJuly week 4: PoorAugust week 4: PoorSeptember week 4: PoorOctober week 4: PoorNovember week 4: GoodDecember week 4: Good
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: third of January

January, week by week

WeekConditionsWaterSwellWindRain chance
Week 1Good27 °C0.6 m13 km/h47%
Week 2Good27 °C0.6 m14 km/h43%
Week 3Excellent27 °C0.5 m14 km/h35%
Week 4Excellent27 °C0.5 m13 km/h37%

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: 3 mmFebruary: 3 mmMarch: skinApril: skinMay: skinJune: skinJuly: skinAugust: skinSeptember: skinOctober: skinNovember: skinDecember: skin
  • Jan–Feb3 mm full suit
  • Mar–Decskin or 3 mm shorty

Swell through the year

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

JanJanuary: 0.6 metresFebFebruary: 0.6 metresMarMarch: 0.6 metresAprApril: 0.5 metresMayMay: 0.3 metresJunJune: 0.3 metresJulJuly: 0.5 metresAugAugust: 0.4 metresSepSeptember: 0.3 metresOctOctober: 0.4 metresNovNovember: 0.5 metresDecDecember: 0.5 metres

Amber is over 2.5 m.

Tides

springs 2.3 mneaps 1.1 mneapsone lunar month
Daily tidal range across one lunar month.

Tropical storms

1 of the last 30 Mays saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. May is the only month with a recorded pass.

JanJanuary: 0 of 30 yearsFebFebruary: 0 of 30 yearsMarMarch: 0 of 30 yearsAprApril: 0 of 30 yearsMayMay: 1 of 30 yearsJunJune: 0 of 30 yearsJulJuly: 0 of 30 yearsAugAugust: 0 of 30 yearsSepSeptember: 0 of 30 yearsOctOctober: 0 of 30 yearsNovNovember: 0 of 30 yearsDecDecember: 0 of 30 years

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

Djibouti marine life — what you'll see diving

57 records within 60 km

Only 57 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.

SpeciesWhenObserved windowReliabilityEvidenceRecords
Whale sharkDec–JanLikely
5/12
41
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 Djibouti — common questions

When is the best time to dive Djibouti?
Go December to January. Conditions are at their best and the whale shark season is on.
When is the diving season in Djibouti?
The diving season in Djibouti runs October to April, and it is at its best December to January.
Is the diving in Djibouti good for beginners?
Yes. It is known as a snorkelling site as much as a dive site, so no experience is needed to get in the water.
How warm is the water in Djibouti?
Between 27 and 31 °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 in Djibouti?
A 3 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 Djibouti?
Roughly 5 to 15 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
What will I see diving Djibouti?
The most consistently recorded species are Whale shark (likely), from 57 records within 60 km.
Does Djibouti get tropical storms?
Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in May, most often in May at 1 of 30 years.
Is there current in Djibouti?
The tide rises and falls 2.1 m around the full and new moon, against 1.2 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
When should I avoid Djibouti?
March–October are the weakest months for conditions.
How do you dive Djibouti?
Mostly from liveaboards. Trips run through the season, Oct–Apr.