Red Sea
Best Time to Dive in St John's / Fury Shoals
23.35°N 35.85°E
You come for St John's and the Fury Shoals reef systems. That does not change through the year, and neither do the conditions, so any month works.
- Best time
- Any month
- Water
- 24–31 °C
- Visibility
- 20–35 m
- Dived from
- liveaboard
- Tidal range
- 0.3–0.5 m
- Species logged
- 5
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in St John's / Fury Shoals — 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 | Even | Even | Even | Even | Even | Even | Even | Even | Even | Even | Even | Even |
| Water temp (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 26 |
| Visibility (m) | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 20–30 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady |
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 St John's / Fury Shoals diving season
Good all year
12 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–31 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 0 days a month
Diving conditionsSeas stay mostly calm.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
St John's / Fury Shoals water temperature and weather
120 underwater observation records · 20 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
St John's / Fury Shoals 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 2.5 m on under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing
2
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
0
wet days a month
0 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.2 m | 10% | 0 | 0 | 23 °C | 10.7 h |
| February | 1.4 m | 13% | 0 | 0 | 22 °C | 11.2 h |
| March | 1.4 m | 12% | 0 | 0 | 24 °C | 11.8 h |
| April | 1.1 m | 8% | 0 | 0 | 26 °C | 12.5 h |
| May | 1.2 m | 10% | 0 | 0 | 28 °C | 13.1 h |
| June | 1.0 m | 11% | 0 | 0 | 31 °C | 13.4 h |
| July | 0.7 m | 1% | 0 | 0 | 32 °C | 13.3 h |
| August | 1.0 m | 4% | 0 | 0 | 33 °C | 12.8 h |
| September | 1.1 m | 6% | 0 | 0 | 32 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 1.1 m | 5% | 1 | 0 | 29 °C | 11.4 h |
| November | 1.0 m | 1% | 2 | 0 | 27 °C | 10.9 h |
| December | 1.1 m | 8% | 1 | 0 | 24 °C | 10.6 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: Moderate | February week 1: Moderate | March week 1: Moderate | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Moderate | August week 1: Moderate | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Moderate | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Moderate | February week 2: Moderate | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Moderate | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Moderate | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Moderate | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Moderate | February week 3: Moderate | March week 3: Moderate | April week 3: Moderate | May week 3: Moderate | June week 3: Moderate | July week 3: Moderate | August week 3: Moderate | September week 3: Moderate | October week 3: Moderate | November week 3: Moderate | December week 3: Moderate |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Moderate | February week 4: Moderate | March week 4: Moderate | April week 4: Moderate | May week 4: Moderate | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Moderate | August week 4: Moderate | September week 4: Moderate | October week 4: Moderate | November week 4: Moderate | December week 4: Moderate |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of August
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.2 m | 30 km/h | 2% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.1 m | 31 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.2 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.3 m | 32 km/h | 0% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.4 m | 33 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.4 m | 33 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 23 °C | 1.3 m | 32 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 23 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.2 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.4 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.4 m | 30 km/h | 0% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.4 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.2 m | 30 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.1 m | 30 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.0 m | 28 km/h | 0% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.0 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 30 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 28 km/h | 0% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.7 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.5 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.7 m | 25 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 31 °C | 0.9 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 31 °C | 1.0 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 31 °C | 1.0 m | 27 km/h | 0% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 31 °C | 1.1 m | 29 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 31 °C | 1.1 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 32 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 32 km/h | 0% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 31 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 30 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 27 km/h | 5% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 26 km/h | 7% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 26 km/h | 7% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 28 km/h | 6% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.0 m | 29 km/h | 4% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.1 m | 30 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 31 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.2 m | 32 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.1 m | 30 km/h | 3% |
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: 3 mm | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: 3 mm |
- Jan–Mar5 mm full suit
- Apr–May3 mm full suit
- Jun–Novskin or 3 mm shorty
- 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 2.5 m.
Tides
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
St John's / Fury Shoals marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 120 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinner dolphin | Jun–Jul | Likely | 41 | ||
| Bluespotted ribbontail ray | All year | Likely | 19 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | Jun | Hit-or-miss | 15 | ||
| Green turtle | Jun | Hit-or-miss | 8 | ||
| Napoleon wrasse | Apr, Jul | Likely | 15 |
Peak Present No survey data
- 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 St John's / Fury Shoals — common questions
- When is the best time to dive St John's / Fury Shoals?
- Conditions barely change across the year at St John's / Fury Shoals, so any month works — pick on wildlife or price.
- When is the diving season in St John's / Fury Shoals?
- There is no real season in St John's / Fury Shoals: conditions barely change, so you can dive any month.
- Is the diving in St John's / Fury Shoals good for beginners?
- It is better with some experience. It suits Advanced Open Water divers or equivalent, so newer divers should ask the local operator which sites fit their level.
- How warm is the water in St John's / Fury Shoals?
- Between 24 and 31 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in August. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in St John's / Fury Shoals?
- 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 St John's / Fury Shoals?
- Roughly 20 to 35 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving St John's / Fury Shoals?
- The most consistently recorded species are Spinner dolphin (likely), Bluespotted ribbontail ray (likely) and Bottlenose dolphin (hit-or-miss), from 120 records within 60 km.
- Does St John's / Fury Shoals get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current in St John's / Fury Shoals?
- The tide rises and falls 0.5 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 St John's / Fury Shoals?
- Mostly from liveaboards. Trips run through the season, Jul–Aug.