# Best Diving by Month: A Data-Backed Calendar for 2026
When you go matters as much as where. Visibility, marine life migrations, water temperature, and weather patterns shift everything. A destination that scores 80+ in season can drop to 60 in the wrong month.
This calendar is built from [OkToDive's dive forecast data](/about) across 292 scored sites — actual visibility ranges, temperature data, and marine life patterns. Not someone's highlight reel.
How We Rank Monthly Destinations
Each site's monthly profile considers: visibility range, water temperature, current strength, sea state, rainfall, and seasonal marine life highlights. We combine these into a monthly conditions score and cross-reference with the site's overall [OkToDive Score](/about).
The result: data-backed picks for every month, not "I went there in February and it was nice."
January
Peak season destinations:
- [Maldives](/dive-sites/maldives) (Score: 78.9) — Northeast monsoon brings clear water and manta cleaning stations. South Ari Atoll for whale sharks.
- [Red Sea](/dive-sites/egyptian-red-sea) (79.1) — Peak visibility, comfortable temps (22–26°C). Liveaboard season in the south.
- [Cozumel](/dive-sites/cozumel) (80.7) — Dry season, 30m+ visibility, warm water. Bull sharks nearby at Playa del Carmen.
- [Bonaire](/dive-sites/bonaire) (80.7) — Dry season, calm seas, perfect shore diving conditions.
February
Peak season destinations:
- [Sipadan](/dive-sites/sipadan-island) (81.3) — Optimal visibility (30–40m), calm conditions.
- [Red Sea](/dive-sites/egyptian-red-sea) — Continues peak. Elphinstone Reef for oceanic whitetip sharks.
- Caribbean — Dry season across the board. [Cayman Islands](/dive-sites/cayman-islands) (80.3), [Roatan](/dive-sites/roatan) (79.3) all excellent.
March
Peak season destinations:
- [Similan Islands, Thailand](/dive-sites/similan-islands) — Whale shark season, Richelieu Rock at its best.
- [Raja Ampat](/dive-sites/raja-ampat) (81.4) — Transitional month. Still good conditions, fewer boats.
- Caribbean — Still dry season. [Bonaire](/dive-sites/bonaire) averages 25m+ visibility.
April
Peak season destinations:
- [Raja Ampat](/dive-sites/raja-ampat) (81.4) — Calm season beginning. Manta cleaning stations active.
- [Palau](/dive-sites/palau) (81.1) — Excellent conditions, spawning events.
- [Great Barrier Reef](/dive-sites/great-barrier-reef) (79.4) — Autumn diving, warm water, mantas on outer reefs.
May
Transition month — shoulder season deals:
- [Red Sea](/dive-sites/egyptian-red-sea) — Water warming, still excellent visibility. Good value.
- [Cozumel](/dive-sites/cozumel) — Last month before summer heat. Still world-class.
- [Fiji](/dive-sites/fiji) (78.5) — Manta season starting in Kadavu.
June
Peak season shifting to Southern Hemisphere and Pacific:
- [Galápagos](/dive-sites/galapagos-islands) (66.9) — Whale sharks arriving at Darwin and Wolf. Hammerhead schools year-round but peaking.
- [Sipadan](/dive-sites/sipadan-island) — Continues excellent. Turtle season.
- [Maldives](/dive-sites/maldives) — Southwest monsoon starts. Manta aggregations in Hanifaru Bay.
July
Peak pelagic season:
- [Galápagos](/dive-sites/galapagos-islands) — Peak season for whale sharks and hammerheads.
- [Raja Ampat](/dive-sites/raja-ampat) — Transitional. Conditions variable.
- [Azores](/dive-sites/azores) — Blue shark diving, mola mola starting.
August
Peak season destinations:
- [Galápagos](/dive-sites/galapagos-islands) — Continues peak whale shark/hammerhead season.
- [Maldives](/dive-sites/maldives) — Manta ray feeding frenzy at Hanifaru Bay (peak month).
- [Komodo](/dive-sites/komodo-national-park) — Dry season, manta rays at Manta Point.
September
Shoulder season — excellent value:
- [Raja Ampat](/dive-sites/raja-ampat) — Season ramping up. Conditions improving.
- [Red Sea](/dive-sites/egyptian-red-sea) — Water still warm (28°C), visibility excellent. Good shoulder value.
- [Galápagos](/dive-sites/galapagos-islands) — Whale sharks tapering but still present.
October
Raja Ampat season opens:
- [Raja Ampat](/dive-sites/raja-ampat) (81.4) — Peak season begins. Calm seas, incredible biodiversity.
- [Palau](/dive-sites/palau) (81.1) — Excellent year-round, October particularly good.
- [Red Sea](/dive-sites/egyptian-red-sea) — Still warm, still clear. Oceanic whitetips returning.
November
Indo-Pacific peak:
- [Raja Ampat](/dive-sites/raja-ampat) — Full peak season. Best conditions.
- [Sipadan](/dive-sites/sipadan-island) — Excellent visibility continues.
- [Maldives](/dive-sites/maldives) — Northeast monsoon starting. Whale shark encounters in South Ari.
December
Holiday season — book early:
- [Bonaire](/dive-sites/bonaire) (80.7) — Dry season begins. Perfect holiday dive trip.
- [Cozumel](/dive-sites/cozumel) (80.7) — Peak season, incredible conditions.
- [Raja Ampat](/dive-sites/raja-ampat) — Continues peak season.
- [Maldives](/dive-sites/maldives) — Northeast monsoon brings clear water.
Budget Hack: Shoulder Seasons
The best dive travel hack is shoulder-season timing. You get 90% of peak-season diving at 60% of the cost:
- Red Sea: May and September — same visibility, lower liveaboard rates
- Maldives: May and October — mantas present, resort rates 20–30% lower
- Caribbean: May and November — still excellent, pre/post peak pricing
- Indo-Pacific liveaboards: September — season ramping up, boats need to fill
Plan Your Trip by Month
→ [Trip Planner](/trip-planner) — match your travel dates to the highest-scoring destinations → [Best Of pages](/best) — see monthly rankings across all 292 sites → [Compare destinations](/compare) — side-by-side scoring for your shortlist → [Best places to scuba dive](/blog/best-places-to-scuba-dive) — the overall top 15
The Depth Report
Monthly dive site scores, seasonal picks, and destination data. One email per month, timed to your planning calendar.
→ [Subscribe to The Depth Report](/#newsletter)
I'm Chad. Chemist. Diver. I plan my dive trips 6 months out using a spreadsheet of monthly conditions data. This calendar is that spreadsheet, minus the color-coding.