If you are wondering about the best time to go diving in Raja Ampat, the truth is that you could dive all year round. The water is warm, ranging between 28°C and 30°C depending on where you decide to dive. The visibility is variable so you really can’t say when it will be good or poor. If you are looking for good visibility, then it will be better for you to be on a liveboard that can try to find you the very best diving conditions. Many times if visibility is bad up North, then it is usually clear down south, if it is poor in the West, then the East will be clear.

Best Time to Visit

Understanding the weather patterns in Raja Ampat will help you know when you should visit. The very best times to go for a dive should be when the wind is at zero, which means that the water will not be choppy, when you have calm seas, when a little bit of rain is falling and when the sun is shining. If you are looking for these conditions, then you should consider going diving from mid-October clear through to mid-December.

From the middle of June to the middle of September, the winds pick up and can be ferocious. This leads to horizontal rain. During this time, you will find that liveboards will not be in the Raja Ampat area. Instead, they will move on to calmer waters where the weather is much better. You will also find that most resorts in the Moluccas and Raja Ampat tend to close during that time. Nevertheless, regardless of the season, Raja Ampat always has a place where you can dive.

One of the best places to go diving is Sorong. Taking a round trip that brings you back to Sorong will avail many different diving options. Of course, depending on the visibility and the weather in Raja Ampat, you can decide how to adjust your itinerary. Even though the area is small, you can enjoy a variety of dive sites. The trip is really a twelve to fourteen day liveboard cruise where not only do you dive, but you get to enjoy the spectacular sunsets, the beauty and calm of the beaches and lagoons, delightful sunrises and so much more. Sometimes the weather will be all sunshine, but other times, it will be a mixture of sunshine and rain with half the day being sunshiny and the other half being wet.