When to Dive the Philippines: Weather and Water by Month
Maybe your time off is in March, maybe it's in August, and every article on the best time to dive the Philippines seems to say something different. One says the season runs from December to May, another says you can go any time of year. If your trip is about the sea and diving, the month decides how many days you lose to rain and which wetsuit you'll need.
Officially the Philippines has two seasons: dry from December to May and rainy from June to November. That's how PAGASA, the country's weather service, splits the year 1. Around Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro, where Deluna is based, you can dive all year round. The driest and hottest time is March to May. From the second half of May through July the water is at its warmest, the sea is usually calm and there are fewer tourists. The weather gets in the way most often from August to October, when a few days of your trip can go to heavy rain and waves.
Why do some say the season is December to May, and others say all year?
Because the Philippines is thousands of islands, and the rain doesn't reach them all at the same time. PAGASA divides the country into four climate types. In some places the dry and wet seasons are clearly marked, in others it rains almost all year 1.
The year in the Philippines is split by two monsoons, seasonal winds. The winter one, the amihan, blows from the northeast and brings rain to the east of the country. The summer one, the habagat, blows from the southwest and soaks the west coasts from May to September 2. So the general "dry from December to May" calendar looks a bit different on every island.
Below is the weather around Puerto Galera on Mindoro, where we dive every day.
Puerto Galera weather by month
| Months | Weather | Water and diving |
|---|---|---|
| December to February | Dry, and the coolest time of year. Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks | The water is cooler than the rest of the year, so you'll want a thicker wetsuit than usual. In January and February there's more marine life around, sharks included |
| March to May | The driest and hottest months. Peak season, with the most tourists | The water gets warmer every month, and by May it's among the warmest of the year |
| Second half of May to July | Warm, usually without strong wind or waves, fewer tourists. On paper the rains start in June, but it mostly rains at night and not for long | The warmest water of the year. In our experience, one of the best times to come |
| August to October | Humid, more downpours, sometimes rough seas and cloudy skies | We dive most days, but you could lose a day or two of your trip |
| November | Still a rainy month on PAGASA's national calendar. In our experience, though, this is when the best time to visit Puerto Galera begins, and it lasts through July | The water is still warm, as in September and October |
Splitting the year by month gets less reliable every year. Some Augusts are clear and sunny, and some Februarys bring a tropical depression, a low-pressure system with heavy rain and wind. So we suggest picking your dates by what matters most to you and not writing off the low season.
What's the water temperature in the Philippines by month?
For most of the year the water around Puerto Galera stays at about 27–29°C, and a 3 mm wetsuit is plenty.
From December to February it can drop to 24–25°C. For a diver that's cool: bring a 5 mm, and if you feel the cold, add a neoprene hood and a thin vest underneath. You can also rent a wetsuit from us for $8 a day.
From June to September the water can reach 30–31°C, and plenty of people dive in a thin suit or just a rash guard and leggings. Our own readings for each month over the last few years are on the chart on the Underwater life page.
Does visibility depend on the month?
Hardly at all. How clear the water is depends more on the last few days of weather than on the season. Strong wind whips up waves, and they stir sand up off the bottom. After heavy rain, rivers wash silt into the sea. A plankton bloom makes the water cloudy too, but it also brings in lots of marine life.
Visibility can change within a day. On a good day you can see a long way, tens of meters. If the water turns murky at one dive site, we take the group to another part of Puerto Galera where it's usually clearer: most sites are less than half an hour away by boat.
What if a typhoon hits during my trip?
It can happen, but the chance is small. Most typhoons in the Philippines come between July and October: nearly seven out of ten show up in those months 3. Mindoro has other islands on every side, and typhoons rarely reach it. They hit the southeast of the country more often. What usually spoils these months is rain and waves, and they can cost you a day or two of diving.
If you're coming in these months, leave a spare day or two in your plans, especially before your flight home. PAGASA posts forecasts and typhoon warnings on its website.
When is the Philippines most crowded?
Over Christmas and New Year, and in Puerto Galera also from March to May. For the holidays, the hotels where we book rooms for our guests put their prices up, and some of them keep the higher prices for all of March, April and May. Hotel pages in the Accommodation section show when prices go up, and we'll give you the exact price for your dates when you get in touch. If you want to come then, book your room as soon as you've bought your flights.
The best months to dive the Philippines
Pick the month by what matters most to you:
- Want the driest weather? Come in March or April and book your room early.
- Want warm water, a calm sea and fewer people? Go for the second half of May, June or July.
- Can only get away from December to February? Those months are good for diving too. Just bring a 5 mm wetsuit or rent one from us.
- August to October is your only option? Come anyway, but allow a day or two for bad weather.
Once you've picked your dates, send us a copy of your flight ticket. We'll book your room and your dives with no prepayment, and you pay when you get here.
