Where to Dive in December

The best scuba diving destinations with excellent conditions this month

Excellent Diving

Atauro Island
East Timor
28-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Continued excellent diving, manta ray season.

Dili
East Timor
28-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak season for diving, fantastic visibility and warm waters.

27-30°C 25-35m Mild

Highlights: Prime diving conditions, abundant marine life.

27-30°C 25-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak season continues, ideal for all types of diving.

26-29°C 20-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, best visibility and calm conditions for exploring Netrani's rich marine biodiversity.

Okinawa
Japan
19-22°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Early winter, excellent visibility, start of whale season

16-19°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Early winter, excellent visibility, cooler water

Sipadan Island
Malaysia
28-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Return to excellent visibility and calm seas.

North Male Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak manta ray season, ideal diving conditions

South Male Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak manta ray season, ideal diving conditions

Ari Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Continued manta ray and whale shark activity

Vaavu Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Clear waters, excellent for shark encounters

Raa Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Excellent visibility, manta rays and whale sharks

Western Rocky
Myanmar
27-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Continued excellent conditions for manta rays and whale sharks

27-30°C 25-35m Mild

Highlights: Peak manta ray and shark season, incredible biodiversity

Apo Reef
Philippines
26-28°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Excellent conditions return, high chance of seeing sharks and large schools of fish.

Panglao Island
Philippines
27-29°C 25-35m Mild

Highlights: Manta ray season in full swing, great visibility.

Siquijor
Philippines
27-29°C 25-35m Mild

Highlights: Manta ray season, superb visibility.

Camiguin
Philippines
27-29°C 25-35m Mild

Highlights: Great visibility, good chance of seeing manta rays.

Kalpitiya
Sri Lanka
27-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Excellent visibility, continued manta ray sightings, potential for whale sharks

Mirissa
Sri Lanka
27-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Excellent visibility, continued manta ray sightings, possibility of blue whales

27-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Continued excellent visibility and pelagic sightings

Similan Islands
Thailand
28-30°C 25-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, ideal conditions for diving with abundant marine life.

Surin Islands
Thailand
28-30°C 25-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, ideal conditions for diving with abundant marine life.

Phuket
Thailand
28-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak tourist season, ideal diving conditions. Great for spotting larger pelagics.

28-30°C 20-30m Moderate

Highlights: Peak manta ray season, ideal conditions for spotting these magnificent creatures. Currents can be strong.

Koh Lanta
Thailand
28-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak of the dry season, ideal diving conditions. Great for spotting a variety of reef fish and larger marine animals.

Krabi
Thailand
27-29°C 18-28m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, crystal clear waters, abundant marine life.

Koh Phi Phi
Thailand
27-29°C 18-28m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, crystal clear waters, abundant marine life, and great chances to see large pelagics.

Koh Chang
Thailand
28-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, ideal diving conditions, high chance of marine life encounters.

Koh Lipe
Thailand
28-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Continued excellent conditions, ideal for all divers.

Koh Kood
Thailand
27-29°C 25-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, calm seas and crystal clear water.

Koh Racha
Thailand
27-29°C 25-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, calm seas and crystal clear water, manta ray season continues.

Koh Tarutao
Thailand
27-30°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Peak season continues, great for all types of diving.

25-28°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Manta ray season in full swing. Clear waters and abundant marine life.

24-27°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Ideal diving conditions, diverse species

Cox's Bazar
Bangladesh
24-27°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Ideal diving conditions, diverse species

Pelong Rocks
Brunei
26-29°C 15-20m Moderate

Highlights: Encounters with schooling fish are common

Koh Tang
Cambodia
27-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, clear waters and abundant marine life

Kraken Springs
Georgia
10-12°C 15-25m None

Highlights: Consistent cool water and visibility

Goa
India
26-29°C 15-20m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, best visibility and calm conditions for wreck and reef diving.

Pondicherry
India
26-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak manta ray season, great visibility.

Raja Ampat
Indonesia
28-30°C 20-30m Moderate Rainy

Highlights: Still excellent diving, good for spotting sharks and large schools of fish.

Sulawesi
Indonesia
28-30°C 15-25m Mild Rainy

Highlights: End of rainy season, visibility improving

Banda Islands
Indonesia
27-29°C 15-25m Mild Rainy

Highlights: Transition to rainy season, still good diving

Pom Pom Island
Malaysia
28-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Holiday season, excellent diving conditions

Baa Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 20-25m Mild

Highlights: Clear waters, good chance of manta rays

Lhaviyani Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Manta ray feeding aggregations

Meemu Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 20-30m Mild

Highlights: Good visibility for reef exploration

Addu Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Manta ray season, good for channel dives

Thaa Atoll
Maldives
27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Excellent conditions, manta rays and sharks

27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak dry season, good visibility and marine life

27-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak manta ray and whale shark season

Black Rock
Myanmar
26-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak manta ray season, good for whale shark sightings

Karachi Coast
Pakistan
21-24°C 15-20m Mild

Highlights: Manta ray season in full swing

Astola Island
Pakistan
21-24°C 15-20m Mild

Highlights: Manta ray and whale shark sightings continue

Ormara Coast
Pakistan
23-26°C 15-20m Mild

Highlights: Manta ray season continues

Anilao
Philippines
26-28°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Holiday season, clear waters and abundant marine life.

Malapascua Island
Philippines
26-28°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Holiday season, prime time for thresher shark sightings.

Coron
Philippines
27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Holiday season, excellent diving conditions

Moalboal
Philippines
27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Holiday season, sardine run in full force

Dauin
Philippines
27-29°C 10-20m Mild

Highlights: Holiday season, prime time for muck diving

Puerto Galera
Philippines
26-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Continued good diving conditions, manta rays still present.

Verde Island Passage
Philippines
26-29°C 20-30m Moderate

Highlights: Continued good diving with manta rays. Excellent biodiversity.

Balicasag Island
Philippines
27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Good chance of seeing whale sharks

27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Good visibility, calm seas, potential for whale sharks.

Hikkaduwa
Sri Lanka
27-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak manta ray season, excellent visibility.

Weligama
Sri Lanka
27-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak whale shark season, calm seas and great visibility.

Trincomalee
Sri Lanka
27-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak blue whale migration season, excellent diving conditions.

Negombo
Sri Lanka
27-30°C 15-20m Mild

Highlights: Calm seas, great visibility for exploring reefs and shipwrecks

Unawatuna
Sri Lanka
27-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Good visibility, potential for whale shark sightings offshore

Koh Tao
Thailand
28-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Good conditions, popular for holiday divers.

Pattaya
Thailand
27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, clear waters and abundant marine life.

Koh Samui
Thailand
27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, clear waters and abundant marine life.

Koh Phangan
Thailand
27-29°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, clear waters and good conditions for diving.

Koh Samet
Thailand
27-29°C 18-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak season, calm seas and good visibility.

27-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Continued good diving, festive season.

Koh Phayam
Thailand
27-30°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Continued good diving conditions, popular for macro photography.

Nha Trang
Vietnam
24-27°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Pleasant temperatures and good visibility, festive season diving.

Phu Quoc
Vietnam
27-30°C 15-20m Mild

Highlights: Peak dry season, ideal diving conditions.

Con Dao
Vietnam
25-28°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Peak dry season, ideal diving conditions, possibility of whale sharks.

Hoi An
Vietnam
24-27°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Calm seas, great visibility, ideal diving conditions

Da Nang
Vietnam
24-27°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Calm seas and clear waters, ideal for all levels of divers

Whale Island
Vietnam
24-27°C 15-25m Mild

Highlights: Calm seas and clear waters, ideal for exploring the reefs

Good Diving

Teknaf
Bangladesh
27°C 10-18m
Kuakata
Bangladesh
26°C 8-15m
Maheshkhali Island
Bangladesh
27°C 10-18m
Brunei Bay
Brunei
30°C 10-15m
Jerudong
Brunei
30°C 10-15m
Muara
Brunei
30°C 12-18m
Labuan Shipwrecks
Brunei
30°C 8-12m
Koh Rong Archipelago
Cambodia
30°C 12-18m
Koh Prins
Cambodia
30°C 10-20m
Sihanoukville
Cambodia
30°C 10-15m
Sanya
China
25°C 10-20m
Xisha Islands (Paracel Islands)
China
26°C 15-25m
Fuxian Lake
China
16°C 10-15m
Com
East Timor
30°C 10-15m
Jacó Island
East Timor
30°C 10-15m
K41 - Dive Site near Dili
East Timor
30°C 10-15m
Sai Kung
Hong Kong
22°C 12-20m
Port Shelter
Hong Kong
22°C 10-18m
Sharp Island
Hong Kong
22°C 12-20m
Hoi Ha Wan
Hong Kong
22°C 12-18m
Ninepin Islands
Hong Kong
22°C 15-20m
Tung Ping Chau
Hong Kong
22°C 10-15m
Basalt Island
Hong Kong
22°C 10-15m
Bali
Indonesia
30°C 10-20m
Komodo National Park
Indonesia
29°C 10-20m
Lombok and the Gili Islands
Indonesia
29°C 10-20m
Alor Archipelago
Indonesia
29°C 10-20m
Miyako Islands
Japan
25°C 15-20m
Ishigaki
Japan
25°C 15-20m
Kushimoto
Japan
21°C 15-25m
Hachijo-jima
Japan
22°C 15-25m
Ogasawara Islands
Japan
24°C 20-30m
Mabul Island
Malaysia
30°C 10-20m
Lankayan Island
Malaysia
30°C 10-20m
Mataking Island
Malaysia
30°C 10-20m
Jiwani Coast
Pakistan
25°C 10-15m
Padre Burgos
Philippines
29°C 10-20m
Pulau Hantu
Singapore
30°C 8-12m
Sisters' Island Marine Park
Singapore
30°C 8-12m
Ulleungdo Island
South Korea
13°C 10-15m
Green Island
Taiwan
23°C 10-20m
Orchid Island (Lanyu)
Taiwan
24°C 10-20m
Xiaoliuqiu (Lambai Island)
Taiwan
25°C 15-20m