When is the best time for diving in Zanzibar?
Diving in Zanzibar is good all year round, but sea conditions vary from one season to another:
March - April:
March - April is undoubtedly the best time for diving in Zanzibar. During this season the Northern wind stops blowing. The sea flattens and becomes extremely calm. With water temperature of 28c and visibility that sometime reaches 30 meters, this is definitely the best time to dive in Zanzibar.
October and November:
October and November is another great time for diving in Zanzibar. During this season the Southern wind completely stops. As a result, the sea becomes perfectly calm and visibility is great, while water temperature averages 27c.
June to September:
During June to September the Southern wind blows. Since Nungwi is located in the North of the Island, the wind does not affect the dives too much. We normally have access to almost all the dive sites with good conditions. However, once in a while it might get a bit windy and choppy. Water temperature in this season is the coldest and averages 25c.
December and January:
December and January is the least recommended time to dive in Zanzibar. This is called the Kazkazi (Northern wind) season. Diving on most days in this season is great. However, occasionally the wind blows harder for a few days, resulting in choppy sea and reduced visibility. When Kazkazi wind blows hard, our operations are limited to 3-4 dive sites closer to Nungwi and very rarely we might even need to cancel one or two days of diving.
You can find a prediction of our weather and sea condition on WindGuru
What is the water temperature in Zanzibar?
Between November to May, water temperature is 28c-29c.
We recommend a 3mm wetsuit in this season.
Between June to October, water temperature drops as low as 24c-25c.
We recommend a 5mm full wetsuit.
How does a typical diving day work?
- We prefer that you arrive a day earlier to register and get fitted.
- The following morning when you arrive at the dive center, your dive gear will be already waiting for you on-board. We offer coffee/tea and WiFi, while you wait for the rest of the divers to arrive.
- Our boats normally leave between 8:30-9:30, directly in-front of our dive center reception. But, some days the times may vary due tides and currents.
- The average time to most dive sites is around 30-40 minutes by boat.
- Each dive trip includes two guided dives in two different spots.
- Between the dives, you will spend an hour surface interval on-board with snacks, fruits and water.
- We arrive back at the dive center around 13:30-14:30. Once back to the beach, our staff will off-load your gear and prepare it for the next day, meanwhile you can log your dives, use our fish books and enjoy our free coffee/tea and WiFi.
How big are the dive groups?
We decide on the dive groups at the end of each day. We try to group divers together with other divers with the closest level of experience.
Our dive groups average 4 divers per guide and never more than 6
Our courses average 2 students per instructor and never more than 4.
Our boats are spacious and can take up to 14 divers.
What if I have not dived in a while?
- We offer free refresher course (if needed), to all our divers, at 15:30 every day. It is conducted off the beach, directly in front of the dive centre and takes about 1 hour. It is free in order to encourage participation by everybody that needs to familiarize themselves with their diving skills.
- Taking the refresher course builds your confidence and takes care of any minor issues you may have, allowing for safe, comfortable dives the following day. Being confident will maximize the diving experience, not only for yourself, but also for the rest of your dive group.
- Depending on how experienced you are:
- If it’s been a while since you last dived, we might suggest you to take the course.
- If it's been over a year, we may insist that you take the course.
- If it's been too many years, we might also require that you do an open water dive, off the beach, before going out on our boat. This will cost $60.
Do you offer hotel transfer?
If you stay any hotel in Nungwi or Kendwa that is too far to walk, we can offer a free transfer to get you here for your dives and back.
We do not offer transport from any other parts of Zanzibar.
If you stay in other parts of the Island, we recommend using a dive center in you area to save unnecessary travel time.
How to book on-line?
Firstly, please contact us with any queries you may have. Once you have decided to reserve, let us know the dates so we will add you to our booking list. Please notify us in advance if there is any changes or cancellations.
We do not require a deposit for diving reservations, but we do require confirmation in order to keep your space. Confirmation should be done a day before your scheduled dives, no later than 14:00. Confirmation can be made by phone, e-mail or passing by our shop. Please note that we do not keep the spaces for customers that do not confirm in time.
