There is no bad time to dive in Malta. That is a pleasant thing to be able to say and not much help when you are choosing dates.
So here is the useful version: what the water is doing in each month of the year, how much neoprene you will want, and which season suits which kind of diving. We are in the water every day, so this is the pattern as we see it rather than a seasonal average.
Malta sea temperature month by month
The sea around Malta runs about two months behind the air. It is still warming through June and still holding summer heat in November, which is why autumn diving here is better than the calendar suggests.
| Month | Sea temp | Visibility | Suit | How busy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16 °C | Excellent | 7 mm or dry suit | Very quiet |
| February | 15 °C | Excellent | 7 mm or dry suit | Very quiet |
| March | 16 °C | Excellent | 7 mm or dry suit | Quiet |
| April | 17 °C | Excellent | 7 mm | Quiet |
| May | 19 °C | Excellent | 5 mm | Picking up |
| June | 22 °C | Very good | 5 mm | Busy |
| July | 25 °C | Very good | 3 mm | Busiest |
| August | 27 °C | Very good | 3 mm | Busiest |
| September | 25 °C | Excellent | 3 mm | Busy |
| October | 23 °C | Excellent | 5 mm | Easing off |
| November | 21 °C | Excellent | 5 mm | Quiet |
| December | 18 °C | Excellent | 5 to 7 mm | Very quiet |
The suit column is the one worth reading twice. Visiting divers routinely bring too little neoprene in spring and too much in October.
Winter: the clearest water of the year
Winter is often overlooked, but many experienced divers consider it one of the most rewarding times of the year to explore Malta’s underwater world. A thicker wetsuit or drysuit is recommended, but the cooler water brings one major advantage: exceptional visibility.
With fewer tourists visiting the islands, many of Malta’s most famous wrecks, caves, and reefs feel almost untouched. Dive sites are quieter, allowing divers to enjoy a slower pace and spend more time exploring without large groups nearby. Winter is also a favourite season for underwater photographers, as the clear water creates excellent lighting conditions and impressive visibility.
Although stronger winds can occasionally affect exposed dive sites, professional dive centres simply choose more sheltered locations, ensuring there are excellent diving opportunities throughout the season.
Spring: marine life wakes up
Spring marks the beginning of Malta’s main diving season and is one of the best times to visit if you’re looking for a balance between great conditions and fewer crowds. Longer days and calmer seas create ideal conditions for both beginner and certified divers.
Marine life also becomes noticeably more active during spring. Reefs begin filling with fish, octopus and cuttlefish become easier to spot, and underwater visibility remains consistently excellent.
Many divers choose spring to complete their Open Water Course or enjoy Malta’s famous wreck dives before the busy summer months arrive. With comfortable weather both above and below the surface, it’s easy to see why many local instructors consider spring one of their favourite seasons.
Summer: warm water and every site open
Summer is the busiest diving season in Malta, and for good reason. The water is at its warmest of the year, creating incredibly comfortable conditions for long dives and multiple dives per day. Calm seas, long sunny days, and excellent accessibility make this the perfect season for exploring Malta, Gozo, and Comino.
This is also the most popular time for first-time divers. The warm water helps beginners feel more comfortable, while stable weather means dive centres can access almost every famous dive site around the islands.
Because it’s peak holiday season, popular dive sites and beaches naturally become busier. Even so, Malta offers such a wide variety of diving locations that it’s still easy to enjoy an incredible underwater experience throughout the summer.
Autumn: what the instructors would choose
If you ask many local dive professionals what the best time to dive in Malta is, they’ll probably say autumn.
The sea has retained the warmth of summer, while the number of visitors begins to decrease significantly. This combination creates what many consider the perfect diving conditions: warm water, excellent visibility, quieter dive sites, and stable weather.
Autumn is suitable for every level of diver. Beginners benefit from calm conditions when taking their first breaths underwater, while experienced divers enjoy easy access to Malta’s famous wrecks, caves, and deep dive sites without the crowds of peak summer.
For many visitors, September and October offer the ideal balance between comfort, visibility, and overall diving conditions.
So which month should you book?
Work backwards from what you want out of the trip.
For the warmest water and the longest days, July to September. For the best all-round conditions, late September and October, which is what most of us here would pick if we were paying for the flight. For empty dive sites and water clear enough to see the whole of a wreck at once, January to March, with the right suit. And if you are coming to certify, any month works, because the skills happen in sheltered water regardless.
The only month we would think twice about is August, and only because of how many other people have the same idea.
Is there ever a bad time to dive in Malta?
Not a bad season. Occasionally a bad few days.
What shuts a dive site here is wind, not temperature, and wind comes in spells of two or three days rather than in months. When it arrives the answer is usually the other side of the island, because Malta’s coastline offers shelter in almost every direction and we choose the site each morning based on what the sea is doing.
The one thing worth planning around is the crossing to Gozo and Comino in winter, which depends on the weather more than the diving itself does. If Gozo’s wrecks are the reason you are coming, give yourself a couple of days more than you strictly need.
Pick your month, we will handle the rest
Whichever dates you land on, the diving is running.
If it is your first time under the surface, a Try Dive takes an afternoon. If you want to leave certified, the Open Water course works as well in March as in August. And if you already dive, our guided dives go out every day, with the site chosen that morning according to the wind.
