Singapore is a spectacular holiday destination and something of a diving Mecca ideally located at the confluence of the Pacific and Indian oceans. For most diving adventurers though, the question uppermost on their minds is usually “when is the best time to scuba dive in Singapore?” In this guide we will answer this and other questions to help you get the most of your diving getaway in this idyllic tropical getaway.
Your Scuba Diving Singapore Itinerary: When is the Best Time?
Source: Best Time to Visit Singapore | Singapore Travel
Singapore is located some 85 miles north of the equator and is therefore enjoys a balmy tropical weather all year round. While the monsoon winds bring plenty of rain from around December to March each year, such inclement weather is barely an excuse for diving aficionados to go out and have a go at the waves offshore. It is therefore safe to conclude that as scuba diving destinations go, Singapore is ideal to head off to pretty much all-year round.
If your objective is to see the spectacular marine life teeming in the offshore reefs as you scuba dive, then the monsoon period may not be ideal. Instead, try to make your trip between April and June when the corals and the adjoining marine habitats come into full bloom. There are also excellent diving opportunities in October and November when the weather is much sunnier.
Best Scuba Diving Spots in Singapore
Source: PADI – Diving in Singapore
Having dealt with the question of when is the best time to scuba die in Singapore, it is time to take a look at which are the best scuba diving Singapore locations.
1. Pulau Hantu
Source: Diving Pulau Hantu Singapore
Pulau Hantu is easily the most popular site for scuba diving Singapore tours and with good reason too. It enjoys an abundance of both hard and soft corals, each populated with plenty of macro marine lifeforms especially the spectacularly colorful nudibranch mollusks popularly known as marigold dragons.
At low tide, you can even take a walk between the two islands which designate this marine habitat: Hantu Kecil and Hantu Besar. At high tide, the chances of witnessing sharks and marine turtles increase considerably.
Owing to its easily accessible nature, Pulau Hantu is often teeming with visitors on weekends and throughout the holiday season. However, only a small fraction of the visitors are likely to be interested in scuba diving.
2. Pulau Jong
Located about 5 miles off the coast of Singapore, Pulau Jong is a tiny conical island which wouldn’t seem to hold much promise for the avid scuba diver. However, it is surrounded by some marvelous reefs and a motley collection of marine animals. It is also adequately far from the shore to guarantee you no crowds even at the height of the tourism season. The waters around Pulau Jong are however likely to be choppy around the monsoon season and the strong currents are often too dangerous for diving.
Due to its remoteness and relative size, there are no ferries to take you to Pulau Jong. You have to rely on a charter boat or ride along in a scuba diving group tour to the island. But once there you will be impressed by the diversity of life including black-tip sharks and schools of parrotfishes which you are unlikely to find in waters closer to Singapore’s mainland.
3. Kusu Island
Kusu Island is in many ways very similar to Pulau Hantu. Admittedly, it does not have the same richness of diversity of marine life and it is much further offshore than Pulau Hantu though. However, it is much less crowded and offers the consummate scuba diver plenty of opportunities to enjoy marine life in their pristine natural environment. It is known for having the richest density of sea anemones anemonefishes in and around Singapore.
Kusu Island is located some 5 miles off the shores of Singapore and there is a modern holiday resort covering some nine hectares of land on the island. You can head off to the island on the specialty scuba diving boat tours or take a ferry. Ferries from Marina Bay’s south pier to Kusu Island depart almost by the hour.
Source: List of Islands in Singapore
If you are looking for a great scuba diving destination, Singapore offers a variety of spectacular locations around its balmy tropical waters. While there may be times when bad weather makes it hard to dive offshore, there are opportunities to scuba dive in and around Singapore around the year. For both avid scuba divers and the occasional adventure seeker, the experience will be one to savor.
