Wreck
down to 12 m
Hellcat (Gizo)
An intact WWII Hellcat fighter sitting upright in 12 m, its shallow depth and natural light ideal for photography.
- Open Water
Solomon Islands
10 documented dive sites, 4 of them for Open Water divers. Known for manta rays, grey reef sharks and reef sharks.
- Best months
- May–Nov
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
- Nearest airport
- HIR
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Solomon Islands in October
Best season- Sea
- 30 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 30 °C
- 24 °C at night
- Rain
- 150 mm
- average for the year
- Wind
- 6 km/h
- on average
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Diving runs all year; best May–Nov, with Dec–Apr the rainy season (wettest in Mar). Mantas are more reliable Mar–May and Aug–Dec, reef sharks more numerous Jun–Sep.
Dive sites in Solomon Islands
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
UK travel advice (October 2026) says the recompression chamber in Honiara, the only one in the country, is out of service due to earthquake damage.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m4 sitesWreck
down to 9 m
Japanese Zero (Gizo)
- Open Water
- Lionfish
Wreck
down to 18 m
Kashi Maru
- Open Water
- Sardine
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m4 sitesFor experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m2 sitesMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manta raysSource: dive-the-world.com | ||||||||||||
| Reef sharksSource: dive-the-world.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Manta rays: Aug–Dec, Mar–May. Reef sharks: All year
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Grey reef sharks
- Turtles
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Barracuda
- Trevally
- Cuttlefish
- Ghost pipefish
- Nudibranchs
- Pygmy seahorses
- Batfish
- Clownfish
- Lionfish
- Hammerhead sharks
- Pilot whale
- Mobula rays
- Bumphead parrotfish
Where is the Solomon Islands?
- Nearest airport
- HIR
Solomon Islands: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Solomon Islands?
- The best months to dive Solomon Islands are May–Nov. Diving runs all year; best May–Nov, with Dec–Apr the rainy season (wettest in Mar). Mantas are more reliable Mar–May and Aug–Dec, reef sharks more numerous Jun–Sep.
- Is Solomon Islands good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 4 of the 10 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Hellcat (Gizo), Alice in Wonderland (Wildcat wreck, Munda) and Japanese Zero (Gizo). The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in Solomon Islands?
- The water is usually between 28 °C and 30 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Solomon Islands?
- Divers regularly see manta rays (Aug–Dec, Mar–May), grey reef sharks, reef sharks (all year), turtles, eagle rays and stingrays.
- How do you dive Solomon Islands?
- The nearest airport is HIR.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash