Diving and snorkeling in Whangarei
Today, Thursday, October 29, 2026 · local time (GMT+13) · Northland, New Zealand Today, Thu, Oct 29 · GMT+13- Slack water
- 4:27–4:57 am, 10:50–11:20 am, 4:50–5:22 pm and 11:00–11:40 pm
- Swell
- 0.3 ft, 6 s
- Water and suit
- —
- Likely visibility
- Good
Today, Thursday, October 29, the best time to dive in Whangarei is 10:10 am to 11:50 am, with slack water at high tide, little swell and the sun high, though with moderate wind. It's a good day (8/10). Visibility is likely good. The best day this week is Sunday, November 1, at 10/10.
Your diving day in Whangarei at a glance
The strip runs from midnight to midnight, local time. Daylight on top; then the tide with its slack water (purple bands), the conditions hour by hour and the best times.
Today in detail
Likely visibility: good- Slack water today: low tide 4:42 am (4:27–4:57 am), high tide 11:05 am (10:50–11:20 am), low tide 5:07 pm (4:50–5:22 pm) and high tide 11:21 pm (11:00–11:40 pm)
- Likely visibility: good. The sea has been calm and there's been little rain. Based on the last 24 hours of data.
- Snorkeling: doable, with some waves or wind.
- Night dive: dark from 8:17 pm. Waning gibbous (89%), rising at 11:39 pm: a bright night.
Slack water comes from the tide: in inlets, channels and between islands the water can keep running for an hour or two after. Ask the local dive shop.
Never dive alone and check with the local dive shop: this rating is a guide, not a substitute for a professional.
Diving forecast for the next 7 days
| Day | Rating | Best times | Swell | Visibility | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 8 good day | 10:10–11:50 am4:40–5:40 pm | 0.3 ft · 6 s | Good | — |
| Fri 30 | 8 good day | 5:30–6:40 pm11:20 am–12:20 pm | 0.2 ft · 8 s | Good | — |
| Sat 31 | 9 great day | 6:20–7:00 am6:00–7:40 pm | 0.2 ft · 6 s | Good | — |
| Sun 1 | 10 great day | 12:40–2:40 pm6:40–7:40 am | 0.5 ft · 6 s | Good | — |
| Mon 2 | 9 great day | 7:10–9:00 am1:50–3:10 pm | 1.8 ft · 5 s | Good | — |
| Tue 3 | 10 great day | 2:20–4:30 pm8:20–9:50 am | 1.2 ft · 6 s | Good | — |
| Wed 4 | 9 great day | 9:20–11:20 am4:30–5:30 pm | 1.9 ft · 5 s | Good | — |
Each day's rating comes from the swell, waves, wind, current, slack water, daylight and likely visibility. The forecast reaches about 7 days.
Dive sites, wrecks and dive shops nearby
Map: OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles · © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Hewlett Point Sand Islands Government Purpose Reserve 5.8 mi
- Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserve 7.8 mi
- Dive Now 0.3 mi
- SubAqua Dive Centre 0.3 mi
- The Dive Inn 3.6 mi
Within 12 mi. Some may be missing or closed; marine reserves usually need a permit. Open the map on OpenStreetMap · Missing one? Add it to OpenStreetMap
Sites: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
How we work out the diving rating
We score every moment of the day, every 10 minutes, from 0 to 10, with simple fixed rules:
- Swell: takes points away based on its height and period (a 10 s swell weighs 50% more than a 6 s one, because it reaches deeper and moves the bottom): nothing under 1.6 ft, up to 6.5 points from 9.8 ft. Surface waves count for getting in and out; we take the worse of the two.
- Wind: takes points away from force 4, about 12 mph (1 point), up to 6 points in a gale; half a point more when it blows offshore, because it pushes surface swimmers away from shore.
- Current: Météo-France's model current takes points away from half a knot (1 point) up to 6 points from 2 knots.
- Slack water: where we show the tide, up to 3 points come off when the water rises or falls fast (mid-tide, especially on spring tides) and none at slack, around each high and low tide.
- Light: half a point more with the sun high (3 hours either side of solar noon), 1.5 less at twilight and 3 less at night. Thunderstorms take away 5 and heavy rain 1.
- Likely visibility: good, fair or poor from the swell of the previous 48 hours, the rain of the previous 72 and the wind of the previous 24. Fair takes 1 point off the day's rating and poor, 2.
- Day's rating: the average of the best window (the stretch of 40 minutes to 3 hours with the best conditions), adjusted for likely visibility.
- Wetsuit, by water temperature: below 50 °F, drysuit; from 50 °F, 7 mm semi-dry; from 57 °F, 7 mm wetsuit; from 64 °F, 5 mm; from 72 °F, 3 mm; from 79 °F, shorty or rash guard.
Today: the best window scores 8.2 out of 10 and visibility is likely good, so it takes nothing off.
It's an estimate from the swell, rain and wind of the previous days, not a measurement: real visibility also depends on the bottom, plankton and nearby rivers.
Slack water comes from the tide: in inlets, channels and between islands the water can keep running for an hour or two after. Ask the local dive shop.
It is a guide built from models, not a guarantee: every site has its own currents and bottom. Look at the water when you get there and ask the dive shop.
Before you get in the water
- Never dive alone: always with a buddy and, if you don't know the site, with a dive shop.
- Check with the local dive shop or club: they know the currents, the no-dive zones and how the water is today.
- Dive within your certification and experience, and stay within depth and no-decompression limits.
- Fly a dive flag (diver-down or alpha flag) on a float and watch for boat traffic.
- Marine reserves need a permit and often have quotas: ask before you go.
- This rating doesn't replace a professional's judgment or what you see when you arrive: if the sea doesn't look right, don't go in.
Questions about diving in Whangarei
Can you dive in Whangarei today?
Today is a good day (8/10). The best time is 10:10 am to 11:50 am, with slack water at high tide, little swell and the sun high, though with moderate wind.
What about tomorrow? When's the best time to dive in Whangarei?
Tomorrow, Friday, October 30: 5:30 pm to 6:40 pm, with a rating of 8/10.
Which day this week is best for diving in Whangarei?
Sunday, November 1, at 10/10. Its best time is 12:40 pm to 2:40 pm.
When is slack water in Whangarei today?
Today the water barely runs at these times: low tide 4:42 am (4:27–4:57 am), high tide 11:05 am (10:50–11:20 am), low tide 5:07 pm (4:50–5:22 pm) and high tide 11:21 pm (11:00–11:40 pm). It's an estimate from the tide: in inlets and channels slack water can come later. Ask the local dive shop.
What will the visibility be like in Whangarei?
Likely good. The sea has been calm and there's been little rain. Based on the last 24 hours of data. It's an estimate, not a measurement.
Can you dive at night?
Yes, with experience, a primary and a backup light, and ideally with a dive shop. Night dive: dark from 8:17 pm. Waning gibbous (89%), rising at 11:39 pm: a bright night.
How is the rating worked out?
From the swell and its period, the waves, the wind, the current, slack water, daylight and likely visibility. Each factor adds or takes away a fixed number of points and the rating sums up the best window of the day out of 10.
More about Whangarei today
Learn more
Our own calculation: tide from Town Basin (LINZ), sun and moon with astronomy-engine, and sea and weather from Open-Meteo (Météo-France, ECMWF, NOAA GFS and Copernicus Marine, CC BY 4.0). Dive sites: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Slackwater database (https://github.com/openwatersio/slackwater-database). This work is based on Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand data which are licensed by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Modified: see https://github.com/openwatersio/slackwater-database#modifications-to-source-data