Red Sea Water Temperature by Month: Best Time to Dive

Red Sea water temperature in Egypt averages about 22 °C in February and March and about 29 to 30 °C in August, so you can dive it all year. The best time to dive the Red Sea depends on what you want: PADI names March to May and September to November as the most comfortable windows, summer gives the warmest water, and winter is cooler and quieter. This page gives the month-by-month numbers for each dive area, what to wear, and which month suits which goal.

Red Sea water temperature by month

The table below shows average sea temperature by month for the main Egyptian dive areas. It uses the long-term monthly averages published by seatemperature.info, which says its figures combine satellite data with in-situ observations and are calculated from the past 10 years. These are monthly averages, not forecasts or readings taken at depth, so any single day can be a degree or two either side.

Sources: seatemperature.info pages for Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Brothers Islands, read 29 October 2026. There is no separate figure for Ras Mohammed, so use the Sharm El Sheikh column as the nearest guide.

What the table shows:

• Coolest water: February and March, at about 22 to 23 °C. Dahab is the coolest area, at 22.0 to 22.1 °C.
• Warmest water: August, at about 28 to 30 °C. Marsa Alam is the warmest area, at 30.0 °C.
• North to south: Marsa Alam runs warmer than Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab from March to September. From October to February the four areas are within about 1.3 °C of each other, and Sharm is marginally warmer than Marsa Alam in November, December and January.
• Extremes: the same dataset lists ten-year monthly lows of about 20.6 to 20.8 °C (Dahab in March, Dahab and Hurghada in February) and highs of 32.1 °C in August at Sharm El Sheikh and Marsa Alam.

When the sources disagree

Operators quote slightly cooler numbers than the dataset. DiveRED, a Hurghada operator, lists 22 °C in January and 21 °C in February against the dataset's 23.1 and 22.4 °C. A Sinai operator gives about 21 °C as the winter average. A liveaboard operator, Blue Force, gives 21 to 22 °C for January to March in the north and notes that water at 15 to 20 m can be up to 1 °C colder than the surface, especially in summer. Treat the averages above as the surface baseline and allow for up to 1 °C less at depth. The conclusion is the same either way: winter is about 21 to 23 °C.

How the dive areas differ

Sharm El Sheikh and Ras Mohammed

Sharm's averages run from 22.7 °C in March to 29.5 °C in August. It is the northern gateway to Ras Mohammed and the wreck dives of the Strait of Gubal, including the Thistlegorm, which Coral Playground's guide says is at its best from April to November. For more on that wreck, read the Thistlegorm guide.

Dahab

Dahab has the coolest water of the four towns, and its operators say so plainly: a Dahab-area operator recommends 5 to 7 mm or a semi-dry suit in winter, especially for a third dive, and says it can be windy. Our Dahab guide covers every site and the seasons in detail.

Hurghada

Hurghada sits mid-range, with 22.3 °C in March and 29.1 °C in August. PADI's Hurghada page quotes 21 to 28 °C and suggests a full suit of up to 5 mm. See the best dive sites in Hurghada for where to go once you have picked a month.

Marsa Alam and the far south

Marsa Alam is the warmest of the shore-based areas, at 22.8 °C in February and 30.0 °C in August. It is also the base for the offshore reefs. Shore sites such as Abu Dabbab are described on their page as divable year-round, and the Marsa Alam guide has the full picture. The offshore Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone are covered below.

What to wear: wetsuit thickness by month

Thickness is personal, so this is a guide, not a rule. The table combines a Hurghada operator's monthly recommendations (DiveRED, typical long-run averages) with a Red Sea-wide seasonal guide from Blue Force. DiveRED's air temperatures are for Hurghada.

If you feel the cold, go thicker, add a hood in winter, and bring a windproof layer for the boat. Gloves are a separate issue: the Dahab operator above notes they are forbidden under National Park regulations. Because the Red Sea is salty and buoyant, PADI says you may need to adjust your weight, so check your weighting when you start the trip and whenever you change suits. If you are packing for a boat, the liveaboard packing checklist covers the rest.

Season by season: what changes besides temperature

December to February: cooler, quieter, often clear

Water is about 22 to 25 °C. PADI says December to February has the best visibility in the Red Sea and is also the windy season, particularly in northern Egypt. One liveaboard booking site says wind can limit access to offshore sites near Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran. Emperor Divers, by contrast, describes a still sea with no wind during its winter dives, so conditions vary day to day. The same operator says wrecks such as Thistlegorm and Abu Nuhas have fewer divers in winter, and the booking site calls it the quietest time for tourism. If you are weighing up red sea diving in january, expect cooler water, a thicker suit, and good odds of quiet sites.

March to May: warming water, a popular window

Water climbs from about 22 to 25 °C. PADI lists March to May as high season, so some sites may be crowded. It also names spring as the best time for whale sharks, particularly in the northern Red Sea. Sightings are never certain.

June to August: warmest water, hot air

Water reaches 27 to 30 °C, and a shorty or 3 mm is typical. Hurghada air temperatures are given as 35 to 39 °C. PADI says hammerhead sharks move further north in summer and calls June to September the best months to swim with them. Coral Playground's Daedalus Reef page lists hammerheads as the headline act in late spring and summer.

September to November: warm and settled

Water eases from 28 to 26 °C. PADI lists these months with March to May as the best for Egypt, and notes liveaboards can be busy. Several of the guides above tie this season to offshore sharks. Our Marsa Alam guide gives August to November as the peak for shark sightings at Elphinstone, and the Elphinstone page lists roughly May to November, and the Daedalus Reef page says oceanic whitetips are most reliable in October and November.

Sources disagree on sharks

Timing for big animals is where guides differ most. PADI says winter gives the best chance of an oceanic whitetip in Egypt, while Coral Playground's own site pages put the peak in late autumn. PADI adds that autumn is best for thresher sharks, and our Big Brother Island page says threshers rise from the depths in the cooler months. Check the specific trip with the operator, and treat any month-for-animal claim as a tendency, not a promise. These offshore sites are mostly reached by liveaboard, though Elphinstone can also be reached by day boat from Marsa Alam. Operator minimums vary: published examples run from Open Water with 30 logged dives to Advanced Open Water with 50. Coral Playground lists these sites at Advanced Open Water because of depth and current, and crews can refuse dives, so treat Advanced Open Water as the level to aim for.

Which month for which goal

• Warmest water and the thinnest suit: July to September. The trade-off is hot air topside.
• A balance of warm water and comfortable air: April to June, or September to November. PADI's best windows are March to May and September to November.
• Quiet sites and cool, often clear water: January to February. Take a 5 mm suit and a hood.
• Offshore sharks on the southern reefs: book a trip for the months your chosen site favours, and read its page first. For Elphinstone, our Marsa Alam guide gives August to November as the peak and the Elphinstone page lists roughly May to November.
• A winter trip when you feel the cold: pick Sharm El Sheikh or Marsa Alam over Dahab, which runs about 0.7 to 1 °C cooler in winter (Hurghada is only about 0.3 to 0.4 °C warmer), or bring a 7 mm or semi-dry suit.
• Shore diving year-round: Abu Dabbab and the Dahab sites are listed as divable all year, so the suit is your main seasonal variable.

To compare options on a map, use Explore. The free Red Sea dive trip planner includes a month-by-month calendar to help you shortlist dates.

Frequently asked questions

What is the water temperature in Sharm El Sheikh in December?

Long-term averages put Sharm El Sheikh at about 25.1 °C in December, with monthly readings over the past ten years between roughly 22.8 and 27.5 °C. The water is cooling by then, and one liveaboard operator suggests 5 or 7 mm suits from November to April. Check the live reading nearer your dates.

Is the Red Sea warm enough to dive in January?

Yes, but it is the cool season. January averages are about 22.7 to 23.5 °C across Dahab, Hurghada, Sharm and Marsa Alam. Operators quote 21 to 23 °C and suggest a 5 mm suit, or 5 to 7 mm or a semi-dry for cold-sensitive divers. Visibility is often good and sites are quieter.

What is the coldest the Red Sea gets for divers?

The lowest monthly average in the data we used is about 22 °C, in February and March. Individual monthly minimums over ten years dipped to roughly 20.6 to 20.8 °C in Dahab and Hurghada. Dahab is typically the coolest of the main dive areas. Operators quote about 21 °C as a winter norm.

Is 20 degrees warm enough to swim in the sea?

The Red Sea rarely gets that low, and the monthly averages we used stay above 22 °C. For diving, though, 20 to 22 °C is wetsuit territory. Operators advise 5 mm or thicker in winter because you spend a long dive relatively still. Comfort varies a lot between divers.

What is the best time of year to dive the Red Sea?

PADI names March to May and September to November as the best windows for Egypt, when air and water temperatures are comfortable. The Red Sea can be dived all year, though. Choose summer for the warmest water, winter for quieter sites and cooler water, and check the season for any offshore site you want.

Once you have picked a month, browse the dive sites to see depth, current and certification level for each, or compare liveaboards for the offshore reefs. Check the live sea temperature close to your departure, and confirm exposure protection with your dive centre.