IS THIS POSSIBLE TO DO SNORKELING & DIVING IN PHU QUOC ISLAND IN THE RAINY SEASON?

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Are you traveling to Phu Quoc? You want to explore the undersea ecosystem and see the most beautiful coral reefs in Vietnam, don’t you? But worrying about the weather, especially the rainy season. 

Many articles you grab on the internet said that it is bad and worst to snorkeling or diving in Phu Quoc in the rainy season? It is not true? OnBird does provide advanced information and explain more about rainy season which run from May to October in Phu Quoc. The video below recorded by OnBird on our soft-adventure snorkeling in August 2023.

 

A lot of concerns come out when thinking of snorkeling in Phu Quoc Island in the rainy season or wet season (summer time): heavy rain, cloudy, wavy… but let’s follow the article to know that Rainy season is one of the best period for snorkeling and diving to explore southern coral reefs of Phu Quoc Island.

 

First, Rainy and Snorkeling or Diving do not have anything to do with

It is ridiculous to say that rains get water cloudy or murky and it is impossible to do snorkeling or diving in the rain. Dont believe that because we have dont thousand snorkeling & diving experiences in the rain. Underwater visibility is nothing to do with the rains but it related to currents and wave levels and indeed in Phu Quoc the average underwater visibility in the South Phu Quoc Island is better in the rainy season rather than in the Dry season from OnBird’s records. And on many days of heavy rains early morning but underwater visbility was perfect of around 7-8m and there are the days we snorkeling under rain but it bring ideal lighting effect and visibility for snorkeling as well as diving.

6 guests standing around the guide to listen to safety guides and snorkeling skill revives
The water in the rainy season (May – October) – There are the days of pretty good water and lighting (Not meaning strong sunny)

Light or moderate or heavy rains doesn’t bring too many issues that alter the experience, other than putting up with the rain. Wavy, strong current and storms, wavy however, can stir up the seabed, cause river runoffs and provide dangerous tidal conditions as well as lower light visibility. So the key is to have a proper understanding about the water condition and underwater terrain at coral reefs in Phu Quoc Island. OnBird has built our own water conditions forecasting models to make highly accurate water conditions forecasts 5-7 days in advance to plan snorkeling & diving schedules, on top of that OnBird is capable of making highly accuracy of underwater visibility by dates by months in a given year.

Understand more about our Scientific & Low impact reef Snorkeling

SCIENTIFIC SNORKELING: THE BEST TIME TO SNORKEL IN PHU QUOC ISLAND BY ONBIRD PHU QUOC

Rainy season in Phu Quoc does not start from May but from August

Surprised yet? At OnBird Phu Quoc, we do a lot of work to bring out the most detailed as well as advanced information about the weather and water condition in Phu Quoc Island, it was believed that rainy season starts from May and last till October for a long time which toppled those who intended to visit Phu Quoc between May and August.

Explanation: from May to August is the summer time in whole Vietnam in general and Phu Quoc in particular, it is really beautiful time to enjoy the water of Phu Quoc because of the very warm water (29-30 degree C) this time which is in contrast to the cold water of 22 – 23 degree C in the dry season in the island and it is not rainy time but sunny days still, you dont find persistence rain during this time except in the period of tropical storm which is actually rarely-seen in this time, sometime happend in July (around 8-10 days in a row).

From May to August is the summer time in Phu Quoc island in which water becomes more warm, the days sometime start with a rain in the early morning or late night but it will become sunny after that for the rest of daytime.

 

Better water conditions for snorkeling & diving than the dry season

And actually the average underwater visibility in the rainy season is much better than in the dry season (October to April), there are times of good underwater visibility of 6-8m last for 20 – 24 days in a row in the South of Phu Quoc which are pretty rare in the dry season.

Note that: Rainy season or summer time is the best time to explore one of the most biodiversity coral reefs in South Phu Quoc: North-east Coral Reef. Please read more about coral reefs in Phu Quoc Island.

 

ABOUT SNORKELING

Snorkeling is a kind of diving with snorkel, which is suitable for all ages, even children. Even if you don’t know how to swim, you can also join this activity with the support of underwater guide during snorkeling time. There is no limit to the number of participants from individuals, couples to groups of friends and families. Read the different points between Snorkeling and Scuba Diving to know why many tourists enjoy this activity.

Private snorkeling trip in Phu Quoc Island to avoid crowds
OnBird’s underwater guide support and accompany guests during snorkeling time in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

 

5 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SNORKELING VS. SCUBA DIVING THAT YOU MAY DON’T KNOW

 

PHU QUOC WEATHER 

Located in a tropical climate, Phu Quoc has two distinct seasons: the rainy season and the dry one. In the dry season from October to April, the sunny weather, negligible rainfall along the gentle water, all of which make an ideal time for snorkeling tours. The rest of the time is the rainy season, the weather is changeable and harder to forecast, however the rainy season is also divided into 2 phases: the beginning (May to July) and peak time (August to September): you can completely feel the weather sunny and fresh during the beggining time of rainy season, but sometimes there are sudden and short-time rains. And there are days that the water conditions in the rainy season is much better than those in the dry season.

The video recorded in September 2022 which is considered rainy season in Phu Quoc Island

Even in the beginning time of rainy season, the sea water conditions sometimes are much better than it is in the dry season and you can gain snorkeling & diving expereince much more fascinating than in the dry season. Read the article below to get updated on the latest weather details and choose the right time and area to participate in diving in Phu Quoc.

COMPREHENSIVE PHU QUOC WEATHER GUIDES BY MONTH BASING ON ONBIRD EXPERIENCE

 

ASSESSMENT OF SNORKELING POTENTIALS – TIME TO EXPLORE “CORAL CITY”

During the rainy season, you probably experience many different types of weather, which directly determine whether to engage in snorkeling at that time. Even though it’s best to snorkel on sunny days, it’s fair enough to do your snorkels on not-so-beautiful days after checking the weather forecast and have consultancies from experienced snorkelers or reliable tour operators. A tour to conquer the sea combined with snorkeling at Coral Mountain, Shallow Reef or the North-east Coral Reef in a private and crowd-avoiding itinerary on a speedboat is very reasonable.

Snorkeling at Coral Mountain, the best snorkeling & diving spots in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Snorkeling at Coral Mountain, one of the best snorkeling & diving spots in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

The rainy season is ideal time to explore one of the most biodiversity coral reefs in South Phu Quoc: North-east Coral Reef which is likened coral city in South Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc Coral Mountain at Crystal Reef - Phu Quoc Distinct & Touristy-avoiding Snorkeling Tour
Phu Quoc Coral Mountain at Crystal Reef – Phu Quoc Distinct & Touristy-avoiding Snorkeling Tour

 

1. Light, Moderate and Short-Time Rain in the beginning of rainy season (May – July)

Don’t worry about your snorkeling plan if the weather forecast at the time of your travel is rainy but contact OnBird for more advanced forecast as we have built our own water conditions forecast model which can tell how the water conditions will be in the next 5 – 7 days with a high accuracy of 90 – 95%. We make forecasts as usual build proper itineraries/schedules for the snorkeling & diving trip for safety management and maximum snorkeling & diving experience.

It comes and goes very quickly in light rain, which doesn’t affect the flow, temperature, and visibility underwater. If you have good skills, snorkeling in deeper waters will not affect you much. In addition, your Phu Quoc snorkeling experience can be more alluring and bustling because light rain carries large amounts of food-rich silt and re-circulates oxygen into the water at a faster rate than usual, turning the marine life more lively. 

Snorkeling in the Shallow Reef, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam - Photo captured on August 23 2022
Snorkeling in the Shallow Reef, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam – Photo captured on August 23 2022

 

2. The cloudy weather

It is believed that high sun makes snorkeling experience better or coral more colorful to see, but it is not true. The snorkeling experience combines many factors such as underwater visibility, wave level at the reef and lighting intensity, cloudy sky (but not darken) actually prevent UV rays which cause the coloration of the coral blur and bleached, and bring better lighting affect on the coral for them to glow colorful. So it turns out good lighting intensity for snorkeling on cloudy weather rather than strong sunny days.

WHY the Noon-time frame (10 AM – 2 PM) is worse for snorkeling? UV EFFECT IN SCIENTIFIC SNORKELING WITH ONBIRD

The video below recorded by OnBird on a cloudy weather day

 

The important thing is your experience when you can immerse yourself in the calmness and splendor of the ocean.

Anemone Gardens on reef slope at the North-east Coral Reef, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
The photo of Anemone Gardens on reef slope at the North-east Coral Reef, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam taken on a cloudy day

 

3. Persisten heavy rain
There are times of heavy rain accompanied by strong waves, usually from August to September. It’s bad and dangerous for snorkeling & diving when the water can be stirred from the seabed making the water cloudy and too strong to stop the boat and snorkeling or scuba diving. Prolonged and heavy rains usually come along with strong waves thereby it is important to make forecasts in advance to avoid bad water conditions dates and timeframe in advance thereby OnBird has built our own water conditions tracking model to make high accurate forecasts 5-7 days prior to expected departure dates so we could avoid bad dates or customize (change daily timeframe) to maximum snorkeling & diving experiences for guests. But in this time there are still days of very water conditions and lighting for snorkeling, consult us before making decision.

 

4. There are still many days of good water conditions

Despite rainy season, there are still days of good water conditions for snorkeling & scuba diving (for scuba diving, the diving spots are more limitted than in the dry season). The photos below captured in the rainy season (August – September) in Phu Quoc Island at Coral Mountain and North-east Coral Reef. From May to July the water conditions are pretty good with many days of calm water and warm water (the water in the rainy season in Phu Quoc is warmer than in the dry season), especially you can only visit one of the most diversified coral reefs of Phu Quoc (North-east coral reef) in the rainy season.

SNORKELING WITH ONBIRD IN THE RAINY SEASON

We always care about the holistic experiences and safety of our guests on each snorkeling journey.  Our tours which are combined with snorkeling activity are always carefully researched in advance to advise our guests on what’s suitable snorkeling/ free-diving spots according to the weather, water flow, current conditions… all factors which can affect the snorkeling process.

Here are some pics and reviews from our guests joining us on rainy days.

Logo Resized Logo Resized Snorkeling 6Logo Resized Logo Resized Snorkeling 5

“We met a tropical squall when we were enjoying 2nd snorkeling, and it was our best moment during this trip.
We were getting rained on in the sea. Just fantastic.”

Click on the picture to view the full review.
Reviewed 1

 

After all, the best time for snorkeling is sunny weather, clear skies, and calm waters. But life doesn’t always go so perfectly. You need to have an accurate assessment of the weather and water condition by referring to Onbird’s advanced advices based on our water conditions data of Phu Quoc Island so that you can choose the right place for your snorkeling plan in Phu Quoc in the rainy season.

What you may consider about:

 

DISADVANTAGES FOR SNORKELING IN THE RAINY SEASON

That is worry about sudden thunderstorms happen late in the morning or late in the afternoon so a professional operator will need to have good understanding about the weather in the area to plan snorkeling experience effectively and safety. For OnBird, in the rainy season we focus on snorkeling experience and try to finish snorkeling experience before or after sudden thunderstorms so we plan kind of perfect timing for snorkeling in this time. The time for relaxing spot after snorkeling will be shortened for the safety. So if you think about the incorporation of snorkeling and island hopping in the rainy season so it is not always good ideal but we recommend an experience that focuses solely on snorkeling.