When is the best time to dive Yap?

The best months to dive Yap are December, January, February, March, April, when conditions are most favorable.

What certification do I need to dive Yap?

Yap requires a minimum certification of Open Water. Currents are typically moderate and the maximum depth reaches 30 m.

How much does it cost to dive Yap?

A 2-tank dive at Yap averages around $120 USD. The destination is in our mid range tier.

What will I see diving Yap?

Yap is known for manta ray, grey reef shark, sea turtle, barracuda, eagle ray, mandarin fish, with 9–30 m visibility and 27–29°C water temperatures.

Why does Yap score 63.0/100 on OkToDive?

Yap earns a 63.0/100 Score based on 12 weighted categories including marine life, coral health, visibility, operator quality, and value. Backed by 400 operator reviews.

Yap Diving — Micronesia's Manta Ray Capital

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World Class

Intermediate

Yap

MicronesiaAsia-Pacific

63.0

SCORE

9.5144°N

138.1292°E

Yap is one of the last places on Earth where manta ray encounters are virtually guaranteed year-round. Resident mantas visit cleaning stations in the channels daily, and patient divers can sit on the sand at 12m watching them circle overhead for entire dives. Beyond the mantas, Yap's culture — with its ancient stone money — is unlike anywhere else in the Pacific.

The World's Best Guaranteed Manta Dive

Visibility9–30 m

Temperature27–29°C

Max Depth30 m

Currentmoderate

2-Tank Dive$120

Best MonthsDecember, January, February, March

CertificationOpen WaterIntermediate

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

Marine Life

66.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity

Megafauna Encounters

Reef Fish Abundance

Macro Life

Endemic Species

Marine Life Diversity

66.0

Coral & Reef Health

72.0

Visibility & Conditions

70.0

Dive Site Variety

30.0

Water Temperature

75.0

Depth & Access

56.0

Operator Quality

78.0

Topside Experience

64.0

Getting There

68.0

Value & Cost

50.0

Crowding

57.0

Social Proof

57.0

Key Species

manta ray grey reef shark sea turtle barracuda eagle ray mandarin fish

Dive Types

reef

Traveling with Non-Divers?

Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.

Activities for Non-Divers

manta ray snorkelingstone money banks tourtraditional village visitsYap Living History Museum

Nearby Cultural Sites

Stone Money Banks
Yap Living History Museum
Men's meeting houses (faluw)

Non-Diver Partner Score

5/10

Limited topside — plan ahead for non-diving partners.

Family FriendlyYes

Restaurants & Nightlifebasic

Safety & Emergency

Dive Insurance

Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.

Learn More at DAN.org

Hyperbaric Chamber5 km — Yap State Hospital Hyperbaric Chamber

Nearest Hospital5 km

Chamber on-island; serious cases evacuated to Guam or Honolulu via air ambulance

Skill LevelIntermediate

Current Strengthmoderate

Top Operators

Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers

PADI

4.7

280 reviewsNITROX

Beyond the Reef Dive Shop

PADI

4.6

120 reviewsNITROX

Compare This Dive Site

Current conditions

10/10Excellent

Waves1.1 m

Swell0.84 m

Wind18.9 km/h

Air27.9°C

Mainly clear

9d ago

Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives

25+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification

Open Water

“Accessible to most certified divers with basic open water skills.”

What will challenge you

→Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
→Variable visibility
→Navigation in low viz

What will surprise you

→Yap has more marine life variety than most divers expect
→Local operators know spots the guidebooks miss

Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..

Morning

Viz
high
Current
moderate
Crowd
light

reef exploration
photography

Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.

Afternoon

Viz
moderate
Current
moderate
Crowd
moderate

drift diving
second tank

Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month	Viz (m)	Temp (°C)	Current	Sea	Rain	Confidence	Highlights
Jan	20–30	28	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active, peak season crowds
Feb	20–30	28	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active, peak season crowds
Mar	20–30	28	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active, peak season crowds
Apr	20–30	28	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active
May	20–30	28	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active
Jun	9–20	29	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active
Jul	9–20	29	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active, manta season
Aug	9–20	29	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active, manta season
Sep	9–20	29	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active, manta season
Oct	9–20	29	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active
Nov	20–30	28	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active
Dec	20–30	28	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active

Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects49

Wide angle48

Viz stability51

Hover friendliness70

Natural light60

Recommended kit

→General reef kit — mid-range wide or a 60mm macro depending on the specific site

Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

Dive planning
foundational
Variable conditions teach you to adapt on the fly.
Buddy awareness
foundational
New environments sharpen your team diving skills.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget

$2,250–$3,150

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US): $1,100–$1,300
Accommodation / day: $50–$100
Diving / day: $100–$120
Food / day: $10–$25
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Mid-range

$3,500–$5,100

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US): $1,550–$1,850
Accommodation / day: $120–$220
Diving / day: $120–$160
Food / day: $30–$60
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Splurge

$5,750–$8,800

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US): $2,250–$2,750
Accommodation / day: $260–$500
Diving / day: $160–$200
Food / day: $70–$140
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

Build a trip around it

Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

Best dive types here

Yap Diving — Micronesia