Poor Knights Islands in February

October through April gives you the best diving conditions, with water temperatures hitting 22°C in February and visibility often exceeding 25 meters. Summer brings calm seas and longer daylight hours, but also crowds and higher accommodation prices. I prefer the shoulder seasons — November and March offer excellent conditions with fewer people. Winter diving is possible but water drops to 16°C and weather can be unpredictable. The trade-off is cheaper accommodation and empty dive sites. Stingray season runs December through March when massive schools gather in the channels between the islands. But here's what the brochures don't tell you — even summer can deliver rough seas that cancel trips. Always build flexibility into your itinerary.