Experienced divers only
Is it worth the trip?
86Good out of 100 for your dates
4 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 57 out of 100
- Sea
- 1.5 m
- Wind
- 15 kn
- Gusts
- 34knboats in
- Air
- 24°C
Tue 3 · 86 out of 100
- Sea
- 1.2 m
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 30kn
- Air
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 87 out of 100
- Sea
- 1.0 m
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 29kn
- Air
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 88 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.9 m
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 88 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.8 m
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 25kn
- Air
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 88 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.8 m
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 31kn
- Air
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 88 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.8 m
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 25kn
- Air
- 25°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 127, poor
- Mon 257, fair
- Tue 386, good
- Wed 487, good
- Thu 588, good
- Fri 688, good
- Sat 788, good
- Sun 888, good
- Mon 987, good
- Tue 1087, good
The site in five facts
- Down to 30 mits deepest
- From a boathow you get in
- Experienced / deepexperienced divers only
- Water 26 °C3 mm wetsuit
- Faces Eswell from there reaches it
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know currents, the visibility on the day or your certification.
Suits experienced divers only, as a dive guide states it. Scored for experienced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 27, poor | 1.2 m | 17 kn | 37knboats in | 25°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 57, fair | 1.5 m | 15 kn | 34knboats in | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 86, good | 1.2 m | 13 kn | 30kn | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 87, good | 1.0 m | 12 kn | 29kn | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 88, good | 0.9 m | 10 kn | 23kn | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 88, good | 0.8 m | 11 kn | 25kn | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 88, good | 0.8 m | 13 kn | 31kn | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 88, good | 0.8 m | 11 kn | 25kn | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 87, good | 0.9 m | 14 kn | 29knboats in | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 87, good | 1.0 m | 12 kn | 30kn | 25°C |
Sea is the waves near the site, in metres; wind and gusts in knots. "Boats in": gusts that keep dive boats in. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovLow 06:07 −0.6 mHigh 12:23 +0.5 mLow 18:26 −0.5 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:39 +0.5 mLow 07:05 −0.6 mHigh 13:23 +0.5 mLow 19:30 −0.5 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:42 +0.5 mLow 08:04 −0.5 mHigh 14:22 +0.5 mLow 20:34 −0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Slack water, the safest time to dive where there is current, is about half an hour either side of each high and low. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the site and its town
Cathedral Cave ('Eua) on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More diving near here
5 places
- Ata 36.9 km away
- Marmer 36.9 km away
- Hakau Mounu 38.8 km away
- Hakau Ualanga 'Uta 40.6 km away
- Hakau Tapu 53.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Cathedral Cave ('Eua)
A cave dive. It goes down to 30 m. You get in from a boat. It suits experienced divers only, as a dive guide states it. The coast faces E: swell from the E reaches it, and wind from the W blows out to sea. No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 10 km away. The sea is about 24°C in July, its coldest month (5 mm wetsuit), and 28°C in January, its warmest (3 mm wetsuit). The town to stay in is Nukuʻalofa. Within 5 km we also list 1 climbing area.
- What it is Cave.
- How deep Down to 30 m.
- Getting in From a boat.
- Who it suits Suits experienced divers only, as a dive guide states it.
- Dive centres No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 10 km away.
Water about 26°C: 3 mm wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Visibility over 30 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Jul and Sep (over 30 m).
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,210–US$2,350 each
about US$1,210–US$2,350 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to TBU, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$724–US$1,510 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$60–US$100 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$201–US$328 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$415 |
| Total | about US$1,210–US$2,350 |
Guided dives are not priced yet: we have no sourced price, so it is not in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Nukuʻalofa
69 min by car · 31 places to stay
About Nukuʻalofa its beds, food and every spot near it
Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 31h 15m
About 31h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → TBU, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 50 min by road
Flights MDW → TBU on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Nukuʻalofa · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Nukuʻalofa · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
The Colosseum Submarine Cavern 10 km
The nearest named dive centres and shops within 25 km, in a straight line; training agencies where the map states them. Listings, not a recommendation. Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
What you might see
Too few open records near this site to list its animals. Ask a dive centre what you are likely to see.
This week: visibility over 30 m, about usual for the month (satellite plankton reading, 24 Oct). Estimated from the month's typical visibility and this week's satellite chlorophyll against the site's normal; heavy rain before a dive can still muddy it.
The current and the life no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.