Is it worth the trip?
77Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 62 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.9 m
- Wind
- 14 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 67 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.8 m
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 76 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.7 m
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 78 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.4 m
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 80 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 80 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 79 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.3 m
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 27°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 264, good
- Tue 362, good
- Wed 467, good
- Thu 576, good
- Fri 678, good
- Sat 780, good
- Sun 880, good
- Mon 979, good
- Tue 1078, good
The site in five facts
- Down to 4 mits deepest
- From a boathow you get in
- Open Waterand up
- Water 27 °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 Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it. Scored for Advanced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 64, good | 1.1 m | 14 kn | 24kn | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 62, good | 0.9 m | 14 kn | 19kn | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 67, good | 0.8 m | 11 kn | 15kn | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 76, good | 0.7 m | 10 kn | 15kn | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 78, good | 0.4 m | 6 kn | 9kn | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 80, good | 0.2 mflat | 2 kn | 8kn | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 80, good | 0.2 mflat | 5 kn | 10kn | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 79, good | 0.3 m | 2 kn | 14kn | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 78, good | 0.2 mflat | 10 kn | 15kn | 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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 01:44 +0.4 mLow 08:02 −0.3 mHigh 14:30 +0.4 mLow 20:37 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:57 +0.4 mLow 09:08 −0.3 mHigh 15:31 +0.4 mLow 21:40 −0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 04:04 +0.4 mLow 10:10 −0.3 mHigh 16:27 +0.4 mLow 22:36 −0.4 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.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good diving days in a typical week, each month, for Advanced divers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast: the sea and the mean wind of each day, with no gusts or rain in the history.
Map
the site and its town
The Mandalay 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
1 place
- Fowey Rocks 16.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Mandalay
A wreck dive. It goes down to 4 m. You get in from a boat. It suits Open Water divers and up, 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 33 km away. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (3 mm wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (rash vest or 1 to 2 mm). The town to stay in is Key Biscayne. Within 5 km we also list 2 dive sites.
- What it is Wreck.
- How deep Down to 4 m.
- Getting in From a boat.
- Who it suits Suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it.
- Dive centres No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 33 km away.
Water about 27°C: 3 mm wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Visibility about 15 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov and Dec (about 15 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$945–US$1,720 each
about US$945–US$1,720 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 MIA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$201–US$415 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$100–US$161 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Total | about US$945–US$1,720 |
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: Key Biscayne
about 50 min by car · 12 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Key Biscayne its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. 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 6h
About 6h door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → MIA, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → MIA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Key Biscayne · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Key Biscayne · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
No dive centre mapped within 25 km.
Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
What you might see
Animals divers and surveys have recorded within 2 km of this site in the last 15 years. A record says someone saw it here, not that you will.
Blue mah Thalassoma bifasciatum
Seen in 209 records, mostly Aug to Sep.
Gutong Sparisoma aurofrenatum
Seen in 182 records, mostly Aug.
Bicolor Damselfish Stegastes partitus
Seen in 169 records, mostly Aug to Sep.
Barber Acanthurus bahianus
Seen in 165 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Slippery Dick Halichoeres bivittatus
Seen in 146 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Clown Wrasse Halichoeres maculipinna
Seen in 133 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Gutong Scarus iseri
Seen in 125 records, mostly Aug to Sep.
Yellowhead Wrasse Halichoeres garnoti
Seen in 113 records, mostly Aug to Sep.
Blue tang Acanthurus coeruleus
Seen in 102 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Grunt Haemulon plumierii
Seen in 84 records, mostly Aug.
Moontail Sparisoma viride
Seen in 83 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Cola Ocyurus chrysurus
Seen in 72 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Records: OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System, IOC-UNESCO), from the datasets named here, CC0 and CC BY records only. Names: WoRMS, through OBIS; common names from Wikidata. Largest datasets here: Florida Keys Reef Visual Census 2016; Florida Keys Reef Visual Census 2014; Florida Keys Reef Visual Census 2018; NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, Coral Demographic Data; NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, Benthic Cover Data. Credits
This week's visibility and the current no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.