Experienced divers only
Is it worth the trip?
81Good out of 100 for your dates
Every day scores the same, usually
Mon 2 · 81 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Tue 3 · 81 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Wed 4 · 81 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Thu 5 · 81 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Fri 6 · 81 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sat 7 · 81 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sun 8 · 81 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
No forecast for this spot on these dates. Usual weather for your dates
The site in five facts
- Down to 30 mits deepest
- From a boathow you get in
- Experienced / deepexperienced divers only
- Water 28 °C3 mm wetsuit
- Faces Eswell from there reaches it
Usual weather for your dates
not a forecast
| Day | Air |
|---|---|
| Mon 2to 8usually | 27°C |
No forecast for this spot on these dates. These are the usual readings for that week.
Visibility about 15 m, usual for the month.
Water about 28°C: 3 mm wetsuit.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good diving days in a typical week, each month, for experienced divers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec7of 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
Challenger Bay on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears how it usually is on these dates, from past years' weather: 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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Challenger Bay
A reef 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 50 km on the map: book a liveaboard or a boat from further off. The sea is about 25°C in July, its coldest month (3 mm wetsuit), and 29°C in January, its warmest (rash vest or 1 to 2 mm). No town nearby. Nearest beds: Port Douglas, 176 km. Nearest airport: Cooktown Airport (CTN), 80 km. Within 5 km we also list 4 dive sites.
- What it is Reef.
- 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 50 km on the map: book a liveaboard or a boat from further off.
Water about 28°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 May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep (about 20 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$1,350–US$2,680 each
about US$1,350–US$2,680 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 CNS, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX and BNE, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$884–US$1,840 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$147–US$241 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$596 |
| Total | about US$1,350–US$2,680 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. 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: nearest beds 176 km away
No town nearby
Nearest beds: Port Douglas, 176 km. Nearest airport: Cooktown Airport (CTN), 80 km.
See places to stay near Port Douglas, 176 km away · Booking.comDistances are straight lines: a site out at sea is reached by boat.
Getting there: about 35h 20m
About 35h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CNS, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Brisbane International Airport (BNE), then 4h 05m by road
Flights MDW → CNS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Challenger Bay · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Challenger Bay · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
No dive centre mapped within 50 km.
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's visibility, the current and the life no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.