The Land of the rising sun has plenty to see underwater too

Diving in Japan? It might surprise you to learn that Japan is a fantastic location for scuba diving. The ocean currents bring warm water from the south, also known as the black current or kuroshio. This water meets the cooler water form the north and provides nutrient rich waters and an abundance of sea life.

Japan is an island nation with over 29,000 km of coastal area – that’s a lot of dive spots to explore!

Diving is incredibly popular in Japan, and diving facilities are generally very good. You can generally expect well mapped locations, hot showers, and there is always a convenience store nearby for those much needed surface interval snacks!

However, the Japanese dive operators are for the most part focused on servicing the local Japanese. What does this mean? Language is the first part, but also equipment rentals, especially dry and wet suits can be difficult to find in larger sizes. Local customs and rules need to be adhered to as well. This is where J.U.E. comes in. Japan has some great diving and JUE and can introduce you to the best dive spots in Japan.

Ocean Conditions in Japan
The conditions vary based on the season and also location. Hokkaido in the north for example can have ice diving in the winter months, and Okinawa in the south rivals the tropic conditions of Thailand or the Philippines during the summer. JUE dives everywhere we can, but most of our diving is in the IZU area with Mt. Fuji looking down on us and only a short distance from Tokyo.

Approximate water temperatures for Izu:
Celsius (Fahrenheit)
Jan-Mar 13-16 (55-61)
Apr-May 16-20 (61-68)
Jun-Jul 20-25 (68-77)
Aug-Sep 24-26 (75-79)
Oct-Nov 22-26 (72-79)
Dec 17-20 (63-68)

Other Considerations
A few other points about diving in Japan:
- Japan uses the metric system; tanks are in liters and pressure in Bars
- Diving is only allowed in designated dive spots
- Most dive spots require advance reservations, even for fun diving!
- Nitrox and other mixed gasses are available but are uncommon and most spots will not have them available.
- The most common tank size is 10 liters with yoke valves. 12 and 14 litre tanks can occasionally be found.
- Of course, a valid C-card is required at all dive locations.
- Most dive boats are fishing boats but 90% of dive spots are less than a 5 minute ride away so this is usually just fine!
- All JUE dive briefings will include relevant local information as required.