Bermuda
Best Time to Dive in Bermuda
32.29°N 64.80°W
Go May to August for the calmest water — seas top 1.5 m on 22% of days, against 69% the rest of the year. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- May–Aug
- Water
- 20–29 °C
- Visibility
- 10–25 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.6–1.0 m
- Species logged
- 4
Worth knowing: 82% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Bermuda — monthly breakdown
A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Good | Good | Excellent | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 |
| Visibility (m) | 10–20 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 |
| Marine life | Busy | Steady | Steady | Busy | Steady | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season May–Aug
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Bermuda diving season
April · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 21–21 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 10 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough. It rains less.
May to August · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 22–29 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 13 days a month
Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. The wind eases. The sea is calmer.
September to March · Off season
7 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 20–28 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 13 days a month
Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. The wind is up. The sea is rougher.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Bermuda water temperature and weather
236 underwater observation records · 21 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Bermuda water temperature by month
The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.
10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean
16
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 54% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
9
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
13
wet days a month
4 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.2 m | 61% | 14 | 4 | 20 °C | 10.1 h |
| February | 3.1 m | 46% | 10 | 3 | 20 °C | 10.9 h |
| March | 3.3 m | 44% | 12 | 4 | 20 °C | 11.8 h |
| April | 2.5 m | 32% | 10 | 2 | 20 °C | 12.8 h |
| May | 2.1 m | 16% | 10 | 3 | 22 °C | 13.7 h |
| June | 1.9 m | 12% | 13 | 4 | 25 °C | 14.1 h |
| July | 1.6 m | 2% | 14 | 2 | 27 °C | 13.9 h |
| August | 1.9 m | 5% | 15 | 3 | 28 °C | 13.2 h |
| September | 3.4 m | 15% | 16 | 5 | 27 °C | 12.2 h |
| October | 3.0 m | 30% | 13 | 5 | 25 °C | 11.2 h |
| November | 2.9 m | 39% | 14 | 4 | 23 °C | 10.3 h |
| December | 3.1 m | 44% | 12 | 3 | 21 °C | 9.9 h |
Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 10 years, waves 4.
Pick your week
48 weeks from the daily record. Darker is better, against this site's own year. Pick a month for the detail.
| Week 1 | January week 1: Poor | February week 1: Poor | March week 1: Poor | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Good | June week 1: Good | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Excellent | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Poor | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Good | June week 2: Good | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Poor | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Poor | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Good | June week 3: Good | July week 3: Excellent | August week 3: Moderate | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Poor | April week 4: Good | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Good | July week 4: Excellent | August week 4: Moderate | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: third of July
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 21 °C | 4.1 m | 41 km/h | 42% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 21 °C | 4.4 m | 44 km/h | 43% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 21 °C | 3.8 m | 45 km/h | 46% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.1 m | 43 km/h | 42% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.1 m | 39 km/h | 38% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.1 m | 38 km/h | 37% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.2 m | 39 km/h | 35% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 20 °C | 2.8 m | 39 km/h | 35% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.3 m | 41 km/h | 37% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.5 m | 40 km/h | 38% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.2 m | 38 km/h | 43% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 20 °C | 2.8 m | 37 km/h | 41% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 20 °C | 2.8 m | 37 km/h | 37% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 20 °C | 2.7 m | 37 km/h | 33% |
| Week 3 | Good | 21 °C | 2.4 m | 34 km/h | 28% |
| Week 4 | Good | 21 °C | 2.2 m | 32 km/h | 25% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 21 °C | 2.4 m | 32 km/h | 28% |
| Week 2 | Good | 22 °C | 2.2 m | 31 km/h | 34% |
| Week 3 | Good | 22 °C | 1.8 m | 30 km/h | 37% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 23 °C | 1.8 m | 27 km/h | 37% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 27 km/h | 38% |
| Week 2 | Good | 24 °C | 1.9 m | 27 km/h | 40% |
| Week 3 | Good | 25 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 41% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 24 km/h | 50% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 24 km/h | 55% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 23 km/h | 47% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 22 km/h | 44% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 23 km/h | 45% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 24 km/h | 47% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 23 km/h | 51% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 2.7 m | 22 km/h | 50% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 3.0 m | 22 km/h | 49% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.9 m | 24 km/h | 57% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 3.1 m | 26 km/h | 58% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 3.3 m | 28 km/h | 53% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 3.4 m | 29 km/h | 42% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 3.3 m | 30 km/h | 35% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.9 m | 31 km/h | 42% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.8 m | 34 km/h | 46% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.9 m | 36 km/h | 40% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 25 °C | 2.8 m | 35 km/h | 41% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 3.0 m | 36 km/h | 50% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 3.1 m | 38 km/h | 51% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 23 °C | 2.7 m | 38 km/h | 46% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 23 °C | 2.9 m | 38 km/h | 41% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 22 °C | 3.3 m | 40 km/h | 39% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 22 °C | 3.3 m | 40 km/h | 36% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 22 °C | 3.1 m | 38 km/h | 38% |
10 years of daily records, averaged into weeks.
Gear & storms
What to wear
Off the coldest water of each month, not the average — that is what the suit has to cope with.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suit | January: 5 mm + | February: 5 mm + | March: 5 mm + | April: 5 mm + | May: 5 mm + | June: 5 mm | July: 3 mm | August: skin | September: 3 mm | October: 3 mm | November: 5 mm | December: 5 mm |
- Jan–May5 mm with hood and gloves
- Jun5 mm full suit
- Jul3 mm full suit
- Augskin or 3 mm shorty
- Sep–Oct3 mm full suit
- Nov–Dec5 mm full suit
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 1.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
14 of the last 30 Septembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Apr, Jun–Nov.
Share of the last 30 years with a storm that month.
- NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
- ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
- OBISMarine species records within 60 km
- IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025
Bermuda marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whale | Apr | Near-guaranteed | 147 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Likely | 29 | ||
| Spotted eagle ray | Jan, Apr, Jun, Oct | Likely | 21 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | May, Aug | Hit-or-miss | 10 |
Peak Present
- Observed window
- Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
- Reliability
- Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
- Likely 30% to 60%
- Hit-or-miss under 30%
- Evidence
- Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
- Records
- OBIS sightings within 60 km.
These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.
Diving Bermuda — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Bermuda?
- Go May to August for the calmest water — seas top 1.5 m on 22% of days, against 69% the rest of the year. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Bermuda?
- The diving season in Bermuda runs May to August.
- Is the diving in Bermuda good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Bermuda?
- Between 20 and 29 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in March and warmest in August. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Bermuda?
- A 5 mm with hood and gloves covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a skin or 3 mm shorty is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Bermuda?
- Roughly 10 to 25 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Bermuda?
- The most consistently recorded species are Humpback whale (near-guaranteed), Green turtle (likely) and Spotted eagle ray (likely), from 236 records within 60 km.
- Does Bermuda get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Apr, Jun–Nov, most often in September at 14 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Bermuda?
- The tide rises and falls 1.0 m around the full and new moon, against 0.6 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Bermuda?
- December–March, September–October are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Bermuda?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, May–Aug.