Ecuador
Best Time to Dive in Isla de la Plata
1.26°S 81.07°W
Conditions are good all year, so the month is decided by wildlife: June to September for humpback whale.
- Best time
- Any month
- Water
- 24–27 °C
- Visibility
- 10–25 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 1.3–2.4 m
- Species logged
- 5
Worth knowing: 53% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Isla de la Plata — monthly breakdown
Conditions barely change across the year, so no month beats another — pick on wildlife or price.
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 | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 |
| Visibility (m) | 15–25 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 |
| Marine life | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorSame all year
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Isla de la Plata diving season
June to September · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–26 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 1 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. It rains less.
Marine lifeOceanic manta (hit-or-miss) peaks at Isla de la Plata in these months.
October to May · Off season
8 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–27 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 7 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more. The wind eases.
Marine lifeOceanic manta (hit-or-miss) peaks at Isla de la Plata in these months.
- Spring tides run 2.4 m against 1.3 m on neaps, so currents build around the full and new moon.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Isla de la Plata water temperature and weather
947 underwater observation records · 30 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Isla de la Plata 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
11
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 38% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
0
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
5
wet days a month
1 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.6 m | 0% | 7 | 1 | 26 °C | 12.1 h |
| February | 1.5 m | 0% | 16 | 5 | 27 °C | 12.0 h |
| March | 1.6 m | 0% | 14 | 4 | 27 °C | 12.0 h |
| April | 1.9 m | 0% | 6 | 2 | 26 °C | 12.0 h |
| May | 2.1 m | 0% | 4 | 0 | 26 °C | 11.9 h |
| June | 2.0 m | 0% | 2 | 0 | 24 °C | 11.9 h |
| July | 1.9 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 24 °C | 11.9 h |
| August | 1.9 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 23 °C | 12.0 h |
| September | 2.0 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 23 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 1.9 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 23 °C | 12.0 h |
| November | 1.9 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 23 °C | 12.1 h |
| December | 1.6 m | 0% | 4 | 0 | 24 °C | 12.1 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: Moderate | March week 1: Moderate | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Excellent | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Excellent | October week 1: Moderate | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Excellent | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Good | September week 2: Excellent | October week 2: Moderate | 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: Poor | May week 3: Moderate | June week 3: Excellent | July week 3: Excellent | August week 3: Good | September week 3: Excellent | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Moderate | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Poor | April week 4: Poor | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Good | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Excellent | September week 4: Good | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Moderate | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of June
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.6 m | 22 km/h | 13% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 21 km/h | 19% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 21 km/h | 26% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 20 km/h | 33% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 19 km/h | 48% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 18 km/h | 56% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 17 km/h | 54% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 16 km/h | 55% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 15 km/h | 56% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 15 km/h | 52% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 16 km/h | 41% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 16 km/h | 33% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 17 km/h | 29% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 18 km/h | 22% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.9 m | 19 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.9 m | 20 km/h | 16% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 21 km/h | 18% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 22 km/h | 21% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 26 °C | 2.2 m | 23 km/h | 13% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.3 m | 23 km/h | 4% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.1 m | 24 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.1 m | 24 km/h | 4% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 24 km/h | 6% |
| Week 4 | Good | 25 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 7% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 25 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Good | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
| Week 2 | Good | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Good | 24 °C | 1.9 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.1 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.1 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.1 m | 25 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Good | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.9 m | 25 km/h | 5% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.9 m | 24 km/h | 5% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.9 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.7 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 5% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.6 m | 24 km/h | 6% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 1.6 m | 24 km/h | 14% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.5 m | 23 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.6 m | 23 km/h | 13% |
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: 3 mm | February: 3 mm | March: 3 mm | April: 3 mm | May: 3 mm | June: 5 mm | July: 5 mm | August: 5 mm | September: 5 mm | October: 5 mm | November: 5 mm | December: 5 mm |
- Jan–May3 mm full suit
- Jun–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
No tropical storm has come within 250 km in 30 years of records. Swell and wind set the season, not cyclones.
- 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
Isla de la Plata marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whale | Jul–Sep | Near-guaranteed | 579 | ||
| Green turtle | Jul, Nov | Likely | 263 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | Apr, Oct–Nov | Likely | 12 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | May, Aug, Nov | Hit-or-miss | 11 | ||
| Oceanic manta | Aug, Nov | Hit-or-miss | 9 |
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 Isla de la Plata — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Isla de la Plata?
- Conditions barely change across the year at Isla de la Plata, so any month works — pick on wildlife or price.
- When is the diving season in Isla de la Plata?
- There is no real season in Isla de la Plata: conditions barely change, so you can dive any month.
- Is the diving in Isla de la Plata good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Isla de la Plata?
- Between 24 and 27 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in February. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Isla de la Plata?
- A 5 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a 3 mm full suit is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Isla de la Plata?
- 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 Isla de la Plata?
- The most consistently recorded species are Humpback whale (near-guaranteed), Green turtle (likely) and Bottlenose dolphin (likely), from 947 records within 60 km.
- Does Isla de la Plata get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current in Isla de la Plata?
- The tide rises and falls 2.4 m around the full and new moon, against 1.3 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- How do you dive Isla de la Plata?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Dec–Jan.