Mexico Pacific
Best Time to Dive in the Sea of Cortez / La Paz
24.30°N 110.39°W
Go November to February. Conditions are at their best and the whale shark season is on.
- Best time
- Nov–Feb
- Water
- 21–29 °C
- Visibility
- 5–25 m
- Season runs
- Nov–Jul
- Dived from
- liveaboard and day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.7–1.5 m
- Species logged
- 16
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in the Sea of Cortez / La Paz — 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 | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 24 |
| Visibility (m) | 5–15 | 5–15 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 10–20 |
| Marine life | Peak | Peak | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Peak | Peak |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Nov–Feb
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Sea of Cortez / La Paz diving season
March to October · Off season
8 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 21–29 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 2 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is calmer.
Marine lifeCalifornia sea lion (near-guaranteed), Whale shark (near-guaranteed), Munk's mobula (likely), Giant devil ray (hit-or-miss) peak at Sea of Cortez / La Paz in these months.
November to February · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 21–27 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 1 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher. The wind eases.
Marine lifeCalifornia sea lion (near-guaranteed), Whale shark (near-guaranteed), Oceanic manta (hit-or-miss), Sardine (hit-or-miss) peak at Sea of Cortez / La Paz in these months.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Sea of Cortez / La Paz water temperature and weather
1,467 underwater observation records · 30 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Sea of Cortez / La Paz 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
Rarely
rough enough to cancel
Seas top 2.5 m on under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing
0
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
2
wet days a month
0 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.6 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 23 °C | 10.7 h |
| February | 1.4 m | 1% | 1 | 0 | 25 °C | 11.2 h |
| March | 1.2 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 27 °C | 11.8 h |
| April | 0.9 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 30 °C | 12.6 h |
| May | 0.5 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 32 °C | 13.2 h |
| June | 0.5 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 34 °C | 13.5 h |
| July | 0.4 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 36 °C | 13.4 h |
| August | 0.4 m | 1% | 4 | 1 | 36 °C | 12.8 h |
| September | 0.6 m | 3% | 6 | 1 | 34 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 0.8 m | 1% | 2 | 1 | 32 °C | 11.4 h |
| November | 1.3 m | 0% | 2 | 0 | 28 °C | 10.8 h |
| December | 1.4 m | 1% | 1 | 0 | 25 °C | 10.5 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: Good | February week 1: Excellent | March week 1: Poor | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Excellent | December week 1: Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Poor | November week 2: Excellent | December week 2: Good |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Excellent | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Moderate | April week 3: Moderate | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Excellent | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Good | March week 4: Moderate | April week 4: Moderate | May week 4: Moderate | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Excellent | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of November
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 22 °C | 1.5 m | 22 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Good | 22 °C | 1.5 m | 22 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 21 °C | 1.6 m | 22 km/h | 3% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 21 °C | 1.6 m | 23 km/h | 4% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 21 °C | 1.5 m | 23 km/h | 5% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 21 °C | 1.5 m | 22 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 21 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Good | 21 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 2% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 21 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 3% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 21 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 21 °C | 1.2 m | 23 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 22 °C | 1.2 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 22 °C | 1.3 m | 24 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 22 °C | 1.1 m | 24 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 22 °C | 0.7 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 23 °C | 0.5 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 23 °C | 0.5 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 23 °C | 0.5 m | 26 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 0.5 m | 27 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 0.4 m | 27 km/h | 2% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 0.4 m | 28 km/h | 2% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 25 °C | 0.5 m | 29 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 0.5 m | 29 km/h | 3% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 0.5 m | 29 km/h | 4% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 0.5 m | 28 km/h | 5% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 0.4 m | 27 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 0.4 m | 27 km/h | 3% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 0.4 m | 27 km/h | 3% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 26 km/h | 8% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 25 km/h | 14% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.3 m | 24 km/h | 14% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 24 km/h | 17% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 23 km/h | 25% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 22 km/h | 24% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 22 km/h | 17% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 22 km/h | 12% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 22 km/h | 8% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 22 km/h | 10% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 21 km/h | 7% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 21 km/h | 2% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 21 km/h | 3% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 20 km/h | 5% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 21 km/h | 5% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.4 m | 20 km/h | 5% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 25 °C | 1.4 m | 20 km/h | 6% |
| Week 2 | Good | 25 °C | 1.5 m | 22 km/h | 4% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 24 °C | 1.4 m | 23 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 23 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 3% |
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: skin | October: skin | November: 3 mm | December: 5 mm |
- Jan–Mar5 mm with hood and gloves
- Apr–Jun5 mm full suit
- Jul3 mm full suit
- Aug–Octskin or 3 mm shorty
- Nov3 mm full suit
- 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 2.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
17 of the last 30 Septembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jun–Oct.
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
Sea of Cortez / La Paz marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California sea lion | All year | Near-guaranteed | 419 | ||
| Whale shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 189 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | All year | Near-guaranteed | 181 | ||
| Humpback whale | Feb–May | Likely | 243 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Likely | 118 | ||
| Common dolphin | All year | Likely | 55 | ||
| Munk's mobula | Mar–May | Likely | 36 | ||
| Orca | All year | Likely | 40 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Sep–Nov | Likely | 24 | ||
| Blue whale | Feb, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 30 | ||
| Grey whale | Feb–Mar | Hit-or-miss | 19 | ||
| Short-finned pilot whale | Sep–Oct, Dec | Hit-or-miss | 12 | ||
| Giant devil ray | May–Jun | Hit-or-miss | 10 | ||
| Oceanic manta | Jan, Aug–Sep | Hit-or-miss | 21 | ||
| Sperm whale | Apr–May, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 11 | ||
| Sardine | Jan, Apr | 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 the Sea of Cortez / La Paz — common questions
- When is the best time to dive the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- Go November to February. Conditions are at their best and the whale shark season is on.
- When is the diving season at the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- The diving season at the Sea of Cortez / La Paz runs November to July, and it is at its best November to February.
- Is the diving at the Sea of Cortez / La Paz good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water at the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- Between 21 and 29 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in September. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need at the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- 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 at the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- Roughly 5 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 the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- The most consistently recorded species are California sea lion (near-guaranteed), Whale shark (near-guaranteed) and Bottlenose dolphin (near-guaranteed), from 1,467 records within 60 km.
- Does the Sea of Cortez / La Paz get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jun–Oct, most often in September at 17 of 30 years.
- Is there current at the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- The tide rises and falls 1.5 m around the full and new moon, against 0.7 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- June–October are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive the Sea of Cortez / La Paz?
- Mostly from liveaboards and day boats. Trips run through the season, Nov–Jul.