Mexico Pacific
Best Time to Dive in Socorro / Revillagigedo
19.29°N 110.82°W
Closed June to October. Go November to May for oceanic manta. Conditions are easier in December, but the animals are not there then.
- Best time
- Nov–May
- Water
- 24–29 °C
- Visibility
- 20–35 m
- Dived from
- liveaboard
- Tidal range
- 0.7–1.6 m
- Species logged
- 8
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Socorro / Revillagigedo — 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 | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Poor | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
| Visibility (m) | 25–35 | 20–30 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 |
| Marine life | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Peak | Peak |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Nov–May
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Socorro / Revillagigedo diving season
January to May · Peak season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–25 °C
- Visibility
- 25–35 m
- Rain
- 0 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough. It rains less.
Marine lifeScalloped hammerhead (likely), Oceanic manta (near-guaranteed), Tiger shark (hit-or-miss) peak at Socorro / Revillagigedo in these months.
June to October · Closed
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
Marine lifeOceanic manta (near-guaranteed) peaks at Socorro / Revillagigedo in these months.
The site is closed to diving in these months.
November to December · Shoulder season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 26–27 °C
- Visibility
- 25–35 m
- Rain
- 2 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough. It rains less.
Marine lifeOceanic manta (near-guaranteed), Tiger shark (hit-or-miss) peak at Socorro / Revillagigedo in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.6 m against 0.7 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.
Socorro / Revillagigedo water temperature and weather
1,068 underwater observation records · 23 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Socorro / Revillagigedo 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
3
rough days a month
Seas top 2.5 m on 10% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing
1
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
3
wet days a month
1 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.7 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 24 °C | 11.0 h |
| February | 2.6 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 23 °C | 11.4 h |
| March | 2.8 m | 2% | 0 | 0 | 23 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 2.3 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 23 °C | 12.4 h |
| May | 2.1 m | 1% | 0 | 0 | 23 °C | 12.9 h |
| June | 2.2 m | 4% | 2 | 1 | 24 °C | 13.2 h |
| July | 2.2 m | 4% | 3 | 1 | 27 °C | 13.1 h |
| August | 2.4 m | 8% | 9 | 3 | 28 °C | 12.7 h |
| September | 2.6 m | 7% | 10 | 2 | 28 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 2.6 m | 4% | 4 | 1 | 27 °C | 11.5 h |
| November | 2.4 m | 1% | 2 | 1 | 26 °C | 11.1 h |
| December | 2.6 m | 0% | 3 | 0 | 25 °C | 10.8 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: Good | April week 1: Excellent | 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: Moderate | December week 1: Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Excellent | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | 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: Poor | December week 2: Excellent |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Excellent | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Moderate | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Excellent | 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: Poor | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: third of December
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 25 °C | 3.2 m | 24 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 25 °C | 3.0 m | 23 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.6 m | 24 km/h | 4% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.3 m | 24 km/h | 7% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.5 m | 24 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.6 m | 24 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 25 km/h | 3% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 25 km/h | 1% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.7 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.6 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Good | 24 °C | 2.5 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.6 m | 23 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.3 m | 23 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.2 m | 23 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.2 m | 24 km/h | 0% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.1 m | 25 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 1% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 2% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.1 m | 23 km/h | 5% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 24 °C | 2.4 m | 21 km/h | 6% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 3.0 m | 20 km/h | 8% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.9 m | 19 km/h | 9% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.3 m | 18 km/h | 9% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 18 km/h | 13% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.0 m | 18 km/h | 14% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.7 m | 19 km/h | 21% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.7 m | 19 km/h | 28% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 19 km/h | 27% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.3 m | 20 km/h | 31% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 3.0 m | 21 km/h | 33% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.9 m | 22 km/h | 35% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.2 m | 21 km/h | 35% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.5 m | 21 km/h | 26% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 28 °C | 3.1 m | 21 km/h | 21% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 3.4 m | 22 km/h | 20% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.8 m | 22 km/h | 12% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 21 km/h | 7% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.3 m | 22 km/h | 6% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.5 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.3 m | 24 km/h | 7% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 2.3 m | 24 km/h | 9% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 26 °C | 2.2 m | 24 km/h | 9% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 26 °C | 2.3 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 26 °C | 3.3 m | 24 km/h | 6% |
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: 3 mm | December: 3 mm |
- Jan–Jun5 mm full suit
- Jul3 mm full suit
- Augskin or 3 mm shorty
- Sep–Dec3 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
24 of the last 30 Augusts saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded May–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
Socorro / Revillagigedo marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottlenose dolphin | All year | Near-guaranteed | 76 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | Feb, Apr, Dec | Likely | 116 | ||
| Scalloped hammerhead | Jan–Feb | Likely | 33 | ||
| Humpback whale | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 642 | ||
| Silky shark | Dec–Jan | Hit-or-miss | 28 | ||
| Oceanic manta | Dec–Feb, Jun | Near-guaranteed | 105 | ||
| Silvertip shark | Dec–Jan, Jun–Jul | Likely | 24 | ||
| Tiger shark | Dec–Jan, Apr | Hit-or-miss | 22 |
Peak Present No survey data
- 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 Socorro / Revillagigedo — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- Closed June to October. Go November to May for oceanic manta. Conditions are easier in December, but the animals are not there then.
- When is the diving season in Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- Conditions are good December, but most divers come November to May for the marine life.
- Is the diving in Socorro / Revillagigedo good for beginners?
- Not really. It is for experienced divers, so it is not a place to learn or to make your first dives after certification.
- How warm is the water in Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- Between 24 and 29 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in May and warmest in August. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- A 5 mm full suit 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 Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- Roughly 20 to 35 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- The most consistently recorded species are Bottlenose dolphin (near-guaranteed), Whitetip reef shark (likely) and Scalloped hammerhead (likely), from 1,068 records within 60 km.
- Does Socorro / Revillagigedo get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in May–Nov, most often in August at 24 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- The tide rises and falls 1.6 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 Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- The site is closed Jun–Oct. May–November are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Socorro / Revillagigedo?
- Mostly from liveaboards. Trips run through the season, Dec.