Panama
Best Time to Dive in Bocas del Toro
9.36°N 82.24°W
Dive it January to April, when the downpours ease — 4 days a month of heavy rain instead of 11. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Jan–Apr
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 0–15 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.2–0.5 m
- Species logged
- 5
Worth knowing: 9 days a month of heavy rain.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Bocas del Toro — 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 | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Poor | Moderate |
| Water temp (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
| Visibility (m) | 0–10 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jan–Apr
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Bocas del Toro diving season
January to April · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–29 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 22 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher. It rains less.
May · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–29 °C
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. The sea is calmer.
June to July · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–29 °C
- Visibility
- under 10 m
- Rain
- 29 days a month
Diving conditionsSeas stay mostly calm. The wind eases.
August to December · Shoulder season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- under 10 m
- Rain
- 28 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is calmer.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Bocas del Toro water temperature and weather
172 underwater observation records · 22 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Bocas del Toro 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 1.5 m on 2% 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
26
wet days a month
9 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.4 m | 0% | 23 | 5 | 27 °C | 11.5 h |
| February | 1.5 m | 0% | 19 | 3 | 27 °C | 11.7 h |
| March | 1.2 m | 0% | 23 | 2 | 28 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 1.2 m | 0% | 23 | 5 | 28 °C | 12.2 h |
| May | 1.1 m | 0% | 27 | 9 | 29 °C | 12.4 h |
| June | 1.1 m | 0% | 29 | 14 | 29 °C | 12.5 h |
| July | 1.2 m | 0% | 30 | 15 | 28 °C | 12.5 h |
| August | 1.0 m | 0% | 28 | 10 | 28 °C | 12.3 h |
| September | 0.8 m | 0% | 27 | 8 | 29 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 0.8 m | 0% | 28 | 11 | 29 °C | 11.8 h |
| November | 1.1 m | 0% | 28 | 14 | 28 °C | 11.6 h |
| December | 1.3 m | 1% | 27 | 9 | 27 °C | 11.5 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: Excellent | February week 1: Good | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Moderate | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Moderate | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Excellent | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Good | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Moderate | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Moderate | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Moderate | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Moderate | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Moderate | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Moderate |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Moderate | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Moderate | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Moderate | September week 4: Good | October week 4: Moderate | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Moderate |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: second of March
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 16 km/h | 79% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 16 km/h | 74% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 17 km/h | 74% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 17 km/h | 70% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 16 km/h | 66% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 16 km/h | 69% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 16 km/h | 70% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 15 km/h | 65% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 15 km/h | 67% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 14 km/h | 73% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 14 km/h | 78% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 14 km/h | 76% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 14 km/h | 75% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 14 km/h | 79% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 13 km/h | 76% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 13 km/h | 77% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 13 km/h | 84% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 13 km/h | 87% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 13 km/h | 88% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 12 km/h | 90% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 12 km/h | 94% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 12 km/h | 97% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 13 km/h | 98% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 15 km/h | 97% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 16 km/h | 96% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 17 km/h | 97% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 17 km/h | 98% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 16 km/h | 92% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 16 km/h | 88% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 15 km/h | 92% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 14 km/h | 92% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 13 km/h | 90% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 13 km/h | 91% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 12 km/h | 91% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 12 km/h | 90% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 11 km/h | 89% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 86% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 89% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 95% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 13 km/h | 95% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 15 km/h | 93% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 16 km/h | 91% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 16 km/h | 93% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 17 km/h | 94% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 18 km/h | 91% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 18 km/h | 86% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 17 km/h | 85% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 17 km/h | 87% |
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: skin | February: skin | March: skin | April: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
One suit covers the whole year: a skin or 3 mm shorty.
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
2 of the last 30 Novembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jul, Oct–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
Bocas del Toro marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 172 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottlenose dolphin | All year | Near-guaranteed | 65 | ||
| Nurse shark | All year | Likely | 43 | ||
| Southern stingray | All year | Likely | 24 | ||
| Spotted eagle ray | All year | Likely | 14 | ||
| Manatee | Feb, Nov | Hit-or-miss | 14 |
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 Bocas del Toro — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Bocas del Toro?
- Dive it January to April, when the downpours ease — 4 days a month of heavy rain instead of 11. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Bocas del Toro?
- The diving season in Bocas del Toro runs January to April.
- Is the diving in Bocas del Toro good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Bocas del Toro?
- Between 28 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in October. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Bocas del Toro?
- A skin or 3 mm shorty covers the coldest water of the year. The same suit works all year.
- What is the visibility like in Bocas del Toro?
- Roughly 0 to 15 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Bocas del Toro?
- The most consistently recorded species are Bottlenose dolphin (near-guaranteed), Nurse shark (likely) and Southern stingray (likely), from 172 records within 60 km.
- Does Bocas del Toro get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jul, Oct–Nov, most often in November at 2 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Bocas del Toro?
- The tide rises and falls 0.5 m around the full and new moon, against 0.2 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Bocas del Toro?
- July, November are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Bocas del Toro?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jan–Apr.