Nicaragua
Best Time to Dive in the Corn Islands
12.31°N 82.95°W
Dive it January to May for the best conditions. We have no reliable wildlife season for this site.
- Best time
- Jan–May
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–35 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.2–0.5 m
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in the Corn Islands — 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 | Good | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Moderate |
| Water temp (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
| Visibility (m) | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 25–35 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 |
| Marine life | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jan–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 Corn Islands diving season
January to May · Peak season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–29 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 18 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher. It rains less.
June to July · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–29 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 28 days a month
Diving conditionsExpect some swell. The wind is up. It rains more.
August to September · Shoulder season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsThis is the wet season topside. The sea is calmer. The wind eases.
October to November · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 28 days a month
Diving conditionsThis is the wet season topside. The sea is calmer. The wind eases.
December · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–28 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 28 days a month
Diving conditionsThis is the wet season 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.
Corn Islands water temperature and weather
10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Corn Islands 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
1
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 3% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
1
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
24
wet days a month
8 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.5 m | 13% | 23 | 3 | 27 °C | 11.4 h |
| February | 1.4 m | 5% | 17 | 0 | 27 °C | 11.6 h |
| March | 1.2 m | 0% | 13 | 0 | 27 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 1.3 m | 1% | 13 | 1 | 28 °C | 12.3 h |
| May | 1.1 m | 1% | 22 | 7 | 28 °C | 12.6 h |
| June | 1.2 m | 1% | 27 | 14 | 28 °C | 12.7 h |
| July | 1.3 m | 4% | 29 | 14 | 28 °C | 12.7 h |
| August | 1.1 m | 1% | 27 | 12 | 29 °C | 12.4 h |
| September | 0.8 m | 0% | 26 | 9 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 0.9 m | 1% | 28 | 14 | 29 °C | 11.7 h |
| November | 1.3 m | 6% | 28 | 16 | 28 °C | 11.4 h |
| December | 1.5 m | 10% | 28 | 7 | 28 °C | 11.3 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: Good | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Good | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Good | June week 2: Moderate | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Poor | 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: Excellent | May week 3: Good | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Moderate | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Poor | 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: Good | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Moderate | September week 4: Good | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Moderate |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of April
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 30 km/h | 82% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 74% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 32 km/h | 69% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 32 km/h | 67% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 31 km/h | 65% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 31 km/h | 62% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 32 km/h | 59% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 31 km/h | 55% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 28 km/h | 50% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 27 km/h | 46% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 28 km/h | 43% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 28 km/h | 38% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 26 km/h | 36% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 26 km/h | 43% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 25 km/h | 47% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 24 km/h | 49% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 25 km/h | 54% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 25 km/h | 65% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 24 km/h | 78% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 24 km/h | 82% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 23 km/h | 82% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 25 km/h | 87% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 27 km/h | 94% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 30 km/h | 94% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 94% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 32 km/h | 96% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 32 km/h | 92% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 30 km/h | 91% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 28 km/h | 93% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 28 km/h | 91% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 26 km/h | 86% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 24 km/h | 81% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 23 km/h | 82% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 22 km/h | 86% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 22 km/h | 89% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 21 km/h | 93% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 21 km/h | 90% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 89% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 21 km/h | 93% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 23 km/h | 95% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 25 km/h | 93% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 26 km/h | 93% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 29 km/h | 95% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 30 km/h | 93% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 32 km/h | 91% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 32 km/h | 90% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 33 km/h | 89% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 32 km/h | 88% |
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
5 of the last 30 Octobers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jul, Sep–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
Corn Islands marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 0 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
No survey records within 60 km of this site.
- 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 Corn Islands — common questions
- When is the best time to dive the Corn Islands?
- Dive it January to May for the best conditions. We have no reliable wildlife season for this site.
- When is the diving season at the Corn Islands?
- The diving season at the Corn Islands runs January to May.
- Is the diving at the Corn Islands 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 Corn Islands?
- Between 28 and 30 °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 Corn Islands?
- A skin or 3 mm shorty covers the coldest water of the year. The same suit works all year.
- What is the visibility like at the Corn Islands?
- Roughly 20 to 35 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- Does the Corn Islands get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jul, Sep–Nov, most often in October at 5 of 30 years.
- Is there current at the Corn Islands?
- 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 the Corn Islands?
- July, October–November are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive the Corn Islands?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jan–May.