Caribbean
Best Time to Dive in Dominica
15.25°N 61.42°W
Plan for January to May, clear of the storm season — the months either side see a tropical storm in 15% of years. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The wider season runs November to June.
- Best time
- Jan–May
- Water
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–35 m
- Season runs
- Nov–Jun
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.2–0.5 m
- Species logged
- 6
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Dominica — 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 | Excellent | Good | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Good | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Visibility (m) | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady |
| 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 Dominica diving season
July · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–29 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 24 days a month
Diving conditionsThis is the wet season topside. The wind is up. The sea is rougher.
August to October · Off season
3 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 25–35 m
- Rain
- 21 days a month
Diving conditionsThis is the wet season topside. The sea is calmer. The wind eases.
November to June · Peak season
8 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–29 °C
- Visibility
- 25–35 m
- Rain
- 18 days a month
Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. 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.
Dominica water temperature and weather
252 underwater observation records · 25 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Dominica 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
2
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 8% 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
19
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% | 15 | 1 | 27 °C | 11.2 h |
| February | 1.5 m | 0% | 17 | 1 | 27 °C | 11.5 h |
| March | 1.6 m | 2% | 17 | 1 | 27 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 1.4 m | 0% | 18 | 0 | 28 °C | 12.3 h |
| May | 1.4 m | 0% | 17 | 1 | 29 °C | 12.7 h |
| June | 1.6 m | 0% | 20 | 1 | 29 °C | 12.9 h |
| July | 1.4 m | 1% | 24 | 2 | 29 °C | 12.8 h |
| August | 1.2 m | 0% | 23 | 2 | 29 °C | 12.5 h |
| September | 1.0 m | 2% | 19 | 3 | 30 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 1.4 m | 0% | 21 | 3 | 29 °C | 11.6 h |
| November | 1.4 m | 0% | 21 | 2 | 28 °C | 11.3 h |
| December | 1.5 m | 3% | 19 | 1 | 28 °C | 11.1 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: Excellent | February week 1: Excellent | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Excellent | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Excellent | December week 1: Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Excellent | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Excellent | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Poor | November week 2: Good | December week 2: Excellent |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Good | July week 3: Good | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of April
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 23 km/h | 48% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 23 km/h | 50% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 24 km/h | 48% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 24 km/h | 49% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 25 km/h | 55% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 27 km/h | 57% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 26 km/h | 60% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 23 km/h | 60% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 23 km/h | 57% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 23 km/h | 54% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 23 km/h | 55% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 23 km/h | 58% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 22 km/h | 54% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 56% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 22 km/h | 62% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 22 km/h | 62% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 23 km/h | 56% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 24 km/h | 53% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 24 km/h | 53% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 64% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 24 km/h | 70% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 25 km/h | 65% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 25 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 26 km/h | 72% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 26 km/h | 74% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 26 km/h | 75% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 25 km/h | 76% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 24 km/h | 79% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 77% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 75% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 22 km/h | 76% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 21 km/h | 71% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 19 km/h | 66% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 18 km/h | 63% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 19 km/h | 60% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 19 km/h | 60% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 20 km/h | 66% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 20 km/h | 66% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 20 km/h | 64% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 19 km/h | 68% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 20 km/h | 75% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 78% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 67% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 58% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 23 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 24 km/h | 63% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 24 km/h | 63% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 23 km/h | 57% |
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: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Jan–Apr3 mm full suit
- May–Decskin 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
11 of the last 30 Augusts saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jun–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
Dominica marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sperm whale | Jan–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 165 | ||
| Humpback whale | Mar–Apr | Likely | 17 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | All year | Hit-or-miss | 16 | ||
| Spinner dolphin | Jan | Hit-or-miss | 9 | ||
| Green turtle | Jan, May | Hit-or-miss | 9 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | Jan–Feb, May | 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 Dominica — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Dominica?
- Plan for January to May, clear of the storm season — the months either side see a tropical storm in 15% of years. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The wider season runs November to June.
- When is the diving season in Dominica?
- The diving season in Dominica runs November to June, and it is at its best January to May.
- Is the diving in Dominica good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Dominica?
- Between 27 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 in Dominica?
- A 3 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 Dominica?
- 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 Dominica?
- The most consistently recorded species are Sperm whale (near-guaranteed), Humpback whale (likely) and Hawksbill turtle (hit-or-miss), from 252 records within 60 km.
- Does Dominica get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jun–Nov, most often in August at 11 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Dominica?
- 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 Dominica?
- August–September are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Dominica?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Nov–Jun.