Caribbean

Best Time to Dive in Martinique

14.73°N 61.20°W

Go January to May, when the rain backs off — 13 wet days a month instead of 18. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The full season runs November to July.

Best time
Jan–May
Water
27–30 °C
Visibility
20–35 m
Season runs
Nov–Jul
Dived from
day boat
Tidal range
0.2–0.5 m
Species logged
9

Where it is

Caribbean
25 kmN

111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m

Diving in Martinique — monthly breakdown

Best months at this destination

A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.

Month by month conditions, water temperature, visibility and marine life
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
ConditionsExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodPoorPoorPoorExcellentExcellent
Water temp (°C)272727272828282930292928
Visibility (m)25–3525–3520–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–3025–3525–35
Marine lifeSteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteadySteady
Best timePeakPeakPeakPeakPeak
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 Martinique diving season

2 seasons

August to October · Off season

3 months
Water temperature
29–30 °C
Visibility
20–30 m
Rain
19 days a month

Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is calmer.

November to July · Peak season

9 months
Water temperature
27–29 °C
Visibility
20–30 m
Rain
15 days a month

Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher. The wind eases.

  • Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
  • Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.

Martinique water temperature and weather

366 underwater observation records · 27 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature

Water & weather

Martinique water temperature by month

The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.

262728293031JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (°C)

10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean

Rarely
rough enough to cancel

Seas top 1.5 m on under 1% 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

16
wet days a month

1 of them bring heavy rain

Monthly sea state, wind, rain, air temperature and daylight
MonthSwellGusts over 40 km/hWet daysHeavy rainAirDaylight
January1.1 m0%14128 °C11.2 h
February1.2 m0%14128 °C11.5 h
March1.2 m0%13029 °C11.9 h
April1.1 m0%13030 °C12.3 h
May0.9 m0%11031 °C12.7 h
June1.1 m0%16131 °C12.9 h
July1.0 m0%21131 °C12.8 h
August0.9 m0%20131 °C12.5 h
September0.8 m1%19231 °C12.1 h
October1.0 m0%19231 °C11.7 h
November1.1 m0%17130 °C11.3 h
December1.3 m0%17029 °C11.1 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.

Conditions by week, four weeks per month
Week 1January week 1: ExcellentFebruary week 1: ExcellentMarch week 1: ExcellentApril week 1: ExcellentMay week 1: ExcellentJune week 1: ExcellentJuly week 1: ModerateAugust week 1: PoorSeptember week 1: PoorOctober week 1: PoorNovember week 1: ExcellentDecember week 1: Excellent
Week 2January week 2: ExcellentFebruary week 2: GoodMarch week 2: ExcellentApril week 2: ExcellentMay week 2: ExcellentJune week 2: ExcellentJuly week 2: GoodAugust week 2: PoorSeptember week 2: PoorOctober week 2: PoorNovember week 2: ExcellentDecember week 2: Excellent
Week 3January week 3: ExcellentFebruary week 3: GoodMarch week 3: ExcellentApril week 3: ExcellentMay week 3: ExcellentJune week 3: ExcellentJuly week 3: ExcellentAugust week 3: PoorSeptember week 3: PoorOctober week 3: PoorNovember week 3: ExcellentDecember week 3: Excellent
Week 4January week 4: ExcellentFebruary week 4: ExcellentMarch week 4: ExcellentApril week 4: ExcellentMay week 4: ExcellentJune week 4: GoodJuly week 4: ExcellentAugust week 4: PoorSeptember week 4: PoorOctober week 4: PoorNovember week 4: ExcellentDecember week 4: Excellent
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: third of May

May, week by week

WeekConditionsWaterSwellWindRain chance
Week 1Excellent28 °C1.0 m17 km/h42%
Week 2Excellent28 °C1.0 m18 km/h37%
Week 3Excellent28 °C1.0 m18 km/h34%
Week 4Excellent28 °C0.9 m17 km/h39%

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.

Wetsuit thickness by month
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
SuitJanuary: 3 mmFebruary: 3 mmMarch: 3 mmApril: 3 mmMay: skinJune: skinJuly: skinAugust: skinSeptember: skinOctober: skinNovember: skinDecember: 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.

JanJanuary: 1.1 metresFebFebruary: 1.2 metresMarMarch: 1.2 metresAprApril: 1.1 metresMayMay: 0.9 metresJunJune: 1.1 metresJulJuly: 1.0 metresAugAugust: 0.9 metresSepSeptember: 0.8 metresOctOctober: 1.0 metresNovNovember: 1.1 metresDecDecember: 1.3 metres

Amber is over 1.5 m.

Tides

springs 0.5 mneaps 0.2 mneapsone lunar month
Daily tidal range across one lunar month.

Tropical storms

10 of the last 30 Septembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jun–Nov.

JanJanuary: 0 of 30 yearsFebFebruary: 0 of 30 yearsMarMarch: 0 of 30 yearsAprApril: 0 of 30 yearsMayMay: 0 of 30 yearsJunJune: 1 of 30 yearsJulJuly: 3 of 30 yearsAugAugust: 9 of 30 yearsSepSeptember: 10 of 30 yearsOctOctober: 6 of 30 yearsNovNovember: 1 of 30 yearsDecDecember: 0 of 30 years

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

Martinique marine life — what you'll see diving

366 records within 60 km
SpeciesWhenObserved windowReliabilityEvidenceRecords
Green turtleAll yearLikely
14/27
134
Sperm whaleJan, Mar–AprLikely
11/27
54
Humpback whaleMar–MayLikely
9/27
28
Hawksbill turtleAll yearHit-or-miss
8/27
36
Short-finned pilot whaleMay, JulHit-or-miss
8/27
27
Spotted eagle rayAll yearHit-or-miss
6/27
15
Nassau grouperFeb, Apr, NovHit-or-miss
4/27
28
Southern stingrayJan, May, JulHit-or-miss
8/27
15
Bottlenose dolphinJan, May, NovHit-or-miss
8/27
11
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 Martinique — common questions

When is the best time to dive Martinique?
Go January to May, when the rain backs off — 13 wet days a month instead of 18. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The full season runs November to July.
When is the diving season in Martinique?
The diving season in Martinique runs November to July, and it is at its best January to May.
Is the diving in Martinique good for beginners?
Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
How warm is the water in Martinique?
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 Martinique?
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 Martinique?
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 Martinique?
The most consistently recorded species are Green turtle (likely), Sperm whale (likely) and Humpback whale (likely), from 366 records within 60 km.
Does Martinique get tropical storms?
Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jun–Nov, most often in September at 10 of 30 years.
Is there current in Martinique?
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 Martinique?
August–September are the weakest months for conditions.
How do you dive Martinique?
Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Nov–Jul.