Puerto Rico
Best Time to Dive in Puerto Rico
18.39°N 67.47°W
Dive it April to July for the calmest water — seas top 1.5 m on 14% of days, against 43% the rest of the year. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Apr–Jul
- Water
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–35 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.2–0.5 m
- Species logged
- 8
Worth knowing: 33% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Puerto Rico — 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 | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Water temp (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
| Visibility (m) | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 25–35 | 20–30 | 20–30 |
| Marine life | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Apr–Jul
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Puerto Rico diving season
April to July · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–29 °C
- Visibility
- 25–35 m
- Rain
- 11 days a month
Diving conditionsExpect some swell.
August to September · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 13 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough. It rains more.
October to March · Shoulder season
6 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 25–35 m
- Rain
- 10 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Puerto Rico water temperature and weather
8,239 underwater observation records · 28 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Puerto Rico 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
10
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 33% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
2
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
11
wet days a month
1 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.2 m | 16% | 7 | 0 | 27 °C | 11.0 h |
| February | 2.3 m | 21% | 7 | 0 | 26 °C | 11.4 h |
| March | 2.2 m | 12% | 8 | 1 | 26 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 2.1 m | 5% | 10 | 1 | 27 °C | 12.4 h |
| May | 1.4 m | 1% | 10 | 1 | 28 °C | 12.9 h |
| June | 1.3 m | 2% | 11 | 0 | 29 °C | 13.1 h |
| July | 1.5 m | 9% | 13 | 1 | 29 °C | 13.0 h |
| August | 1.6 m | 10% | 12 | 2 | 29 °C | 12.6 h |
| September | 2.0 m | 6% | 14 | 2 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 2.1 m | 1% | 16 | 2 | 29 °C | 11.6 h |
| November | 2.2 m | 4% | 14 | 3 | 28 °C | 11.1 h |
| December | 2.6 m | 10% | 7 | 0 | 27 °C | 10.9 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: Moderate | March week 1: Good | April week 1: Good | May week 1: Good | June week 1: Excellent | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Good | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Moderate | February week 2: Moderate | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Good | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Excellent | July week 2: Good | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Good | November week 2: Moderate | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Moderate | February week 3: Moderate | March week 3: Moderate | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Excellent | July week 3: Moderate | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Good | November week 3: Moderate | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Good | February week 4: Moderate | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Moderate | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Good | July week 4: Moderate | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Moderate | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Moderate |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: third of May
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 2.1 m | 30 km/h | 22% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.3 m | 29 km/h | 24% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.3 m | 30 km/h | 22% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 2.1 m | 30 km/h | 22% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.4 m | 32 km/h | 21% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.4 m | 34 km/h | 19% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.1 m | 34 km/h | 22% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 33 km/h | 29% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 30 km/h | 31% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.3 m | 30 km/h | 28% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.4 m | 30 km/h | 24% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 2.2 m | 30 km/h | 26% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 2.2 m | 28 km/h | 26% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 27 km/h | 32% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 27 km/h | 35% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.1 m | 27 km/h | 38% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 2.0 m | 26 km/h | 36% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 25 km/h | 28% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 24 km/h | 30% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 24 km/h | 39% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 25 km/h | 39% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 26 km/h | 32% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 28 km/h | 33% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 30 km/h | 37% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 32 km/h | 35% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 32 km/h | 38% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 31 km/h | 46% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 31 km/h | 45% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 40% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.6 m | 31 km/h | 40% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 30 km/h | 43% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.8 m | 28 km/h | 40% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.7 m | 27 km/h | 41% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 45% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 50% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.8 m | 25 km/h | 49% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 1.7 m | 25 km/h | 48% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 1.8 m | 24 km/h | 48% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 2.0 m | 25 km/h | 49% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.4 m | 27 km/h | 53% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.4 m | 27 km/h | 57% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 2.3 m | 27 km/h | 55% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 2.4 m | 29 km/h | 45% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 2.1 m | 28 km/h | 34% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.3 m | 29 km/h | 25% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.7 m | 31 km/h | 22% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.6 m | 31 km/h | 27% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.2 m | 31 km/h | 24% |
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: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Jan–Mar3 mm full suit
- Apr–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
12 of the last 30 Augusts saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jul–Dec.
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
Puerto Rico marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 1254 | ||
| Spotted eagle ray | All year | Near-guaranteed | 1119 | ||
| Nassau grouper | All year | Near-guaranteed | 1599 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 110 | ||
| Southern stingray | All year | Near-guaranteed | 981 | ||
| Goliath grouper | All year | Likely | 237 | ||
| Lemon shark | All year | Likely | 324 | ||
| Humpback whale | Feb–Mar | Hit-or-miss | 41 |
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 Puerto Rico — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Puerto Rico?
- Dive it April to July for the calmest water — seas top 1.5 m on 14% of days, against 43% the rest of the year. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Puerto Rico?
- The diving season in Puerto Rico runs April to July.
- Is the diving in Puerto Rico good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Puerto Rico?
- 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 Puerto Rico?
- 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 Puerto Rico?
- 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 Puerto Rico?
- The most consistently recorded species are Nurse shark (near-guaranteed), Spotted eagle ray (near-guaranteed) and Nassau grouper (near-guaranteed), from 8,239 records within 60 km.
- Does Puerto Rico get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jul–Dec, most often in August at 12 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Puerto Rico?
- 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 Puerto Rico?
- August is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive Puerto Rico?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Apr–Jul.