Turks & Caicos
Best Time to Dive in Turks & Caicos
21.66°N 72.44°W
Go January to February for humpback whale. 21% of days gust over 40 km/h then — February to June is calmer, but the animals have gone. The full season runs December to July.
- Best time
- Jan–Feb
- Water
- 26–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Season runs
- Dec–Jul
- Dived from
- liveaboard and day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.5–0.8 m
- Species logged
- 8
Worth knowing: 21% of days gust over 40 km/h.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Turks & Caicos — 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 | Good | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Visibility (m) | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jan–Feb
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Turks & Caicos diving season
January to April · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 26–27 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 8 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less. The sea is rougher.
May to December · Off season
8 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 12 days a month
Diving conditionsExpect some swell. It rains more.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Turks & Caicos water temperature and weather
243 underwater observation records · 19 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Turks & Caicos 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 2.5 m on under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing
3
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
10
wet days a month
1 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.7 m | 22% | 9 | 1 | 26 °C | 10.8 h |
| February | 1.9 m | 21% | 7 | 0 | 26 °C | 11.3 h |
| March | 1.8 m | 19% | 6 | 1 | 26 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 1.7 m | 12% | 8 | 1 | 26 °C | 12.5 h |
| May | 1.4 m | 5% | 12 | 3 | 27 °C | 13.0 h |
| June | 1.3 m | 2% | 9 | 1 | 28 °C | 13.3 h |
| July | 1.5 m | 9% | 10 | 1 | 29 °C | 13.2 h |
| August | 1.4 m | 6% | 11 | 1 | 29 °C | 12.7 h |
| September | 1.5 m | 4% | 13 | 2 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 1.8 m | 9% | 15 | 2 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
| November | 1.7 m | 8% | 14 | 3 | 28 °C | 10.9 h |
| December | 2.0 m | 17% | 9 | 1 | 27 °C | 10.7 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: Moderate | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Poor | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Poor | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Good | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Good | February week 4: Good | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Good | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of February
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 32 km/h | 27% |
| Week 2 | Good | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 32 km/h | 30% |
| Week 3 | Good | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 33 km/h | 30% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 1.9 m | 34 km/h | 27% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 34 km/h | 25% |
| Week 2 | Good | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 36 km/h | 23% |
| Week 3 | Good | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 36 km/h | 23% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 34 km/h | 23% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 33 km/h | 22% |
| Week 2 | Good | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 33 km/h | 21% |
| Week 3 | Good | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 32 km/h | 23% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 33 km/h | 21% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 32 km/h | 18% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 31 km/h | 24% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 32 km/h | 29% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 32 km/h | 28% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 31 km/h | 32% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 35% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 38% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 31 km/h | 44% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 30 km/h | 37% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 31 km/h | 26% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 33 km/h | 24% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 33 km/h | 28% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 34 km/h | 27% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 34 km/h | 29% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 34 km/h | 33% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 34 km/h | 36% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 33 km/h | 34% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 33 km/h | 31% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 33 km/h | 35% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 32 km/h | 36% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.3 m | 28 km/h | 37% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.4 m | 27 km/h | 40% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.6 m | 26 km/h | 42% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.6 m | 28 km/h | 53% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.4 m | 28 km/h | 52% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.3 m | 25 km/h | 43% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.7 m | 27 km/h | 50% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 31 km/h | 55% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 31 km/h | 56% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 31 km/h | 54% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 31 km/h | 44% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 30 km/h | 31% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 31 km/h | 28% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 33 km/h | 32% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 34 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.8 m | 33 km/h | 26% |
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: 3 mm | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: 3 mm |
- Dec–May3 mm full suit
- Jun–Novskin 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 2.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
8 of the last 30 Augusts saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jul–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
Turks & Caicos marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau grouper | All year | Near-guaranteed | 48 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 66 | ||
| Southern stingray | All year | Likely | 31 | ||
| Nurse shark | May, Jul, Sep | Likely | 16 | ||
| Humpback whale | Jan–Feb | Likely | 11 | ||
| Spotted eagle ray | Feb–Mar, May | Hit-or-miss | 9 | ||
| Lemon shark | Jun–Jul | Hit-or-miss | 8 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Feb, Jun, Sep, Dec | Likely | 18 |
Peak Present No survey data
- 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 Turks & Caicos — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Turks & Caicos?
- Go January to February for humpback whale. 21% of days gust over 40 km/h then — February to June is calmer, but the animals have gone. The full season runs December to July.
- When is the diving season in Turks & Caicos?
- The diving season in Turks & Caicos runs December to July, and it is at its best January to February.
- Is the diving in Turks & Caicos good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Turks & Caicos?
- Between 26 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 Turks & Caicos?
- 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 Turks & Caicos?
- Roughly 5 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 Turks & Caicos?
- The most consistently recorded species are Nassau grouper (near-guaranteed), Green turtle (near-guaranteed) and Southern stingray (likely), from 243 records within 60 km.
- Does Turks & Caicos get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jul–Nov, most often in August at 8 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Turks & Caicos?
- The tide rises and falls 0.8 m around the full and new moon, against 0.5 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Turks & Caicos?
- August–November are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Turks & Caicos?
- Mostly from liveaboards and day boats. Trips run through the season, Dec–Jul.