Italy
Best Time to Dive in Portofino / Ligurian Sea
44.31°N 9.23°E
Dive it June to September once the water has warmed to 25 °C from 16. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- Water
- 14–26 °C
- Visibility
- 10–30 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.1–0.3 m
- Species logged
- 6
Worth knowing: 21% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Portofino / Ligurian Sea — 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 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 16 |
| Visibility (m) | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 10–20 |
| Marine life | Busy | Steady | Busy | Busy | Peak | Steady | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jun–Sep
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Portofino / Ligurian Sea diving season
April · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 15–15 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 10 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases.
May to September · Peak season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 19–26 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 9 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. The sea is calmer.
Marine lifeGiant devil ray (hit-or-miss), Ocean sunfish (likely) peak at Portofino / Ligurian Sea in these months.
October to March · Off season
6 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 14–21 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 12 days a month
Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. The wind is up. The sea is rougher.
Marine lifeOcean sunfish (likely) peaks at Portofino / Ligurian Sea in these months.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Portofino / Ligurian Sea water temperature and weather
256 underwater observation records · 26 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Portofino / Ligurian Sea 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
4
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 13% 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
11
wet days a month
4 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.3 m | 3% | 11 | 5 | 12 °C | 9.0 h |
| February | 1.6 m | 4% | 12 | 5 | 13 °C | 10.2 h |
| March | 1.9 m | 2% | 12 | 4 | 15 °C | 11.6 h |
| April | 1.8 m | 0% | 10 | 3 | 17 °C | 13.2 h |
| May | 1.1 m | 0% | 13 | 4 | 20 °C | 14.6 h |
| June | 1.1 m | 0% | 8 | 2 | 25 °C | 15.3 h |
| July | 1.0 m | 0% | 5 | 1 | 28 °C | 15.0 h |
| August | 1.2 m | 0% | 7 | 2 | 29 °C | 13.8 h |
| September | 1.7 m | 0% | 10 | 4 | 25 °C | 12.3 h |
| October | 2.1 m | 2% | 13 | 6 | 20 °C | 10.7 h |
| November | 2.0 m | 1% | 14 | 6 | 16 °C | 9.4 h |
| December | 1.5 m | 2% | 12 | 5 | 13 °C | 8.7 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: Poor | February week 1: Poor | March week 1: Poor | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Good | July week 1: Excellent | August week 1: Excellent | September week 1: Excellent | October week 1: Moderate | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Moderate | March week 2: Poor | April week 2: Good | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Good | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Excellent | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Moderate | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Good | June week 3: Excellent | July week 3: Excellent | August week 3: Excellent | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Moderate | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Poor | April week 4: Moderate | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Excellent | July week 4: Excellent | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Moderate | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of June
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 15 °C | 2.1 m | 14 km/h | 40% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 14 °C | 2.3 m | 16 km/h | 33% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 14 °C | 2.3 m | 17 km/h | 29% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 14 °C | 1.7 m | 15 km/h | 37% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 14 °C | 1.4 m | 16 km/h | 47% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 14 °C | 1.3 m | 15 km/h | 42% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 13 °C | 1.6 m | 13 km/h | 39% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 13 °C | 1.7 m | 15 km/h | 44% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 14 °C | 1.8 m | 17 km/h | 48% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 14 °C | 1.9 m | 16 km/h | 41% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 14 °C | 1.7 m | 15 km/h | 30% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 14 °C | 2.3 m | 15 km/h | 31% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 15 °C | 2.6 m | 15 km/h | 30% |
| Week 2 | Good | 15 °C | 1.8 m | 14 km/h | 31% |
| Week 3 | Good | 15 °C | 1.6 m | 15 km/h | 38% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 16 °C | 1.5 m | 15 km/h | 43% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 17 °C | 1.2 m | 15 km/h | 46% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 18 °C | 1.0 m | 14 km/h | 48% |
| Week 3 | Good | 19 °C | 1.1 m | 14 km/h | 44% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 20 °C | 1.1 m | 12 km/h | 33% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 21 °C | 1.1 m | 12 km/h | 34% |
| Week 2 | Good | 22 °C | 1.1 m | 12 km/h | 33% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 23 °C | 1.2 m | 12 km/h | 25% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 24 °C | 1.1 m | 12 km/h | 19% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 25 °C | 1.0 m | 11 km/h | 19% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 25 °C | 0.9 m | 12 km/h | 17% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.0 m | 11 km/h | 16% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.2 m | 12 km/h | 19% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.2 m | 12 km/h | 20% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 26 °C | 0.9 m | 12 km/h | 18% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 26 °C | 0.8 m | 12 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 1.2 m | 13 km/h | 28% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 25 °C | 1.4 m | 13 km/h | 30% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 25 °C | 1.5 m | 14 km/h | 30% |
| Week 3 | Good | 24 °C | 1.7 m | 14 km/h | 37% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 23 °C | 2.0 m | 14 km/h | 38% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 23 °C | 1.9 m | 14 km/h | 36% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 22 °C | 1.4 m | 13 km/h | 34% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 21 °C | 2.3 m | 15 km/h | 41% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 20 °C | 2.7 m | 17 km/h | 50% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 20 °C | 2.4 m | 16 km/h | 50% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 19 °C | 1.9 m | 16 km/h | 45% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 18 °C | 2.1 m | 16 km/h | 44% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 18 °C | 2.1 m | 16 km/h | 42% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 17 °C | 1.4 m | 16 km/h | 38% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 17 °C | 1.4 m | 16 km/h | 41% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 16 °C | 1.7 m | 15 km/h | 41% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 16 °C | 1.7 m | 14 km/h | 39% |
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: 7 mm | February: 7 mm | March: 7 mm | April: 7 mm | May: 7 mm | June: 5 mm + | July: 3 mm | August: 3 mm | September: 5 mm | October: 5 mm + | November: 5 mm + | December: 7 mm |
- Dec–May7 mm semi-dry
- Jun5 mm with hood and gloves
- Jul–Aug3 mm full suit
- Sep5 mm full suit
- Oct–Nov5 mm with hood and gloves
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
No tropical storm has come within 250 km in 30 years of records. Swell and wind set the season, not cyclones.
- 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
Portofino / Ligurian Sea marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottlenose dolphin | All year | Likely | 120 | ||
| Loggerhead turtle | Mar–Apr | Likely | 44 | ||
| Common dolphin | Apr–May, Jul | Hit-or-miss | 8 | ||
| Giant devil ray | Jul | Hit-or-miss | 9 | ||
| Sperm whale | Apr–May, Aug–Sep | Likely | 27 | ||
| Ocean sunfish | Jan, May | Likely | 35 |
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 Portofino / Ligurian Sea — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- Dive it June to September once the water has warmed to 25 °C from 16. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- The diving season in Portofino / Ligurian Sea runs June to September.
- Is the diving in Portofino / Ligurian Sea good for beginners?
- It is better with some experience. It suits Advanced Open Water divers or equivalent, so newer divers should ask the local operator which sites fit their level.
- How warm is the water in Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- Between 14 and 26 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in August. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- A 7 mm semi-dry covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a 3 mm full suit is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- Roughly 10 to 30 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- The most consistently recorded species are Bottlenose dolphin (likely), Loggerhead turtle (likely) and Common dolphin (hit-or-miss), from 256 records within 60 km.
- Does Portofino / Ligurian Sea get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current in Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- The tide rises and falls 0.3 m around the full and new moon, against 0.1 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- February, November–December are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Portofino / Ligurian Sea?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jun–Sep.