UK
Best Time to Dive in the Farne Islands
55.63°N 1.60°W
Dive it May to September for the long days — 15.4 hours of light against 9.5. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The full season runs April to September.
- Best time
- May–Sep
- Water
- 7–15 °C
- Visibility
- 0–15 m
- Season runs
- Apr–Sep
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 2.2–4.5 m
- Species logged
- 8
Worth knowing: water around 10 °C.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in the Farne Islands — 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 | Moderate | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Moderate | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| Visibility (m) | — | 0–10 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | — | — |
| Marine life | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season May–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 Farne Islands diving season
March · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 7–7 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 14 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is rougher.
Marine lifeGrey seal (near-guaranteed) peaks at Farne Islands in these months.
April to September · Peak season
6 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 8–15 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 13 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. The sea is calmer.
Marine lifeGrey seal (near-guaranteed), Basking shark (likely) peak at Farne Islands in these months.
October · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 12–12 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 15 days a month
Diving conditionsExpect some swell.
Marine lifeGrey seal (near-guaranteed) peaks at Farne Islands in these months.
November to February · Off season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 7–11 °C
- Rain
- 13 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is rougher.
Marine lifeGrey seal (near-guaranteed) peaks at Farne Islands in these months.
- Spring tides run 4.5 m against 2.2 m on neaps, so currents build around the full and new moon.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Farne Islands water temperature and weather
9,670 underwater observation records · 32 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Farne Islands 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
9
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 31% 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
13
wet days a month
2 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.8 m | 13% | 11 | 2 | 7 °C | 7.4 h |
| February | 2.3 m | 15% | 13 | 1 | 8 °C | 9.3 h |
| March | 2.4 m | 6% | 14 | 1 | 9 °C | 11.4 h |
| April | 2.1 m | 3% | 10 | 1 | 11 °C | 13.9 h |
| May | 1.8 m | 2% | 12 | 1 | 14 °C | 16.0 h |
| June | 1.3 m | 1% | 11 | 2 | 17 °C | 17.2 h |
| July | 1.4 m | 1% | 16 | 2 | 19 °C | 16.7 h |
| August | 1.4 m | 1% | 15 | 2 | 19 °C | 14.8 h |
| September | 2.1 m | 2% | 14 | 2 | 17 °C | 12.4 h |
| October | 2.8 m | 8% | 15 | 3 | 13 °C | 10.1 h |
| November | 2.8 m | 7% | 14 | 3 | 10 °C | 7.9 h |
| December | 2.8 m | 13% | 14 | 3 | 8 °C | 6.8 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: Moderate | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Good | July week 1: Excellent | August week 1: Excellent | September week 1: Excellent | October week 1: Good | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Poor | April week 2: Good | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Excellent | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Excellent | 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: Good | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | 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: Moderate |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Moderate | February week 4: Moderate | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Good | May week 4: Good | June week 4: Excellent | July week 4: Excellent | August week 4: Excellent | 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 August
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 8 °C | 3.0 m | 28 km/h | 46% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 8 °C | 2.7 m | 27 km/h | 35% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 8 °C | 2.4 m | 25 km/h | 30% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 7 °C | 2.1 m | 28 km/h | 37% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 7 °C | 2.4 m | 32 km/h | 45% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 7 °C | 2.5 m | 30 km/h | 45% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 7 °C | 2.3 m | 30 km/h | 42% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 7 °C | 2.2 m | 28 km/h | 43% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 7 °C | 2.4 m | 26 km/h | 46% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 7 °C | 2.8 m | 27 km/h | 49% |
| Week 3 | Good | 7 °C | 2.4 m | 26 km/h | 40% |
| Week 4 | Good | 7 °C | 2.1 m | 24 km/h | 39% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 7 °C | 2.1 m | 23 km/h | 43% |
| Week 2 | Good | 7 °C | 2.0 m | 23 km/h | 34% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 8 °C | 2.1 m | 21 km/h | 26% |
| Week 4 | Good | 8 °C | 2.2 m | 21 km/h | 32% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 8 °C | 1.8 m | 20 km/h | 38% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 9 °C | 1.8 m | 20 km/h | 34% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 10 °C | 1.8 m | 21 km/h | 40% |
| Week 4 | Good | 11 °C | 1.8 m | 21 km/h | 42% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 11 °C | 1.5 m | 20 km/h | 39% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 12 °C | 1.4 m | 20 km/h | 37% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 12 °C | 1.3 m | 21 km/h | 30% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 13 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 37% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 13 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 48% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 14 °C | 1.4 m | 20 km/h | 50% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 14 °C | 1.5 m | 20 km/h | 50% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 15 °C | 1.5 m | 20 km/h | 58% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 15 °C | 1.5 m | 20 km/h | 59% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 15 °C | 1.5 m | 21 km/h | 50% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 15 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 48% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 14 °C | 1.3 m | 21 km/h | 42% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 14 °C | 1.6 m | 21 km/h | 40% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 14 °C | 1.9 m | 23 km/h | 44% |
| Week 3 | Good | 14 °C | 2.1 m | 23 km/h | 44% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 13 °C | 2.3 m | 25 km/h | 48% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 12 °C | 2.3 m | 27 km/h | 50% |
| Week 2 | Good | 12 °C | 2.3 m | 26 km/h | 48% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 12 °C | 3.1 m | 24 km/h | 48% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 12 °C | 3.1 m | 25 km/h | 53% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 11 °C | 2.2 m | 25 km/h | 51% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 11 °C | 2.6 m | 26 km/h | 42% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 11 °C | 3.0 m | 28 km/h | 43% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 10 °C | 2.9 m | 27 km/h | 49% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 10 °C | 2.9 m | 27 km/h | 53% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 9 °C | 2.9 m | 27 km/h | 48% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 9 °C | 2.5 m | 26 km/h | 39% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 9 °C | 2.7 m | 28 km/h | 44% |
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: dry | February: dry | March: dry | April: dry | May: dry | June: dry | July: dry | August: 7 mm | September: dry | October: dry | November: dry | December: dry |
- Sep–Juldrysuit
- Aug7 mm semi-dry
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
Farne Islands marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minke whale | Jun–Aug | Near-guaranteed | 327 | ||
| Grey seal | All year | Near-guaranteed | 7283 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | All year | Near-guaranteed | 1904 | ||
| Basking shark | Sep | Likely | 35 | ||
| Orca | Jun–Aug | Hit-or-miss | 39 | ||
| Harbour seal | Jul–Sep | Hit-or-miss | 18 | ||
| Humpback whale | Feb, Jun, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 25 | ||
| Common dolphin | May, Jul–Aug, Nov | Likely | 17 |
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 the Farne Islands — common questions
- When is the best time to dive the Farne Islands?
- Dive it May to September for the long days — 15.4 hours of light against 9.5. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The full season runs April to September.
- When is the diving season at the Farne Islands?
- The diving season at the Farne Islands runs April to September, and it is at its best May to September.
- Is the diving at the Farne Islands good for beginners?
- Not really. It is for experienced divers, so it is not a place to learn or to make your first dives after certification.
- How warm is the water at the Farne Islands?
- Between 7 and 15 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in March and warmest in August. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need at the Farne Islands?
- A drysuit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a 7 mm semi-dry is enough.
- What is the visibility like at the Farne Islands?
- Roughly 0 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 the Farne Islands?
- The most consistently recorded species are Minke whale (near-guaranteed), Grey seal (near-guaranteed) and Bottlenose dolphin (near-guaranteed), from 9,670 records within 60 km.
- Does the Farne Islands get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current at the Farne Islands?
- The tide rises and falls 4.5 m around the full and new moon, against 2.2 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid the Farne Islands?
- December is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive the Farne Islands?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Apr–Sep.