Yemen
Best Time to Dive in Socotra
12.65°N 54.00°E
The best conditions run January to May for the calmest water — seas top 1.5 m on 7% of days, against 32% the rest of the year. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Jan–May
- Water
- 25–30 °C
- Visibility
- 0–25 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.9–1.5 m
- Species logged
- 1
Worth knowing: 90% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Socotra — 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 | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor | Good | Good | Good | Moderate |
| Water temp (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| Visibility (m) | 5–15 | 5–15 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 0–10 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 |
| Marine life | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Steady | No data | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
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 Socotra diving season
June to August · Off season
3 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 25–28 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 0 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is rougher.
September to May · Peak season
9 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 26–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 7 days a month
Diving conditionsSeas stay mostly calm. It rains more. The wind eases.
- Spring tides run 1.5 m against 0.9 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.
Socotra water temperature and weather
19 underwater observation records · 6 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Socotra 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
6
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 22% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
1
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
6
wet days a month
1 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.9 m | 0% | 5 | 0 | 27 °C | 11.3 h |
| February | 1.3 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 28 °C | 11.6 h |
| March | 0.9 m | 0% | 3 | 0 | 32 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 0.4 m | 0% | 9 | 0 | 33 °C | 12.3 h |
| May | 1.0 m | 0% | 10 | 1 | 34 °C | 12.6 h |
| June | 1.9 m | 5% | 1 | 0 | 33 °C | 12.7 h |
| July | 2.1 m | 32% | 0 | 0 | 31 °C | 12.7 h |
| August | 1.8 m | 12% | 0 | 0 | 32 °C | 12.4 h |
| September | 1.5 m | 2% | 1 | 0 | 33 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 0.7 m | 0% | 14 | 1 | 31 °C | 11.7 h |
| November | 1.2 m | 0% | 10 | 1 | 29 °C | 11.4 h |
| December | 2.1 m | 0% | 13 | 3 | 27 °C | 11.3 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: Moderate | February week 1: Good | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Good | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Excellent | November week 1: Excellent | December week 1: Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Good | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Good | November week 2: Good | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Good | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Good | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Good | May week 4: Good | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Moderate | December week 4: Moderate |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of February
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 26 °C | 2.1 m | 17 km/h | 22% |
| Week 2 | Good | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 17 km/h | 15% |
| Week 3 | Good | 25 °C | 1.8 m | 17 km/h | 14% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 17 km/h | 13% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 25 °C | 1.5 m | 17 km/h | 9% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 25 °C | 1.3 m | 17 km/h | 5% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.1 m | 16 km/h | 4% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.0 m | 16 km/h | 2% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 26 °C | 0.9 m | 15 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.8 m | 15 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 12% |
| Week 4 | Good | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 13 km/h | 16% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 13 km/h | 11% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 22% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 12 km/h | 38% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.3 m | 12 km/h | 45% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 45% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 11 km/h | 44% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 12 km/h | 35% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 19 km/h | 15% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 26 km/h | 6% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 30 km/h | 3% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 33 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.1 m | 35 km/h | 0% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.2 m | 37 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.1 m | 38 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.1 m | 38 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.1 m | 37 km/h | 1% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.0 m | 36 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 37 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 36 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 34 km/h | 1% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 33 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.5 m | 32 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Good | 26 °C | 1.4 m | 28 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.0 m | 20 km/h | 11% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 33% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 0.5 m | 11 km/h | 49% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 0.8 m | 12 km/h | 47% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 0.9 m | 13 km/h | 38% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.9 m | 14 km/h | 34% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 1.1 m | 15 km/h | 31% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 16 km/h | 33% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 17 km/h | 35% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 1.8 m | 17 km/h | 37% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 26 °C | 2.1 m | 18 km/h | 43% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.2 m | 19 km/h | 47% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 26 °C | 2.2 m | 17 km/h | 38% |
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: 3 mm | July: 3 mm | August: 3 mm | September: 3 mm | October: 3 mm | November: 3 mm | December: 3 mm |
- Jun–Mar3 mm full suit
- Apr–Mayskin 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
2 of the last 30 Mays saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded May, Oct–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
Socotra marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 19 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinner dolphin | Jul | Hit-or-miss | 8 |
Peak 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 Socotra — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Socotra?
- The best conditions run January to May for the calmest water — seas top 1.5 m on 7% of days, against 32% the rest of the year. Too few records to show a wildlife season, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Socotra?
- The diving season in Socotra runs January to May.
- Is the diving in Socotra 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 Socotra?
- Between 25 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in May. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Socotra?
- 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 Socotra?
- Roughly 0 to 25 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Socotra?
- The most consistently recorded species are Spinner dolphin (hit-or-miss), from 19 records within 60 km.
- Does Socotra get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in May, Oct–Nov, most often in May at 2 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Socotra?
- The tide rises and falls 1.5 m around the full and new moon, against 0.9 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Socotra?
- July–August are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Socotra?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jan–May.