Best Season to Dive in Roatan
If you're wondering when is the best time to dive in Roatan? The truth is, it’s always the right season to scuba dive in Roatan!
Roatan has two seasons, a wet season and a dry season. Both seasons offer great diving with different perks in and out of the water.
Dry Season: March through October
Spring marks the beginning of dry season in Roatan, when we see temperatures begin to creep up again and the forecasts call for nothing but sunshine and fun!
This is the perfect time to dive in Roatan.
From March to May, water temperatures rise to the low 80s Fahrenheit (28ish Celsius) and many divers will trade their full wetsuits for shorties or skins.
There are several holidays and events in the Spring that are widely celebrated on the island, such as Easter, Semana Santa, and Carnival. For those looking to become a DiveInstructor, Roatan Divers offers the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) in April. If you’re interested in becoming a better diver with a higher title without going PRO, join us in June for PADI’s Master Scuba Diver Challenge.
Check the dates in our Annual Event Calendar.
As we move further out from the rainy season, water visibility gets farther, too!
The spring and summer months will bring consistent visibility of 100 feet /30 meters or more. Extremely clear water is a paradise for photographers, so don’t forget to pack your backup batteries!
July is usually the hottest month in Roatan, so it’s perfect for those looking to lounge on the beach after their dives. Water temperatures through the end of summer can be around 88° F/ 31° C in the shallows. If you’re not a fan of wearing wetsuits, this is the season for you! Many divers ditch their wetsuits during these summer months but don’t worry, we always have wetsuits available for those who prefer to wear one. July is host to PADI Women’s Dive Day, so join us for an incredible day event where we come together to meet and celebrate the amazing women in diving!
Roatan Divers also offers the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) in July. Check the dates here!
August, September, and October are part of what we call “low season,” meaning there are fewer tourists on the island, especially in September and October. This is an excellent time to visit the island for those looking for a slower, more intimate experience. You can generally expect fewer people on the dive boat, and restaurants and bars are less crowded. Low season is also a great time to visit for travelers on a budget as accommodations, car rentals, and land-based excursions are usually cheaper.
These months are also full of unique diving events at Roatan Divers. Join us for Wreck Week, Tec Week (explained below), a Halloween Costume Dive, PADI AWARE Week, and the Golden Buoy Competition.
In August, Roatan Divers is holding our first-ever Tec Week! During this week, we are offering Tec demos and try-outs, plus a 5% discount on all PADI Tec-Rec courses and 10% discount on Specialty courses. Certified Tec divers will enjoy a dedicated boat schedule and guided fundives. This event is for those looking to get started as well as for experienced Tec divers. Don’t miss it!
Our final PADI IDC of the year will be held from September/October. This is the perfect time to become an instructor, allowing a month or more to gain experience and be highly employable before the high season hits (especially after you attend our resume-building workshop, included for free with your IDC only at Roatan Divers).
Wet Season: November through February
This is our famous rainy season and you should expect a lot of rain, but this doesn’t keep up from diving.
Roatan is perfectly located so we don’t experience a hurricane season as Mexico does. Most of the rainy season brings rains in the early morning hours that will clear up around mid-day, except January, which sees the most rain of the season.
Rains can reduce visibility as sediments are stirred up, but that same sediment can bring in big schools of fish and larger marine life. Learn more about the types of marine life you’ll most likely see in Roatan here.
By December and January, water temperatures drop down to around 79°-80° F/ 27° C. You may be more comfortable in a wetsuit during this season, so pack your own or use one of our Mares brand rental wetsuits.
This is peak high season, so you’ll have the chance to dive with a range of people and make new friends on the boat. This is a very social, lively time on the island, perfect for those looking to mingle on their vacation.
So, if you can only visit the island during this season, don’t worry! It’s still a great time to dive in Roatan. You might get a little wet, but you'll experience some incredible dives!
Can my dives be canceled in the rainy season?
While it is possible, diving is rarely canceled in Roatan. Our biggest challenge isn’t the rain, it’s actually the wind.
In case of rain, we run our boats as normal. What’s a little rain when you’re going to get wet anyway? But in case of strong wind on our side of the island (north side), we move our boats to the South Side and dive from there. This is one of the biggest benefits of diving in Roatan. The island is long but narrow and we can easily move the operation to the other, leeward, side of the island.
On rare occasions, we have strong winds on both sides of the island and we need to cancel the dives.
We’re diving on the South Side: How does this change my experience?
The South Side offers beautiful diving with dramatic walls and tons of soft corals. Neck crabs, blennies, seahorses, and Flamingo Tongues galore!
You will arrive at the shop by 8:15 where you will find that your instructors are already on the South Side setting up your gear. All you need to grab is your wetsuit and booties.
We provide transportation in comfortable vans.
We will do two dives on the South Side with a surface interval on land. We will have all the comforts of home, like water, coffee, hot cocoa, and snacks such as fruit, crackers, and cookies.
You will be back at Roatan Divers around 1 pm. There is no afternoon or night diving on South Side days. In the middle of a course? No worries, your course will proceed as normal!
The best season for diving in Roatan depends on your personal preference, considering things like water temperature and the number of people on the island.
If you want to escape from snow and negative temperatures, Roatan is your dream destination. Even with rain, you will feel warm and will have a lot of fun! We have direct flights from many cities in the USA and Canada.
Whenever you choose to come, you will be met with great diving!
