N Sound Rd, Spanish Town, British Virgin Islands - panoramio (19)
N Sound Rd, Spanish Town, British Virgin Islands - panoramio (19) by Kevin Stroup, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

British Virgin Islands · Caribbean

Best time to dive British Virgin Islands

Best December–May: dry, light winds and up to 30 m visibility. August–October is hurricane season (warmer water, fewer boats). Late November and late April–early June are quieter shoulder months.

Peak season: November–July

Best upcoming months:5.9January 20275.9February 20275.9March 2027
Book a British Virgin Islands LiveaboardUpcoming departures on Divebooker

Overall diving, month by month

Balanced scoring · forecasts include the 2026/27 El Niño outlook

0510Nov 2026: 5.7 (Good)5.7Nov2026Dec 2026: 5.7 (Good)5.7DecJan 2027: 5.9 (Good)5.9Jan2027Feb 2027: 5.9 (Good)5.9FebMar 2027: 5.9 (Good)5.9MarApr 2027: 5.8 (Good)5.8AprMay 2027: 5.9 (Good)5.9MayJun 2027: 5.8 (Good)5.8JunJul 2027: 5.5 (Good)5.5JulAug 2027: 5.3 (Good)5.3AugSep 2027: 5.1 (Good)5.1SepOct 2027: 5.2 (Good)5.2OctNov 2027: 5.4 (Good)5.4NovDec 2027: 5.7 (Good)5.7Dec

Confidence: Nov medium · Dec high · Jan medium · Feb medium · Mar medium · Apr medium · May medium · Jun medium · Jul medium · Aug medium · Sep medium · Oct low · Nov low · Dec medium

What's good when

Each attribute scored 0–10 for every month

Nov2026DecJan2027FebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Pelagic & big animals55555555555555
Macro life55555555555555
Coral & reef health45555555333335
Visibility88888888877788
Water temperature9988889101010101099
Weather & sea state87888998865667
Operations & access99999999975699
Wreck diving88888888888888

Climate outlook

How this year's forecast differs from a typical year

  • Weather & sea state +1.3 · El Niño suppresses Atlantic hurricanes; La Niña tends to bring more (Nov 2026 – November 2027)
  • Coral & reef health -1.6 · Late-summer bleaching risk in the year after a strong El Niño (Jul 2027 – November 2027)

Water temperature & visibility

MonthWaterVisibility
November 202627.5 °C (82 °F)18–28 m
December 202627.0 °C (81 °F)20–30 m
January 202726.5 °C (80 °F)20–30 m
February 202726.0 °C (79 °F)20–30 m
March 202726.0 °C (79 °F)20–30 m
April 202726.5 °C (80 °F)20–30 m
May 202727.5 °C (82 °F)20–30 m
June 202728.0 °C (82 °F)20–30 m
July 202728.5 °C (83 °F)18–28 m
August 202728.5 °C (83 °F)15–25 m
September 202729.0 °C (84 °F)15–25 m
October 202728.5 °C (83 °F)15–25 m
November 202727.5 °C (82 °F)18–28 m
December 202727.0 °C (81 °F)20–30 m

Marine life calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
hawksbill turtle●●●●●●●●●●●●
eagle ray●●●●●●●●●●●●
nurse shark●●●●●●●●●●●●
tarpon●●●●●●●●●●●●

Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely. Calendar months, every year.

About the diving

Difficulty
Beginner
Current strength
1 / 5
Luxury level
5 / 5
Typical depth
5–25 m
Max depth of interest
30 m
Dive styles
Day boat, Liveaboard, Resort
Suggested certification
Open Water
Nearest airport
EIS
Snorkelling
Good
Known for
hawksbill turtle, eagle ray, nurse shark, tarpon

Famous sites: RMS Rhone · The Indians · Painted Walls · Chikuzen

Season notes & sources

  • Best December–May: dry, light winds and up to 30 m visibility. August–October is hurricane season (warmer water, fewer boats). Late November and late April–early June are quieter shoulder months.
  • The RMS Rhone (sank in an 1867 hurricane) is the headline dive, with the bow at about 18 m and the stern at 24 m; the Chikuzen and other deeper wrecks add to it.

Sources