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Cozumel · National Marine Park
When to dive Cozumel
The honest answer: any time. Cozumel dives year-round with warm water, big visibility and the same easy drift conditions in every season. Here's how the months actually differ.
At a glance
What the diving is like, all year
Water temperature
Roughly 26–29°C. Warmest in late summer, coolest (around 26°C) in the depths of winter.
Visibility
Consistently high — often 30m or more. The clear Caribbean water is one of Cozumel's calling cards.
Conditions
Drift diving year-round. Currents vary day to day, and we match sites to the conditions every morning.
Season by season
Calm summer · May–Aug
The calmest, warmest stretch — water up toward 29°C and glassy mornings. Peak comfort, though it overlaps the start of hurricane season, so keep half an eye on the forecast.
Rainy & hurricane awareness · Aug–Oct
Warm and still excellent underwater, but the official Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical systems are occasional and trackable days ahead; we watch conditions closely and reschedule if a storm threatens.
Winter "nortes" · Nov–Feb
Cooler air and water (around 26°C) and the season for eagle rays. Occasional "nortes" — northerly winds — can briefly stir the surface or move us to more sheltered sites, but most days dive beautifully.
Spring (Mar–Apr) is a quiet sweet spot — settling weather, great visibility and fewer crowds.
Wear
Water temp & wetsuit guidance
- Summer (warm). A 3mm full suit suits most divers; warmer divers are happy in a shorty or skin.
- Winter (cooler). A 3mm full suit, and a 5mm or extra layer if you feel the cold or are doing repetitive days.
- Multiple dives a day? You lose heat across a two-tank morning, so size up a little if you're diving daily.
Tell us how you run hot or cold when you book and we'll get the exposure protection right.
Tip: dive Nitrox
Across a warm two-tank morning, enriched air means more bottom time and less fatigue — especially on the deeper walls. Free for certified Nitrox divers on our day trips; within Dive & Stay packages it's 500 MXN per person, per dive day. We can certify you in a day.
What to expect on a Cozumel drift
If you've only done shore or anchored dives, drift diving feels new — and quickly becomes addictive. It's relaxed, not difficult.
1 · Splash together
The group enters as a unit and descends together, then settles into a comfortable depth along the reef.
2 · Let it carry you
The current does the swimming. You drift gently, conserving air and energy, watching the reef glide past.
3 · Stay with the guide
Four divers per guide means you're never far apart. We set the pace and pick the line along the reef.
4 · Drift the safety stop
We finish hanging in the blue on a safety stop while the boat tracks our bubbles and picks us up.
Pick your dates
There's no bad time to dive Cozumel — tell us when you're coming and we'll plan a two-tank morning around the conditions.