Diving in Gran Canaria in Autumn and Winter

Dive Warm with extra thermal layers

Extra Thermal Shirts for Winter dives!

The Canary Islands have always been a popular winter destination where people have soaked up the sun through the autumn and winter months. Our dive centre in Gran Canaria is open all year round so that you can enjoy yourself diving here when northern waters are cold and uninviting, but more than that, this is the time of year when we have some of the best diving conditions of the year!.

Autumn Diving in the Canary Islands

If you are thinking of diving in September, October or November then you can expect first class conditions both above and below the water. At this time of year both air and water temperatures are still high and as the weather systems move to their winter positions, and this can create the best diving conditions of the year. Underwater the visibility reaches the best for the year and can occasionally reach over 25m.

Month	Air Temp (ºC)	Water Temp (ºC)	Notes
September	30 to 28	24 to 22	If you are thinking of diving in September, October or November then you can expect first class conditions both above and below the water. At this time of year both air and water temperatures are still high and as the weather systems move to their winter positions, and this can create the best diving conditions of the year. Underwater the visibility reaches the best for the year and can occasionally reach over 25m. There are plenty of rays about, big shoals of roncadors and bream and great light for photos.
October	28 to 26	23 to 21	Often the best month of the year to dive here, best weather and visibility in this month, entry and exit are the easiest, water and air still warm,lots to see. Always lots of stingrays to see, and on night dives some angel sharks may start to appear.
November	26 to 24	21 to 20	Adult Angel sharks and filefish start to return for winter and the sightings of rays increases.

For several years we have been taking part in a research project with the University of Las Palmas into angel sharks in Gran Canaria. You can read the initial findings about angel sharks in Arinaga

Typical Autumn Diving Conditions

This short video taken entirely in Arinaga in November 2017 will give a good idea of typical visibility and conditions in autumn. Below are some typical autumn highlights. See other Autumn diving videos on our YouTube Channel

see more Videos about Diving in Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria -divers in the warm subtropical waters of the El Cabrón marine reserve

in Gran Canaria the round stingray can be found at several places in the reserve

Dive into the warm subtropical waters of Gran Canaria

Gran canaria divers find there's a surprise everywhere

Start planning your Autumn dive trip now!

Winter Diving in Gran Canaria

Because the Canary Islands have always been a popular winter sun destination, there is no problem with getting here from the UK or the rest of Northern Europe during the winter, and all the major facilities stay open. So you can come diving at Christmas or New Year in the Canaries if you want, and the water temperature is still very comfortable!. Over the Christmas period diving can be more unexpected as this is when Christmas Trees appear on the sea-bed and divers can be seen in cheery red Santa hats. The coldest time of the year in both the sea and on the land, when air and water drop to about 17C is towards the end of February, but this can be when the Island is at it's greenest after the winter rains and showers. We dive in the marine reserve all through the winter and this can be a great time to see Angel sharks, Rays, Barracuda, Morays; and towards the end of February we will start to get the mating season for many small fish leading to huge clouds of fish-eggs and small-fry in the water. This is a good time for night dives as the early sunsets mean that you can get back to your hotel at a reasonable hour.

Finally, this is a great time to undertake any training courses, because it is relatively quiet, the conditions can be calm, and it is an awful lot warmer than Stoney Cove!

Month	Air Temp (ºC)	Water Temp (ºC)	Notes
December	26 to 22	22 to 20	Dive at Christmas and see the Christmas Trees in the Reserve! There are usually plenty of angel sharks and rays to be seen.
January	24 to 20	20 to 18	After New Year all the sites become less busy and you can dive in small groups. Angel sharks and rays are still plentiful and we start to see nudibranchii (hypselodoris picta) on the reef.
February	22 to 18	19 to 18	The quietest time of the year, when you get the most personal attention from your dive guides. This is a great time for night dives ! Fish are beginning to spawn. The Carnaval Parade season usually starts in Las Palmas. First Las Palmas, and then Playa del Ingles. Everybody dresses up for this event, so you can dive in the day and party at night! Don't miss the Carnaval parade if you are in town, and open your mind to be amazed at the Drag show Competition.. you will have seen nothing like it before!