When is the best time to dive Guadeloupe?

The best months to dive Guadeloupe are Dec–Apr. Dived year-round; best conditions in the Dec–Apr dry season.

Is Guadeloupe good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 5 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Jardin de Corail (Îlets Pigeon), Jardin Japonais and La Kaye. The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Guadeloupe?

The water is usually between 26 °C and 29 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Guadeloupe?

Divers regularly see turtles, stingrays, barracuda, trevally, scorpionfish and groupers.

Guadeloupe

12 documented dive sites, 5 of them for Open Water divers. Known for turtles, stingrays and barracuda.

Best months: Dec–Apr
Water: 26–29 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
Nearest airport: PTP

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Guadeloupe in October

Good season

Sea: 30 °C; at the surface
Air: 31 °C; 25 °C at night
Rain: 160 mm; one of the wettest months
Wind: 11 km/h; on average

The warmest water of the year.

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Dived year-round; best conditions in the Dec–Apr dry season.

Source: oysterdiving.com

Dive sites in Guadeloupe

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m5 sites

Reef

down to 46 m

Jardin de Corail (Îlets Pigeon)

Cousteau reserve reef open to all levels, with hawksbill turtles, horse-eye jacks and a bust of Cousteau at 12 m.

Open Water
Turtles

Wall

down to 20 m

Jardin Japonais

Coastal Cousteau-reserve site open from try-dive level, with a natural arch sheltering lobsters and a drop-off to 20 m.

Open Water

Reef

down to 15 m

La Kaye

Shallow 0-15 m night-dive site near Malendure, described by the local club as a turtle dormitory.

Open Water
Turtles

Reef

down to 18 m

Le Souffleur

Short dive to 18 m between Petite Anse and Anse à la Barque over a carpet of finger coral.

Open Water

Reef

down to 18 m

Pointe Malendure

Shallow coastal site (max 18 m) at Malendure where black gorgonians and azure vase sponges cover the rocks.

Open Water

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m3 sites

Wreck

down to 23 m

Franjack wreck

Danish dredger scuttled in 1996 at 23 m, now covered in sponges and anemones and visited by barracudas, jacks and morays.

Advanced
Stingrays

down to 50 m

Pointe Barracuda (Îlets Pigeon)

Pigeon islets point where barracudas, kingfish, porcupinefish and turtles patrol the 20 m zone.

Advanced
Turtles

Rock formations

down to 18 m

Pointe Quecy

Rocky site south of Bouillante, max 18 m, with two passages under rock and a chimney from 10 to 7 m.

Advanced

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m4 sites

Pinnacle

down to 40 m

Sec Pâté (Les Saintes)

Offshore pinnacles off Les Saintes topping out at 17 m, with jacks, barracudas, eagle rays and sometimes nurse sharks.

Experienced
Nurse sharks

Wreck

down to 33 m

Augustin Fresnel II wreck

Canadian-built ship deliberately sunk at 30 m off Guadeloupe, now an artificial reef with barracudas, jacks and morays.

Experienced

Wreck

down to 40 m

Gustavia wreck

Former cargo ship Hamburg, cleaned of pollutants and scuttled on sand at 40 m: a deep wreck dive with barracudas, groupers and morays.

Experienced

down to 40 m

Pointe Carangue (Îlets Pigeon)

Coral shelf on the Pigeon islets from 12 to 40 m where groupers, boxfish, trumpetfish and turtles are seen.

Experienced
Turtles

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Reported here, season not documented yet:

Turtles
Stingrays
Barracuda
Trevally
Scorpionfish
Groupers
Lionfish
Moray eels
Nurse sharks
Eagle rays
Seahorses
Garden eels

Where is Guadeloupe?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Guadeloupe (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: PTP

Guadeloupe: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Guadeloupe?: The best months to dive Guadeloupe are Dec–Apr. Dived year-round; best conditions in the Dec–Apr dry season.
Is Guadeloupe good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 5 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Jardin de Corail (Îlets Pigeon), Jardin Japonais and La Kaye. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Guadeloupe?: The water is usually between 26 °C and 29 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Guadeloupe?: Divers regularly see turtles, stingrays, barracuda, trevally, scorpionfish and groupers.
How do you dive Guadeloupe?: The nearest airport is PTP.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash