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 Weather seasons
Although the islands are tropical, there are two markedly different seasons : the warm, humid and sunny season from December to May and the dry, windy and not-so-sunny season from June to November. Transitional months are January, April and May. The Warm Season offers hardly any wind (so the sea is usually very calm) and the visibility tends to be better. In the Dry Season there is more wind, sometimes the sea tends to be choppy and the visibility lower.
Water temperature
Surprisingly, its water temperatures range from 16°C to 27°C degrees Celsius (61°F - 80°F); we use full wet (6mm) suits all year around and hoods in the cold season. Regardless season, a thermocline is commonly found below 12-15 meters (37-45 feet)
Visibility
In general, visibility ranges from 5 to 25 meters (16 to 82 feet), but most of the time it is restricted to between 12 and 18m. A large submarine current (Equatorial Undercurrent) coming from the West Pacific hits the largest island of the archipelago (Isabela Island) and is deflected upward reaching the surface, bringing up the cold and nutrient rich water; this can change the water temperature by as much as 6 degrees Celsius, and change the visibility in a matter of one or two days. It is this unique feature, however, that brings such unpredictable marine life.
Experience for Galápagos Diving
- Beginners: Newly certified divers or divers with few dives logged (3 to 15 dives).
Intermediate: 15 to 50 dives logged with experience in cold water and with drift and wall diving.
- Advanced: 100 dives or more logged with experience in cold water and with drift and wall diving.
Detailed description of dive experience is always necessary to confirm a dive program, because a diver with 10 dives in cold water and currents may feel a lot more comfortable than a diver with 40 logged dives in warm water and little current - also a newly certified diver may feel more comfortable than a diver with 50 logged dives but who has not been diving for 6 years.
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