Your Guide to Diving Nicaragua

Diving Nicaragua Overview

Nicaragua Seasonal Dive Planner

The rainy season runs from mid-May to late November and the dry season is from December to May. However, September and October usually have the driest weather and flattest seas, even though it is the wet season. Average air temperature is around 90°F (27°C) during the day and 72°F (22°C) at night. Winter winds create choppy seas, which may prevent the dive pangas from getting to some sites. Visibility can range from 20 to 80 ft. (6-25m), depending on conditions. Water temperatures are in the low to mid-80°F (27-29°C) year round.

Diving Nicaragua Reader Reports and Feature Articles

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Latest Reader Reports from Nicaragua from the serious divers who read Undercurrent All Reader Reports from Nicaragua	All 10,000+ Reports
Oliver’s Dive Little Corn/Little Corn Beach and Bungalow Report in Nicaragua/Little Corn Island "Remote tropical location with some good diving" filed Aug 15, 2024 by Kirsten Olson (Experience: 101-250 dives)
Little Corn is a very remote location and has a backpacker vibe. There is only one fancy resort on the island, a couple small hotels, b... ... Read more
Dolphin Dive/Yemaya Resort Report in Nicaragua/Little Corn Island "A healthy Little Corn Island" filed Sep 17, 2019 by mark ravitz (Experience: Over 1000 dives, 4 reports, Reviewer )
My wife and I have been diving since 1976 and have witnessed the change in the oceans underwater. We wanted to visit Little Corn Island... ... Read more
Dos Tiburones/Paraiso Beach Resort Report in Nicaragua/Corn Island "Don’t miss Blowing Rock!" filed Apr 12, 2018 by Valerie Pinder (Experience: 251-500 dives, 3 reports, Reviewer )
I’m glad I didn’t know how rough the seas can get here, or I might not have gone out to Blowing Rock and would have missed one of the b... ... Read more
Dos Tiburones/N/A Report in Nicaragua/Big Corn Island "Corn Islands are a great distination" filed Oct 7, 2015 by Haven Stuck (Experience: 251-500 dives)
Not associated with a hotel. Great staff, very friendly. The operation was very new but they were making good progress. Good diving a... ... Read more
Dolphin Dive/Hotel los Delphines Report in Nicaragua/Little Corn Island filed Apr 26, 2010 by Liz Wagstrom (Experience: 101-250 dives, 4 reports, Reviewer )
Little Corn is a great place to visit - no car, motorbikes or golf carts anywhere on the island. Dolphin Dive did a nice job, took our... ... Read more

Editor's Book Picks for Scuba Diving Nicaragua

The books below are my favorites about diving in this part of the world All books are available at a significant discount from Amazon.com; just follow the links. -- BD

Travel Edition of Reef Fish Identification: Caribbean, Bahamas, South Florida
by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach

Today's airline weight restrictions not only limit the amount of dive gear and cameras you can pack for overseas trips, but also those valuable prized marine life identification books. And with spotty Internet access overseas, it's not like you can look a critter of or fish up easily online. For the divers who still want a book in their hands post-dive to look up the fishes they encounter, Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach are offering "Travel Edition of Reef Fish Identification: Caribbean, Bahamas, South Florida." It's lightweight enough to thrown in your carry-on but rugged enough to withstand frequent saltwater washings on board.

Click here to buy it at Amazon.

World Atlas of Coral Reefs
by Mark D. Spalding, Corinna Ravilious, Edmund P. Green, United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Center.

If there is one book that belongs in every traveling diver's library, this is it. The superb World Atlas of Coral Reefs has everything you want to know about the reefs from Costa Rica and Cuba to the Coral Sea and Cayman. The information is specific and up to date. The photos, maps and layout superb. And the price, for this 424 page, full color, hard bound volume, is a steal at $31.50

The Atlas was released in September by the United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Center to document and conserve the world's coral reefs. Clearly written with divers in mind, it's an invaluable resource for global travelers. Here's what you'll find.

• 94 maps, including global maps of biodiversity and reef stresses, regional maps showing 3-D bathymetry and high resolution maps showing reefs, mangroves, population centers, dive centers and protected areas.
• 280 color photographs, showing reefs, wildlife, people and places, Including 84 photographs taken from space by Shuttle astronauts.
• Text explaining the formation, structure and ecology of coral reefs; their various uses and abuses at the hands of humans; and the techniques used in coral reef mapping.
• Detailed texts describing the distribution and status of coral reefs in every country.
• Data tables listing information on biodiversity, human use, and protected areas. These include statistics on coral reef area, biodiversity, fish consumption, and threats.

For example, you can learn about pollution damage to the reefs at Providenciales and the lack of human impact, as well. Or, where extensive bleaching took place in Honduras 1998. You'll read that Milne Bay in Papua New Guineas has the most extensive reef system in that country and where, in Fiji, the bumphead parrotfish and tridachna clams will not be found, thanks to overfishing. Order now.

The Reef Set: Reef Fish, Reef Creature and Reef Coral (3 Volumes):
Paul Humann ID Books
by Paul Humann, Ned Deloach

The three set fish, creature and coral ID books by Paul Humann are the unparalleled sources for information on Caribbean sea life and identification. Paul and his partner Ned Deloach recently released updated and expanded editions of each, with scores of new critters, even better photos, and information unavailable anywhere else. Why, the Reef Fish Identification book, at more than 500 pages, is 20 percent larger than the previous volume, which came out in 1994. Whenever I travel to the Caribbean, I tote all three books and spend my down hours figuring out what I saw and where to look to find rare creatures. Paul's splendid Reef Creature book (420 pages), covers sponges, nudibranchs, octopus, crustaceans, Christmas tree worms and plenty more. His Reef Coral ID book (276 pages) helps you identify all the hard and soft corals, spawning, and even the growth on top of corals, as well as algae and other plant life. Beginners may want to ID only fish, but I'd recommend that all three books be part of every diver's library. And, if you have an old set, by all means replace it. You'll be delighted at the additions and improvements. Each book normally retails for $40, but are discounted when you order here. And the boxed 3-volume set is available now at a bigger discount, up to 30%. Click below to buy them at Amazon:

* Reef Fish Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas,
* Reef Creature Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas, and
* Reef Coral Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas
* The Boxed Set of all three (you can save up to 30%)

A Guide to the Coral Reefs of the Caribbean
by Mark Spalding

This book doubles as a guide to the natural history of the coral reefs and a diver's travel guide. In addition to providing information about some of the most popular diving and snorkeling, it also offers practical suggestions to divers who want to protect these sites. Author Mark Spalding, a coral reef scientist who has worked on coral reefs in over thirty countries, delves into the eco-problems with a focus on what each person can do to protect the reefs. The guide section covers 35 dive destinations with key information on the reefs, marine parks, remote places, and unusual species as well as excellent maps and a photographic field guide of the marine flora and fauna.
Order Now at a reduced price of only $16.47.

There's a Cockroach in My Regulator
by Undercurrent

The Best of Undercurrent: Bizarre and Brilliant True Diving Tales from Thirty Years of Undercurrent.

Shipping now is our brand new, 240-page book filled with the best of the unusual, the entertaining, and the jaw dropping stories Undercurrent has published. They’re true, often unbelievable, and always fascinating. We’re offering it to you now for the special price of just $14.95.

Click here to order.

You might find some other books of interest in our Editor's Book Picks section.