What is the best time of day to snorkel in Aitutaki Lagoon?

Snorkel in daylight, if possible in the morning before the wind picks up. Currents are often weaker near high slack tide. SnorkelForecast scores each daylight hour for Aitutaki Lagoon.

What is the best tide for snorkeling?

High slack tide, within about an hour of the high-tide peak, often has weaker currents. Strong low tides and tidal flow near channels or headlands reduce the score.

Aitutaki Lagoon Snorkel Report Today

Cook Islands · Updated Sun 06:05 (-10) · Source: Snapshot

The skinny

Marginal Data updated Sun 06:05 (-10)

Aitutaki Lagoon looks marginal today. The least-bad daylight window is around Sun 13:00, but waves is limiting the forecast.

Right now (forecast)

Fair · 4.0/10

Sun 09:00 (-10)

Later today

Fair · 4.2/10

Sun 13:00 (-10)

Next three days

Fair · 4.9/10

Mon 09:00 (-10)

Model estimates using Open-Meteo; not observations or safety guarantees. Check official advisories and conditions at the beach.

Score: 4.2/10

Best time: Sun 13:00

Main risk: Waves

Best morning signal: Sun 10:00 (Fair).

Best afternoon signal: Sun 13:00 (Fair). Peak afternoon wind is about 4.9 m/s.

Email me when it is good

Sunrise

06:30

Sunset

18:34

Water

25.3°C

Max air

24.9°C

Sky

Cloudy

87% cloud

No good model window in the next 72 hours

Use the best-available section for the least-bad times.

3-day planner Best available Show data

3-day planner

Sunday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Monday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Tuesday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Best available hours

Mon 09:00: Fair (0.49) · still limited by waves
Tue 13:00: Fair (0.49) · still limited by waves
Mon 13:00: Fair (0.48) · still limited by waves

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

Waves (68 hours)
Darkness (50 hours)
Tide/current (26 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

Drift estimate from wind, swell, current and warm water.

Low · 29/100

Low peak drift risk around Sun 16:00.

warm water supports seasonal jellyfish activity; surface drift/current is noticeable; local shoreline exposure is not mapped yet.

Sightings override the model: if you see small purple jellyfish with long trailing tentacles, treat them as sting-capable and give them space.

Upcoming high tides

Next early morning high tide: Mon 04:00

Sun 16:00, Mon 04:00, Mon 16:00, Tue 05:00

Nearby alternatives in Cook Islands

Rarotonga

265 km away

⚠️ Fair

Advanced forecast data

Viewing historical data

Sat 09:00 – Tue 09:00 (-10)

Previous day Yesterday Next day Live

Snorkel Score (selected 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.38 around Sat 13:00; 3 of 24 hours are good, fair, or excellent.

Score trend, higher is better. Excellent ≥ 0.72, good 0.55–0.72, fair 0.35–0.55.

Conditions (24h trends)

Tap a chart to load just that series.

0/24 sampled hours stay at or below 0.36m (range 1.38m to 1.72m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 10/24 sampled hours (range 3.89 to 6.53m/s).

Tides range from 0.48m to 0.86m; 1 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour historical overview

Sat 09:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Sat 10:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 11:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Sat 12:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 13:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Sat 14:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 15:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 16:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 17:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 18:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 07:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 08:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 09:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 10:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 11:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 12:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Sun 13:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Sun 14:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 15:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 16:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 17:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 18:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sun 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 07:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Mon 08:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Mon 09:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Mon 10:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Mon 11:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Mon 12:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Mon 13:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Mon 14:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 15:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 16:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 17:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 18:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Mon 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 07:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 08:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Scoring methodology (for technical users)

We score each hour from 0 to 1 using daylight and these weighted components:

Wave height (35%): best below 0.36m, then decreases as it rises.
Wind speed (25%): best below 5.4m/s, lower is better.
Sea surface temperature (15%): best within 20.6°C to 30.4°C.
Tide and currents (15%): best around slack/high-tide windows.
Daylight (10%): visibility is better in daylight, so night hours score lower.

Detailed hourly data table

Time	Wave (m)	Wind (m/s)	Sea temp (°C)	Status
Sat 09:00	1.72 · high	4.87 · good	25.10 · good	Fair
Sat 10:00	1.70 · high	6.15 · high	25.10 · good	Poor
Sat 11:00	1.68 · high	5.47 · high	25.20 · good	Fair
Sat 12:00	1.66 · high	5.81 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sat 13:00	1.66 · high	5.30 · good	25.30 · good	Fair
Sat 14:00	1.64 · high	4.45 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Sat 15:00	1.62 · high	4.56 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Sat 16:00	1.60 · high	5.52 · high	25.30 · good	Poor
Sat 17:00	1.58 · high	5.79 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sat 18:00	1.56 · high	5.73 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sat 19:00	1.52 · high	5.64 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sat 20:00	1.50 · high	5.16 · good	25.10 · good	Poor
Sat 21:00	1.48 · high	5.14 · good	25.10 · good	Poor
Sat 22:00	1.48 · high	5.47 · high	25.10 · good	Poor
Sat 23:00	1.46 · high	5.35 · good	25.10 · good	Poor
Sun 00:00	1.46 · high	4.75 · good	25.10 · good	Poor
Sun 01:00	1.44 · high	3.89 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 02:00	1.42 · high	6.53 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 03:00	1.42 · high	5.67 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 04:00	1.40 · high	4.88 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 05:00	1.38 · high	5.90 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 06:00	1.38 · high	6.12 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 07:00	1.38 · high	6.27 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 08:00	1.38 · high	6.26 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 09:00	1.38 · high	6.29 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 10:00	1.36 · high	6.28 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 11:00	1.36 · high	5.85 · high	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 12:00	1.36 · high	5.23 · good	25.20 · good	Fair
Sun 13:00	1.36 · high	5.12 · good	25.30 · good	Fair
Sun 14:00	1.36 · high	5.46 · high	25.30 · good	Poor
Sun 15:00	1.36 · high	4.85 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Sun 16:00	1.34 · high	4.41 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Sun 17:00	1.34 · high	4.21 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Sun 18:00	1.34 · high	3.96 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 19:00	1.36 · high	4.00 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 20:00	1.36 · high	4.75 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 21:00	1.36 · high	4.55 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 22:00	1.38 · high	4.59 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Sun 23:00	1.38 · high	4.53 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Mon 00:00	1.40 · high	4.43 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Mon 01:00	1.44 · high	4.26 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Mon 02:00	1.46 · high	3.75 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Mon 03:00	1.48 · high	5.24 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Mon 04:00	1.50 · high	4.68 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Mon 05:00	1.56 · high	4.71 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Mon 06:00	1.58 · high	4.44 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Mon 07:00	1.62 · high	5.13 · good	25.20 · good	Fair
Mon 08:00	1.64 · high	4.68 · good	25.20 · good	Fair
Mon 09:00	1.66 · high	4.00 · good	25.30 · good	Fair
Mon 10:00	1.68 · high	3.91 · good	25.40 · good	Fair
Mon 11:00	1.70 · high	3.30 · good	25.50 · good	Fair
Mon 12:00	1.72 · high	3.51 · good	25.60 · good	Fair
Mon 13:00	1.72 · high	2.80 · good	25.60 · good	Fair
Mon 14:00	1.74 · high	1.83 · good	25.70 · good	Poor
Mon 15:00	1.74 · high	1.51 · good	25.70 · good	Poor
Mon 16:00	1.76 · high	1.51 · good	25.60 · good	Poor
Mon 17:00	1.76 · high	1.90 · good	25.60 · good	Poor
Mon 18:00	1.76 · high	2.49 · good	25.50 · good	Poor
Mon 19:00	1.76 · high	2.91 · good	25.50 · good	Poor
Mon 20:00	1.76 · high	2.08 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Mon 21:00	1.76 · high	2.15 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Mon 22:00	1.76 · high	2.35 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Mon 23:00	1.76 · high	2.21 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Tue 00:00	1.76 · high	2.46 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Tue 01:00	1.72 · high	2.04 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Tue 02:00	1.72 · high	1.84 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Tue 03:00	1.72 · high	2.66 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Tue 04:00	1.72 · high	2.80 · good	25.30 · good	Poor
Tue 05:00	1.72 · high	2.33 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Tue 06:00	1.76 · high	2.77 · good	25.20 · good	Poor
Tue 07:00	1.76 · high	3.10 · good	25.20 · good	Fair
Tue 08:00	1.78 · high	3.46 · good	25.30 · good	Fair