Can you snorkel in Rarotonga today?

Conditions look marginal right now — no clearly safe snorkeling window is forecast in Rarotonga over the next 72 hours. Check the hourly table for the calmest period.

What is the best time of day to snorkel in Rarotonga?

Snorkel during daylight, ideally in the morning before the wind picks up, and around high slack tide when water is clearest and currents are weakest. SnorkelForecast scores every daylight hour in Rarotonga so you can pick the calmest window.

What is the best tide for snorkeling?

High slack tide — within about an hour of the high-tide peak when currents are weakest — is the safest, clearest window. Strong low tides, strong tidal flow near channels or headlands, and large tidal-range days reduce score.

Rarotonga Snorkel Report Today

Cook Islands · Updated Tue 04:15 (-10) · Source: Snapshot · Showing fallback/stale data

The skinny

Marginal Report Wed 13:35

Rarotonga looks marginal today. The least-bad daylight window is around Thu 12:00, but waves is limiting the forecast.

Score: 3.2/10

Best time: Thu 12:00

Main risk: Waves

No useful morning window is showing yet.

No useful afternoon window is showing yet.

Email me when it is good

Sunrise

07:14

Sunset

18:17

Water

23.7°C

Max air

22.9°C

Sky

Partly cloudy

37% cloud

No safe 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

Wednesday

❌ poor conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Thursday

❌ poor conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Best available hours

Thu 22:00 — Poor (0.32) · still limited by waves, tide/current
Thu 21:00 — Poor (0.32) · still limited by waves, tide/current
Thu 20:00 — Poor (0.30) · still limited by waves, tide/current

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

Waves (28 hours)
Tide/current (25 hours)
Wind (24 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

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

Low · 26/100

Low peak drift risk around Thu 04:00.

water is warm enough for occasional jellyfish; 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: Thu 14:00

Thu 14:00

Nearby alternatives in Cook Islands

Aitutaki Lagoon

265 km away

❌ Poor

Advanced forecast data

Viewing historical data

Thu 23:00 – Sun 23:00 (-10)

Previous day Yesterday Next day Live

Snorkel Score (selected 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.0 around Thu 13:00; 0 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 1.92m to 2.54m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 0/24 sampled hours (range 7.6 to 16.6m/s).

Tides range from 0.43m to 0.86m; 2 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour historical overview

Thu 23:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 00:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 01:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 02:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 03:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 04:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 05:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 06:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 07:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 08:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 09:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 10:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 11:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 12:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 13:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 14:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 15:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 16:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 17:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 18:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 19:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 20:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 21:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 22:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 23:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 00:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 01:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 02:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 03:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 04:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 05:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 06:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 07:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 08:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 09:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 10:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 11:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 12:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 13:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 14:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 15:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 16:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 17:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 18:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Sat 19:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Sat 20:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Sat 21:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

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 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 13:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 14:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 15:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 16:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 17:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 18:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Sun 19:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Sun 20:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 21:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 22:00 poor ❌ Limited

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 and safety gate (outside daylight scores lower).

Detailed hourly data table

Time	Wave (m)	Wind (m/s)	Sea temp (°C)	Status
Thu 23:00	2.54 · high	12.60 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Fri 00:00	2.52 · high	12.60 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Fri 01:00	2.48 · high	12.40 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Fri 02:00	2.46 · high	12.70 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Fri 03:00	2.42 · high	13.10 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Fri 04:00	2.40 · high	13.30 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Fri 05:00	2.36 · high	14.50 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Fri 06:00	2.34 · high	15.50 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Fri 07:00	2.30 · high	16.60 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Fri 08:00	2.28 · high	16.60 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Fri 09:00	2.24 · high	16.40 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Fri 10:00	2.20 · high	16.50 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 11:00	2.18 · high	15.50 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 12:00	2.14 · high	14.20 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 13:00	2.12 · high	12.70 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 14:00	2.12 · high	11.90 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 15:00	2.10 · high	10.70 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 16:00	2.08 · high	10.30 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 17:00	2.04 · high	10.10 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 18:00	2.02 · high	9.80 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Fri 19:00	2.00 · high	9.00 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Fri 20:00	1.96 · high	9.50 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Fri 21:00	1.94 · high	8.90 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Fri 22:00	1.92 · high	7.60 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Fri 23:00	1.90 · high	7.10 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sat 00:00	1.88 · high	7.60 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sat 01:00	1.86 · high	7.90 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sat 02:00	1.82 · high	9.00 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sat 03:00	1.80 · high	8.90 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Sat 04:00	1.78 · high	8.60 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Sat 05:00	1.78 · high	9.30 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 06:00	1.76 · high	8.80 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 07:00	1.74 · high	9.20 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 08:00	1.72 · high	9.10 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 09:00	1.70 · high	10.00 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 10:00	1.70 · high	10.70 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 11:00	1.68 · high	11.10 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 12:00	1.68 · high	11.80 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 13:00	1.72 · high	14.90 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sat 14:00	1.72 · high	15.90 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Sat 15:00	1.70 · high	15.80 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Sat 16:00	1.70 · high	14.50 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Sat 17:00	1.68 · high	12.50 · high	24.80 · good	poor
Sat 18:00	1.68 · high	10.00 · high	24.80 · good	fair
Sat 19:00	1.66 · high	7.40 · high	24.90 · good	fair
Sat 20:00	1.66 · high	6.30 · high	24.90 · good	fair
Sat 21:00	1.64 · high	7.30 · high	25.00 · good	fair
Sat 22:00	1.64 · high	10.20 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sat 23:00	1.64 · high	12.00 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sun 00:00	1.64 · high	14.70 · high	25.20 · good	poor
Sun 01:00	1.64 · high	18.40 · high	25.20 · good	poor
Sun 02:00	1.66 · high	19.30 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sun 03:00	1.66 · high	19.10 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sun 04:00	1.68 · high	19.80 · high	25.10 · good	poor
Sun 05:00	1.68 · high	21.50 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Sun 06:00	1.70 · high	21.30 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Sun 07:00	1.70 · high	20.10 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Sun 08:00	1.70 · high	19.10 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 09:00	1.70 · high	18.90 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 10:00	1.70 · high	17.30 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 11:00	1.70 · high	18.20 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 12:00	1.70 · high	19.20 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 13:00	1.70 · high	19.80 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 14:00	1.70 · high	18.90 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 15:00	1.70 · high	18.40 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 16:00	1.72 · high	18.20 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 17:00	1.72 · high	18.00 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 18:00	1.74 · high	16.90 · high	24.90 · good	fair
Sun 19:00	1.76 · high	16.10 · high	24.90 · good	fair
Sun 20:00	1.76 · high	15.70 · high	24.90 · good	poor
Sun 21:00	1.78 · high	15.40 · high	25.00 · good	poor
Sun 22:00	1.80 · high	14.10 · high	25.00 · good	poor