Nakhodka sits on the Sea of Japan on Russia's Pacific coast, where cold and warm currents meet to produce unusually diverse marine life. The five reef sites here range from shallow cape dives to deeper slopes, and the species list reflects the unusual mixing of water masses: giant Pacific octopus, king crab, Steller sea lion, sea otter, bobtail squid, and gorgonians all appear in our data. Water temperatures are cold for most of the year, rising only into the low to mid-teens Celsius in late summer before dropping back toward freezing by winter. All sites require intermediate skills, a drysuit is essential for every month, and most entries are by boat.
Monthly water temperature across Nakhodka's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Temperatures peak in July and September in the low to mid-teens Celsius and fall near freezing from December through April. A drysuit with appropriate undergarments is necessary year-round. The brief warmer window in late summer offers the most comfortable conditions for exploring the reef slopes.
Water temperature around Nakhodka ranges from about 1°C in February to 14°C in July, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 14°C) a 7mm or semi-dry suit is comfortable in Nakhodka; in the coldest months (about 1°C) step up to a drysuit.
Fin maps 5 sites in Nakhodka (5 scuba diving sites).
1 more site to explore
