Guide · Best time

The best time for a jet ski in Tenerife: months, sea and wind

The best time for a jet ski in Tenerife is any month with a calm morning. Here is what AEMET's figures say about the year, and how to pick the right day within your week.

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Editorial team, jetskisafaritenerife.comUpdated October 26, 2026Reading time 6 min11 sources

The tour this guide is about Jet ski safari on the south coast of Tenerife 4.5 (3,005 reviews) 40 minNo licence and no experience neededDrinks, life jacket and lockers included from$47per person Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

In brief

01All year: The south coast keeps summery weather year-round.¹
02Sea warmth: Between 19 and 26 °C across the year.²
03Sunniest month: July averages 295 hours of sunshine at Tenerife Sur.³
04Wettest month: December averages 30 mm of rain.⁴
05Time of day: Daylight only, 1 hr after sunrise to 1 hr before sunset.⁵

The short answer: any month, but not any day

Tenerife's south coast is a year-round place to ride. Turismo de Tenerife says the island's mountains shield the south from the trade-wind clouds, which keeps summery weather all year, above all on the coast.¹ It also describes the south as drier than the north, with longer daylight hours.⁶ That is the side of the island where the marinas for these rides lie.

AEMET's normals for its Tenerife Sur airport station, 64 m up on the south coast, show how mild the range is.⁷ The average high is 21.7 °C in January and 28.4 °C in August; the average low is 15.2 °C in January and 21.1 °C in August.⁸ ³ There is no month in which a ride is out of the question on climate alone.

What does change is the sea from one day to the next. A calm morning in February beats a choppy one in July, and the best time for a jet ski is really the best day of your trip. Put the ride near the start of your trip, note when free cancellation ends, and shift it if the wind rises; that morning's forecast outweighs the month.

Your riding day

From the forecast to the shower

The evening before

Read the forecast

Look at wind and swell for the south coast, then decide.
Up to a day ahead

Move if needed

Cancel free up to 24 hours before on the ride booked here.
At the marina

Arrive early

Meet 30 minutes before the booked time at San Miguel.
On the water

Daylight only

Riding runs from 1 hour after sunrise to 1 hour before sunset.⁵
Afterwards

Rinse and warm up

A shower and toilet stand close to the base.

Month by month on the south coast

Winter is the mildest of winters. From December to February the average high at Tenerife Sur sits between 21.7 °C and 22.8 °C, and the average low around 15 °C to 16.5 °C.⁸ ⁴ Rain falls on a few days only: December averages 30 mm, January 17 mm and February 20 mm.⁴ ⁸ Sunshine runs at 193 to 195 hours a month.⁸ ⁴

Spring warms up slowly and dries out. March and April both average highs of 23.1 °C, May 23.9 °C, and the rain drops from 15 mm in March to 1 mm in May.⁸ ³ Sunshine climbs from 226 hours in March to 246 in May.⁸ ³ It is a comfortable season for riding: warm enough to dry off quickly, rarely hot at midday. If you travel at Easter or in early spring, this is also when the long evenings start to return, and an afternoon slot feels less rushed.

Summer is the sunniest stretch. June averages 259 hours of sunshine, July 295 and August 277, with practically no rain, 0 mm in June and July and 1 mm in August.³ Highs reach 27.7 °C in July and 28.4 °C in August.³ Autumn stays warm, with highs of 27.9 °C in September and 26.8 °C in October, before rain returns in November with 26 mm.⁴

Month by month

Daylight and rain at Tenerife Sur

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Daylight at mid-month is our own calculation; the dots count the days with at least 1 mm of rain at AEMET's Tenerife Sur station, 1981 to 2010.¹¹

Seasons compared

The riding year on the south coast

Season	Average high	Sunshine a month	Rain a month
Winter	21.7 to 22.8 °C	193 to 195 hrs	17 to 30 mm
Spring	23.1 to 23.9 °C	219 to 246 hrs	1 to 15 mm
Summer	25.4 to 28.4 °C	259 to 295 hrs	0 to 1 mm
Autumn	24.8 to 27.9 °C	193 to 214 hrs	4 to 26 mm

AEMET standard climate values 1981 to 2010 for Tenerife Sur airport, 64 m; winter is December to February, and so on.⁷ ⁸ ³ ⁴

Three kinds of riding day

Summer sun, winter calm or a breezy day

Sunniest

A summer morning

June to August

Sunshine: Up to 295 hrs
Rain: 0 to 1 mm
Bring: Sun cream

Check dates

Mildest air

A winter morning

December to February

High: Around 22 °C
Rain: Up to 30 mm
Bring: A warm top

Check dates

Bumpy ride

A breezy day

Any month

Sea: Choppy
Ride: Shorter option
Check: Cancellation

Check dates

Decision helper

When should you book your ride?

Match the ride to your season and your nerves

July

It averages 295 hours of sunshine at Tenerife Sur.³

Ride anyway

January highs average 21.7 °C on the south coast.⁸

Ask for a wetsuit

The safari booked here lends one if you need it.

Move the day

Cancel free up to 24 hours before on the ride booked here.

An afternoon slot

Riding is allowed until 1 hour before sunset.⁵

Tenerife's mountains protect the south of the Island from these clouds, ensuring summery weather all year round, especially on the coast.

Turismo de Tenerife (webtenerife.co.uk, official tourism site)Source 1

Sea temperature, and whether you will be cold

Turismo de Tenerife gives the sea temperature around the island as ranging from 19 to 26 degrees across the year.² On a jet ski you spend most of the time on top of the water rather than in it, but spray, a swim stop or a tumble will get you wet, and the wind of your own speed cools you down faster than the thermometer suggests.

In summer and early autumn, swimwear and a light top are plenty. In winter, a dry layer helps before and after the ride. The safari booked on this site lends a wetsuit if you need one, along with the life jacket and goggles it includes anyway. Ask for it at the briefing if you feel the cold easily; it costs nothing to say so.

Air temperature after the ride matters too. With winter lows around 15 °C at Tenerife Sur, a towel and a warm top for the walk back to the car make a real difference.⁸ The safari booked here has a shower and toilet close to the base, so you can rinse off the salt before you change.

Checklist

Choosing your riding day

The day before

Check the marine forecast
Note your cancellation deadline
Pick a morning or afternoon slot

By season

Winter: a warm top for afterwards
Summer: sun cream and sunglasses
Any month: a towel and water

Video

Canary Islands temperatures and the best time to visit

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Wind, swell and the rules on bad weather

The trade winds shape Tenerife's weather, pushing clouds against the mountains of the north; the same mountains keep much of that weather off the southern coast.¹ On the water, though, wind and swell come and go with the Atlantic. A ride on a breezy day can be bumpy and exciting rather than dangerous, but in strong wind a ride can be shortened, moved or called off.

Spanish rules require good visibility and good weather for riding.⁹ The harbour master can change riding times and zones, or ban riding for a while, when the weather or other safety reasons call for it.¹⁰ Operators adapt too: the route of the safari booked here depends on the weather, and the Las Galletas and Los Gigantes operators offer a new date or a full refund if bad weather cancels the ride.

If you are prone to seasickness or simply nervous, choose a calm morning and the shorter option of 40 minutes. A choppy sea tires the arms and the back faster than a flat one. If you love speed, a little swell adds jumps and spray. Either way, read the wind and swell the night before, and know your cancellation deadline. A short message to the operator asking how the sea looks is a perfectly normal question, and the answer tells you more than any monthly average.

Morning or afternoon: daylight and timing

Riding is only allowed in daylight, from 1 hour after sunrise to 1 hour before sunset.⁵ On Tenerife daylight is longest in June, 13.9 hours at mid-month by our own calculation, and shortest in December, 10.4 hours, and the riding window is 2 hours shorter than the daylight.¹¹ Even in winter there is plenty of room for a morning or afternoon slot.

Riding in the morning frees up the afternoon, and the briefing goes in more easily before the midday heat. An afternoon ride suits late risers and photographers who like a lower sun on the water. On the west coast, the cliffs at Los Gigantes catch the afternoon light. Ask the operator which slots they run on your date; times vary with the season.

Put the ride in the first half of your holiday. If the sea is rough on your chosen day, you then have time to rebook without rushing. Cancelling the safari booked here is free until 24 hours ahead, and you pay after reserving, so moving the date is painless.

How to pick your day in practice

Start with the week, not the month. Whatever season you travel in, the climate will not stop you; the sea state on the day decides. Check a marine forecast the evening before and look at the wind arrows for the south coast. Light wind from the land side usually means flatter water close to shore, and a calmer first ride.

Keep a back-up morning free. Book your preferred day, note the cancellation deadline, and if the forecast turns, move to the back-up rather than gambling on the morning itself. A calm sea on the back-up day is worth far more than sticking to the original plan.

Finally, match the season to your plans. Summer, from June to August, is the sunniest and driest, with 259 to 295 hours of sunshine a month.³ Winter is cooler on land but just as rideable, and the water still sits within the island's range of 19 to 26 degrees.² Pack for the season, and pick the calmest morning of your trip.

Your hour at sea