Best short trip option? Caribbean vs Jupiter?

[tkaelin]

Northers will keep the boats in on lc as well but more likely to occur in December than Jan.

 

[Damselfish]

It doesn’t take a hurricane or trop storm to stop LCBR from going to bloody bay. If its snarky enough they might dive south side. They may not decide in advance, I’ve been on the boat a couple times when they get to the end of the island and decide “um no, not happening.”

 

[KathyV]

Northers will keep the boats in on lc as well but more likely to occur in December than Jan.

It doesn’t take a hurricane or trop storm to stop LCBR from going to bloody bay. If its snarky enough they might dive south side. They may not decide in advance, I’ve been on the boat a couple times when they get to the end of the island and decide “um no, not happening.”

I've never been to LC during January, but I have been there at times when they couldn't dive Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson's Bight because of wind and waves. In those instances we dived the south side of the island which is nice, but still a bit of a letdown when you've traveled there specifically to dive the BBW. I have also been there at times when it is amazingly beautiful and just perfect on BBW.

I think that Cayman Brac is more like GC in that they have good options for diving different sides of the island depending on the weather and they both have beautiful reefs and walls, but they don't have the BBW.

There are no guarantees about the weather no matter where/when you go, you'll just have to make the best of it! I woke up this morning to find the outside world completely covered with powdery, white stuff - and it wasn't sand!

The snow was very pretty but I really miss the bright sun, green vegetation, warm sand, and clear blue waters of the Caribbean - while I'm sitting here in the chilly Midwestern US!

 

[Johnoly]

... I’ve been on the boat a couple times when they get to the end of the island and decide “um no, not happening.”

Same in Jupiter. We've loaded up the charter boat with hardcore spearo's not scared of some 5ft waves and motored out to the inlet and stopped, where it was just dead silence from the passengers all not wanting to be the 1st to say out loud the same thing. " This is a bad idea ". We turned the boat around back to the dock and unloaded dry gear and full tanks. Only happened 3 times in my dive-lifetime,,but each time I still tipped the crew my normal $20 because they loaded the boat and pushed it, since that's what the passengers wanted.

 

[scubadada]

Same in Jupiter. We've loaded up the charter boat with hardcore spearo's not scared of some 5ft waves and motored out to the inlet and stopped, where it was just dead silence from the passengers all not wanting to be the 1st to say out loud the same thing. " This is a bad idea ". We turned the boat around back to the dock and unloaded dry gear and full tanks. Only happened 3 times in my dive-lifetime,,but each time I still tipped the crew my normal $20 because they loaded the boat and pushed it, since that's what the passengers wanted.

I've returned to the dock only twice in Jupiter, they got my tip both times, good try.

 

[uncfnp]

FWIW. If you can make your plans at the last minute it would seem almost criminal (for me) to be in Florida and not drive to WPB and dive with the lemons.

As Scubadada mentioned, if you don’t mind sporty seas typically WPB can get out when others can’t and if you pick a larger boat you may have a better chance as well. It has changed Captain/Owner but the Narcosis was known to dive when no one else could. I think this may be true for Jupiter Dive Center out of Jupiter as well.

And then there is Blue Heron Bridge, a can’t miss dive in WPB too. If there is a night dive at BHB when you would be there I highly recommend it as well.

 

[Amanwithaphone]

FWIW. If you can make your plans at the last minute it would seem almost criminal (for me) to be in Florida and not drive to WPB and dive with the lemons.

As Scubadada mentioned, if you don’t mind sporty seas typically WPB can get out when others can’t and if you pick a larger boat you may have a better chance as well. It has changed Captain/Owner but the Narcosis was known to dive when no one else could. I think this may be true for Jupiter Dive Center out of Jupiter as well.

And then there is Blue Heron Bridge, a can’t miss dive in WPB too. If there is a night dive at BHB when you would be there I highly recommend it as well.

Thanks for this perspective. @Johnoly and @scubadada if I have some flexibility re: Jupiter or WPB (could do 2nd or 3rd week of Jan depending on weather), do you think I'd be able to get my 3 trips in (in 3 or 4 days) + BHB? Put another way, is it so dicey that most of 2 weeks are frequently no goes?

 

[scubadada]

Thanks for this perspective. @Johnoly and @scubadada if I have some flexibility re: Jupiter or WPB (could do 2nd or 3rd week of Jan depending on weather), do you think I'd be able to get my 3 trips in (in 3 or 4 days) + BHB? Put another way, is it so dicey that most of 2 weeks are frequently no goes?

Sorry, impossible to predict. Last year, I got in 2 of 6 days the first week of January and 7 of 7 days the last week of January. This included a phenomenal Lemon Shark dive in Jupiter.

 

[KathyV]

@Amanwithaphone I don't mean to be a downer, but you are talking about visiting some very popular vacation destinations at the busiest time of the year and at short notice. I know it's a big decision but if you delay much longer you might have trouble finding flights and accommodations that will fit your dates. If that happens then Florida will be probably your best option, regardless of the weather.

 

[Amanwithaphone]

@Amanwithaphone I don't mean to be a downer, but you are talking about visiting some very popular vacation destinations at the busiest time of the year and at short notice. I know it's a big decision but if you delay much longer you might have trouble finding flights and accommodations that will fit your dates. If that happens then Florida will be probably your best option, regardless of the weather.

Thanks @KathyV , yeah definitely aware of time pressures during high season. Seems like all options are still available , but certainly won't be true indefinitely. Appreciate your input!