are there any weather or water conditions to look out for that generally lead up to great diving days? just wondering if conditions 3 or 5 days ahead of the planned dive day can indicate if your planned dive day will be a good one or not.
Too many variables to predict on any given future day (and that goes for next week as well as next year).
But here are some common patterns.
March.... forget about it. Windiest month of the year.
April... Starting to get nice but water is still in the high 60's. Cold fronts still dominate the weather patterns. Usually one every 7-10 days. As the front approaches the wind howls SW for 24-36 hours the as it crosses the wind goes NW then NE for another 24-36 hours. Following the NE blow the wind shifts south and we have some nice days before the next one.
May- Cold fronts are coming with less frequency, but the same pattern exists but with longer stretches of warm nice days. Water temps are in the low 70's
June- Great month. Water has now reached mid 70's, days are long and the sun is bright. The cold fronts stop coming by the end of the month. Many long stretches of nice weather.
July- The hot air is here. Water temps climb to near 80. The Bermuda High dominates the weather pattern. A steady SW flow blows all month. Some days it is too windy to go out, but most days are just normal rough conditions. Visibility is usually excellent. Diving is great but the boating not so much.
August- The summer doldrums set in. Diving is great and we have many calm, hot days. The biggest weather threats are now tropical storms. By the end of the month we are watching the tropics for approaching hurricanes.
September- Hurricane season is in full force. They say that during the season the weather is great unless there is a hurricane. Very true. Great diving, warm (almost hot) water and generally some of the best visibility of the year unless a storm has just passed. Risky but you could have some of the best dives of your life if you get lucky.
October- Storm season is winding down and the cold fronts are starting. SW winds before the fronts are a little stronger than in the spring, but it is the same process. Nice weather follows after the front is well on its way. Tropical lows and hurricanes can still impact the weather. Still some of the best diving of the year if you catch it right. Water temps are still in the high 70's.
November- Cold fronts control the weather. Locals love this time of year. The water is still warm and the air can be too on a lot of days. Some of my best trips have been Thanksgiving weekend.
December- February- the diving can be good but the water is in the 60's and the air chilly, even on the best of days. Too risky to plan more than a day or 2 out. I don't even accept charters from December through March 31st.
There you have it. If I had to sum it up for those of you trying to plan well in advance, I would say late May through late June and August are your best chances of nice weather. July is good but bumpy. I think September through late October are the best conditions underwater, but a little risky to plan way ahead.
Having said all that, you could get the most perfect 4 day stretch or totally blown out in any month of the year. These are just general weather patterns for reference only. I make no warranties that what I have described is what you will experience when you get here. But get here, it is INCREDIBLE diving.
