Expected temperatures for Roatan in January

[formernuke]

The title says it all. I booked my trip this morning and am wondring which wet/dry suit to bring. What are the expected tempatures that I will see 1) air temp 2) surface water temp and 3) temps at expected depths. I know that no one will know for sure what they will be but ranges from years past is good enought to tell me what to bring for the trip.

Thank you in advance

 

[parrotheaddiver]

This will give you something to go by...of course this is just an average....hope that it helps you...I am usually comfortable in a full 3mm in Jan...


Roatan has a pleasant subtropical climate, with generally warm days moderated by cooling Caribbean breezes. The average daily temperature of 84° F (29° C) varies little throughout the year, and the humidity averages around 75%.

Roatan has two seasons: the rainy season (or summer) and the dry season (or winter). The rainy season extends from July to January, with the rainiest months being October through early January. The remainder of the year is usually very dry.

The water temperature varies from 78° F (25° C) in winter to 84° F (29° C) in summer, and underwater visibility is typically 80 to 100 feet.

The Caribbean hurricane season runs from June through November. Roatan is located outside the typical Caribbean hurricane alley, and statistically is hit only once every 26 years, on average.

 

[robint]

The title says it all. I booked my trip this morning and am wondring which wet/dry suit to bring. What are the expected tempatures that I will see 1) air temp 2) surface water temp and 3) temps at expected depths. I know that no one will know for sure what they will be but ranges from years past is good enought to tell me what to bring for the trip.

Thank you in advance

Take at least a 5mm wetsuit as doing 4-5 dives per day can cool you off quickly, especially if they skies are overcast. If you chill easily take a hook or hooded vest also. We had water temps in Nov last year ranging from 78-80 but those wearing 3mm suits were cold by the 2nd or 3rd day! I was nice and snuggly warm in my 5mm and hood. Take a jacket for surface intervals to wear on boat, too. Since you are assigned to a boat for the week it is no problem leaving things on it after the drop off dives and retrieving in later in day.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

btw....where are you staying....in your previous post you mention that you are looking at FIBR on the south side of the island...that will give you protection from the North winds if a Norte blows through....also take Cactus Juice or something to protect you from the sand flies/fleas.....

 

[formernuke]

I did decide to go with FIBR, good price and money is an issue.

 

[robint]

I did decide to go with FITR, good price and money is an issue.

FITR?

also, I second the Cactus Juice! Cactus Juice


robin

 

[tridacna]

Another opinion.

There is no consensus regarding the thickness of a wetsuit and water temp. Everyone is different. No insult to RobinT, but If I had to wear a 5mm suit in Roatan, I'd pass out from heat exhaustion. I use a 3mm shorty and dive 4-5 times a day for 6 days. No issues. (Last time I was there, I left a 3mm full for the barman at CCV! - Got a few Monkey Lalas for that).

Listen instead to what the water temperature is and go with what makes YOU comfortable.

Ditto for Cactus Juice. Don't work for me. I use DEET and don't get bit. YMMV. Have fun.

 

[robint]

Another opinion.

There is no consensus regarding the thickness of a wetsuit and water temp. Everyone is different. No insult to RobinT, but If I had to wear a 5mm suit in Roatan, I'd pass out from heat exhaustion. I use a 3mm shorty and dive 4-5 times a day for 6 days. No issues. (Last time I was there, I left a 3mm full for the barman at CCV! - Got a few Monkey Lalas for that).

Listen instead to what the water temperature is and go with what makes YOU comfortable.

Ditto for Cactus Juice. Don't work for me. I use DEET and don't get bit. YMMV. Have fun.

It wasn't just me with the 5mm, my husband used a 5mm suit, too. The rest of the boat (15 people total) were in 3mm shorties, fullsuits, or just swimsuits and by the middle of the week the swimsuit guys were in 3mm suits and the 3mm suit folks were all shivering telling us that we were the smart ones using 5mm. We even loaned out a couple of hoods to them. One lady went to dive shop midweek and rented a 3mm fullsuit to wear over hers (she had been in a 3mm shortie!).

Yes, how cold you get is personal, but if the skies are cloudy you don't get that surface interval warmup! I have been cold on many dives (we dive cold water here and Calif regularly) but I have never been hot on a dive, ever! I even wore a 3mm fullsuit and hood in Palau. Doing 4-5 dives per day for a week really does bring your core temp down.

robin

 

[tridacna]

It wasn't just me with the 5mm, my husband used a 5mm suit, too. The rest of the boat (15 people total) were in 3mm shorties, fullsuits, or just swimsuits and by the middle of the week the swimsuit guys were in 3mm suits and the 3mm suit folks were all shivering telling us that we were the smart ones using 5mm. We even loaned out a couple of hoods to them. One lady went to dive shop midweek and rented a 3mm fullsuit to wear over hers (she had been in a 3mm shortie!).

Yes, how cold you get is personal, but if the skies are cloudy you don't get that surface interval warmup! I have been cold on many dives (we dive cold water here and Calif regularly) but I have never been hot on a dive, ever! I even wore a 3mm fullsuit and hood in Palau. Doing 4-5 dives per day for a week really does bring your core temp down.

robin

Robin,

Whatever rocks YOUR boat! Our boat in January had 8 divers; None wore more than a 3mm full the entire week. None complained of cold. I dive in the NE; My buddy wears a drysuit and I'm comfortable in a 5mm wetsuit in the same water.

Are you suggesting that I'm wrong? LOL. Impossible I say. BTW The weather was gloriously sunny in CCV the entire week that we were there. We were warming up between dives not cooling down. A 5mm suit woulda been like a fleece sauna suit. We got lucky!

 

[robint]

Robin,

Whatever rocks YOUR boat! Our boat in January had 8 divers; None wore more than a 3mm full the entire week. None complained of cold. I dive in the NE; My buddy wears a drysuit and I'm comfortable in a 5mm wetsuit in the same water.

Are you suggesting that I'm wrong? LOL. Impossible I say. BTW The weather was gloriously sunny in CCV the entire week that we were there. We were warming up between dives not cooling down. A 5mm suit woulda been like a fleece sauna suit. We got lucky!

hey dude, you started it!!!!
we had overcast skies and rain..... so no warming on SI. You did get lucky. But I still would have been in my 5mm suit even if it had been sunny. If I really want to cool off, I can just pull on the neck of my wetsuit and flush it out. Not that I have ever had to do that. :kiss2: