We are visiting next week and it looks like it has been/will continue to be a bit windy. Has anyone been shore diving at Turtle Reef or Lighthouse Point? Is it washed out? We planned to shore dive the majority of the week and now I'm wondering if we should line up spots on a boat for a couple of the days.
Hi howswedeofme,
As of right now it's perfectly fine for shore diving.
From the forecast right now, it should be OK up until Sunday, and then it will get pretty nasty on the Northwest Point. This means Cobalt, Macabuca, and Lighthouse Point will likely be blown out. If the swells do what is forecasted, then Sunset House will likely be blown out as well. As the week progresses, Sunset House will probably re-open, (although I'd imagine the vis will take a few days to clear up) while the rest will probably be closed.
Now, that's of course if the wind and waves do what they are forecast to do, which is about 70% of the time. The winter weather is wildly unpredictable. Most of the West Bay dive operator managers and captains are in a group chat which helps each other plan boat movement accordingly, and I can tell you every single one of us was thrown several massive curve balls the week before Christmas. The waves were completely opposite what was forecast, which left some of us with boats badly positioned, having to move them in dangerous conditions. Also worth noting the waves tend to diffuse around the island in odd ways, and a few degrees of wave direction one way or another is the difference between flat ocean conditions in West Bay, versus waves that would do the Andrea Gail in.
The forecast will change as the week progresses, so we seldom pay too much mind to anything more than a few days out. Despite the shore sites being closed, dive boats will be going out on the leeward side of the island, whatever it may be. I'm not sure when you arrive, but the Christmas busy season will end on Monday for most operators, and there will likely be last-minute space on most of the dive boats.
Tony