What percentage of dives get cancelled due to weather?

[hroark2112]

Just so you know, Bonaire is still essentially closed to U.S. residents. Some NE state residents (including your NY) can get in through Curaçao, but only after a negative PCR COVID test within 72 hours before arriving in Curaçao.
So a January trip doesn't seem feasible without some travel gymnastics.

Unless I've missed a recent reopening...

(I'm still worried about my April scheduled trip to Divi Flamingo in Bonaire)

Bonaire has actually reopened to US visitors. The hard part has been getting there. I just booked yesterday for December 5-12. Super cheap airfare too!!

 

[morecowbells]

When we visited the Palm Beach area October 17-24, every single day our boat dives were canceled. We did manage to get some dives in at the BHB, but one highly time sensitive 45 minute dive a day was not what I was hoping for. There was a tropical disturbance that roughed up the seas. I feel bad for the dive ops who lose $$$ by canceling dives.
I have had dives canceled in Cozumel, with max being 2 1/2 days. I never lost dives in Curacao or Bonaire. I don’t want to sound like a whiny biotch, but I can get more consistent days of diving, with a guide, in small groups at a lesser price elsewhere. Living in Florida where one has the flexibility of rescheduling canceled dives definitely has appeal. For other vacationers, a lost week is discouraging. I know, first world problems.

 

[tursiops]

Bonaire has actually reopened to US visitors.

Not quite yet, at least not in general. Residents of NY, NJ, CT, and FL only. And only through Curacao, and only Mon-Thursday.
however, your Dec trip should be OK unless there is another flare-up.....

 

[scubadada]

I would not consider Bonaire open, Not for me, at all. Who wants to fly to Curacao and then go to Bonaire. Back in the bad old days, I had to fly to Aruba and then take a puddle hopper to Bonaire, what a POS. Why would they allow people from FL, because of flights from Miami?

 

[scubadada]

When we visited the Palm Beach area October 17-24, every single day our boat dives were canceled. We did manage to get some dives in at the BHB, but one highly time sensitive 45 minute dive a day was not what I was hoping for. There was a tropical disturbance that roughed up the seas. I feel bad for the dive ops who lose $$$ by canceling dives.
I have had dives canceled in Cozumel, with max being 2 1/2 days. I never lost dives in Curacao or Bonaire. I don’t want to sound like a whiny biotch, but I can get more consistent days of diving, with a guide, in small groups at a lesser price elsewhere. Living in Florida where one has the flexibility of rescheduling canceled dives definitely has appeal. For other vacationers, a lost week is discouraging. I know, first world problems.

You sure did pick a bad week, sorry.

This is the main reason the great diving in SE FL has not become a major diving destination. It's too unpredictable outside of the summer season. Florida will never be able to complete with the Caribbean. Many people do not know that the water temperature is also much lower. In the winter, water temps are frequently in the low 70s, sometimes colder. However, in the winter is the Lemon Shark aggregation in Jupiter..

 

[CanadaDan]

If you're with me in Cozumel.... about 99% (spent an entire trip on island and was shut out of diving for the week)

Seriously... three trips to COZ/PDC in January in three different years and I've got to dive there ONE day.

 

[living4experiences]

Having just returned from south Florida and being blown out for most of my trip, this was my planned dive vacation:
Oct. 22-26, visit with non-diving friends in Tampa, snorkel with manatees at dawn, dive at Devil's Den and Blue Grotto. All went fine except Blue Grotto was a no-go because my guide was teaching a class which ran late, so there was only enough time to dive Devil's Den.

Oct. 26-Nov. 3, dive in South Florida (from Pompano Beach to Riviera Beach). My first dive was a night dive on Oct. 26th and cancelled because of bad weather, high swells, high winds.

Oct. 27th, 2-tank dive with South Florida Diving Headquarters (SFDH). Only 4 divers on the boat, so I felt safe enough for COVID distancing. High seas, super windy, but the boat still went out. The dives sucked!

Oct. 28th, 2-tank dive with SFDH but walked off the boat because of no social distancing, no masks being worn, and no reduced capacity on the boat. Little did I know that this was the last boat dive of my trip. All scheduled diving going forward was cancelled.

From Nov. 3-8, supposed to dive in Key Largo, but they were blown out also, so I decided to stay in Riviera Beach area to dive the Blue Heron Bridge, thinking I could at least do some easy shore diving. I had only 3 out of 5 dives that actually were successful at the bridge. On Nov. 5th, the visibility was again horrible and there was high bacteria count in the water. Hurricane Eta was due to arrive as a tropical storm today (Nov. 8th), so I gave up, changed my flight, and came home on Nov. 6th.

This was all a relatively new area for me to dive because I'm usually a dive traveler seeking Caribbean blue water. But since COVID hit, Florida was a reasonable option (or so I thought). This was my top worst dive trip ever!!

Is there a positive to get out of this? I always try to look for that. The positive is I didn't spend $125 per dive trip for 2 1/2 weeks, and that's more money to throw to the next dive vacation, which just happens to be to Socorro on Nov. 18th.

 

[uncfnp]

When we visited the Palm Beach area October 17-24, every single day our boat dives were canceled. We did manage to get some dives in at the BHB, but one highly time sensitive 45 minute dive a day was not what I was hoping for. There was a tropical disturbance that roughed up the seas. I feel bad for the dive ops who lose $$$ by canceling dives.
I have had dives canceled in Cozumel, with max being 2 1/2 days. I never lost dives in Curacao or Bonaire. I don’t want to sound like a whiny biotch, but I can get more consistent days of diving, with a guide, in small groups at a lesser price elsewhere. Living in Florida where one has the flexibility of rescheduling canceled dives definitely has appeal. For other vacationers, a lost week is discouraging. I know, first world problems.

We were suppose to head down Nov 5 for 9 days of diving. I knew it had been a tough fall for Florida but I was willing to risk it. Then Eta made her turn. Several pm’s and a couple of calls later and our trip was canceled. First time we have ever canceled a dive trip.

 

[FishWatcher747]

Well looks like my original post of my October dive trip to Florida was not too unusual as I got 3 days of planned diving in Key Largo out of a planned 7 days. I will keep that in mind for my planned road trip to Florida in January and plan for 40% and hope for a higher percentage. Also will bring my bike and enjoy that and not be too disappointed when the winds blow.

Hopefully Bonaire will be back to normal January 2022 and I will go there.

 

[Biotech Diver]

I can pretty much only dive on weekends and it’s been at least 4 weekends in a row I couldn’t go out. I use the down time to study towards my next certification.

This coming weekend looks like it might good.