When is the best time to go to the Caribbean? And why?

[kablooey]

I'm thinking about factors that effect the quality of travel to and around the Caribbean for the purpose of diving.

The first thing that comes to mind is Hurricane Season. I'm wondering about other considerations, and to what degree they have a positive or negative influence on dive travel to that region.

Carnival Festivities? There are some locations that are well known for their celebrations. How wide spread are the festivities in the Caribbean, and can they effect dive travel?
Crowds?

School Breaks, such as Spring Break and Winter Break? I know a lot of students travel to Caribbean locations during certain holidays. Does this ever effect dive travel?
Airfare prices, or seat availability?

The USA Thunderstorm Season? How does this effect air travel from the USA to the Caribbean?
Cancelled flights? Delays?

General weather? Are there any times when the weather (other than hurricanes) adversely effects diving?

Aside from the questions above, what else should be considered that effect dive travel?

 

[drrich2]

In the northern Caribbean and particularly the Bahamas, water temps are chillier in winter.

Depending on where you fly out of, in winter snow and/or ice may delay or cancel your flight; that’s all the more an issue with liveaboards where you literally do not want to miss the boat.

But trading a week of local winter for a week of the tropical Caribbean can be sweet. Winter tends to be ‘high season’ for a reason. Speaking of which, housing and package deals late spring and through summer are often a little cheaper.

Richard.

 

[KathyV]

In general I think that May and June are good months to go to the Caribbean. It is low season compared to the higher-priced and more crowded winter/spring season. The kids are still in school through early/mid June. The water is warm and the air temp is hot but not as hot as August. It comes after the winter and spring holidays.

It can be windy and rainy in May/June but usually not as windy as winter or as rainy as fall. Hurricane season starts in June but most of the big storms occur in mid-summer and fall.

There are no guarantees about the weather no matter when you travel, so trip insurance is a good idea. And you should investigate the local holidays and traditions of the place you plan to visit - sometimes you get surprises. We were in Mexico once during Halloween and it is a very, very big deal in that country!

And weather can vary by location, too - it can be really rainy on Roatan in June.

 

[SueTravels]

Weatherwise, I would say December–April is the best time to travel to the Caribbean. Well, winter months are most crowded as well...and also if you are flying from the north of the US, some flights could be delayed due to snow storms. I would try to avoid June to October as it's a hurricane season in the Caribbean, but at this time you can catch some great deals.
You could also check specific locations as seasonal activities including diving differ from island to island. I find these sites about seasons in Cuba and Grenada quite useful. Weather depends on the location, so I would pick one-two best spots and check diving tips specifically there.

 

[KeithG]

Tomorrow. Just because...

 

[Snoweman]

The first consideration I look at is the airfare. I use Kayak to send me daily alerts of airfares to multiple locations. Once I find a cheap airfare, then I consider things like water temperature, weather, and hotel prices. I haven't used travel insurance yet, but I almost always consider it.

I'm not sure I would return to Cozumel in February/March. It's just a little too cool - both water and air. Plus, the threats of Nortes makes it less desirable. The weather and water would also be a factor in Bahamas and Turks & Caicos during those two months. I'm pretty sure I would need to be in the Lesser Antilles during February to April.

 

[Altamira]

I tend to avoid the northern Caribbean dive locations in the winter months due to the frequency of cold fronts/Nortes in places like Cozumel and GC, and the colder water and air temps in the Bahamas, etc. Like KathyV, I like May and June for most places in the Caribbean, but will go far south to Bonaire and Curacao any time of the year.

 

[Scubagolf]

For my $$, late April to early June. Good weather and water temps. Probably no Nortes. After Spring Breaks, and before summer vacations get underway in mass, so air fares MAY be lower.

 

[diversteve]

Spring - as long as you dodge Spring Break destinations like Cancun.

Water's warm, prices have dropped from high-season rates and it's b4 the families get out of school.

Fall is OK also but it's rainy season n the Antilles and Bay Islands. Also slow season - some things shut down on Bonaire temporarily in Sept - IDK how widespread that is.

Summer is too hot/humid at some locations and the Hurricane season is a factor - not only at the destination but the connecting hubs for some flights are in it also - i.e. Puerto Rico etc.

I've been delayed through Dallas more than once by summer storms - some of the western Carib routes thru there.

 

[LarryHinDC]

In part, it depends on what you want to see. I was on Saba diving in the middle of May this year and saw more really tiny juveniles than I have ever seen before. Smooth trunkfish the size of a pea, a juvenile ocean surgeonfish not much more than an inch long, and more juvie spotted drums than I could count, each one smaller than the last.