Going to Palau & Kosrae

Hello fellow divers -
Looking for some recent travelers to Micronesia.
We are very excited :monkeydan to go on a trip in mid-July to Palau & Kosrae, and were wondering if anyone has recently experienced the conditions there. We are concerned about the ongoing typhoons in the region. We have already canceled our Yap segment, since the typhoon had hit the island directly, and apparently the reefs were significantly impacted, let alone the entire island has apparently suffered dramatically. Although neither Palau and Kosrae have been effected, we are concerned that we will spend our entire two weeks in pouring rain and hot, humid conditions. Especially as I am a beginner in the diving world, I was planning on spending a few hours above the clear blue as well. Anyone with any recent data on this? Appreciate any assistance !
Thanks.

The reefs around Kosrae are in great shape. It is warm there. I live on Kwajalein (an hour flight from Kosrae), and although I haven't been there in a while, some friends have recently been there. Kosrae is a nice, very laid back, place. It isn't a place to go for nightlife or for lots of restaurants.
Really nice hard corals. You probably won't see the pelagics that you'll see in Palau but pleasant diving.

Remember, you can't dive on Sundays, as it is a very religious island. Ask to accompany someone to church on Sunday and enjoy the singing. There are some really interesting land tours.

If you have time, I highly recommend Pohnpei. If you're coming from Guam, Pohnpei is the stop before Kosrae.

hasen98:

Hello fellow divers -
Looking for some recent travelers to Micronesia.
We are very excited :monkeydan to go on a trip in mid-July to Palau & Kosrae, and were wondering if anyone has recently experienced the conditions there. We are concerned about the ongoing typhoons in the region. We have already canceled our Yap segment, since the typhoon had hit the island directly, and apparently the reefs were significantly impacted, let alone the entire island has apparently suffered dramatically. Although neither Palau and Kosrae have been effected, we are concerned that we will spend our entire two weeks in pouring rain and hot, humid conditions. Especially as I am a beginner in the diving world, I was planning on spending a few hours above the clear blue as well. Anyone with any recent data on this? Appreciate any assistance !
Thanks.

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Thank you for your quick come back. That is great information. Yes, we are actually very excited to go to a quiet island. The biggest concern we had was the weather. Since you live there, could you let us know if it's pouring rain and thunderstorms every day - since we do want to take some of the land tours and enjoy both islands. We have found mixed information in the tour guides and online (typhoons, storms, etc.). Thank you so much for your help.

pazz:

The reefs around Kosrae are in great shape. It is warm there. I live on Kwajalein (an hour flight from Kosrae), and although I haven't been there in a while, some friends have recently been there. Kosrae is a nice, very laid back, place. It isn't a place to go for nightlife or for lots of restaurants.
Really nice hard corals. You probably won't see the pelagics that you'll see in Palau but pleasant diving.

Remember, you can't dive on Sundays, as it is a very religious island. Ask to accompany someone to church on Sunday and enjoy the singing. There are some really interesting land tours.

If you have time, I highly recommend Pohnpei. If you're coming from Guam, Pohnpei is the stop before Kosrae.

Click to expand...

You will love diving in Micronesia. Palau lies outside the typhoon belt so you won't have to worry about major storms there, although it does rain now and then this time of year. I was there last year for the 4th of July weekend, and the seas were glass smooth and the weather hot and humid. But underwater Palau does have lots of currents, especially during tide changes. A lot has been written on this subforum about the down and up currents in Palau and how dangerous they can be for even advanced divers. If you run a search on downcurrents or down currents and Palau you should be able to find the threads.

I've never been to Kosrae, but know some friends who have lived there and they rated that diving as among the best they did. So good that they refuse to dive here in Saipan which doesn't compare (but Saipan is certainly better than diving in Hawaii). The infrastructure in Kosrae is very limited, but that sounds like what you're looking for, a place to relax. Kosraens are probably some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. If you can track down a book called "Searching for Crusoe: A Journey Among the Last Real Islands" by Thurston Clarke, there's a detailed chapter on Kosrae that talks extensively about the culture and allure of this magical island. After reading it, I have put Kosrae on my high priority list of places to visit. Hopefully soon, and hopefully you can post a trip report when you return from your trip there!

Both Kosrae and Palau rarely experience typhoons. They tend to form west of Pohnpei and track W/NW from there (toward Yap, Guam, Saipan). While Yap got nailed hard around Thanksgiving, they'd love to see you there!

Both Kosrae and Palau get rain almost daily year-round, but they tend to be short showers, and it doesn't really affect the diving or the hiking or touring. Yes, it will be in the upper 80's every day and the temp might drop as low as 78 at night . If you're used to SoCal type weather, you'll think it's hot and humid... that's just part of being on an island in the tropical Pacific

Poke your head in the cockpit on the flight into the islands and say "Hi" to me !

Island Hopper - Marpacifica - you are both wonderful. Thank you for your detailed messages. Especially coming from both of you being in the region, they have been very helpful. Our concerns are now calmed and we are looking forward to a fabulous time in Kosrae & Palau. I had been to Palau many years ago - before I had learned how to dive - and fell in love with the turquoise water and the big eyes of the cuttle fish swimming along next to me. What a fabulous experience. I am sure diving there will be all the more amazing. And yes, we will watch out for the currents. I will read up on them separately. :book2: Thank you again to both of you - and Island Hopper, we will make sure to say hello when flying out to both locations. See you soon !