hurricane season and where to dive

[FrenziedFerret]

My wife and I have not been able to dive for several years, and will finally be able to go in the late July-September timeframe. We are both very excited about it! But I've read that's the middle of hurricane season in many of the interesting diving locations (Carribean, Bahamas, etc). Of course the last thing we'd want to do is ruin our trip with bad weather, but what really are the chances of running into a storm? My wife seems to really want to go to the Caymans.

We were thinking that an alternative would be to avoid the Carribean area, and look for something elsewhere. Our last trip was Fiji (loved it!), and before that was Cozumel (loved it, too!). So something new would be good. Any suggestions? Great diving is important to us, followed by cost, and other stuff to do topside.

Thanks in advance!

[RoatanMan]

will finally be able to go in the late July-September timeframe. We are both very excited about it! But I've read that's the middle of hurricane season in many of the interesting diving locations (Carribean, Bahamas, etc). Of course the last thing we'd want to do is ruin our trip with bad weather, but what really are the chances of running into a storm? My wife seems to really want to go to the Caymans.

We were thinking that an alternative would be to avoid the Carribean area, and look for something elsewhere. Our last trip was Fiji (loved it!), and before that was Cozumel (loved it, too!). So something new would be good. Any suggestions? Great diving is important to us, followed by cost, and other stuff to do topside.!

We're talking about the Caribbean/Central American area, right?

What is the Huricane season in the Caribbean is the rainy season in the Bay Islands and around the Cape of Honduras to San Andres.

Look at a map. Find Utila, then work right (E) to Roatan, Guanaja, then down (S) to Cayos Cochinos, then E&S around the mainland Cape of Honduras, passing Nicaragua to Corn Island. A reasonably huricane proof environment.

Reasonably.

[Drew Sailbum]

The hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30.

Historically, the Cayman Islands experience a peak of activity From Sept ember into early October. Even so, we are much less likely to be in the path of a hurricane than many of the islands of the eastern Caribbean.

Two hurricanes have directly hit the Cayman Islands (eye of the storm passing over one of the islands) in the past 75 years. One was the devastating storm of 1932, and the other was hurricane Lili in 2002. Of course, a sizable hurricane doesn't have to make landfall to cause severe damage. Hurricane Mitch, Michelle, and Gilbert all got close enough to produce damage.

Other islands such as the ABC's (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) in the extreme southern Caribbean are considered to lie outside of the hurricane belt.

[Frank Kohler]

My wife and I have not been able to dive for several years, and will finally be able to go in the late July-September timeframe. We are both very excited about it! But I've read that's the middle of hurricane season in many of the interesting diving locations (Carribean, Bahamas, etc). Of course the last thing we'd want to do is ruin our trip with bad weather, but what really are the chances of running into a storm? My wife seems to really want to go to the Caymans.

We were thinking that an alternative would be to avoid the Carribean area, and look for something elsewhere. Our last trip was Fiji (loved it!), and before that was Cozumel (loved it, too!). So something new would be good. Any suggestions? Great diving is important to us, followed by cost, and other stuff to do topside.

Thanks in advance!

I would not really worry about it to much. I mean as long as you watch the weather channel and plan your dive so that you do run in to bad weather there is not much to worry about. I live down in fl and one has never got in my way.

[FrenziedFerret]

I've heard of diving in Roatan, but none of the rest of those places. Is it safe for Americans there? How's the diving?

[FrenziedFerret]

I guess what I want to know is whether hurricane season implies there will be more "regular storms" as well. I mean, does the weather typically suck at that time of year? :-)

It's not hurricane season in the Hawaiian islands at that time, right? Can the diving compare to that of the Carribean?

[Bob3]

Heck, some of the best weather is during the hurricane season.
If you're worried, just take out trip insurance. If Murphey's Law is running, that will assure a smooth vacation.

[Drew Sailbum]

I guess what I want to know is whether hurricane season implies there will be more "regular storms" as well. I mean, does the weather typically suck at that time of year? :-)

It's not hurricane season in the Hawaiian islands at that time, right? Can the diving compare to that of the Carribean?

In Cayman, aside from the rare tropical storm or hurricane, summertime usually affords the best diving conditions of the year. Winds are typically light, visibility is at its best, and the diving is superb. Summer squalls pass through dropping rain quickly and then moving on.

Cayman's "wet" season is in the fall. October brings the most rain on average. Almost all of that is from the typical squalls which pass through quiclky. You might have rain overnight and two or three brief squalls during the day.