Dive California:
Getting ready to go to Roatan...just checked the weather and noticed it seems to rain everyday in December...How does that effect the dives down there? Are there lots of rivers with runoff?
Maybe Roatan Man can help?
Thanks...
Sure, I can add my 2 cents- as can many others.
The problem with rain and run off in Roatan isn't so much from rivers and their outflow- it is much more pervasive than that- as it is on most islands.
When man alters the physical terrain of the low lying costal areas, diving will be impacted. Much more so than
any accumulated impact of years of diving . When someone dredges sand to put a beach where there was none, he has now destroyed his shore diving.
Here are well known examples: Nassau, Grand Bahama, Cayman and the "house reefs" or Bonaire. (They all still have fair to excellent and world class dive opportunities... you just can't find it in front of your resort!)
On Roatan, it largely depends upon where you are diving. Most of the better and motivated DM's will take you to the better sites. They will play the tides and what mild currents there are.
Another factor? What one goes to Roatan for is the little critters. I have had many a fruitful dive (many at night) in what most would call dreadful viz. I am a good navigator, and that is aided by the easy familiarity of the "Front Yard" of my favorite AI Resort, CCV. If you can't get lost (because of immovable landmarks, wrecks, chains, buoys... why worry about viz?) Just go and find the little critters- you would have to get within 15' to see them, anyway. Don't disount this- it's a serious point of low viz diving... the comfort/familiarity paired with macro critter hunting.
The rains of Roatan and the Bay Islands are influenced by "Northers". These storms come from... (duh) the North- they are spin offs from the hurricane track storms that predicatably travel on a NW path, coursing 90 to 250 miles North of the Bay Islands. When it is
sub zero in the Midwest (Illinois and other states), or when it gets
FREEZY in South Padre, you can bet it's going to get ugly in the Islas de la Bahia.
All of the dive ops on the North side shut down. The larger ones move boats and people to the South side where diving can be good to rough- but at least it's a doable situation. If you are doing West end dive ops or smaller AI's... jump ship to Subway Watersports at French Harbour Yacht Club ASAP! Or... just go on the jungle canopy tour or drink furiously of Salva Vida Beers... or both!
On the South side, the viz can still be pretty excellent (comparatively) as long as you stay clear of Parrot Tree and FIBR. Yes, the viz can be absolutely yucky on the South side in other places, but there aren't too many dive sites near French Harbour, Bario Fuerte and other developed sites.
An advanced operation not only will take you further to the East (on the Southern exposure of the island of Roatan), but also has boats that are specifically designed for less than ideal conditions. Pick your dive op with care and information.
Other of the Bay Islands? Note that all of the existing resorts are located on the Southern coasts, always bathed in the regular ESE breezes, but shielded from the dive-ending Northers.
How's the viz you ask? I go back to my original statement about familiarity with the site (or ease of navigation, maybe with an attentive DM), picking a dive site with no current concerns (a rare issue on Roatan), and concentrating on the
small stuff which the Bay Islands are best known for by advanced "critter gitters".
We have been to Roatan every year at least once (and more) in the Nov-Jan time frame. It is not the ideal moment for sun worshippers, but each month brings a different delight of discovery in the cycle of life on the reef.
Who would risk the August hurricane season? Maybe if you want to see the coral spawn! Aint nothin' perfect, each month has it's plus and minus. Give it a shot.
Rain? You were wet anyway!