CLIMATE
The reason these islands are so
perfectly suited to watersports has much to
do with their incredible expanse of warm, clear
water, and the diverse underwater attractions
contained within. One hundred thousand square
miles of Atlantic Ocean wouldn't mean much
to the sport diver if it were all cold and
deep, but in the Bahamas much of this resource
lies between the limits of sport diving at
130 feet and within inches below the surface.
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The Tropic of Cancer, the traditional determinant of all things "tropical," actually bisects these islands, passing through Long Island and the south end of the Exuma chain. The prevailing climate is moderated somewhat by the influence of the Gulf Stream, a warm oceanic current flowing from the southern Caribbean to the northeastern United States and beyond.
Still, there is a climactic difference
between the southern and northern Bahamas,
as the islands are spread over 750
miles. In the north it is possible
to feel the influence of the same sort
of winter cold fronts that might affect
South Florida. Occasionally, the air
temperatures will dip into the 60's
at night, but a more reasonable expectation
is daytime highs of 78 degrees dropping
to 70 at night and for summer perhaps
10 degrees warmer overall, bringing
air temperatures into the 80s both
day and night. In the southern Bahamas
the temperature year-round might be
5 degrees warmer on average.
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For divers, the more viable weather consideration is water temperature and wind velocity, for both affect potential dive enjoyment. In the winter the water temperature may drop to the mid-70s up north to the high 70s in the southern islands. The summer is absolutely idyllic with water temperatures ranging from the mid- to upper 80s throughout the island chain making thermal protection totally unnecessary, except perhaps for multiple dives or night dives.
Wind is a huge variable for divers, however. In the summer, from May through October, the prevailing winds are gentle tradewinds that do little to stir the seas. Days of slick calm become the norm and the difference between windward and leeward sides of the island an irrelevant dive determinant. During this period, water clarity of 100 to even 200 feet in some places can be expected. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that summer diving in the Bahamas is among the best anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.
Winter diving can offer the same stunning water clarity, but not with the same predictability or frequency. In the winter, dive operators are more careful of the dive sites they choose, tending to opt for sites protected from any prevailing wind whenever necessary. It's all relative of course, and when the wind chill is raging at 30 below zero in February in the northeastern U.S., a diver on holiday will find glorious refuge along the Bahamas' coral reef. The choice is pretty clear basking in stunningly clear 75-degree water or shoveling snow and fighting frostbite back home? No wonder the Bahamas are such a popular winter vacation getaway.
