wetwillieVA

Just wondering when seas are usually calmest in the Florida Keys. We spent a week in Key West in mid-May of this year. With the exception of 2 days, the Atlantic side was too rough to attempt a visit to any of the nearby reefs (7-8 miles offshore). We were watching the weather reports for April (just prior to our visit) and the majority of days were typically sunny and clear. Just a week or so prior to our visit all of sudden we noticed almost daily reports of thunderstorms and rapidly increasing water temperatures. If we had visited in March or April could we have expected better overall weather and calmer seas?

atomicpunk67

late summer is usually the calmest, with the exception of Tropical Storms....

Iguana

Summer months are usually the best, but conditions can be good year round.

I stayed in Key Largo over the Easter weekend and was able to make a run to Molasses Reef and even beyond. Outside the reef seas were around 4 feet.

Sounds like your last trip was just bad timing. That happens too. Many times I have had to cancel a boat mission. All week when I had to work conditions would be perfect - then guess what happens on my days off? That is just the way it is. Not much you can do about it.

wetwillieVA

Makes sense. Did a little checkin' and noticed that the least amount of rainfall in the Keys is during the Jan-Apr timeframe. Also noticed the water temperatures go up quickly during May. Isn't this about the same time the daily thunderstorms start up for the summer in Florida? In any case, I was thinking there might be some kind of relationship between these weather stats and ocean conditions. Maybe not.

sxr951

ahhh.. tea table key after a long drive there..no ones ever there. i always have to pull in there, get out, walk around and just take in the clear water sights and sounds..~~

__________________

Iguana

The dry season for South Florida and the Keys is the "winter".

And you are correct, as the water temperature increases, the rains begin. The typical summer weather pattern goes something like this:

1. The sun rises.
2. Clouds form
3. It might rain.
4. Sun goes down.
5. It still might rain.
6. Sun rises again.

Rain can come at any time and from just aobut any direction. There is not really a "prevailing" wind pattern like there is north of the 30 degree latitude line. There is a land breeze and sea breeze, but the Keys often do not have enough land mass for the land breeze/sea breeze patterns to form. Mainland Florida does. As a result, winds can come from any direction and can even shift around. Summer months usually see fair winds unless there is a hurricane or something. Stronger winds happen in the winter when there is a cold front passing through.

The good news is that the rain NEVER just sneaks up on you. You can always see it coming. The white puffy fair weather clouds build into towering white puffy clouds, then they darken and turn into rain clouds. The process takes hours and you can see it happening. If rain sneaks up on you then you are not paying attention to the sky.

The other good news is that very often it rains for less than an hour then stops. So when you see rain on the way just hang out somewhere, maybe have some lunch, then when it stops hit the water again.