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In what kind of weather can you go scuba diving and what should you look out for?
Scuba diving is not the first outdoor activity you think of when hearing about detailed weather reports, however, besides sailing, kayaking and boat racing it certainly does effect it. Weather and scuba diving change from destination to destination. However, there are some basic relations we can say about diving, climate and the weather. First of all, heavy windy weather is not the best time to dive. Ocean surfaces are rough, it is harder for boats to navigate and to find moorings, seasickness is something none of us likes and we all agree that calm and sunny weather makes the whole dive trip a lot more comfortable. But if you do feel going on a dive in rough weather (and reasons you should include a tight time schedule, must sees and pre-planned trips) there are several things you could keep in mind. Lots of scuba divers will say this is hardly important as soon as you are underwater, but even there surface weather might affect your whole underwater experience.
Especially dive cruises, liveaboards and far out ocean dives highly depend on the weather. In planning your trip and weather routing, you should keep a close look on prediction factors for rain, temperature, wind, but also for tides, currents and water temperatures. On top of that you should know your crew and visitors and what they expect from you. Heavy winds, local rain, thunderstorms and cold temperatures do not only change the underwater visibilities, they also give tourists a lesser experience on their trip. Tidal information, ocean temperatures and directions and strength of currents are important to decide when and where to dive, where chances are best of meeting certain marine species highlights or what dive-plan to follow.
Visit high current dive sites if you are looking for large pelagic, manta rays and/or whale-sharks. Entering wrecks however is best done in a sheltered environment far away from strong winds, surge and heavy currents. Novice divers with lesser buoyancy skills might not enjoy as much in rough weather, while thrill seeking professionals might look out for it. It is possible to find an enjoyable dive any time of the year, for any kind of scuba diver, in every weather type imaginable. You only have to look for it.