Mar 23 - any beaches without breakers?

dreamshark · Post by **dreamshark** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:27 pm

We're on St. John for the 6th time, and for the first time ever having a hard time finding good snorkeling. Every beach we have tried so far has breaking waves on the shore (hard for my arthritic husband to navigate through) and various degrees of murkiness in the water. Maho, usually a sure shot, was a disaster. The waves weren't very high, but the sand was so churned up that it was like snorkeling in pea soup. The float on top of my snorkel got so choked with sand that I had to pull it off and snorkel without it. I'm not sure what's going on with the waves. It's kind of windy, but the wind is mostly SSE, so why are Francis and Maho so churned up?

Finally found fairly decent snorkeling yesterday at Greater Lameshur and this morning at Haulover South, but there was still too much sand in the water to bother taking a camera in with me, and hubby sat it out - just tired of fighting through the little breakers to get into the water.

Anybody on island now finding calm waters anywhere?

Other than the rough waters, the weather is gorgeous. I see now why people come here in March despite the crowds.

david@va.beach · Post by **david@va.beach** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:49 pm

i'll bet it settles out tomorrow..good sleeping weather?

BillVT · Post by **BillVT** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 5:00 pm

Haulover South to the right was good today as was North later in the afternoon. Here is a web site for wind and waves:

http://www.caricoos.org/drupal/node/110

dreamshark · Post by **dreamshark** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:13 pm

@billvt, I think we are following each other around the island. We snorkeled at Haulover S yesterday and it was just okay. Waves not too high, but visibility just so-so. Today I had a beautiful snorkel at Kiddel. Water was clear as a bell, but it was much too rough for my creaky old husband, who sat back under the trees with a book. I didn't take my camera because I figured I'd need both arms to navigate the waves, and I was right. But I really wished I had the camera when I spotted the black turtle in the middle of the bay! Never seen one that color before.

We're planning to try the East End again this afternoon and Salt Pond tomorrow.

I followed your link, but I don't understand the map. I see colored areas expanding and contracting around the islands, but what does that tell me?

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:30 pm

We like Pelican Rock on the East End, entry at last little sandy spot past Vie's Campground with room for a couple of cars. How was Salt Pond, crowded? During spring break season with a north swell there is not parking to handle the crowds who head to the south shore.

Cheers, RickG

BillVT · Post by **BillVT** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:58 pm

We snorkeled out of Leinster this morning and over to Waterlemon and back. It was a little murky but not bad. Winds have been out of the east southeast so north shore beaches are probably your best bet. Winds dropped in the early afternoon. According to NOAA wind direction should be shifting from the east southeast to east northeast for Thursday so you should probably be snorkeling the north shore tomorrow and swinging to the south by Thursday. That's if the NOAA forecast is right.

usvi-on-line