anyone on-island: current water clarity/beach conditions?

lark22 · Post by **lark22** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:30 pm

We're coming in to STJ on Saturday, and I was wondering what the state of the Northshore is following the swells last week...I know that I'll be finding out first-hand soon enough, but I'm curious & impatient!

Is the water still churned up/rough? Visibility? Any significant beach changes?

We're trying to figure out a basic schedule (I'm not usually as schedule-oriented, but we're introducing our moms to the island and I want to make some basic plans.) If the northshore is still recovering, we'll concentrate on the south...

Exit Zero · Post by **Exit Zero** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:48 pm

Currently the water has cleared up fairly well - to see the swell and wave conditions use the graph function on www.ndbc.noaa.gov and look at - station 41043 -- anything 5-6' or below is normal.
Mary Pt- Whistling Key- Francis -Maho -Giboney- Scott were all fine the last few days.
Some erosion evident - some rubble and debris above the tide line - definite coral damage visible at all of the above - some worse than others.

lark22 · Post by **lark22** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:32 pm

Thanks so much! That's very helpful

kirk · Post by **kirk** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:33 pm

Yesterday the water was perfect.

minnjim · Post by **minnjim** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:37 pm

We just returned and were there from the 23rd and left on Sundat the 30th. I'm not going to be of much help but will tell you what we experienced. We were at Maho on Tuesday the 25th and it was very calm. The clarity was good, but the day was overcast and actually rained qite a bit. On Thursday we went to Cinnamon and the waves were big....and I'm typing with two splints on fingers on my left hand to prove it. Lots of people having fun in the waves. But be careful! Seriously. A wave slammed me into the bottom like a piece of driftwood. We went to Chelsea drug on friday and the pharmacist was nice enough to look at my fingers. He said I was the 6th person that had come in since Saturday with injuries received from waves at Cinnamon., including a broken clavicle and a broken arm. We also talked to someone on the plane on the way back who was staying at Cinnamon. She said ambulances were out there three times during the week for wave related injuries. It was beautiful. But respect their power.

KatieH · Post by **KatieH** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:30 pm

I had heard that there were ambulances heading out on the Northshore Road last week (we were on Island 3/19 - 3/27) We skipped Cinnamon on this trip because of the waves. I hope your fingers have healed. Vacation is not supposed to include "sustained injuries" unless you've had too much to drink and have fallen off your seat at the Beach Bar

gymnastika · Post by **gymnastika** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:24 pm

hello, we arrived thursday night. when we arrived at our villa, terrahawk, across the road from gibney, we could hear the waves really crashing down on gibney. "no, that can't be the gibney beach i remember from last year" i thought, i didn't remember gibney having waves. we went down there the next day and there was quite a surf. wow! by saturday it had calmed down quite a bit. we have been to maho, trunk, turtle and caneel so far and they don't seem to have any errosion, although the coral was scattered about like a graveyard at turtle and trunk. it was sad to see that. there were a lot of sea fans that had washed up at caneel beach. as far as the weather, it has been beautiful since friday. sun's out all day. the ocean is noticeably calmer the last few days. i talked to a lady that said trunk beach was closed a couple saturdays ago??? we went there today, it was calm as could be, and no real signs of huge swells prior.

IslandTime · Post by **IslandTime** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 5:56 pm

My better half called Doug? at Crabby's to inquire about kayak rentals in two weeks I thought she told me that he said the water was choppy?? Sorry bad hearsay! I'll throw another legit question in though. What are the water temps this time of year?

Exit Zero · Post by **Exit Zero** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:44 pm

The winds today were 25+kts and the water at Trunk,Jumbie,Denis,Hawksnest,and Honeymoon was getting murky. There is a high surf alert now and predicted 8-10' waves by Thurs. - The high wind advisory will likely last thru Fri. at least.

lark22 · Post by **lark22** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:09 am

thanks for the update!

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:32 am

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Suds · Post by **Suds** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:55 am

3/25 - 4/1 Windy, whitecaps in the channel. Trunk had cloudy water 3/28. A lot of large (5'+) waves. Kids loved it. They closed moorings for the dinghys on several beaches- no fun for the people who had rented them that day (they weren't told by Noahs) and arrived at Trunk to be turned away. Same day went to Francis and the waves were only 6 inches high! Read in the Island paper about reports of a lot of antler coral being destroyed as it only grows in shallow waters.

Suds

mathayom · Post by **mathayom** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:27 am

It has been raining since yesterday (Yay! for us - the island needs it).

Completely overcast with spots of sun. Not sure when it's supposed to break, but my cistern is happier than it was last week.

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