USVI-On-Line

Hi there,

My husband and I have been to St. John twice - once at the end of June through the beginning of July for 2 weeks and once at the end of November through the beginning of December for 1 week. We noticed quite a difference in the North Shore beaches in the Nov/Dec trip in that the swell was much higher and the beaches were far less calm. I love all the beaches on St. John but particularly the North Shore beaches so we're hoping to go again when they would most likely be super calm. I know the beaches are pretty calm all year round but I'm looking for the calm bathtub water (and we'll be going with a baby this time too). Anyone know what months this would span?

Thanks!

We've experienced the same thing you have. Both of our summer visits in June and July have seen remarkably calm waters on the North shore compared to the winter. Best explanation that I've heard is that in the winter, those cold fronts that sweep eastward across North America eventually end up roughing up the waters in the Caribbean when they sweep southward. Those kinds of weather features are different in the summer and don't head south with the ferocity that they do in the winter. Of course, in the summer you have a few tropical disturbances to stir things up, but when they aren't around (like last summer), it's smooth snorkeling...

For calm, "bathtub" warm water, I'd recommend late July...the water's had enough time to heat up, it's calm, and you'd also be there before hurricane season.

We were on Anegada in October 2004 staying at Neptune's Treasure and we got to talking with Vernon Soares. Vernon is a fisherman in his 70s who moved his family to Anegade in the 1960s and eventually built Neptune's Treasure. He said that the North Swell comes in October/November like clockwork and hits the beaches with a Northern exposure. We certainly saw it in October/November 2001, 2002 and 2004. This past November there was no swell for Thanksgiving week but, from accounts, was going strong the week following.

Here's a picture of folks surfing on the North Shore of Tortola in October 2004. I had to pull a 4 year old out of the surf this evening. He got sucked in and the last I saw was a foot in the air headed out. I lost my cell phone and his Mom yelled at me. Your welcome!



Cheers, Rick

RickG wrote:I had to pull a 4 year old out of the surf this evening. He got sucked in and the last I saw was a foot in the air headed out. I lost my cell phone and his Mom yelled at me. Your welcome!

RickG, you're the man. Nice job.

We go in early March and it's usually calm. However, there have been years where it's been rough on the North Shore in both STJ and STT. I recall one year at Magen's Bay (STT) where they didn't let anyone in the water due to the "rough surf". You've got to be kidding me, waves were only about 2-1/2 feet, kind of like a calm day at Point Pleasant Beach in NJ. We did respect the warning and stayed out of the water. Trunk Bay always seems a little rougher though compared to others on the North Shore in STJ.

JerseyBoy - it is pretty funny what is considered to be "rough surf" in the VIs, esp seeing it in the Trunk Bay video posted at on-stjohn.com

They should see the surf, undertow, and rip currents get going at the Jersey Shore when one of those big storms is running up off shore past Bermuda. I dont boogie board enough to have the experience to deal with stuff over 6-7 feet, but 4 to 6 feet is usually much fun at my beach of choice Spring Lake.

Its all relative I suppose. I guess if the norm is less than a foot, then 3 footers look big. Likewise, if 3 foot is normal for us, then 6 footers start to look big. And I'm sure that 6 footers are a slow day in Hawaii...
JMQ

I guess not today....did you see this from the "On- St. John blog today (coincidentally):
Ali~

Beach Break: Trunk Bay, Part Two
February 28th, 2007

You’re in for a treat with today’s Beach Break. Several times a year the North Shore swell gets so big that North Shore beaches are swamped with big waves. The last week has been one of those times. Trunk Bay seems to be particularly susceptible. The far east side of Trunk gets surf from two directions. Quite impressive. It gets so bad that the Trunk Bay snorkel trail is closed and life guards warn everybody they can to be careful. Not everybody listens. (Oh…and welcome Beach Break’s first sponsor! You know these guys. They like what we do. Do business with them and say you saw it On-StJohn, please.) Visit Trunk Bay on a rough day here!