[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ovember… cooler air and water temperatures let us know it’s time to pull out the wetsuit for the season ahead. Air temperatures are delightfully mild, summer thunderstorms are over, humidity has dropped and sunny, clear skies are the norm. The sea state is calm with little or no current and visibility on the reef remains as pristine as ever for divers and snorkelers to enjoy. Air temperature ranges from 71°F to 81°F and water temperature averages 79°F. As November progresses, winds from the northeast may start to prevail. As long as these fronts stay north of 27°N, we are spared their blustery winds and choppy seas. If and when one does blow through, it is gone within a day or two and conditions return to normal quickly. During this time, we take advantage of diving the inland blue holes and drift diving at dive sites accessible by land transportation.
Out on the reef, dive sites are plentiful with various species of grouper, shark and rays, in addition to the colorful juvenile tropicals along with the larger reef fish, including blue tangs, jacks, sergeant majors, yellowtails, and perhaps a barracuda or two. It is time to be looking for the large pelagic species along the mini-wall, like spotted eagle rays.
We are fortunate that Abaco offers a wide variety of dive opportunities from the novice to the most experienced diver – along with many photo opportunities. Whether you enjoy the shallower, more colorful areas of the reef; cruising along mini-walls; meandering through caverns with light beams dancing on the sand floor; winding your way through swim-throughs; the excitement of a shark observation dive or simply admiring the various species of fish, Abaco will not disappoint.
Eastern Daylight Savings Time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, 01 November. The full ‘Beaver’ moon occurs on Wednesday, November 25 at 5:44 p.m.
The DEMA diving tradeshow is being held in Orlando this year. It begins on Wednesday, November 04 and ends on Saturday, November 07. We, like many other dive operators from the Bahamas and around the world, will be attending, however we will be returning to Abaco shortly thereafter to accommodate guests planning to visit during American Thanksgiving, which is Thursday, 26 November.
Although the reasons to visit Abaco are many, none are needed.
