Bahamas Surf Report and Forecast: January 2014

New Yorker 'Scott' catches a nice one during a Bahamas Out Island surf session in December. PHOTO CREDIT: Liz Heiberg-Glucksmann, Bahamas Out Island Adventures.
New Yorker ‘Scott’ catches a nice one during a Bahamas Out Island surf session in December. PHOTO CREDIT: Liz Heiberg-Glucksmann, Bahamas Out Island Adventures.

January rings in not only a new year but also the weather that the Bahamian archipelago is famous for. You know, 79 degree air, the water just a few degrees cooler than that and the sun shining. And yeah, when the tail of a North American cold front sweeps over us it may get cloudy and cool, but it means there’s a swell a-coming! Surfers coming to these latitudes this month should bring a light wetsuit or a good top, which you may or may not really need, but it doesn’t take up that much room in the luggage and it’ll be handy for snorkeling or diving too. Lobster season continues through March, but do remember Nassau grouper season is closed through February. Kudos to the Ministries involved for good publicity this year of when, why and where the season closes for our namesake fish species. Catch the cultural wave of some late-in-the-season Junkanoo rush outs, as some settlements and areas will stage these early this month. Back to the waves: If you’re thinking about learning the sport of kings – surfing – look us up this winter. Eleuthera is a short plane or ferry ride from Nassau and provides a healthy dose of Bahamian life, out-island style. We’ll be happy to show you the basics and get you yelling, “Gnarly, dude!”