Bimini SCUBA Conditions and Forecast: Sept. 2013

One word: magical. Photo credit Grant Johnson.
One word to describe Bimini’s underwater world: Magical. Photo credit Grant Johnson.

The best word to describe September in Bimini is warm. The water is 85 degrees-plus, and the air is much more. It’s almost too hot to do anything but go diving! The winds are virtually non-existent, and due to that, the seas are dead calm all month long.

Visibility is outstanding in September, 100 foot-plus most of the month and verging on infinite sometimes.

Diving the wreck of the Sapona never gets old. The concrete ship is one of Bimini's most famous dive sites, and for good reason. Tons of fish swarming inside and out, and some beautiful corals growing on the concrete hull. Photo supplied by Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center.
Diving the wreck of the Sapona never gets old. The concrete ship is one of Bimini’s most famous dive sites, and for good reason. Tons of fish swarming inside and out, and some beautiful corals growing on the concrete hull. Photo supplied by Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center.

Thunderstorms are frequent in the afternoons, but almost always over as quickly as they appeared. The only possible downside to September’s weather is the dreaded “H” word, don’t say it, we all know what it is. Tropical weather prediction and tracking has improved immensely, so if your travel plans can be flexible or last minute, September is the perfect month for you! Season is pretty much over after Labor Day, so you can find GREAT deals and AMAZING dive sites, with only your party and the dive masters on them.

September is the locals’ month, the month we run to further sites and give the brave and lucky guests willing to come in the off season a truly memorable experience! The wildlife here in Bimini has no idea it’s off season. Massive schools of permit are swirling around the Bimini Barge this month, often over 200 fish! Watching this huge school of fish move like a giant snake in and out of the openings of the wreck is awe inspiring, not to be missed.

Huge numbers of blacktip and Caribbean reef sharks amass around Bimini this month. Not only are the usual haunts like Triangle Rocks and Bull Run overloaded with sharks this month, but it seems like every dive someone sees at least one shark.

If you come in September make sure to do a chumsicle shark dive off Ocean Cay. It’s pretty far south, but I promise you’ll never forget the dive!