Summertime in the Islands

Summertime in the islands is certainly different than the wintertime. Some of this is good news, other not so much. But let's talk about a few differences- both the obvious and the less obvious:

SCHOOLS OUT- this is not too different than in the States. However, in the Virgin Islands, it seems more families leave for the entire summer than you would see in the States. So from a local perspective, there is a noticeable difference of absentee residents.

WORKS OUT- what I mean by this is, we get a lot of "seasonal" employees in the VI. Notably restaurant, bar, and boat workers. The tourist industry is much stronger during "season", primarily the winter months. The less tourists we have, the less workers we need. Hence, there are less part time residents in the summer months. I used to think that if a new seasonal worker stays for a summer, then they are pretty much committing to full time residency and will likely be here for a long time. And that still holds true for the most part.

STORMS IN- Hurricane Season is officially from June 01 thru the end of November. But the three most active months are August, September, and October. Of course a hurricane hit can change things in a hurry, but even without one, there are effects. It is a more stressful time while watching various storms brew out in the Atlantic. Days may be filled with Home Depot runs for supplies, or with calls to contractors. Everything you can do to be prepared for any potential storm. The point is, summertime is filled with worry and preparation and planning for potential hurricanes.

WAITLISTS OUT- one of my favorite differences between summer and wintertime in the Islands is the lack of waitlists at restaurants. Reservations are not as critical either. Nothing is worse in season than working hard all day long, finally getting off work late, then wanting to run out to eat. Then getting to the restaurant and being told you have a long wait. So this is a huge plus during the off season.

HUMIDITY IN- though the temperature in the States is often higher than in the VI during summertime, the humidity tends to be higher in the summer. ninety degrees with ninety percent humidity is not uncommon. For those not regularly utilizing air conditioning at home, this becomes a "sticky" situation.

WAVES OUT- It is not the case everyday, not be any means, but you can count of a number of days each summer where the ocean is flat like glass. It is stunning for the views, but even better out on a powerboat. These are the days we live for in the VI. Flat glassy water. You will rarely, if ever, get a day like this during the wintertime (when it is more typical to have larger waves).

BREEZES OUT- yes, we can have decent winds in the summertime. But they tend to be stronger during the winter. The other difference is the typical direction of the winds. On an annual basis, the winds tend to come from the East. But during the winter, they tend to clock a little bit North of East. While in the summertime they tend to clock a little South of East. If living on the North Shore like me, sometimes the breezes may get blocked from the island, making it a little bit hotter.

Of course there are many other differences between the seasons, but this can at least let you know a little bit of what to expect.