Weather

[africanviolet]

When is the best time to visit in regards to the weather? Is there a rainy season? I'm considering cruising in November. I would be bummed if we were rained out.

[CruiserBruce]

If you read down the board, you will see this question asked frequently. The answer, in summary, is the weather in Hawaii doesn't change very much. A little wetter in Nov-Jan, but rain is generally short (but sometimes heavy) showers and warm. The high temps probably only vary 5-7 degrees all around the year. Same with the lows.

 

Most people don't worry about the weather in Hawaii. They go because it is always warm and comfortable.

[Astro Flyer]

I cruised in late November & only had some showers on the north shore of Kauai which is to be expected since Mt. Waialeale records the highest yearly average rainfall at about 450". That's what makes it the Garden Isle but it didn't affect our visit too much. The lush windward side of islands can get rain at anytime but drive a short distance & you'll probably find sunshine. While winter can bring storms that last for more than a day, it's not often & during many days in the Islands I've never had a full day of rain. So don't worry too much about the weather which probably over 95% of the time is practically perfect. I actually prefer the 'cooler' winter temperatures...upper 70s to low 80s & about 10 degrees cooler than during the summer. During the winter cooling tradewinds can be less reliable so that can make it feel warmer & humid when not blowing.

[CruisinMermaid]

I was wondering about the weather in November as well. It's good to know the weather in Hawaii is pretty constant, but does anyone know what the ocean is like? We were hoping to book a 14-day November sailing from San Diego.

[CruiserBruce]

The ocean in the immediate area around the islands? The winter has common NW swells, which is why winter surfing competitions are held there. Fortunately, those impact the standard tourist activities very little. Daily, the seas will be pretty calm, except on north shores. As the day progresses, the winds come up, so will the seas, to 3-5 feet. Rough for snorkeling and whale watching, but doesn't absolutely end things.

 

As mentioned many times here, if you are sailing from the west coast, the seas can be rougher (and the temps cooler) for the first 2 days. Then thing calm and warm.