
The waves around St. John’s North Shore have been huge over the past few days! There has been a significant north swell, which has made for some pretty rough surf on the island’s north side. This swell is happening, I believe, because there is a large weather system to our north, which is pushing water toward us. Hopefully it subsides this week, but in the event that it does not, here are some tips for when this occurs.
Our winds normally go east to west, which allows for calm conditions on the north shore. That is where the most popular beaches are located like Trunk, Cinnamon and Maho bays. Maho is almost always super calm because the winds are blocked by the hill behind it. That is not the case this week, however. While there has been little to no wind over the past day or two, the north swell has been fierce. This is what I have seen…
The swell in Cruz Bay harbor has been quite large. The water has been going up to the wall at Wharfside Village. The new beach furniture on front of Karma was tossed around over the weekend. I had breakfast at High Tide on Saturday morning, and there was very little beach for Dalton to play on while we waited for our food.
Caneel Beach had a little wave action yesterday, but it was definitely one of the better beaches to visit. Hawksnest, Jumbie and Trunk had considerable waves. Dalton and Mike spent some time playing in the waves at Hawksnest yesterday afternoon, and Dalton came home with about a pound of sand on him! He had a blast!
Jumbie had little to no beach as the water was coming up into the trees. I viewed Trunk from the overlook, and you cold tell that it was “knock you over” waves happening over there. There were very few people even attempting the underwater snorkel trail at Trunk. I didn’t walk down to Cinnamon, but I assume that waves there were quite large.
Even Maho has been affected. There was a bit of swell there yesterday, and the visibility was very poor.
So where can you go when the north shore isn’t the calmest? Head to the south. The south shore has been like glass over the past several days. The only downside about heading to the south shore beaches is that you need to have your own vehicle, as the taxis do not typically drive to these beaches. A few options are Hansen Bay on St. John’s East End, Salt Pond Bay, which is beyond Coral Bay, and Lameshur, which is at the end of a long dirt road. Saltwell Bottom is no longer open to the public via land – fyi. All beaches are accessible via water in the US Virgin Islands.
So what can you do when you do not have a private vehicle? Grab a boogie board and enjoy the waves on the North Shore!
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.