Picking time of year for Destin trip

[Baxter]

I'm needing to make advance plans for a trip to Destin and need to put my name on the list months in advance. My choices are Spring Break for my kids [March 14 - 22] or any time during the summer. I want to do some spearfishing while there. Would conditions during the spring likely be such that spearfishing would be worthwhile? Are there months during the summer where conditions are likely better than others? Might end up going twice. Thanks.

[JimB]

Sorry no one has responded to your question. There really are divers here in the Destin area. No one can predict the weather 6 months or a year from now, most of the time they can't even get it right for tomorrow. There is a good chance that the weather will be more stable in mid summer versus spring break. The fall, right now, often provides the most stable weather - that's between hurricanes and tropical storms of course. Hope you get the opportunity to dive this area and enjoy it.

[FredT]

Used to dive there a lot when I had good charter options. Haven't been there much the last couple years as the shops have all gotten into baby sitting divers. That style trip is not what I'm interested in paying for so I go elsewhere now.

Northen gulf in the spring is COLD. March or april plan on a 5 mil min, I expect to be diving dry this year. Weather windows in the spring are narrow and unpredictable, but the hunting is about as good as it gets, if the feds open the snapper season for you. Predicting what the Feds are going to do is impossible unless you are sleeping with the same lobbyists. Barring snapper being available spring brings in gags, late spring brings cobia, and the big flounder will be "shallow" around the 60' - 90' structure.

As for Summer, mid july it the top end. "Normally" the seas will be under 3' and water temps T-shirt and shorts warm. More bait around structure means more pelagics in shallow hunting them. This includes AJ, 'cuda, and Bonita. Midsize and smaller flounder are common in the summer. (BTW as a reference big flounder have a 3-4" tail width.)

For certainty of hitting a diving window go in mid to late June or July. August is good too if the named storms stay away but that varies wildly year to year.

FT