Advanced divers and up
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 59 out of 100
- Sea
- 1.2 m
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.9 m
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 70 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.5 m
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 70 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.5 m
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 70 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.5 m
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 72 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.3 m
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 72 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.3 m
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 27°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 249, fair
- Tue 359, fair
- Wed 466, good
- Thu 570, good
- Fri 670, good
- Sat 770, good
- Sun 872, good
- Mon 972, good
- Tue 1067, good
- Wed 1168, good
The site in four facts
- Advancedand up
- Water 28 °C3 mm wetsuit
- Faces Eswell from there reaches it
- Best May–Aug7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know currents, the visibility on the day or your certification.
Suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it. Scored for Advanced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 49, fair | 1.5 m | 10 kn | 15kn | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 59, fair | 1.2 m | 13 kn | 18kn | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 66, good | 0.9 m | 9 kn | 13kn | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 70, good | 0.5 m | 8 kn | 12kn | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 70, good | 0.5 m | 7 kn | 11kn | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 70, good | 0.5 m | 5 kn | 9kn | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 72, good | 0.3 m | 2 kn | 7kn | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 72, good | 0.3 m | 2 kn | 7kn | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 67, good | 1.0 m | 9 kn | 16kn | 25°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 68, good | 0.8 m | 9 kn | 15kn | 25°C |
Sea is the waves near the site, in metres; wind and gusts in knots. "Boats in": gusts that keep dive boats in. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best May–Aug
Good diving days in a typical week, each month, for Advanced divers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast: the sea and the mean wind of each day, with no gusts or rain in the history.
Map
the site and its town
USCGC Lotus on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About USCGC Lotus
It suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it. The coast faces E: swell from the E reaches it, and wind from the W blows out to sea. The sea is about 26°C in January, its coldest month (3 mm wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (rash vest or 1 to 2 mm). For Advanced divers the best months are usually May, June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Bal Harbour. Within 5 km we also list 1 dive site.
- What it is No source states what kind of site it is.
- How deep No source states how deep it goes.
- Who it suits Suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it.
Water about 28°C: 3 mm wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$899–US$1,640 each
about US$899–US$1,640 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to MIA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$201–US$416 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$54–US$87 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Total | about US$899–US$1,640 |
Guided dives are not priced yet: we have no sourced price, so it is not in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Bal Harbour
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 43 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Bal Harbour its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 5h 35m
About 5h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → MIA, direct, then 45 min by road
Flights MDW → MIA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Bal Harbour · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Bal Harbour · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
No dive centre mapped within 25 km.
Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
What you might see
Too few records at this site itself, so these are the animals divers and surveys have recorded at other sites within 25 km in the last 15 years. A record says someone saw it there, not that you will.
Blue mah Thalassoma bifasciatum
Seen in 109 records, mostly Sep to Oct.
Gutong Sparisoma aurofrenatum
Seen in 96 records, mostly Sep to Oct.
Yellowhead Wrasse Halichoeres garnoti
Seen in 90 records, mostly Sep to Oct.
Bicolor Damselfish Stegastes partitus
Seen in 86 records, mostly Sep to Oct.
Slippery Dick Halichoeres bivittatus
Seen in 79 records, mostly Sep to Nov.
Barber Acanthurus bahianus
Seen in 73 records, mostly Sep.
Blue tang Acanthurus coeruleus
Seen in 70 records, mostly Sep to Oct.
Gutong Scarus iseri
Seen in 55 records, mostly Sep to Oct.
Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus
Seen in 51 records, mostly Sep.
Clown Wrasse Halichoeres maculipinna
Seen in 48 records, mostly Sep to Nov.
Doctorfish Acanthurus chirurgus
Seen in 44 records, mostly Sep.
Massive Starlet Coral Siderastrea siderea
Seen in 37 records, mostly Jul to Oct.
Records: OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System, IOC-UNESCO) and GBIF.org (1 November 2026, doi:10.15468/dl.jeesns), from the datasets named here, CC0 and CC BY records only. Names: WoRMS and GBIF; common names from the Catalogue of Life, the GBIF Backbone and Wikidata. Largest datasets here: Florida Keys Reef Visual Census 2012; Florida Keys Reef Visual Census 2016; Florida Keys Reef Visual Census 2014; NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, Coral Demographic Data; Florida Keys Reef Visual Census 2018. Credits
What is under the water this week (visibility, current) no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.