Summer in the BVI

I have come to realize that summer is my favorite season in the BVI. Here's why:

1. It's (not that) hot. I mean, it's warm here year round, don't get me wrong. The high temp is rarely below 80F, and it's a cold night when the low is below 70F. In the summer, highs hover around 90F, and the humidity keeps it from cooling off much at night, but at least it's only 90F. No 100F+ temps for me. And the truly hot months are only two: August and September. Even July had quite a few cool days.

2. It's quiet. Who wants to visit the Caribbean in the summer? The right time to come here is when it's at least 30F degrees warmer here than it is where you're at, and as I just explained, that is never the case in the summer. Unless you're from Tierra del Fuego, I guess. I like the island when it's tourist-free. It feels private; like my own slice of paradise. I congratulate myself on having found such a beautiful, undiscovered haven. At least for the summer months.

3. School's out. Cuts the traffic in half, which means rush hour here is more like rush hour in the States, not two hours' worth of gridlock.

4. It's placid. The ocean, that is. I like to play in the waves sometimes, and enjoy the northern swells that hit in the winter. But in the summer, wave heights rarely make it over one foot near most of the beaches, making swimming in the ocean as peaceful as swimming in a lake, but with more buoyancy. The lack of waves also makes snorkeling easier.

5. Hurricanes. Most people would think this is a negative; a reason to hate summer in the BVIs. But consider. I just discussed how quiet and placid everything is. There's nothing going on. Hurricanes at least give you something to do indoors, out of the heat, on a daily basis. If you're not checking the weather report once or twice a day during August and September, you're probably not living in the BVIs.

Plus, provided you have adequate shelter and storm-proofing, if a storm does pass close by, it can provide days of entertainment: stocking up; closing the shutters; playing cards and reading once the power goes out; cleaning up afterwards ... the list goes on.