STX - North or South Shore? East or West?

Chad,

I have read that due to their typical path of travel and clockwise rotation, homes on the Northeast shore of Caribbean islands are hit hardest by tropical storms.

My impression is that the south shore generally has less wave action than the north shore, but I cannot verify this as fact. Sandy vs. rocky can't be easily put into rigid location grids -- one beach can be nice and sandy and beaches 1/2 mile away are more rocky. It just depends on the area.

As another land locked person (happily so, I might add), I'm looking forward to hearing the answers you get from our beachfront friends. Great post!

--HC

None of the areas seem to have big waves durning normal times due to the reefs. The north shore probably has more. The breezes usually come from the east. The water on the west end is the calmest.
The east end is the drier end. The north west end is the most tropical. There is a very nice ( expensive ) area in Mary's Fancy.
I suggest that you contact Alexandra ( a contributor on this board ) as she is a great realtor.

Ok folks...lets get some answers that reflect the truth.

When I am on island, I have observed that...

As on many Caribbean Islands the "Southwest" coast usually has the BEST sandy beaches and the least strong wave action.

The northeast beaches receive the "most" tradewind and wave action when storms happen.

The south shore beaches are often the sandy beaches

The north shore beaches are often the rocky beaches

Who has studied this and has some answers that we can discuss?

In general, the breezes come from the east most of the year. We also have the "Christmas Winds" in Dec-Jan that can blow from the north. Occasional storm fronts blowing past might bring with them a day or two of winds from the south. We very rarely have winds from the west, but the airport does occasionally have the aircraft land and take off in the other direction (probably 10-15 days a year at most).

There is a bit more wave action on the north shore due to the stronger winds that whip up the surface of the water. There are sandy beaches scattered about the island, with the deepest sand and longest sandy beaches being on the southwest section of the island. But there are also sandy beaches to be found in some of the bays and inlets along the north shore even towards the east end. The southeast shore also has some pretty good beaches in the Divi/Turner Hole/Grapetree area.

I personally live on the south shore towards the west end and the water is generally very calm here. There's just enough motion to give you a nice background sound of water. The breeze drifts through steadily most of the time. There are still days now and then, but those are the exception. Today the breeze is pretty strong. I don't have A/C in my home and it only sounds enticing for a week or two in August. The rest of the time is comfortable. There are building lots available in this section of the island at very low prices, some are even waterfront lots at the lowest prices available anywhere on-island.

Mosquitoes are more of a problem after a rainy spell as they hatch in abundance at that time. Anywhere with a breeze will have less of a mosquito problem. They are out mostly from dusk through twilight. Keep a can of OFF in your car so you can spray your ankles and wrists (they like those areas a lot!) when stopping in at a beach bar in time for sunset and you'll be less bothered by them. There are more mosquitoes in the damper areas of the island, as they breed and hatch on standing water.

One thing to think about when building on a waterfront lot is if you will need a seawall of some sort. Some lots have natural rock seawalls and others have dirt or coliche soil that can be eroded by even small wave action over time. Erosion and the salt spray are the two detriments to waterfront living. There are LOTS of benefits, though. There's nothing like opening your eyes in the morning and looking out the window at turquoise water and knowing you're beginning another day in Paradise. 🙂

There is some snobbery out there about different parts of the island and which views are better or which stretch of waterfront land is the "only" place to live. Try not to fall prey to that mentality. There is only so much waterfront land in all of the Caribbean and it's all beautiful and precious. When someone is moving here from Elsewhere, USA, they envision living on an island with a view of the water... and the precise location of that land on a precise island isn't really part of their dream. So come here and explore the island and find the right piece of land to match YOUR needs and desires and dreams. Don't feel you have to keep up with the Joneses or fall in line with what someone else's fears or desires have led them to do when they moved here. It needs to be your choice as it's your life and only you know what makes you comfortable and what makes you smile.

I do like the part of the island I live in currently. I might move to another part of the island someday, too. I prefer the beauty of the west end (both north and south shores) to the dryer/desert-like land in the east end. Others have their own preferences. I've lived inland and now live on the water. Both have been good. The bottom composition of the water by my home isn't ideal for snorkeling, but it's fine for swimming or floating on a mat. The best snorkeling and scuba sites are pretty easy to get to when desired.

Nice, nice answer, Alexandra, especially the advice to not get sucked into "location snobbery." Well done.

--HC