North Bay Island in July
Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India
Skip — small-boat access from Port Blair restricted in monsoon swells; sea-walk and snorkeling operators close. Better window: November–April.
July at North Bay is the worst month of the year. Rainfall hits 470-510mm, and the southwest monsoon delivers it as 12-hour deluges separated by squally hours. All sea-walk and beginner-scuba operators close down for the season - their fleets sit dry-docked at Phoenix Bay or the Marine Wing yard. Glass-bottom boats are also off. The few combined Phoenix Bay tour packages that stay listed are run on the rare clear day, perhaps four times in the month, and they go Ross-only. Underwater visibility - on a hypothetical sailing day - collapses to 5-8m. The headline experience here (calm-water reef views, sea-walk on living coral) cannot exist in monsoon swell. Wait for late October.
Why July scores 2.0/10
Weather
Peak monsoon. 500mm rain. All operators closed. Sailings suspended most weeks. Skip.
Who should go
- ✓First-time travelers
- ✓Senior citizens
- ✓Families with children
Who should think twice
- ✗Most travellers
All 12 Months
| Month | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10.0/10 | Peak. 24-29C, vis 25-30m. Glass-bottom and sea-walk daily. Boats fill 8-10am. |
| February | 10.0/10 | Driest month. 25-30C. Vis 30m. Sea-walk visibility maxes. Quieter post-Valentines weekday. |
| March | 8.0/10 | Late peak. 26-32C, vis 25-28m. Boats on schedule. PB hotel rates back 25 percent below January. |
| April | 8.0/10 | Hot 28-33C. Vis 22-25m. Boats on schedule, hotel rates 35 percent off January. Off-peak with full operations. |
| May | 8.0/10 | Last clean window. 28-33C. Vis 18-22m. Boats run first 18 days reliably. Squalls in last week. |
| June | 2.0/10 | Southwest monsoon. 450mm rain, rough seas. Phoenix Bay sailings cancel daily. Skip. |
| Julyviewing | 2.0/10 | Peak monsoon. 500mm rain. All operators closed. Sailings suspended most weeks. Skip. |
| August | 2.0/10 | Monsoon continues. 420mm rain. All operators still closed. Crossings unsafe. Skip. |
| September | 4.0/10 | Late monsoon. 270mm rain. Operators reopen last week. Vis 12-15m. Sailings still 30 percent cancellation rate. |
| October | 8.0/10 | Season opens. 130mm rain mostly first week. Vis recovers to 20-25m. Operators full menu by mid-month. |
| November | 8.0/10 | Strong shoulder. 60mm rain. 23-30C. Vis 25m. Diwali week packed. Otherwise smooth. |
| December | 10.0/10 | Peak. 23-29C. Vis 28-30m. Christmas-NY 50 percent premium. Sea-walk slots gone by 8:30am. |
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