The Abacos in August: Crawfish Season, Sea Temperatures and Boat Days

By late afternoon in August, the ferry wakes between Marsh Harbour and the cays slap against the dock pilings, and someone is always hauling a cooler of freshly caught crawfish up the steps. The season for the spiny lobster opens on the first day of the month, and the kitchens of the Abacos respond. This is the month for warm water, long boat days and the first lobster dinners of the year.

The cays of the Abacos in summer · Illustration

What is the weather like in the Abacos in August?

August is hot, humid and bathed in sea that feels like the air itself, with showers that arrive fast and leave just as quickly.

Month	Sea at the Abacos (°F)	Daylight on the 15th (hours and minutes)
July	86.5	13 h 41 min
August	86.7	13 h 06 min
September	86.1	12 h 20 min

August in Nassau brings daytime peaks near 91°F on average, while nighttime temperatures hold in the mid-70s and rain arrives on about fourteen days. That is a heat that asks for a slow start. Mornings are the time for walking Hope Town’s lanes or crossing to a cay, while the hours after lunch belong to shade, a porch, or the water itself.

Rain tends to come as a passing downpour or a stormy afternoon rather than an all-day gray. Skies often brighten once a cell moves through, and the light over the harbors turns soft and golden. Pack your plans around that rhythm: outdoors early, a pause when clouds stack up, back out for the evening.

Daylight lasts a little over thirteen hours in the middle of the month, enough for a full morning on a boat and still a dinner outside by the dock. The sea sits in the upper 80s, which makes it a big part of how the days are spent here.

Can you swim in the Abacos in August?

You can take your time in the water, since it is warm enough for a slow, easy swim and does not startle you as you step in. At that temperature the water refreshes rather than cools, so many people spend more time in it than on the sand.

The cays shelter a sound on one side and face open ocean on the other, and the two shores feel different. Tahiti Beach near Hope Town is described as having soft sand and gentle waves, a spot for a picnic and beach games. Ocean-facing stretches can carry more surf, and conditions shift from day to day and from one patch of shore to another, so look at the water before you go in.

A mask and snorkel are worth bringing for the clear shallows around the cays, and a rash guard helps against the strong midday sun. Afternoon storms can roll in over the water, so mornings are the natural time for a long swim.

What to do in the Abacos in August

The big news of August is crawfish. The season opens on August 1 and runs to the end of March, so the first weeks of the month bring the earliest catches of the year. Menus often use crawfish and lobster as the same word, and the dish to order is crawfish salad, with onions, sweet peppers and lime juice, eaten on greens or between two slices of bread.

August is also a month for boats. With the sea so warm, a day hopping between cays, anchoring in a shallow cove and dropping into the water is the natural rhythm. Locals head out early, before the heat builds and the afternoon clouds gather.

Hope Town and its lighthouse

On Elbow Cay, where boats from Marsh Harbour arrive, Hope Town rests, and a snug harbor is guarded by its candy-striped lighthouse. Cars are kept to the outskirts and golf carts are allowed there, so most of the village is explored on foot or by rented bike, past pastel cottages, galleries and a few waterfront cafés.

Go in the morning, when the lanes are cooler and the light is clean on the water. Return by late afternoon, when the harbor is full of small boats and the lighthouse takes on a rosy glow. The founding of the village in 1785 by a widow named Wyannie Malone is still part of how people tell its story.

Waterfront restaurants serve fresh local seafood, and in August that often means the new crawfish. Sitting at a dock table as the day cools is the right way to end a visit.

Green Turtle Cay

Green Turtle Cay lies off the mainland of Great Abaco and has no airport, so you arrive by ferry or private boat. The ride across is part of the trip, with the cay appearing low and green over the sound.

The settlement of New Plymouth shows New England influence in its clapboard architecture, set among shops, restaurants and beaches. The island is about three miles long and half a mile wide, so a full day is plenty to wander, eat and spend time on the shore.

It suits travelers who like a quiet, small-town pace. August afternoons are best spent in the shade of a restaurant porch, waiting out any passing shower before the last ferry back.

Abaco National Park

Abaco National Park, which covers a wide expanse of land, was established in the pine forest of the south to protect the Bahama Parrot’s northern breeding grounds. It is a place for birdwatching and quiet, a contrast to the boat-and-beach rhythm elsewhere.

Go early, before the heat sets in, and bring water and insect repellent. It suits nature lovers who do not mind a hot, humid walk for the chance of seeing parrots in the trees.

Marsh Harbour is the base for most trips, a working town with grocery stores, marinas and restaurants. Use it to stock up before heading out to the cays.

A two-day itinerary for the Abacos in August

Day 1. Start in Marsh Harbour with an early breakfast and head across to Hope Town while the air is still manageable. Walk the lanes, climb to the lighthouse viewpoint if you wish, and rent a bike for the loop around the village. By midday, find a shaded restaurant for a crawfish salad.

Later in the day, when the water is at its warmest, head by boat to Tahiti Beach for a picnic and a swim. Return to the harbor as the light softens, and stay for dinner on a dock as the lighthouse glows. Sunset comes after a long day, with plenty of daylight left for the trip.

If a storm rolls in, move to a covered restaurant or a gallery and wait it out. Showers usually pass in a short time and the evening often clears.

Day 2. Take the ferry to Green Turtle Cay early and walk New Plymouth’s clapboard streets before the heat peaks. Browse the small shops, stop for a cold drink and spend the late morning on an ocean-side beach, bearing in mind that the swell can differ from the sound.

Have lunch in a local restaurant with stew lobster or another crawfish dish. In the afternoon, settle into the shade, or go snorkeling in the clear shallows nearby.

Return to Marsh Harbour in the late afternoon. If you have the energy and the weather is clear, finish with dinner at a harborside spot. On a rainy day, consider Abaco National Park’s drier forest edges only if the downpour has passed, or simply stay in town.

Is the Abacos busy in August?

August is a summer month, so the islands see families and boaters taking advantage of school vacations, though the heat and storm season keep the crowds from reaching peak-winter levels.

Marsh Harbour stays the busy center, with boats coming and going, while the smaller cays remain quiet. Restaurants on Hope Town’s waterfront and on Green Turtle Cay can be lively at dinner, especially with the crawfish season just underway.

As a habit, book rooms early if your dates fall on a holiday week or a summer weekend, and later if you are traveling in the quieter stretches. Rental boats, ferries and restaurant tables follow the same pattern. Nothing in the available information points to a required reservation for Abaco National Park or the cays, so the planning that matters most is lodging and getting across to the islands you want.

What to pack for the Abacos in August

Light, quick-drying clothes make the most sense for hot days that end in sudden showers.

A light rain jacket, because afternoon storms arrive suddenly.
Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat for long days on the water.
A mask and snorkel for the shallows around the cays.
Water shoes for rocky shorelines and boat landings.
Insect repellent for the park and the evenings.
A dry bag to protect phones and cameras on ferry rides.

Good to know before you go

The U.S. State Department rates the Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, and says most crime occurs in Nassau on New Providence and in Freeport on Grand Bahama.

August falls inside the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, and most activity occurs between mid-August and mid-October. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation monitors storms and encourages travelers to follow its hurricane page. Hurricane Dorian struck Great Abaco on September 1, 2019, and the islands have been rebuilding since.

Getting between islands means a ferry or boat, since Green Turtle Cay has no airport. Cars and golf carts are limited to the outskirts of Hope Town, so plan on walking or biking in the village itself.

The Abacos in August vs July and September

Moving the trip to July gives you slightly longer days and a sea almost identical in warmth, but the crawfish season has not started yet, so the lobster menus are not at their freshest. July also sits a bit earlier in the storm season, before the busiest weeks.

September brings shorter days and the peak of the hurricane season, with the sea still warm. Visitors drop off, so rooms and tables are easier to find, but the weather carries more uncertainty and boat days may be interrupted.

Choose August if you want the opening of crawfish season and warm water with still-generous daylight. Pick July for the longest evenings, and September if quiet matters more than a steady forecast.

Is August a good time to visit the Abacos?

Yes, for travelers who love the water, do not mind heat and want to eat lobster at the start of its season.

Boaters, snorkelers, families on summer break and anyone happy to plan around an afternoon shower will enjoy it. Travelers who dislike humidity or who want a firm weather forecast may prefer another month.

On arrival, get across to a cay early in the day, find a seat on a dock and order the crawfish. The first plate of the season, eaten with the harbor going pink around you, is what August in the Abacos is about.

Sources

Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 10, 2026
sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked October 10, 2026
NOAA NCEI, GHCN-Daily station BF000078073 (Nassau Airport), normals 1991-2020 computed from the daily record (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=daily-summaries&stations=BF000078073), checked October 10, 2026
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