Floridians experience some very strange rain. It's not uncommon to drive down the freeway in a heavy downpour. By the time you get to the next exit, it's sunny. A few exits later it might be pouring again.
Sometimes it will rain on the front of your house but not the backyard.
This same dynamic affects boating. Just because you see a storm, it doesn't mean that you are going to get wet. Storms may only be a couple of miles wide. Your range of vision may be dozens of miles.
The photo above was taken on a day when "scattered thunderstorms" were forecast for West Palm Beach. People on Peanut Island (a few miles north of downtown) could see thunderstorms to the north and over downtown to the south... yet Peanut Island was sunny. Both storms missed the island altogether.
Look at the rain curtain over the Intracoastal Waterway. Rain obscures some of the downtown buildings but not others. The line where the rain curtain stops is easily see on the water.
THE BOTTOM LINE: On days when "isolated" or "scattered" thunderstorms are forecast, it's still okay to go out. The storms will look bad from the water, but will only last 10-60 minutes. Once the storm has past, the weather should be okay again for boating. Have a plan for how you will take shelter in the event of a thunderstorm. Day long rain events usually only happen during "tropical waves" or major storm systems. NOTE: Lightning is still a major danger with "isloated" thunderstorms. Click here to read about lighting and boats.
