Early summer
The mountains are still green, the water is clear and cooler, and the bay is quieter than it will be. Mornings are calm and the light is long. If you want to swim somewhere without other boats around, this is the part of the season when that is easiest.
The sea warms slowly here because the bay is deep and fed by cold springs - in June it is refreshing rather than warm.
High summer
The warmest water and the longest days, and also the busiest anchorages. The bay is sheltered, so the sea stays flat even when the open Adriatic is not - which is why it suits families and anyone who would rather not think about the forecast.
If you are coming in this period, an early start is worth more than a late one. The popular spots are empty at nine and full at one.
Early autumn
For many people this is the best of it. The sea holds the summer heat well into September, the crowds thin out, and the light turns lower and warmer - the bay photographs better in September than in July.
Weather becomes slightly less predictable, which in practice means the route is decided in the morning rather than the week before. That is what the skipper is for.
What this means for a day out
Whichever month you choose, the bay is sheltered enough that a day on the water almost always works. The route is what changes - where to swim, where to have lunch, whether to go out towards the open sea or stay inside the bay.
Tell us the date and what you have in mind, and we will tell you honestly what that day is likely to look like.
Photo: Alexkom000 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons