Where to go in Sri Lanka during the rainy season if the southwest coast (Colombo area) has bad weather?

This period is off-season for diving on the southwest coast — poor visibility and stormy seas; divers head to the east coast of the island instead during this time.

Even during the rainy season on the southwest coast, a raincoat helps — rain tends to come in bursts rather than continuously.

The southwest coast (Colombo area) actually gets more rainfall in the wet season than during the summer off-season elsewhere — the seasonal contrast here is stark.

On the east coast during this period you can still swim regardless of rain — weather conditions there are more stable.

Overcast weather in Colombo in early August coincides with the rainy season, which at this time shifts toward the east coast.