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St Martin/St Maarten / Special Interests / Diving

By Nigel Tisdall

There is plenty of interest for divers on St Martin/St Maarten and a range of dive operators eager to help you make the most of a visit. Multilingual staff and a good variety of dive sites make it a smart choice for those with just a short period of time available. Visibility is generally around 60 feet (18 m) and water temperatures a pleasant 26°C (80°F). And if you want to experience something a bit special, there is also the option of taking a day trip to the Dutch island of Saba, a steep-sided volcano set in a well-maintained marine park that offers many more underwater thrills.

Diving Tips

Serious divers should avoid visiting in December and January – the island is busy, accommodation is expensive and the weather can be windy with poor visibility underwater. March is a good month to come if you want to see whales and dolphins.

There is a good chance of seeing sharks – one dive site to the south of Philipsburg is even  called Shark Hotel.

Diving is more strictly regulated on St Martin and instructors must have a high level of certification – if you are a learner you may feel more comfortable doing it here.

There is no hyperbaric (decompression) chamber on the island. The nearest options are in Saba, St Eustatius or Guadeloupe.

Dive Operators | St Martin

Octopus Diving, Grand-Case - Run by an American/English couple, this is a professional operation that offers advanced tuition and underwater photography as well a trips to the best dive and snorkelling sites. Their two boats never have more than six divers on board.

Dive Operators | St Maarten

Dive Safaris, Simpson Bay - An American-run operator with a full range of packages including night dives and a “Shark Awareness” dive. Their twin-hull boat can take up to 14 divers.

Scuba Fun, Philipsburg - Based at Dock Maarten, this French-run company works with cruise ship passengers and offers a wide range of underwater thrills including deep water and wreck dives.

Dive Sites

St Martin/St Maarten offers over 50 dive sites that are mostly close to the shore and set along the south side of the island – wherever you depart from the journey time should  not be longer than 30 minutes. Maximum depths range from 23 feet (7 m) to 36 feet (110 m) – where you go will depend on sea conditions.

Some favourite St Martin & St Maarten dive sites are:

La Renée - Off the western tip of the island, this is the wreck of a French cargo ship that offers a  deep dive to 141 feet (43 m).

Proselyte - Off the south coast, this is one of the island's best-known sites where you can see cannon and anchors left from HMS Proselyte, a British warship that sank here in 1801. Some of its treasures are now displayed on the upper level of the Sint Maarten National Heritage Foundation in Philipsburg.

Tintamarre - This uninhabited island in the northeast has eight dive sites including the chance to explore caves and canyons.

Browse Diving on other islands

Anguilla | Antigua and Barbuda | Barbados | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada & Carriacou | Jamaica | Nevis | Saba | St Barthélemy | St Eustatius | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Tobago | Trinidad

Or read our other island guides

Anguilla | Antigua | Aruba | Bahamas | Barbados | Bermuda | Bonaire | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Cuba | Curacao | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada and Carriacou | Guadeloupe | Haiti | Jamaica | Martinique | Montserrat | Nevis | Puerto Rico | Saba | St Barthélemy | St Eustatius | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Martin/St Maarten | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Tobago | Trinidad | Turks & Caicos Islands | US Virgin Islands

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St Martin/St Maarten’s weather

St Martin/St Maarten weather chart

When to go and weather

Looking for inspiration?

  1. Experience the sights and sounds of Orient Beach
  2. Swim to Pinel Island for a decadent lunch at Karibuni
  3. Climb to Fort-Louis above Marigot and appreciate the historic views
  4. Enjoy classic French cuisine in Grand-Case
  5. Sail to Anguilla or St Barth’s for the day

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