Sint Maarten Trip Report – Early April 2017

[Ironborn]

Introduction

I was on Sint Maarten (SXM) for business in early April 2017 and managed to fit a day of three dives into my schedule. The quality of the diving there impressed me more than I had anticipated on the basis of what I had read on this board. I am considering a return trip to SXM for the diving and some topside attractions and would appreciate feedback and suggestions from those with more experience on SXM.

Octopus Diving

I used this board (rather than Trip Advisor) to find a suitable diving operation. I narrowed it down to Octopus Diving and Ocean Explorers and found that Octopus Diving was a better fit for my tight schedule. I booked with Octopus Diving via email and paid a deposit of about half the total cost of a two-tank morning trip and a one-tank afternoon trip (including gear rental) via PayPal. I went on their trips from the Dutch side of SXM because I was staying there and it would have been difficult to reach the French side within my limited schedule. The dive sites on the French side sounded more appealing to me than those on the Dutch side, which seemed to have a higher proportion of wrecks. Octopus Diving indicated that their two-tank morning trips usually include one reef dive and one wreck dive. I am more interested in reefs than wrecks, but I figured that it would be worth trying a wreck dive in order to learn why they appeal so much to so many divers and to see the marine life that wrecks often attract.

Dive Procedures and Conditions

Octopus Diving had a driver pick me up at my hotel and drive me to their shop in the marina on the Dutch side, where I paid my balance via credit card. Tiffany, the French DM, and the Dutch Captain Willem fitted me for my gear, which was in good condition and functioned well during all three dives. They provide weight-integrated BCDs instead of weight belts; I prefer the former, as I have found that weight-integrated BCDs give me better trim. Their gauges used the imperial system, which I prefer because of the smaller, more precise units and my stubborn American resistance to the metric system.

There were five divers on both the two-tank morning trip and the one-tank afternoon trip, plus Tiffany. They set up our gear for us; we did not have to do anything other than dive. Tiffany briefed us on the dive sites and procedures, while Captain Willem briefed us on boat procedures. The water entry was a backwards roll, which is my preference for boat dives. The water exit was via a ladder. Tiffany indicated that the target bottom time was approximately 45 minutes, which seemed rather short to me, especially for the moderate depths of all three sites (never more than 62 feet and usually less) and her tendency to keep us rather close to the boat. Tiffany also had a conservative approach to gas management, indicating that we should prepare to end the dive when we reached 1000 PSI. I suspect that schedule considerations may have been the reason for this rather conservative bottom time and gas management, and it is the only thing that I can criticize in an otherwise excellent diving experience.

Tiffany had a distinctive approach to guiding divers around a site that I appreciated. Rather than going in more or less straight lines or following the topography, she led us around to marine life and other noteworthy sights and attractions that she clearly knew very intimately after diving there for two years. For example, she knew individual reef sharks that she expected us to see at one dive site (and we did see them), and she knew the hiding places of a lobster and an octopus in the remains of a wreck there. The dives were thus unusually rich in sightings of significant marine life, which more than compensated for the short bottom times; I saw more interesting marine life in one 45-minute dive with her than I saw in two longer dives on Curaçao (although the reefs were definitely healthier there).

Diving conditions were excellent that day. It was warm and sunny, with water temperatures into the 80s; I wore a 3mm shorty and experienced no discomfort. Visibility was excellent; we could often see the bottom from the boat. Currents were minimal, but there was some chop at the surface and some surge in a few parts of one reef dive site. The coral coverage was modest in comparison to somewhere like Curaçao, and the reefs were much heavier on gorgonians and soft coral than hard coral. In my opinion, though, the abundant mobile marine life more than compensated for the lesser coral coverage.

Dive Sites

The first site was Cable Reef, which includes a broken wreck. The wreck is in so many pieces that it is not really a wreck dive, but the greater accessibility of those remains made it easier to see the marine life that the remains attracted. In fact, the remains of the wreck were richer in marine life than the actual reef. For example, here are some photos of the many fish near those remains:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:13pm UTC

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:16pm UTC

Tiffany explained that several reef sharks, which she knew individually, lived at this site. She said that she expected to see them, and they arrived shortly after we reached the bottom. We saw them repeatedly throughout the dive, as they seemed curious about us. Here are photos of some of them:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:17pm UTC

There was also a nurse shark at the site:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:21pm UTC

We saw multiple barracudas, including this pair:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:18pm UTC

We saw two lobsters, one of which was too well-hidden inside the remains of the wreck to photograph properly, but Tiffany used her dive light to give me a better shot of this other lobster:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:22pm UTC

I took some close-up photos of flounder:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:19pm UTC

There was also a very curious parrotfish that kept following us around:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:24pm UTC

The second site was Pelican Reef. It was richer in coral and gorgonians but had less mobile marine life. The reef provided good backdrops for these photos of a trumpetfish and a pufferfish:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:37pm UTC

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:28pm UTC

There were reef sharks and barracudas at this site too:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:29pm UTC

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:26pm UTC

The third dive site was the Maze, which was richer in coral and gorgonians and also had more abundant mobile marine life, including the largest French angelfish that I have ever seen and a pair of large triggerfish. The reef provided good backdrops for these fish photos. This coral formation reminded me of a spiked shield. I also saw a pair of flamingo tongue cowries joined together on soft coral; I wonder if they were mating.

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:34pm UTC

I saw the biggest lobster that I have ever seen; Tiffany said there were bigger ones at a nearby wreck:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:33pm UTC

There were reef sharks and barracudas at this site too:

Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:31pm UTC
Instagram post by Paul • Apr 9, 2017 at 4:32pm UTC

Conclusion and Questions

I had an impressive day of diving, with excellent conditions, ample marine life, and a knowledgeable DM. I would have devoted more of my limited free time on my business trip to diving if I had known that the diving would be this good. I did not set aside more time for diving because my prior research on this board suggested that other divers felt that the diving on SXM was worth including in one's schedule in a multifaceted trip to SXM, but not compelling enough to devote a trip to it – compared to more compelling diving destinations in the region, such as Saba or Curaçao. Personally, I found my three dives on SXM more impressive than many of my dives on Curaçao. My question for those of you that find SXM diving less impressive than I did is – why? Did I get lucky or have an unusually knowledgeable DM? Am I easily impressed as a new diver? Does your less favorable assessment weigh the weaker coral coverage and overall reef health more heavily than the presence of mobile marine life?

Do you prefer the diving on the French side or Dutch side of SXM? If so, why?

How are the diving conditions on SXM in early July or late November? (I might return at those times.)

Are the conservative bottom times and gas management that I experienced typical of Octopus Diving and SXM, or are they specific to that particular DM?

Is it feasible to cover SXM and Saba in one week? Is it possible to dive on Saba during the day and return to SXM at night, or would I have to relocate to Saba to dive there? (I would do other things on SXM at night; I imagine that Saba would be less interesting at night, unless you do night dives).

 

[rick00001967]

great report. it gets me fired up about our upcoming trip to sxm in july/aug. we stay on the dutch side (simpson bay) and usually use dive adventures. we have used other shops as well. octopus always gets good reviews. glad you enjoyed the dives.
i also believe sxm gets a bad wrap for diving among some divers. we always enjoy it there. sure the coral formations cannot compare to cozumel but we see more life in sxm then cozumel any day. plus you have saba close by if you want deeper more impressive coral.
to answer your questions......
- we have never dived the french side. only the dutch side.
- we have been there july and late nov (early dec). never found the dives to be much different
- i think the 45 minute bottom time is typical of most dive ops anywhere. they need a basic dive plan that can fit most average divers. that time usually fits with the depths you are in there. we find that if you are a repeat customer with any dive shop, they usually will cut you some slack on the times once they are confident you know what you are doing and they don't have to baby sit you as much as some others may need to be. but you are correct that many times they have tight schedules to keep and may only have the one boat and crew that needs to be back at the dock for the next group. this is one of the big advantages to booking a small, fast boat in a place like coz. you fill the boat with six equally skilled divers and go. you set your own schedule. and it really no ore expensive than paying for your seat on one of the larger group boats. that kinda thing is not avail in sxm as far as i am aware unless you charter a private boat. not cheap in a place like sxm.
- you can do a day trip to saba either by using the ferry or flying. we did it once. we keep toying with the idea of doing a week on sxm and a week on saba but we also like the idea of having so many options for other activities on st maarten

 

[drrich2]

Thank you for a detailed, practical review on a useful potential destination.

Tiffany indicated that the target bottom time was approximately 45 minutes, which seemed rather short to me, especially for the moderate depths of all three sites (never more than 62 feet and usually less) and her tendency to keep us rather close to the boat. Tiffany also had a conservative approach to gas management, indicating that we should prepare to end the dive when we reached 1000 PSI. I suspect that schedule considerations may have been the reason for this rather conservative bottom time and gas management, and it is the only thing that I can criticize in an otherwise excellent diving experience.

That 'only thing' would irk some people. I wonder to what extent their customer base is made up of cruise ship 'vacation divers,' a demographic forum postings have historically indicated are often (not always) very occasional divers, often rather low in skill and high in air consumption, and often taken to less pristine dive sites for a 'check out dive' the 1st dive (which is half the diving on a 2-tank trip!). Disclaimer: I've been a 'cruise ship diver' several times. In other words, are those limitations you cited pretty much standard?

I had an impressive day of diving, with excellent conditions, ample marine life, and a knowledgeable DM. I would have devoted more of my limited free time on my business trip to diving if I had known that the diving would be this good. I did not set aside more time for diving because my prior research on this board suggested that other divers felt that the diving on SXM was worth including in one's schedule in a multifaceted trip to SXM, but not compelling enough to devote a trip to it – compared to more compelling diving destinations in the region, such as Saba or Curaçao. Personally, I found my three dives on SXM more impressive than many of my dives on Curaçao.

I, too, have historically gotten a 'Decent if you're in the neighborhood for other reasons, but not worth a dive trip' vibe from discussions about it, so much so that in at least 4 cruise stops there, I've never taken a dive excursion while at St. Martin. Which is strange; even if one took it on faith that 'It's good, but you can do better,' why does that stigma not plague St. Thomas?

Many of us have dove St. Thomas on a cruise ship stop, I think. It doesn't seem to come up much as a dedicated 7-day dive trip destination. So, why is St. Thomas cool, and St. Martin a pass?

Richard.

 

[The Chairman]

One notable item missing from your (almost) excellent report is a discussion of Guavaberry Rum. No visit it Sint Maarten is complete without telling everyone what a great beverage this is. It is indeed my favorite rum and since it's not available here in the States, all ScubaBoarders are required to bring back a bottle for me. You can deliver it when you come down to Key Largo on your next scubacation.

Good job on the write up. Thanks. I've been through there on a liveaboard and never had the chance to dive it.

 

[drrich2]

I've been through there on a liveaboard and never had the chance to dive it.

That's another 'ding' against its reputation; the Explorer Ventures boat, Caribbean Explorer II, move back & forth between St. Kitts and St. Martin, diving St. Kitts and Saba but not St. Martin, IIRC. Seems like it would enhance their appeal to even do, oh, say, 2 dives at St. Martin just so customers could say they'd dove there...but they don't.

Richard.

 

[ScubaJill]

Introduction

I was on Sint Maarten (SXM) for business in early April 2017 and managed to fit a day of three dives into my schedule. The quality of the diving there impressed me more than I had anticipated on the basis of what I had read on this board. I am considering a return trip to SXM for the diving and some topside attractions and would appreciate feedback and suggestions from those with more experience on SXM. ...Do you prefer the diving on the French side or Dutch side of SXM? If so, why?
How are the diving conditions on SXM in early July or late November? (I might return at those times.) Are the conservative bottom times and gas management that I experienced typical of Octopus Diving and SXM, or are they specific to that particular DM? Is it feasible to cover SXM and Saba in one week? Is it possible to dive on Saba during the day and return to SXM at night, or would I have to relocate to Saba to dive there? (I would do other things on SXM at night; I imagine that Saba would be less interesting at night, unless you do night dives).

Ironborn, I did most of my initial dives in St. Maarten when I stayed there for a summer. I've heard some divers poo-poo diving in SXM and I could never figure out why. I typically saw more sea life there than I have since in Cozumel, Belize, and up and down Florida's coast. I have heard that the French side doesn't have great dive sites, and if this is true, it may be that some divers have only dived there? Anyway, the shorter dive times are fairly common there as they have a schedule they need to stick to. I think July can be rainy, so choppier waters and a little poorer visibility. Fewer people as well.

Saba is pretty fantastic, too, and easy to get to from SXM. You could fly in the morning to Saba (15 minute flight or so), get picked up at the airport, enjoy a roller coaster van ride along the concrete roadways, and get dropped off at the dive shop (there were 3 when I was there and they are all located in the same area) and be on the boat for the first, and deepest, dive by 8 am or so. The dive sites in Saba are close by, so there isn't any real travel time to get to a spot. You can then catch the 5/5:30 pm flight out and be back in St. Maarten by 6 pm. Easy peasy. I would suggest at least one night in Saba for the quaintness factor, though.

 

[The Chairman]

I would suggest at least one night in Saba for the quaintness factor, though.

Saba is the reason that Explorer Ventures doesn't dive in St Maarten. It's too beautiful a place to not stay as long as you can. Saba is my favorite island of all the islands I've ever been on. It's the only island I know with a dress code for it's homes. Yellow houses, red roofs and white shutters.The Tropical Birds look like they were designed by Dr Seuss. Th eonly drawback that I could see was no Guavaberry rum.

 

[Damselfish]

even if one took it on faith that 'It's good, but you can do better,' why does that stigma not plague St. Thomas?

Doesn't it? I've never heard of or thought of St Thomas as a place to go dive, only as a "if you're there anyway" kind of place.

I do think it would be worth the CE2 doing a couple dives on St Martin. It would make sense the last morning when ending there. As I talked about on some other thread, conditions on Saba were lousy when we were there on the CE2, so much so that I have no desire to go back to Saba even though lots of people rave about it. Conditions obviously are variable and you never know about that, but almost the only area that was diveable when we were there was very silt covered and depressing, supposedly from some harbor dredging. The only dive I thought was pretty good we didn't get to repeat, because the mooring was failing (during our dive.) So they were limited by conditions, silt, and possibly the number of moorings that were suitable for a boat that size. And we had rather nice dives on St Martin, so go figure. Actually the St Martin dives we apparently lucked out on were probably better than the dives we did around St Kitts, which I didn't find all that memorable.

 

[The Chairman]

St Kitts gets a bad rap too... but I wasn't that impressed with it. However, I thought the diving on Stacia was WAY under rated. They have the most abundant sea life I've seen on the planet. Boat loads of lob-zillas. You have to dive with a park ranger which is great. One got upset with how close I was to one coral, until he figured out that as close as I was, I wasn't going to touch it. That might have been one of the first complements on my UW stability I can remember but his concern showed me he actually cared about the reed. Kinda cool and the diving was fantastic.

BTW, if you make to Stacia, take a tour of the island. They have an original copy of the Declaration of Independence that they let me hold. Un-phreakin-believable! They also have blue slave beads which used to the be the currency for slaves on the island. When they were emancipated, they threw them into the ocean. If you find them, you can keep them. Kinda cool.

 

[Damselfish]

I wish CE2 still did Statia.