St. Martin in July
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DiveSkippy
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I am planning on going to st. martin for April (I know st. martin isnt great for diving but its where I will be so I will make the most of it) can anyone recommend a dive shop? Looking to get some friends certified for open water and to bump my own cert up to advanced open water.
Thanks!
Thanks!
donnad
Contributor
hubby and i went to st. maarten a couple of summers ago........but here's what we did......we went to Saba first for several days of diving, then hopped over to St. Maarten for beach/relaxation time. Saba has no beaches......it's a dormant volcanoe, and st. maarten has lots of pretty beaches. it was a great trip.
Hello,
I have read so many posts saying that St. Maarten has poor diving and I would beg to differ. Like any other destination it all depends on the operator you choose. If you decide to go with the big cattle diving ops well then your experience will be mediocre, and this applies to any dive destination. St. Maarten has not marketed its dive industry as it should, and is in some areas lacking proper marine conservation, but that does not mean that there is no good diving to be had on the island. It is true that the dive sites on Saba and Statia are of higher quality, but if your experience level does not allow you to dive the relatively deep sites in saba, and if you are looking for a more developed tourism infrastructure than statia, well then st. maarten can be quite rewarding.
On St. Maarten I would definately recommend Ocean Explorers on Kim Sha beach. It is a relatively small op run by a husband and wife team who offer exceptional service. It is the only op that offers the shark awareness dives (the other ops tag along when those dives are being conducted) and will cater to your experience level and what you would like to see. They can also dive lesser known sights depending on your experience and the conditions. On your surface intervals you can enjoy the many topside activities the island has to offer. If anyone needs more info feel free to PM me.
Good diving,
Tadzio
I have read so many posts saying that St. Maarten has poor diving and I would beg to differ. Like any other destination it all depends on the operator you choose. If you decide to go with the big cattle diving ops well then your experience will be mediocre, and this applies to any dive destination. St. Maarten has not marketed its dive industry as it should, and is in some areas lacking proper marine conservation, but that does not mean that there is no good diving to be had on the island. It is true that the dive sites on Saba and Statia are of higher quality, but if your experience level does not allow you to dive the relatively deep sites in saba, and if you are looking for a more developed tourism infrastructure than statia, well then st. maarten can be quite rewarding.
On St. Maarten I would definately recommend Ocean Explorers on Kim Sha beach. It is a relatively small op run by a husband and wife team who offer exceptional service. It is the only op that offers the shark awareness dives (the other ops tag along when those dives are being conducted) and will cater to your experience level and what you would like to see. They can also dive lesser known sights depending on your experience and the conditions. On your surface intervals you can enjoy the many topside activities the island has to offer. If anyone needs more info feel free to PM me.
Good diving,
Tadzio
I am inclined to agree with Tadzio, with one exception Ocean Explorers can be challenging depending on you physical condition. If you have problem getting on or off of small boats. But other than that great dive shop and great people I know them personally.
There are a couple other dive shop options on St Maarten and where you stay makes a difference in the dive shop you choose.
Jason
St Maarten Scuba Dive St Maarten with the best dive package and scuba dive shops - Home
There are a couple other dive shop options on St Maarten and where you stay makes a difference in the dive shop you choose.
Jason
St Maarten Scuba Dive St Maarten with the best dive package and scuba dive shops - Home
k8brandt
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We have been to SXM a few times and the diving is great! But the beaches are even better. Our favorite is Friar's Bay. Do a few dives on SXM, then head over to Saba. We go with Dive Adventures on Simpson Bay, then Sea Saba over on Saba. Vinnie at Dive Adventures can arrange your trip over to Saba for you.
marcaumarc
Contributor
We've been to St. Martin about 7-8 times in the last 5 years. If you can, stay on the French side, as it is much prettier. If you can't, at the very least EAT on the French side. We've been going with Octopus Diving in Grand Case for years, and the new owners are really great. Here are some of my thoughts on them. You can also check out some photos from our trip in February here.
July should be fantastic, the water will be warmer and clearer than in the winter. You'll have a lot of fun! Check out our web site for other St. Martin info, including restaurants we like, etc.
My girlfriend is actually in St. Martin right now taking her rescue diver course with Octopus. Also, feel free to email us if you have questions.
Also, the Octopus people actually took a day off while we were there in Feb so we could scout out new dive sites together, and I know they were interested in being able to offer shore diving, but as of now I don't know if there are any regularly used shore diving sites on the island.
July should be fantastic, the water will be warmer and clearer than in the winter. You'll have a lot of fun! Check out our web site for other St. Martin info, including restaurants we like, etc.
My girlfriend is actually in St. Martin right now taking her rescue diver course with Octopus. Also, feel free to email us if you have questions.
Also, the Octopus people actually took a day off while we were there in Feb so we could scout out new dive sites together, and I know they were interested in being able to offer shore diving, but as of now I don't know if there are any regularly used shore diving sites on the island.
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relaxandfun
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go to Blue Bubble Watersport and dive center and ask for Instructor Nimo. He is fun. Ask him to take you to Carib Cargo and Maze as dive sites. I think you will enjoy it. ask for Nimo, he is Brazilian fun guy. I booked on-line and everything was great, just the lady ask million questions but at the end all was ok. Free pick up as well. I think there is no shore diving in sint maarten.
relaxandfun
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go to Blue Bubble Watersport and dive center and ask for Instructor Nimo. He is fun. Ask him to take you to Carib Cargo and Maze as dive sites. I think you will enjoy it. ask for Nimo, he is Brazilian fun guy. I booked on-line and everything was great, just the lady ask million questions but at the end all was ok. Free pick up as well. I think there is no shore diving in sint maarten.
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