Saint Martin

Saint Martin / Sint Maarten offers a lively mix of reefs, wrecks and time ashore on one island. Local day boats suit a holiday with restaurants and beaches between dives, while departures toward Saba and Saint Kitts are a different, multi-island liveaboard experience. The two should not be confused with the Dominican Republic’s Silver Bank whale trips.

Planning information reviewed 9 November 2026.

In this page you will find more detailed information about scuba diving in Saint Martin.

Best Dive Review

The reefs and wrecks around the island offer different levels of exposure and depth. A shallow wreck fragment can be a rewarding dive in its own right, while a deeper intact vessel calls for more experience and a carefully managed profile.

• HMS Proselyte: historic remains rather than an intact ship. Swell and surge influence the day’s suitability.
• Carib Cargo: a wreck-and-sand setting where an exterior tour differs from penetration training.
• Fuh Sheng: a deeper wreck option whose current accessibility, depth plan and experience requirements need operator confirmation.
• Fish Bowl and local reefs: reef structure and fish life provide an alternative to a wreck-heavy programme.
• Creole Rock: a French-side option often considered for mixed water activities, subject to the selected operator and conditions.

The Nature Foundation describes local dive sites ranging from about 5 to 36 metres and recommends local dive schools. The coastal map below shows planning references; the dive centre provides the site briefing and entry arrangements.

Dive-site and coastal references

Satellite reference views for trip planning. Named-place markers are approximate and are not entries, moorings or underwater navigation positions.

PhilipsburgGrand CaseCreole Rock

• Philipsburg: Dutch-side base near Bobby’s Marina.
• Grand Case: French-side base; access and operator arrangements differ.
• Creole Rock: Approximate landmark reference only; exact dive positions not supplied.

Watch the original destination video on YouTube. Earlier footage; access and conditions may have changed.

How to dive Saint Martin?

A local dive centre is the straightforward choice for diving around Saint Martin. Dive St. Maarten, at Bobby’s Marina in Philipsburg, publishes a two-tank price of US$120 without equipment or US$140 with it. Current published tariff, checked 9 November 2026. The applicable marine-park pass and any extras need to be confirmed in the total.

Caribbean Explorer II offers a separate route linking Sint Maarten, Saba and Saint Kitts, with direction depending on departure. The operator itinerary determines the embarkation and disembarkation airports; it is not a week of diving only around Saint Martin.

Liveaboard itineraries

Caribbean Explorer II alternates direction: the airport used to leave the trip is on a different island from the arrival airport. Diving focuses on Saba and St Kitts, with optional island tours and weather-dependent sites.

Southbound: Sint Maarten to St KittsNorthbound: St Kitts to Sint MaartenShow all routesMain route

Indicative connections, not navigational tracks. Stops and timings can change with weather.

Southbound: Sint Maarten to St Kitts

1. Bobby’s Marina, Philipsburg — Embarkation area, Sint Maarten.
2. Saba — Island reference at Fort Bay; actual dive moorings vary.
3. Port Zante, St Kitts — Disembarkation area, Basseterre.

Northbound: St Kitts to Sint Maarten

1. Port Zante, St Kitts — Embarkation area, Basseterre.
2. Saba — Island reference; weather determines the dive sites.
3. Bobby’s Marina, Philipsburg — Disembarkation area, Sint Maarten.

Programme checked 9 November 2026. Operator itinerary. Port and island markers are planning references, not dive entries or guaranteed moorings.

Where to stay?

I usually use this website to book in advance my hotels in Saint Martin as they usually have the lowest rates I find. I like it because it's free to cancel and change the dates.

Best time to dive in Saint Martin

The Nature Foundation describes summer as generally having warmer water and calmer winds, while winter can be choppier. Tropical storms can disrupt summer and autumn plans, so there is no honest all-season guarantee of calm conditions.

Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November. Major hurricanes can affect Saint Martin, making flexible booking conditions especially useful for trips during this period.

Dive courses

Local operators offer introductory experiences and certification training, with shallow sites selected around conditions. Dive St. Maarten lists a Discover Scuba experience at US$110 with equipment and an optional second dive at US$55. Experienced divers may prefer a refresher before deeper wrecks if they have had a long break.

Scuba Diving conditions

Depth, exposure and recent experience are better guides to suitability than a destination-wide “all levels” label. Winter wind can create a choppy boat ride, and a sheltered alternative is not always available for every requested site. Visibility changes with swell and runoff.

Wreck interiors are overhead environments. A centre offering wreck courses does not make penetration part of an ordinary recreational tour.

Snorkelling in Saint Martin

Non-divers have plenty of choices ashore, and dedicated snorkel outings may be more enjoyable than accompanying a deep-wreck departure. Acceptance aboard a particular scuba boat, passenger price and suitable snorkelling stops need direct confirmation; a separate snorkel product does not establish those policies. On a multi-island liveaboard, passages and time aboard also shape the experience.

Fishes and Coral

Reefs and wreck structures support a mix of Caribbean reef fish, with groupers, barracudas, morays and rays among the possible encounters. Sharks and turtles may appear, but neither should be promised for a specific dive. The marine park’s pass system supports local management, and reef-safe buoyancy remains important around coral-covered structures.

Representative illustrations, not identification photographs or guaranteed sightings.

Diving Safety

If you are planning an upcoming dive trip or travelling to Saint Martin, it is a really good idea to invest in travel insurance for scuba diving, because you never know what could happen and when you might need it (because accidents do happen!). I recommend this diving insurance as they offer worldwide coverage and focus on providing scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Saint Martin suits divers who enjoy variety above and below water. A local dive stay leaves evenings on the island; a Saba–Saint Kitts liveaboard trades that flexibility for a moving itinerary. The right choice begins with which holiday rhythm appeals to you.

Questions before you go

Do Saint Martin liveaboards go to Silver Bank?

The relevant Caribbean Explorer II route links Sint Maarten, Saba and Saint Kitts. Silver Bank whale trips belong to the Dominican Republic and are a separate itinerary.

Is August colder underwater than February?

No. Local marine-park guidance describes summer as the warmer-water period, with winter often windier.

Is a marine-park pass needed?

The Nature Foundation operates a dive-tag system. The current pass and whether the operator includes it in the quote should be confirmed for the booking.

Photos Saint Martin

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Travel Guide

Now that you know all about the underwater world, you might want to start planning your scuba holiday! Check out our Saint Martin Travel Review for information about how to get there, activities and excursions, where to stay, and more.