CodFishHead
Registered
Thank you Pakrat.
Still need info on St Maarten dives for youngsters. Anyone?
Still need info on St Maarten dives for youngsters. Anyone?
Quality of St. Maarten diving
- Thread starter Arsalan Ahmed
- Start date
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Some operators do a snuba trip to dawn beach. That is pretty cool as you'll likely see seahorses and baby puffers.
Jersey
Contributor
MY SXM diving has all been Dutch side, so take that for what it's worth. Plenty of shallow diving - 40 - 80 foot range that should be fine for the young uns. Viz from 30 - 100 foot, surge can be an item, sites include some patch coral and small reefs, small objects (small boats, RORO cargo, tug, bridge remains). Winds can whip up the water - I recall a January with 15 -25 foot seas, we did not go out and there have been several devastating hurricanes to land there.
Have done Saba taking the ferry from Simpson Bay Resort (formerly Pelican Resort), dives with Saba Deep, returned to the harbor between dives and took the ferry back in the afternoon. No comparing the diving, Saba hands down, but it is deeper - the shallow site were 60 footers. Deeper sites were pinnacles, larger pelagics in the open and small stuff all over the the rock.
We will be cruising and stopping at St. Maarten. Is there a way and time enough for us to get from St. Maarten to Saba to dive - is there a ferry we can take, etc.? We will be in port from 8 am to 5:30 pm. If someone could help me with these logistics (if it is possible) I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks, cruzbound
Thanks, cruzbound
Jersey
Contributor
Cruzbound - not sure the logistics and timing would allow. I personally would not want to risk literally 'missing the boat'... what if the ferry has a steering cable break down on the return trip and the normal 90 minute crossing took 3+ hours? That happened to me.
Barry Goode
Contributor
Of the locations discussed, Cozumel is much better diving. I've been to all of these locations and to Cozumel 4 times. Stay on the southwest part of the island as it is closest to the most amazing dive sites. Some of these like the Devil's Throat and Maricaibo are pretty deep 100 feet + but the most amazing dives. Nothing compares other than Bloody Bay Wall Little Cayman.
MalibuJerry
Contributor
you can do beach diving from Dawn Beach. It is an easy entry, relatively shallow and a protected inner reef. This would work well for young-un's. Get the tanks at the nearby scuba shop; a cheap way to dive SM
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