Diving in St. Kitts, St. Eustatius & Saba

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St. Kitts, St. Eustatius & Saba Facts

Language: English, Dutch, French

Time: GMT - 4

Electricity: 110v USA style flat pin

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St. Kitts, ST. EUSTATIUS & SABA Diving

Experience the captivating fusion of Dutch, British, French, and indigenous cultures across the picturesque islands of the Caribbean's Northeastern region.

Dive into the diverse underwater world, featuring an array of coral colours on shallow pinnacles, walls, sandy gullies, and deep marine sea mounts with fantastic opportunities for wreck diving too. On land, you'll find charming coves with brightly coloured fishing boats, laid-back villages, and lush rainforests that provide a taste of Caribbean life.

Diving in ST. KITTS

The usual entry point for visits to St. Eustatius, St. Kitts also has diving opportunities. The wreck of the M.V. Corintian (known as The Tug) rest at a comfortable depth of 18–20 metres, adorned by a delightful reef encasing the bow and extending toward the water's surface.

Situated near Basseterre's harbour, the M.V. Talata features a modest volcanic vent that adds an extra layer of warmth to the surroundings. This wreck lies at a depth of less than 18 metres, offering a captivating diving experience close to the capital.

Diving in ST. EUSTATIUS ('STATIA)

This laid-back island offers a lovely mix of above and below water beauty. Voted the 'Best Caribbean Diving Destination' by National Geographic in 2022, the island has until now escaped the attention of most divers. The waters of St. Eustatius are protected by a marine park established in 1996, encircling the island, prohibiting fishing and boat anchoring. The 'Statia National Marine Park is home to 35 dive sites, all marked with mooring buoys, which ensures there’s an abundance of healthy corals. The uniqueness of diving in Statia lies in the quantity, diversity of marine life, and gently sloping colourful drop-offs. To add to the scene, stunning lava flows evidence of the island's volcanic origins.

Marine life highlights include angelfish, moray eels, barracudas, seahorses, octopus, eagle rays, nurse sharks and numerous sea turtles. Both green and hawksbill turtles are well-protected by the marine park, with nesting beaches closely monitored.

The waters of St. Eustatius are also home to numerous wrecks dating from different eras. The oldest, represented by anchors only, date back to the 17th century. Their density around the island testifies to 'Statia's rich history as a maritime trading port. More recent wrecks can also be explored.

Diving in SABA

Saba, encompassing Saba Marine Park and Saba Sea Mounts, offers diverse diving experiences with vibrant coral colours, walls, sandy gullies, and deeper sea mounts at 20–30 metres. Sponges and sea fans can be found in a shallow forest, creating a sheltered environment for macro species and schools of fish. Saba provides access to 30 serene dive sites, all situated within the park's boundaries.

The marine life provides divers with multiple sightings of moray eels, hawksbill turtles, jacks, barracuda, and southern stingrays. Divers will also find frogfish, seahorses, and nudibranchs buried in the reefs. In 1987, after three years of collaborative efforts involving Tom van t'Hof (a pivotal figure in the establishment of Bonaire's marine park in 1981), the Saban government, local residents, dive shops, and fishermen, Saba's Marine Park was officially founded. This initiative has significantly contributed to the preservation of the island's coral reefs, achieving a notable level of conservation, with notable positive impacts on fish populations. Additionally, the park is equipped with a hyperbaric chamber.

STATIA DIVERS

Statia Divers are based at the Golden Rock Dive & Nature Resort and offers daily diving and courses in St Eustatia.

The diving around St Estatius has been nominated by National Geographic as the best Caribbean diving destination. Formed in 1996, the well managed marine parks surround the island and ensure vibrant soft corals and marine life. There are over 36 dive sites to enjoy, all within 3 miles of the harbour and offering a variety of habitats from shallow coral reefs to deeper walls, along with lava flows and wrecks for experienced divers. Historic anchors, cannons and other archaeological relics add to the variety and appeal.

Underwater highlights include sightings of reef sharks, rays and turtles, plus 18th century shipwrecks. A must-see is the Chien Tong, an old fishing boat sunk to create an artificial reef. Known as the 'turtle hotel' it is resident to lots of hawksbill and green turtles.

DIVE PACKS

A six dive package is from £450 per person, while a ten dive package is in the region of £800 per person. Nitrox is complimentary for all suitably qualified divers. We recommend booking a combined diving and accommodation package for the best value. Statia dives caters only to guests staying at the resort.

DIVE COURSES

In addition to diving for certified divers, the experienced dive team offer a range of PADI courses, including the Open Water course and the Advanced course. A unique feature of the hotel is the huge made-made ocean-fed lagoon, which is ideal for training. You'll even have the opportunity to dive an American school bus sunk in the lagoon!

Please enquire for an itinerary including your chosen scuba diving course.

GROUPS

Groups are welcome, with incentives available for groups of 11 divers or more. Contact us to book.

EXTRAS IN RESORT

Marine park fee of $30 per person
Equipment rental $50 for a full set of equipment

GETTING AROUND

Taxis, car hire, and local excursions can easily be arranged through the hotel, your local agent representative or the liveaboard boat crew.

CLIMATE

Average 27ºC (air) year round.

Light, informal clothing may be worn all year, though a light layer may be required for evenings in the winter months. You may want a relaxed outfit if dining in plantation restaurants. Guests should not wear skimpy clothing whilst visiting towns and villages.

WATER TEMPERATURE

Slightly cooler during the Winter months at 24ºC, rising to 29ºC during the Summer.

CURRENTS & VISIBILITY

In general, with the exception of a few dive sites, currents are gentle. Water visibility is usually very good year round at 20+ metres

TIME

GMT -4 hours

CURRENCY

£1 - $1 = 1.52

Eastern Caribbean Dollar in St. Kitts also accepted. 2.7 XCD = 1 USD

Saba - ATMs are located in Windwardside and The Bottom
St. Kitts & Nevis – ATMs are located in Basseterre

Credit cards are widely accepted.

TIPPING

Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognised part of life in this region of the world. Tip around 10% of the boat cost is recommended.

ACTIVITIES

Other activities include museums, horse riding, Mount Scenery walk, island crafts, beaches, small villages to wander around, bird life.

Flights

Flights are with British Airways and depart on Wednesdays and Saturdays from Gatwick. The flight has a touchdown in Antigua.

For guests on the Caribbean Explorer II liveaboard, a flight from St.Maarten to St. Kitts on LIAT Air or similar will be arranged on the day of disembarking as part of your package.

Flight Duration: 9½ to 10 hours

Departure tax: $20 - $30. Please refer to airline notes on confirmation.

Passports & Visas

Please always check your own entry requirements, regardless of your nationality. Your passport should always have at least 6 months validity on date of return travel.

British Nationals are currently granted a 1-month tourist visa on entry.

Always check for last minute changes in entry requirements on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website.

Nationalities other than British citizens should check with their own consular office.

Vaccinations

Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure. For the most up-to-date advice, please consult your travel clinic or GP. Further information regarding vaccinations for travel to this country can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and from your local healthcare provider.

There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to St. Kitts, St. Eustatius & Saba, but we always recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio.

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Caribbean Explorer II

Excellent

"The crew on the boat were excellent and the service they provided was first class. The food onboard was also excellent and the diving was very good. "

Delwyn

No votes yet

Caribbean Explorer II

We Saw Turtles on Virtually Every Dive!

"I had a lovely holiday. This trip stands out for several reasons: there were no other boats/divers on any of the sites, the coral is exquisite and the macro and other wildlife is abundant. We saw turtles on virtually every dive, reef and nurse sharks and too many other groovy things to mention. Ooh yes, and the water is a steady 29 degrees. Only a shorty or Lycra skin needed. There was little or no current, apart from on one of my dives.

I am happy to report that I had no problems at all while I was away. I did not do the night dives, but it might be worth mentioning that they insist everyone has a tank light as well as a flashlight per diver.

• Accommodation - on the boat I was fortunate that the female stand-in crew member I was meant to share with decided to sleep in a crew bed instead. I was really relieved about this as the cabin would have been very claustrophobic with two of us in it. The top bunk is accessed by standing on the bed below. I could not have got up to it easily and the ceiling was extremely low. However, not all cabins have this arrangement. Generally, the boat is much older than those on which I have previously done a liveaboard dive holiday (Egypt, Maldives, GBR). It all worked - the air con was fierce! But not the same spec generally as the Blue O2 fleet, for example.

• Food and other services - the food was outstanding. There was always plenty and freshly cooked. ALL drinks are included, even alcohol! The tip for the crew at the end of the trip was a bit awkward. The US culture is so different - in the end I parted with 15% of the boat price. And the purser wanted even more! But generally, the crew were always on hand and extremely attentive. The captain shared his dry British humour every briefing, which went down especially well with the mainly American guests!

• Dive sites/itinerary - the dive sites are really well identified and the crew incredibly knowledgeable. There was someone in the water with us on every dive, which I really appreciated as a lone traveller. There were no other divers or boats on any of the sites all week. That has to be a bonus! I don't know about flights to St. Maarten from the UK, but guess they would go from Amsterdam. I think I happened to do the itinerary in the best order, although the very early morning flight from St. Maarten to St. Kitts is a bit of a drag - a long wait for the BA flight and I missed the last dive the day before, although I could have risked it as the altitude of the flight is low.

• Dive Centre Staff/Liveaboard Staff and Crew - the crew was a great team and they were all very helpful. There are five dives available every day except for the last day, when there are two. This is great value - each site was very different and it was good to have the fourth dive at the same site as the night dive. The main reason I did not do the night dives was because I wanted to enjoy my dinner without risking indigestion. The night dives all occurred after dinner. The first dives also took place after breakfast. The surface intervals are therefore a lot shorter than I am used to, so I ended up switching to Nitrox after two days because my deco was building up.

• Transfers and ground arrangements were all very straightforward. I also did both land tours on St. Kitts ($33 paid to the driver) then on Saba ($20 paid on the boat), which were very interesting. You do miss a dive, usually - although as almost all of us did the Saba tour there was no dive. On the final day, Percy took me over to the Marriott from the airport and picked me up again - he charged £40 for these two trips. I enquired about the cost of a day room, but baulked at $150. So I went to the on-site Spa instead! Use of the whole facility is included - sauna, plunge pools, steam, shower and hairdryer, etc. - if you have a treatment. And there was hardly a soul there. Bliss! Gave me a chance to sort out my wrecked hair!

If I were to do the trip again, I would certainly spend some time at either end ashore and explore more of the islands. The flights on BA via Antigua were great - timing it just right for arrival especially.

There is no longer any departure tax to be paid on leaving St. Kitts. You may also be interested to know that the boat sails every week no matter how many guests there are on board. I was told that one Christmas week, there were only two guests. Incredible!"

Jeanette Redding - UK

Guest rating: 9/10 (1 vote)

Caribbean Explorer II

I Had a Fantastic Time!

"The holiday was everything I expected and more! I had a fantastic time as normal - the team on board did everything they could to make it a great week. The transfers were perfect, like clockwork. There were no problems - everything was perfect.

Liveaboard is an old boat, but everything is in excellent working order and kept clean and tidy. I love it and I have been on it many times over the years. Food is fabulous - good quality and selection with a good range of wines and spirits.

The dive sites and itinerary were perfect - I had some great dives. The staff/crew are ALL fantastic. One of the highlights was making new friends and having a great week with a great group.

Great service from Regaldive and I will most certainly book again with you.
"

Karen Butler - UK

Guest rating: 9/10 (1 vote)

Bird Rock Beach Hotel

Bird Rock Beach Hotel, St Kitts

"I thought you might like some feedback on Bird Rock.

The hotel itself is not pretentious: it is a good base for diving and exploring the surrounding area, and only a (hot) half hour walk from the centre of Basseterre itself. The dinner menu changes daily, the food is excellent local cuisine and all freshly prepared from fresh ingredients (one night I had the lobster: a complete, large, reef lobster), and, although there are other restaurants a short taxi hop away, I would recommend anyone staying there to consider the half board as it was excellent value. The breakfast selection is good, and the Rockies Beach Bar does a mean Buffalo Wings.

If you are a beer drinker, the local brews are Carib and Stag; both brewed on the island and exported around the islands, Carib is sweeter and Stag is marginally stronger.

The Dive Centre is very laid back. Tony and Danny, the two resident instructors are calm, relaxed and have two young guys learning the ropes, Tucker and Alex. Captain Crabby is famous (or infamous?) for his 'attitude', but is very serious about the safety of the boat and the divers: a thoroughly competent and professional team. The hire equipment is predominantly ScubaPro, and in excellent condition, the boat is clean and fast! Obviously, being that side of the 'pond', things like metres, bar and litre tank sizes are tolerated with some amusement, anyone taking DIN fittings will need to take an adaptor (being a well trained Divemaster, I had that eventuality covered!).

The diving is nearly all within 10 minutes fast boat ride. The closest dive sites are almost within a stone's throw of Rockies Bar, a long series of reefs ranging from shallow to not quite as shallow with an intriguing coral covered anchor (the site is called Spanish Anchor, but I believe it is a 19th century Royal Naval issue). Not much further out, and you have the two local 'must dive' wrecks. MV Corinthian, a purpose sunk tug in about 22 metres, and the bashed about River Taw, which is a delight for photograpers, with big barracuda living on the deck of one half of the boat, macro life everywhere and the possibility of pretty wreck shots at all angles. "

Steve - UK