St. Martin or St. Thomas

[Steve Douglas 16]

I was asked which is a better place to dive and I had no idea...any suggestions from you folk would be appreciated.

Thanks,

STeve B)

[Giles 1]

St Martin .. everyone says it is by far the nicest caribbean island.

now although I haven't been there I am aching to from everything I have heard.

 

apparently it is amazing underwater but on land it is stunningly beautiful.

 

But if you would like to go to the largest Key that floated a bit to far south then St Thomas is always a very safe bet for staying within America and experiencing America on a slightly smaller scale, the Virgin islands are very nice. Although I must say i preferred the BVI to the USVI

[cor 0]

I'll approach this from the other end. St Thomas is not that great a place to dive imho. It's got a few nice sites, but if Giles says St Martin is nice, then i suppose that settles it I would pick that then.

 

If you are keen to stay on US soil, St Croix is definitely nicer than St Thomas for diving. But then..St Croix is not a happening place. Not much tourism.

 

Cor

 

(ps: I live on St Croix this part of the year).

[rtrski 20]

I have dove Sint Maarten (didn't hit the French side waters) and liked it - but it was also my first Carribean location. Having dove Saba, St. Kitts and Nevis (somewhere in between) and the Flower Gardens off Texas, I think I can say it kind of falls flatter by comparison.

 

I'd say if you are already going to St. Martin or St. Thomas, by all means do dive! But it's probably not high on the list of 'best' sites. One significant advantage St. Martin does have is that it is a very short plane flight (or a longer and rougher ferry ride) to Saba, which was superb diving IMO.

 

I did greatly enjoy St (and Sint) Martin/Marteen topside. Great restaurants, nice beaches of both the european/watersports/cabana resort variety as well as some out-of-the-way hidden ones. It's also a very short and nice ferry ride from Marigot out to Anguilla, which had the most pristine white sand beach I've ever personally seen (and not too bad of snorkeling off it, either...mostly coral rubble and algae, but good fish life and loads of squid). Anguilla supposedly also has some nice diving, but I didn't experience it myself.

 

I don't have any real St. Thomas experience by comparison. But I'd consider St. Martin a good 'central' locale for access to Saba and Anguilla, and probably good for a couple of 'typical' dives for itself too.

Edited February 3, 2008 by rtrski

[Jim 0]

I'll give my vote for St. Maarten. I had a very good experience with Dive Safaris in 2002 and 2005. Remember to be careful if travelling through Puerto Rico on American Airlines. There is a long standing unresloved problem with theft on checked baggage. Other than that, I found it to be a fun island. The shopping was decent. Perhalps the most reasonable in the Caribbean with prices getting even better when the cruise ships leave port in the late afternoon. I found St. Thomas a bit pricey although it's a pretty island. I didn't have a chance to dive there because of a (my) wedding. Have a great time.

[Poliwog 4]

I have only been through St. Thomas on my way to the BVIs for a sailing vacation. I too, much prefer the BVIs as Giles has said.

 

If you dive in St,Martin/St.Maartin bear in mind that you may have to adjust to metres instead of feet and Bars for tank pressure instead of lbs/sq. in. if diving on the French side of the island. You may also have the dive briefing offered only in French, so it may help to brush up with a few of the more important French words in the diving vocabulary. Whether you have a yoke or DIN style first stage should not be a problem.

 

They also prefer Euros to U.S. dollars on the French side whereas the Dutch side is happy to accept greenbacks.

 

St,Martin/St.Maartin is by far the most “European†of the Caribbean islands that I have been lucky enough to visit. Traveling from the French side to the Dutch side is effortless. The only way you know when you are crossing the border is if your are lucky enough to see the sign at the side of the road as you wiz by.

 

Food at the hotel restaurant that I was staying at on the French side was truly “très magnifique†and the absolute best of any I’ve had of all the Caribbean islands I’ve visited -- bar none.

 

Cheapest transportation around the island is by private minivan operator. About a buck or two a ride. Quality of vehicle ranges from brand new, to that of which lost it’s floor boards many moons ago only to be replaced with kitchen linoleum. These buses are truly democratic in the respect that you may see quite a variety of characters traveling along with you. Flag them down at the side of the road as they come by…

 

If you get sick, go to the pharmacist first before the doctor, the pharmacists have much greater powers to diagnose and prescribe medications than they do in the U.S. and Canada. It will be a lot cheaper that way, and they can fill the prescriptions right on the spot!

 

Most, if not all, the beaches are nude or semi-nude. Something to bear in mind if traveling with small kids or if you are squeamish about things like that.

 

The official road map of the island is copy of the overall view of the island as seen from Google Earth.

 

You will need a passport to get onto the island. I don’t know if your passport will have to be valid for a six month period after the date you left of not. Check with your travel agent.

 

Having said all that, I would love to go back to St,Martin/St.Maartin and dive again.

[tjgreen 0]

I'd go to St Maarten; the French side is one of the nicest topside spots I've been in the Caribbean. More importantly, as previous poster said, it's a quick flight to Saba, which has much, much better diving. Personally, I'm not much of a beach-goer, so I'd just skip both and go to Saba; it's quiet, friendly, and very beautiful.

[sailfish86 0]

Yo, I've lived in the BVI for nearly 20 years and captained a live aboard here for 4 of them with lots of trips done out of St. Martin...

 

1) Don't dive St. Martin - not worth any money to dive there. Shallow and murky all around. They have one sight they dive with sharks, though.

2) If you think any Caribbean island is pretty, then St. Martin might be considered pretty. Otherwise, the Dutch side is a pig sty and the French side is the place to go.

3) If you want a fantastically gorgeous French Caribbean island with great diving, then go to St. Barths (certainly more expensive)

4) If you just want the best diving in this end of the Caribbean, then go to Saba and bring books b/c there's nothing else to do except dive and read (excepting the single time you might walk up to the top of the mountain).

5) If you want to go to the USVI, then the diving off St. Croix's wall is the best. St. John would be the nicest to stay on and dive with St. Thomas being last for staying on.

 

 

For absolutely phenomenal island experience, very, very good diving, friendly island, and cheap accommodations, go to Dominica (not Dominican Republic)

 

For most numerous, quality dive sites, gorgeous island for activities, and fairly expensive, then BVI it is.

[hriter 0]

I've been to both several times.... In fact, I'm of to St Martin (French Side) this Friday. There is some good diving at both islands. I actually like St Thomas a litte better for diving, but the top-side at St. Martin is far better (no i don't mean the french girls on the beach!). Scuba Fun is a good dive outfit. Also, I took the attached picture on a dive w/ Dive Safaris a few years back. Much of the diving is dependent on surface conditions. There is a good sea mount dive between St. Martin and St. Barts if you can get too it. The east side tends to be better, but can be rough and they can't always get out there. Try to aviod getting put on a boat with the cruise ship mob if you can.

 

Also, I just purchased a Canon G9 with Ikelite housing and stobes. Can't wait to try it out!!!!

 

I don't know if the attachement is coming through on this????

Edited February 5, 2008 by Lobster

[diver dave1 23]

I thought the diving at St. Martin was nothing special but was pleasant. Not been to St. Thomas.

When were were there, you could puddle jump for $50 round trip - cash - to St. Bart and Saba. You could get cash at the ATM nearby. The price was double if using credit card or reserving from the states. We just walked up and made plans. We did both, overnighting at Saba with diving. The diving there was quite nice.

 

If you do go to St. Martin, rent a car and visit Friars Beach. Ask directions once there on the island.

Its down a short rough gravel road but is a delightful beach with great french food there.

Its a topless beach but that was not the attraction. Its just a lovely place to spend a day and have great food and relax.

[Steve Douglas 16]

Thanks all, I have forwarded your information. Appreciate the feedback

Steve B)

[Marjo 8]

Cor: "But then..St Croix is not a happening place" ... What???? How come then my social calendar is filled to the brink and I'm considering donating DNA to cloning research to make a small army of Marjo's to have time for all the island fun???? It's true tho - we don't have all the exciting "T-shirt and diamond shops", nor the exciting hordes of cruiseship tourists as St. Thomas has! But we do have more parties and diving/hiking/sailing/kiteboarding outdoorsy fun than you can possibly cram into one vacation... and a superb community of hardcore divers and dive operators (including uw photographers of which Cor of course is one of the "seasonal Rock Stars" )

 

Seriously.. dove St. Maarten a few years back and was not impressed. To me it was flat, dry, barren both topside and UW... and I got hussled a lot. I did like the food on the French side tho.

 

The diving around St. Croix is the reason why I have stayed on an extended vacation here for the last 10 years. Come here... and we'll show you the Caribbeans secret sweet spots

Edited April 10, 2008 by Marjo

[cor 0]

I love St Croix Marjo I recommend it to lots of people, because as Caribbean diving goes it's quite nice. I saw 5 frogfish on 1 dive this trip, including 2 striated ones. Not many places can say that One of the dive guides told me he saw 19 sea horses on 1 dive recently. And we had no trouble photographing mating hamlets.

 

But I always tell people...dont expect a booming night life. At 9pm someone flips a switch, and the island turns off. Any bars open after that, are usually pretty seedy. St Thomas has a bit more night life, but id take St Croix over St Thomas any time. If you like a nice relaxing place, where you can hang out on a beach bar and watch the sunset after a day of diving, head over to St Croix

 

Cor

[ScubaLuke 0]

The diving around St. Croix is the reason why I have stayed on an extended vacation here for the last 10 years. Come here... and we'll show you the Caribbeans secret sweet spots

Isn't St. Croix also a nesting site for leatherback turtles? I've never seen one in the wild or otherwise.

 

I've been thinking about a trip next year during nesting in hopes of getting a few leatherback shots. And St. Croix sounds like a good destination leatherbacks or not.

Luke

[Marjo 8]

Yes, we have the leatherbacks! St. Croix's Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge project boasts the largest population of nesting leatherback's under U.S. jurisdiction. The "girls" are arriving on Sandy Point beach in the early summer to lay their eggs, and the lovely little hatchlings emerge in late summer. The main turtle nesting beach will be closed to visitors during the peak time, but tours lead by scientist are arranged for the public. Of course the learherback also nest on other beaches than just the main nesting beach at Sandy point, but your chases of seeing a larger number of turtles in one night is higher on the main leaterback nesting beach. In the past few years photography, even "flashless" has not been allowed during the scientist led turtle watches. Exceptions were not even made for a certain well known local longtime resident underwater photograper offering to donate images to the "turtle authorities"... I might have gotten some of the last images of leartherbacks nesting a few years ago. I was told that this "pictureban" during the official tours was not mainly due to the distraction of flashes on the turtles, but rather due to images depicting humans handling endangered turtles were being spread on the internet carelessly without proper accompanying text explaining that the humans in the images were scientists with the proper permits and training to handle the turtles, giving the false impression that you culd handle these endangered turtles freely. Apparenlty images were used also in other less than desirable/appropriate content which was counterproductive to the efforts of educating the public on the turtles. In any case, photo op or on photo op, the turtlewatches are not to be missed. Year after year I am still equally amazed by the majestic sight of the female leatherback giants emerging from the silvery moonlit ocean.

 

Besides the leaterbacks we have the greens and the hawksbills and you can find those hatchlings pretty much at all times. It is very common to see the greens and hawksbills on just about any dive you make, but few have seen the leatherbacks underwater. Photographing the greens and hawksbills are quite easy, as they are so mommon and pretty easy to approach. Seeing leatherbacks on the surface from diveboats in nesting season happens from time to time, seeing the greens and hawksbills is very common. Information on the turtles of St. Croix can be found at http://www.wimarcs.org . Dates for any turtlewatch that I might be involved in will be posted in the calendar section of our local diveclub website http://www.crabbsvi.com

 

For any underwater photographer coming to St. Croix, I would firt and formost recommend diving our pier. The pier is always good and it olways offers new surprises. Right now it seems that "frogfish are in season", but you'll also might see seahorses, batfish and mantish shrimp. Of cousre there will be the usual assortment of eels, octopi, cudas, turtles, eels and rays. The pier is like a "smorgosbord" - I often just plop down in one pot and keep shooting in the spot until I run out of air. As it is shallow 90+ minutes in the common bottom time for a pier macrodive - you get to take your time.

 

As for pelagics, well I wouldn't COUNT on seeing sharks while diving (although you can see them in the shallows at Buck Island), tho crunching waterbottles at "the Wall" seems to be one way of attracting them. It's hit or miss. We had shalesharks visiting this spring but that's a rare treat. There are fanstasitc opportunities for CFWA photography due to the numerous wall diving sites were you can comfortably "shoot up" towards the surface catching dramatic formations and lush reeflife. We have gazillions of sites and most are just a few finkicks from the beach, tho we also have 7 excellent dive operators for those preferring boatdiving.

 

Topside photo ops also abound, (colors of carival, sailing on old schooner, reagattas, triathlons, historic forts...). I could get really exited about writing about that but this is not the right forum.

 

As for nightlife - yes, Cor is correct - St. Thomas has a lot more of it. We do have some really nice restaurants for dining, but "nightlife" in st. Croix happens mostly in the beachbars and bars on the Christiansted boardwalk or at parties on the beaches or in the rainforest. There is a lot going on, but the visitor might want to check the local newspaper or ask the friendly local bartender where the "hotspot" is at the moment as much of it is not directly geared towards the "tourists" but rather towards those who never returned from their vacation.

 

BTW, I don't work for any dive operation. I do work for a hotel, but not is "sales" (I save ppl from their puters). I'm just someone who found a secret photoop-paradise and stayed around to shoot for 10 years...

[ScubaLuke 0]

Thanks Marjo!

That's all really helpful information.

 

It is very common to see the greens and hawksbills on just about any dive you make, but few have seen the leatherbacks underwater.

 

I was afraid it might be chancy to get a shot of a leatherback. But it sure sounds like there's plenty of other stuff to photograph in St. Croix while I'm waiting on the leatherbacks.

Luke