St. Maarten Diving
With a mix of wrecks, prolific coral reefs, lava tubes, canyons and tons of marine life, it’s not difficult to summarise diving in St Martin / St Maarten…..simply fantastic! It may just be one island, split into two countries, but what makes diving here so special are the two bodies of water – Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean – that surround the island and bring with them their own unique characteristics and species, including dolphins and humpback whales during the winter season. Diving here is year round, with water temperatures ranging between 78-83°F (25-28°) with visibility often over 100ft (30m) in calm conditions. Most of the 30+ dive sites are generally shallow, 40-60ft (12-18m), although for techies there are a few deep wall dives not to be missed.
Underwater topography is a mix of coral reefs, encrusted rock formations and of course a variety of artificial reefs created by the numerous wrecks dotted around the island. All of these play home to an assortment of corals, sponges and hydroids. Divers and snorkellers to the area are rewarded with an abundant variety of fish life that includes surgeons, sergeant majors, blue tangs and trunkfish as well as regular siting of turtles, eagle rays and reef sharks. With several dive centres operating on both sides of the island, our selected diving partner - Ocean Explorers- is regarded by many as the best in the business, servicing all the major hotels and resorts in Dutch St Maarten and is famous for its Shark Dives. For more about each of our selected diving partners, see below.
Ocean Explorers - Sint Maarten
Located right on the beach by Simpson Bay in Dutch St Maarten, Ocean Explorers is the longest established dive centre on the island. This small and friendly dive operation, owned and operated by Lu and Jef – together having over 40 years’ dive industry experience between them, is focused on personal service and offers flexible dive site selection and schedules as part of their commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction.
With more than 17 years’ of recognition by PADI for Outstanding Services, and a reputation as one of the best dive shops in St Maarten, Ocean Explorers runs daily dive trips to St Maarten’s best dive spots as well as offering a wide range of PADI courses and a unique Shark Dive experience!
For all StMartinbookings.com customers, take advantage of some exclusive special offers and discounts with Ocean Explorers. To qualify, simply book a ferry ticket or fast boat service with us!
Dive Sites
Ocean Explorers has spent the last 30 years exploring the reefs and wrecks around St Maarten to bring you the very best diving in St Maarten. With 20+ dive sites to choose from, some exclusively created by Ocean Explorers, there’s something for divers of all abilities and experience. From shallow reefs bejewelled with colourful corals and reef fish, to deeper reefs and walls where schools of snapper and jacks can be seen along with batfish, turtles and sharks. There are also a good number of diveable shipwrecks; home to all manner of marine life. Ocean Explorers will do their utmost to show you the diversity of St Maarten diving, paying careful attention to diver safety and weather conditions when planning their dives.
Shark Dive
With global shark populations diminishing, Ocean Explorers offers a unique experience to certified divers in an effort to raise awareness and dispel common misconceptions about these incredible creatures. Under the close supervision of Jef – a professional shark feeder and instructor with more than 10 years’ experience in St Maarten – you’ll have a close-up view of how he feeds and interacts with the resident Caribbean Reef Sharks. The sharks, ranging in length from 3-9 feet (1-3m), are free to come and go as they please, so there’s no way of knowing how many you’ll see. The feeding is conducted responsibly - small amounts of fish only once or twice a week - to ensure the sharks’ natural hunting behaviour is not disrupted. Sharks are a pivotal part of the marine ecosystem and their dwindling numbers could have serious repercussions for the health of our oceans’ reefs.
Dive Courses
As a fully licenced PADI Dive Centre, Ocean Explorers is able to offer a comprehensive range of introductory and continuing diving education courses. If you’ve never dived before and want to experience what it’s like to breathe underwater amongst incredible marine life then the Discover Scuba Diving experience is for you. Or perhaps you’re looking to earn your PADI Open Water certification, or improve your diving skills and knowledge with a Specialty Course... whatever program you choose you can be sure that all lessons are personally supervised with safety the number one priority.
Dive Boats
Small groups and uncrowded dives are what Ocean Explorers is all about. Their two well-equipped dive boats – Ocean Explorer and Undersea Adventure - are ideally sized to safely and comfortably transport divers quickly and smoothly to/from the dive sites. Their powerful twin Mercury engines ensure journey times are kept to a minimum (usually less than 20 mins.) and with an 8-diver limit per boat there’s never a crowd.
Explorers Log
Specialised in Underwater Portrait Photography, Ocean Explorers offers divers the ultimate souvenir of their experiences underwater. Their Explorers Log is a daily online album of all the photos and videos captured during the day’s dives. You can browse, download and order prints as an everlasting memory of your St Maarten diving adventure.
