Diving and Snorkeling in St. Croix
Mar 15 '02
The Bottom Line Great location for divers with non-divers in tow, as they can often snorkel the same dive site.
We have been to St. Croix a number of times, and keep returning for the great weather, beautiful beaches and awesome scuba diving. We did a little diving during our first visit, but didn't have much of an opportunity to dive from shore (time just didn't permit it). So we were determined to come back and focus on snorkeling and diving from shore. As most of these dive sites are close to shore, snorkelers will find lots to see as well. The following sites are not typical snorkeling areas, so you shouldn't find big crowds. I did not include information about the well known snorkeling sites here as there is a lot of information available about the underwater park everyone goes to at Buck Island.
If this will be your first visit to St. Croix, I strongly recommend you obtain a rental car. Most larger hotels have dive shops on the premises and will take you to many of the dive sites I mention in this review. But your best bet is to rent a car. You'll find a lot to do besides dive or snorkel on the island, and having a car just makes sense.
We decided to dive the numerous off shore reefs along the north coast near Cane Bay, so it made sense to rent our tanks and weights from the dive shop by the same name, located right on the beach at Cane Bay (Cane Bay Dive Shop 1-800-338-3843). There are many dive sites easily accessible from shore, however we didn't get to all of them. You probably won't either. Most of the dives average around 60 feet, some dipping to around 100 feet, but most were between 40-50 feet. The entries, many of which are rocky and not worth attempting later in the day due to rough seas, were fine early in the morning. Most of the sites were also frequented by dive boats, and you may prefer doing some of these dives from a boat if you don't feel comfortable shore diving. The swim out to many of the dive sites was also nice, for those of you interested in snorkeling.
The visibility varies, like it does on all dives most anywhere. We prefer to dive in the summer, when the water is at its warmest and the visibility around 80 feet. We were in St. Croix one year around Christmas when the water was much cooler, and I found the visibility to be nothing to write home about. The summer months won't always guarantee the best visibility, but I have found diving in the summer to be our best bet.
The staff at the dive shop are very helpful and on the boat dives we made with them, I felt we got our money's worth. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed with the dive site of the Rosa Maria (a wreck), but then again, we were having too much fun diving from shore with decent visibility. This wreck dive had maybe 40 feet of visibility the day we went out at a depth of around 95 feet. However, the dive to Salt River (a wall dive with swim-throughs) was super. You can ask about snorkeling those sites accessible only by boat, since snorkelers can often come along.
The following is a list of dive sites we visited. The dive shop can provide you with a map (a must) and let you know what to expect from each dive. There are many dive shops on the island, all with great staff and top notch equipment and boats. Quite a few of them probably go to some of the sites I mention here. What appealed to us was the freedom of doing many of these sites from shore. A rental car was a must and having your own gear a definite plus.
For those of you looking to snorkel, the shore sites all had shallow coral formations. The depths I refer to are the maximum, as many sites begin in less than 20 feet of water, and are easily accessible by snorkelers.
Cane Bay Dive Shop
A short swim from shore in front of the dive shop, out about 50 feet then to a depth of 40 feet for most of the dive. This is an excellent first dive of the trip. The famous Cane Bay Wall is here dropping to thousands of feet. We made several dives here, including a very enjoyable night dive. It gets pretty crowded here, so go early. Lots of snorkelers and people making this dive from shore, as well as newbies getting certified. The beach itself is quite rocky, with no shade and limited facilities.
Proctors
Accessible from shore. A pretty dive, with an average depth of 60 feet, this shallow wall had lots of fish and coral.
Twin Palms Beach
Great for snorkeling too. Lots of sea turtles can bee seen around this shallow wall. I maxed out at 50 feet. We made three dives here.
Pavillions Beach
We dove to about 70 feet. Easy Beach entrance and lots of fish and corals. We dove here twice.
Davis Bay
A nice, deeper wall dive. We encountered some current here, but saw some groupers and big fish at a depth of 70 feet.
North Star Beach
Very nice dive, probably the best site from shore at around 80 feet. Dove this three times.
Boat Dives:
Hams Bluff
Lots of swim throughs and fish galore. Too bad the visibility wasn't the best the day we were there.
Salt River
Great swim throughs.
The Rosa Maria
Lots of fish, and on a good day, I can see where this would be a great dive. The max depth was just under 100 ft.
The dive shop will be happy to provide you with directions and maps. The resorts in the area all have dive shops, and you may want to rent tanks or snorkeling equipment from them. I found the diving very economical and we really enjoyed the freedom shore diving allows. It's a good idea to have a compass and remember your dive light. Although I never made it over to the Fredriksted Pier, I hear that dive site makes for a great shore dive also.
Thanks for reading.
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Suzi
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Location: California
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Suzi is an aspiring travel writer who enjoys scuba diving and volleyball.
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