Saba St Kitts Liveaboard Diving

The West Indies island of St. Kitts is situated 2,100km from the coast of Miami, Florida. The Kittitians, mostly African in origin, were brought here during the slave trade to cultivate sugar; now the island's main source of economy is tourism. St. Kitts is known for its upmarket resorts and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park: described as the best kept fortress in America.

In contrast, seemingly unspoilt by tourism, the island of Saba is a very small potentially active volcano with some impressive underwater sites to explore on a dive liveaboard. A place once used by Jamaican pirates, the island is the perfect hideout. Steep, mossy hillsides covered in woodland are majestically covered by mist as the day closes. Take a sneak peek at the red roof cottages on the island, where locals go about a simple lifestyle. There is the option on the island to purchase some of Saba's native delights: hand-stitched Saba lace, Saba Spice and Saba's local recipe spiced rum. Both islands have hidden away beaches easy to visit from a liveaboard so you can avoid the busy upmarket resort areas to find your own little paradise. This incredible dive location has an abundance of life due to the volcanic setting so enjoy its beauty both on land and from the moment you descend.

Usually leaving from the port of St. Maarten or St. Kitts, treat yourself to the luxury of the great visibility that the Caribbean Sea has to offer on a daily basis. Typically an 8 day trip, takes in all the sights of these Eastern Caribbean islands both above and below the water. You can expect to dive up to 5 times a day taking in the changes of the marine life after dark as well as during the day. You will have the opportunity to spend time on the islands visiting the rainforest on the mountainside, taking a ride on horseback along the beach or visiting the local golf course for a hole or two.

Visiting and diving by liveaboard around both islands, you will see contrasting sites. Whether you're interested in the coral gardens and reefs of Saba, or the more challenging dives in current and at the drop offs of St. Kitts, there is a dive to everyone's taste here. Wrecks of both recent and significantly older ships to explore; caves and swim-throughs to find your way through; and for the daring why not jump in and let the current take you as you allow the drift to do all the hard work whilst you sit back and watch the marine life pass you by. Don't forget to bring your camera! Perhaps you'll catch a nurse shark or a turtle as you roam the sites of St. Kitts and look a little closer around Saba to find macro species including some of the rarer beauties of the Eastern Caribbean Sea. Still keep that camera close by when on board as you may catch a glimpse of the dolphins in the water whilst moving between sites, snap the stunning sunsets and of course you will have the opportunity to take back the memories of all the new dive buddies you have made on board.

Dive Sites and Areas of Saba and St. Kitts.

Monkey Shoals is a large reef with mild currents. Take in the marine life darting amongst the hard and soft corals 3 km off the shore of St. Kitts.

Third Encounter is one of Saba's diving treats, take in a deep dive to a submerged pinnacle.

The Eye of the Needle at 17m is a unique diving experience where you may catch a glimpse of turtles, black-tip reef sharks, Nurse sharks and Grey reef sharks.

Diamond Rock, although often subject to strong currents, offers a vast array of marine life: rays, barracuda and Black-tip reef sharks are often found at this dive site just off the headland of Torrens Point.

St. Eustatius is another island between Saba and St. Kitts to wet your diving appetite with various dive sites around offering shipwrecks, walls, dropoffs and volcanic canyons.

When To Go

Diving here in this part of the Caribbean can be great any time of year. With an average water temperature of 22 - 30 degrees Celcius and an average visibility of 20 metres you are sure to enjoy your dives around these beautiful islands. It can be slightly colder between October and May so you may require a 5mm wetsuit instead of 3mm shortie.

Tips For Travellers

The local currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar at 2.7 to the United States Dollar (USD), however, the USD is as widely accepted on both islands. You will need to remember your travel adapters for D/G plug types (230V) if you wish to charge the all important camera so you can take your memories away with you. Due to the tropical climate, it is wise for onshore visits to carry a thin but effective waterproof; the islands are dense with rainforest.

How To Get There & Ports Of Departure

Liveaboard itineraries here usually begin at the port of St. Maarten or St. Kitts and end at the other on a Saturday - see booking and itineraries for details. When departing from St Kitts you will need to take a taxi to Port Zante in downtown Basseterre. Both islands can be reached by plane from many of the surrounding islands. Check out Winair and LIAT air for fares.

Considerations

A peaceful tour on a liveaboard will suit budgets with costs in the region of $200 - $300 per person per night including marine park fees, port taxes and fuel charges. It is a place to visit as a beginner diver as well as some sites for the more experienced divers needing a challenge. You can customise your trip to include enhancing your skills with tailor made teaching packages available onboard. When visiting Saba & St. Kitts you will need passports with at least 6 months validity on entry, a spare page for a stamp and you must check with your home country's government website about visa requirements. Those arriving with a US or British passport will be granted entry for free without visas. If you plan to stay on mainland USA before or after the trip you will need to consider the visa requirements for your passport type.