From: pete@uunet!ctbilbo (Pete Ritter)
Subject: Re: St. Martin
Organization: Communications Technology Systems, Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 17:48:32 GMT

In article <1992Dec21.232932.11380@panix.com> pkap@panix.com (Peter Kapner) writes:
>
>There is really nothing in the archives about diving in St. Martin.

If you are going all the way to St. Martin/Sint Maarten, why not go 40
km more to Saba for some really spectacular diving?

(For those who don't know:  We are talking about an island in the
Caribbean.  One side (St. Martin) is French territory and the other
(Sint Maarten) is Dutch.  Saba is a smaller island about 40 km from
SM and is Dutch).

I spent about 10 days in the fall of 91 in SM and Saba.  While diving
SM was good, Saba was MUCH BETTER.  The visibility was better, there
was a richer variety of reef life and there were fewer humans in the
water.

As for SM, there are quite a few dive operations in the resort area
around Simpson's Bay.  I did 4 dives with an outfit associated with
one of the resorts.  Most of the other divers (5 or 6) on the boat
were newly-certified and the dive master kept a pretty close watch on
everyone.  We did 2 reef dives off of Philipsburg (one site had a ship
wreck, covered with so much coral that it was difficult to tell it
used to be a ship) and two on the French side.  I think the sites were
chosen with the beginners in mind.  Depths were 25-50 ft, which is
fine with me (give me lots of critters, colors, fish and bottom time
and I'm happy).  I think the dives were about $US30 each, a bit
expensive I thought for a package of 4.

Saba!  There were 3 dive operators.  I chose the newest (Wilson's) for
no particular reason.  I did 8 dives with them.  On 4 of those, it was
just me and the dive master.  On the others, there were 4 or 5 others.
Most of the circumference of Saba is a protected marine park where
fishing and anchoring are prohibited.  Only a few thousand divers
visit each year.  The result is pristine reefs, clear water and lots
of fish and few humans.  Saba is the top of a volcano and is steep and
rocky right to the water.  There are no beaches and all the diving is
by boat, within a few hundred meters of shore.  The dives tend to be
deep (60-80 ft) but there are a few shallower sites.  One of the
shallower sites is a pinnacle that rises out of the water and is
covered with guano.  It looks like a snow-capped peak!  The dive is
around the base of this pinnacle at about 40-50 ft.  This is a good
dive for long bottom time and good scenery.  There is another site
which is the top of three pinnacles.  The top is fairly flat and at
about 100 ft.  The sides are very steep and the sensation of swimming
around the perimeter with the edge dropping off into the blue then black
abyss was wierd.  Other sites have canyons and others are just reefs.
All the sites were very colorful with lots of coral and critters and
sponges and fish.  We did no night dives, but I'm sure these can be
arranged.  I paid US$35 per dive, 8 dive package price!  A two dive
package was US$90!  This is the most I have spent for diving, but I
think it was worth it.  

SM is a tacky, dirty, expensive tourist destination, full of ugly
highrise condos and resorts.  It is crowded with tourists, touts and
tawdry shops.  That describes the tourist area between Marigot (French
side) and Philipsburg (Dutch side). There are areas where you can
escape this dreadful scene, however.  OK, editorial off.  If that
appeals to you, that's cool; it doesn't appeal to me, but I enjoyed
the few days I spent there anyway.  I stayed at a small hotel in
Philipsburg called The Passengrahan (I'm sure I have mangled the
spelling), right on the beach and far away from the resort area.  This
cost about US$50 per night, with facilities and ceiling fan.  If you
wanted aircon, they would turn on the mains to it for another US$10
per day!  It has a nice bar and restaurant.  There are several more
hotels in Philipsburg in the same price range.  There are plenty of
restaurants in Philipsburg, with just about all cuisines and all of
them overpriced.

Saba is the diametric opposite of SM.  It is laidback, clean,
uncrowded, has no resorts and no one hastles you.  The population is
nly about 1000.  There are only a few (three I think) small hotels
(12-15 rooms) and a few guest houses.  I stayed in the village of
Windwardside in a hotel called Captain's Quarters.  It is at about 400
meters and overlooks the ocean.  It has a spectacular view.  Other
hotels in the area are Juliana's and Scout's Place.  Captain's
Quarters and I think Scout's have pools.  One of the dive shops uses
the pool at CQ for classes.  When I was there (Sept 92), there were
only 5 or 6 other guests.  I think I paid US$55 per day, breakfast
included.  The room was large, with facilities, with a ceiling fan,
very airy and bright.  There is no aircon, but I doubt you'd need it.
Up that high, the breezes are cool.  There is very little night life
on Saba.  The hotels have bars and one or two of the restaurants have
pool tables.  Guido's (pizza, mainly) seems to be one the gathering
places.  There are a few Chineese restaurants.  Saba is a great place
to relax.  I highly recommend it and can't wait to go back.  You can
get to Saba from SM by plane (a few flights a day from Sint Maartin)
or by boat.  The boat makes the trip three days a week.  It leaves
Simpson's Bay in the morning (09:00 I think), stays long enough for
two dives or a tour of the island and returns in the afternoon.  Most
of the passengers are daytrippers.  The trip takes about 90 minutes
and costs around US$40 return.

English is the dominant language on both SM (both sides) and Saba.  US
Dollars are more common than the offical florints and francs.  If you
enter SM with US$, there is no need to change them into local
currency.  Credit cards are readily accepted in SM but few places in
Saba accept them.

Good luck.

-- 
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* Pete Ritter    uunet!ctbilbo!pete          |    Yu no can kaikai buai na    *
* Communications Technology Corp. Dallas, Tx |    spet long makit.            *
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