The Scuba Shop SXM is a PADI 5-Star Dive and ECO Center in Simpson Bay, St. Maarten, offering fun dives as well as PADI training from Discover Scuba Diving, Open Water Certifications, Advanced Open Water, to many Specialty Dive courses as well as Divemaster Certification. Training is done in our on site swimming pool and off our boat at our beautiful dive sites. Our PADI Instructors work as a team and make sure that all of your student needs are taken care of. If you are already certified they are your Dive Guide on the boat with lots of knowledge to share. Our beautiful dive sites are suitable for both recreational diving as well as training dives. We ensure that each dive is tailored to your goals, experience, and schedule, so you can explore St. Maarten waters with confidence and excitement.
At the Scuba Shop SXM we like to have an unhurried schedule and a max of 8 divers on the boat, we dive in small groups with a low guide to guest ratio, which does make us more expensive. We offer a regular shared trip schedule as well as custom private charters. Our boat, the Mermaid’s Tale, is a 30ft semi rigid inflatable center console with 600 hp on the back for a quick trip out to the dive sites. We have both shaded and sunny areas on the boat and a fresh water rinse shower. We supply filtered water and a light snack on the boat. Back at our dock we offer a beverage from our fridge. For larger groups we use multiple boats or bigger boats from our dive partners.
All of our dives are guided boat dives and a crew member always remains on the boat for surface support. We offer scheduled morning and afternoon dive trips, as well as night dives and private dive trips at reasonable rates.
Our rental dive gear, regularly serviced, is from SCUBAPRO - balanced regulators, weight integrated BCDs or padded weight belts, short or full wetsuits, dive computers and, on request, smaller cylinders for smaller divers. Our cylinder valves take both Yoke or DIN regulators. Dive computers are mandatory on all of our dives.
At the Scuba Shop SXM we offer both morning 2 dive trips and afternoon 1 dive trips. St Maarten offers some really great diving along the South coast. With a combination of reefs and wrecks there is something for everyone. Fish life is varied and quite prolific and the shark, turtle and stingray population is generally abundant – especially the sharks in the Man of War Shoal Marine Park area. Dives are generally kept to 45 minutes for everyone’s comfort and to minimize the surface interval. With an average depth of 55ft/17m, most of our dive sites are “suitable for entry level divers”; however these dive sites are all ¼ to ¾ nautical miles off the coast and as such are considered “open ocean” dive sites. To be quite honest surface conditions can sometimes be on the rough side making entry and exit either quite exciting or a little bit challenging depending on your dive experience. For this reason we suggest the refresher/rusty diver session if you have not been diving recently so that you are ready to drop down as soon as you are in the water.
Dive sites are decided on the day as they are weather dependent, and the site chosen may change on the way out if another dive boat is already on that mooring. Based on your experience, the dive boat will take you to the best site for the day – after all the dive guides want to have a good dive too :) On a multi dive trip the surface interval is 45 to 60 minutes - between dives we head into a calm bay if time allows, and sometimes, depending on the dive site, we may also return to our dock. If you are diving multiple days with us we can provide a variety of Sint Maarten dive sites.
Make your dives about you! Our boat, the Mermaid's Tale, is perfectly suited to private dive trips. Whether you are a family, a group of friends or a couple just wanting more space and a bespoke dive program, everything, including discover scuba dives and PADI courses, can be offered on a private trip.
Not yet a certified SCUBA diver? A Discover Scuba Dive is a great way to experience diving in the ocean for the first time. Starting with PADI eLearning to learn the basic skills of diving (we send this to you when you confirm your booking), you are then kitted out in dive gear and it is into our swimming pool with your PADI Instructor to learn and practice the basic scuba dive skills. We then board the boat and head out for your very first scuba dive. Our prices are more expensive as we have a maximum of 2 divers per instructor during the dive to make sure that you are well taken care of and have the opportunity for the best dive ever. Most Discover Scuba Dives will be to Little Bay, but depending on weather conditions a different site may be chosen.
The Scuba Shop SXM, with a swimming pool on the property, is the best dive center in Sint Maarten for beginner divers.
It is possible for certified divers to join the dive part of this trip as a single tank diver, especially if you have not been diving for a while or are new to boat diving. It may also be possible for non-divers to join the boat as snorkelers or “riders”.
Our night dives are spectacular as every diver is issued a special night dive light from ORCA Torch that has a red light, a UV light and of course the standard 2 brightness white light. In addition each diver has a marker light attached to their cylinder valve. Whether it is your first night dive, part of a PADI Advanced Open Water course, or your 100th night dive, our dive crew are on hand to make sure your experience is safe and fun.
Besides teaching several conservation focused PADI specialty courses we currently run 3 Citizen Science projects - PADI Dive Against Debris, PADI Shark and Ray Conservation Surveys and REEF Volunteer Fish Surveys. After some training with us you are able join us on these dives and to contribute to this scientific research by collecting and submitting data, not just in Sint Maarten, but on your future dives world wide.
On St Maarten there is no “shark feed dive” as it has been banned on the island. As we do not feed or attract the sharks in anyway, seeing them is never guaranteed; however Caribbean Reef Sharks, and to a lesser extent Nurse Sharks, are very common on any of the dive sites in the Man of War Shoal Marine Park, as well as those further West. The smaller sharks are not shy and often swim right between the divers.
Add the PADI Shark and Ray Conservation Specialty to any of our 2 dive trips and start submitting your sightings to the PADI Conservation Action Portal (CAP).
The best thing about earning your PADI Scuba Certification in Sint Maarten with The Scuba Shop SXM is that you will do this on our beautiful, warm water dive sites. Already a certified scuba diver? You are able to earn your PADI Advanced Open Water Certification and some PADI Specialty Certifications on many of our regular dive trips. Some of our favourites are Peak Performance Buoyancy, Dive Against Debris, Fish Identification, Underwater Digital Imaging (camera provided) and Boat Diver. We also offer a dedicated schedule for other PADI Specialty Courses such as Rescue Diver, Search & Recovery Diver, Self-reliant Diver, Drift Diver and SMB Diver. Earn your PADI Master Scuba Diver certification with us or go Pro and become a PADI Divemaster.
Mermaid diving is a world with one foot in reality and the other in fantasy. The PADI Mermaid Program is designed to be a rewarding and fun experience, suited to anyone with an interest in mermaid diving and basic swimming abilities.
Whether you are starting your journey or seeking advanced expertise, The Scuba Shop SXM provides expert instruction, personal guidance, and a supportive environment to help divers grow their confidence and skills.
At The Scuba Shop, our mission is to make diving in St. Maarten accessible, enjoyable, and unforgettable for every visitor. From diving with us at The Scuba Shop SXM aboard the Mermaid's Tale, or helping you select a different dive shop, we ensure your dive experience is tailored to your needs. The island’s waters are rich with sharks, turtles, rays, and vibrant reefs, offering something new on every dive. Whether you want to try scuba for the first time, complete a PADI course, or add a conservation element to your dives, we provide the resources, instruction, and guidance to make it happen. With options ranging from quick single-tank dives to advanced specialty training, every diver can find the perfect fit.
