Diving St. Eustatius with Scubaqua Dive Center

The 8-square-mile island of St. Eustatius is defined as much by what it has – a jungle-covered volcano and a 10.6-square mile marine park – as by what it does not – high-rise hotels, fast-food restaurants or massive amounts of tourism.

It remains one of the Caribbean’s hidden gems, a place where the Scubaqua boat is the only one at the dive sites and the beaches are quiet and unspoiled.

For divers looking to pack in a wealth of underwater experiences in one vacation, St. Eustatius, or Statia as it’s called, is the place. It’s home to one of the Caribbean’s biggest wrecks: the purpose-sunk, 327-foot Charlie Brown, a playground for horse-eye jacks. The Chien Tong is an incredible night dive where more sea turtles than you can count bed down for the night.

A blue bead found whilst diving in St Eustatius.

Mike Harterink

This island also stands out for rich history. In the 1700s, Statia was a hub for the spices-to-sugar trade route, with the Dutch West India Company frequently dropping anchor to resupply. Over the next 200 years, many ships dropped anchor – literally. It’s estimated that greater than 200 anchors were lost underwater. Some of the biggest remain, and can be seen at the sites Double Wreck and Triple Wreck, settled in the sand alongside cargo of rum bottles, wine bottles and cannons.

This island is also famous for sands that yield up blue beads, used as currency back in the Dutch West India Company days. It’s not guaranteed that divers will find one at the dive site Blue Bead Hole, but it’s entirely possible. Even if you don’t lay eyes on actual treasure, you’ll see a wealth of macro life, from sailfin blennies and flying gurnards.

The only thing you won’t see is other groups of divers.

Mike Harterink

Of course, the island is also home to reefs and wall dives. The site known as The Cliffs offers sheer walls studded with overgrown sea fans and wire corals. Reef sharks and eagle rays are frequent visitors. North Point is a great choice to see epicly large boulders covered in hard and soft corals. At this site, large schools of barracuda circle alongside jackknife fish and nurse sharks.

Scubaqua Dive Center, a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center, is located beachside. They dive it all and specialize in small dive groups, unlimited bottom times and free Nitrox.

What truly makes Scubaqua special, however, is its team. They bring expert knowledge of the dive sites, local marine life and island. They’re passionate about Statia’s marine life, taking the time to share fun info with guests, whether that be about the behavior of reef squid or tips on how to locate blennies in the sand. They’re the reason Scubaqua dive center has been a trusted name on Statia for 28 years. The staff also shines for their friendliness and professional attitudes, so much so that they were named the second Best Staff in all of the Caribbean by this magazine’s readers.

Scubaqua is a PADI IDC offering all levels of instruction, whether that’s trying scuba for the first time, completing your Open Water Diver checkout dives, taking a specialty course, such as Night Diver or Deep Diver, or the Advanced Diver certification.

Diver underwater on colorful artificial reef.

Statia is home to seven wreck dive sites.

Mike Harterink

Whether you’re taking a PADI course or joining Scubaqua for a day of diving, the hanging out doesn’t have to end when the boat returns to the dock. Guests are welcome to join staff and locals on Scubaqua’s terrace for a cold one. It’s a fun, relaxed way to learn about the island or just share a few laughs with fellow divers. You’ll want to stay for sunset as a perfect ending to your perfect dive day.

Scubaqua can also help you choose which resort or homestay will best match your needs. The Old Gin House is within walking distance. This former 18th century cotton gin factory is now a charming, historic 20-room boutique property with a pool, a bar and WiFi. Rooms have balconies and terraces. Golden Rock Resort stands at the base of the Quill volcano and offers two- or four-person suites, along with a long list of amenities: outdoor pool, fitness room, massage room, tennis court, mini-golf course and playground. There’s also the Statia Lodge, Quill Gardens and several more to choose from.

There are plenty of options to ensure that your non-diving time is every bit as enjoyable and relaxing as your time spent diving and exploring with Scubaqua.