St. Croix
wall diving
The largest of the three islands, famous for a north shore wall you can reach from the beach, the Frederiksted Pier night dive and Buck Island Reef National Monument.
Know more about St. Croix scuba divingScuba diving the US Virgin Islands
Walls, wrecks and national park reefs on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John
Scuba diving in the US Virgin Islands puts three very different islands within a short hop of each other. This guide covers where to dive on each island and how to plan the trip.
St. Croix
St. Thomas
wrecks and cays
The main gateway, with the most flights and dive boats. Its south and east coasts are ringed by cays, rocks and the best-known shipwrecks in the islands.
Know more about St. Thomas scuba divingSt. John
protected reefs
Most of the island and much of its water is national park. Quiet bays, turtles, snorkel trails and rocky cays with strong currents off the north shore.
Know more about St. John scuba divingCaribbean diving without leaving the United States
The US Virgin Islands are a US territory about 40 miles east of Puerto Rico. St. Thomas and St. John share a shallow bank; St. Croix sits on its own to the south, with deep water on all sides. That is why the diving on each island feels so different.
Flights from the mainland are domestic, the currency is the dollar and US citizens don't need a passport. You still get warm, clear water, turtles, eagle rays and healthy reefs, and in one trip you can drift a deep wall, explore a sunken freighter and snorkel a national park bay. For the ships, see our USVI wreck diving guide. To find out who is behind these guides, read about Scuba Diving USVI.
- Water about 79–84 °F
- Visibility often 60–100 ft
- No passport for US citizens
- US dollar, US phone plans
- Shore diving on St. Croix
- Wrecks off St. Thomas
- National park reefs, St. John
- Drive on the left
Highlights
Dives worth planning a trip around
Cane Bay Wall, St. Croix
- Shore or boat
- Wall
- All levels on the reef top
Walk in from the beach, swim out over the reef and the bottom simply disappears. The north shore wall is the dive St. Croix is known for. More in the St. Croix guide.
Frederiksted Pier at night, St. Croix
- Shore
- Shallow
- Macro
The pilings of the west end cruise pier are covered in sponges and hide seahorses, frogfish and octopus. It is a classic night dive and an easy one to repeat.
WIT Shoal II, St. Thomas
- Boat
- Wreck
- Advanced for the deeper parts
A large former World War II era landing ship that later worked as a freighter, now sitting upright and covered in growth. See the St. Thomas guide for the other wrecks nearby.
Carval Rock, St. John
- Boat
- Rock and reef
- Current
A rocky islet on the north side of St. John with cuts, ledges and big schools of fish where the current runs. Read more in the St. John scuba diving guide.
Questions
US Virgin Islands diving FAQ
Do I need a passport to dive in the US Virgin Islands?
US citizens do not need a passport to visit the USVI, but you will go through a US Customs and Border Protection check when you fly back to the mainland, so carry proof of citizenship such as a passport or a government photo ID. Visitors from other countries follow the same entry rules as for the mainland United States. A day trip to the neighbouring British Virgin Islands is international travel and needs a passport.
When is the best time to scuba dive in the USVI?
You can dive all year. December to April is the dry season, with the most settled weather and the most visitors. Water is warmest in late summer and early autumn, which is also the peak of hurricane season. Our trip planning guide goes through the year month by month.
Which island is best for beginners?
All three have easy, shallow sites. St. Thomas has the most dive operators and the widest choice of sheltered beginner sites, St. John has calm bays inside the national park, and St. Croix's reef top at Cane Bay and the Frederiksted Pier are both shallow and easy to reach from shore.
What wetsuit do I need?
Most divers are comfortable in a 3 mm suit or a shorty. Water temperatures typically run from the high 70s °F in late winter to the low or mid 80s °F in late summer. See the USVI dive gear checklist for the full packing list.
Ready to plan your dives?
Pick your island, work out when to go and what to pack, and you are most of the way there.