Caribbean · Saint Kitts and Nevis
Nevis
Swimming through the warm bubbles of a sulfur vent at Champagne Garden
Nevis sits across the Narrows from St. Kitts, and its dive boats leave from Oualie Beach, a sheltered bay on the island’s northern end. The sites run from coral grottos with swim-throughs at The Caves and a sulfur vent that streams bubbles over volcanic rock at Champagne Garden to sea-fan reef at Coral Garden and the upright wreck of the ferry Christena, sunk in 1970. Average visibility runs 24–30 m (80–100 ft).
About diving in Nevis
Diving here is run from Oualie Beach, a sheltered, shallow bay on the northern end of the island. Trips work the sites around Nevis and in the Narrows toward St. Kitts, and the two islands lie close enough to dive both in one day; the Christena lies close to the Narrows. For divers who would rather stay ashore, Pinney’s Beach is a shore dive, and its shallow water allows long, unhurried time on the coral heads.
Off the southwest of the island, coral grottos form tunnels and swim-throughs at The Caves, where barracuda, lobster and turtles move among schools of squirrelfish. At Champagne Garden a sulfur vent bubbles up through volcanic rock; elsewhere a stony cliff edge and large sea fans hold the reef life. The Christena sits upright on a sandy floor, its top about 15 m (50 ft) down, covered in soft and hard corals and home to stingrays and moray eels.
The Caves and Champagne Garden suit all ability levels, while Coral Garden, at up to 21 m, suits the most advanced divers. At Booby High Shoals in the Narrows, deep ledges give some protection from the northeast currents that sometimes sweep through, and they shelter nurse sharks of 3 to 4 m (10 to 12 ft). The Christena is more an underwater memorial than an everyday dive site, and Nevisians keep to look, don’t touch there.
Best time to dive Nevis
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
The diving runs year round. December to February is the temperate stretch of the year. The rainy season begins in May and lasts until October, and from May to November the island is considerably hotter and wetter, though outside a possible hurricane the rain changes little. Hurricane season overlaps it from June to November, with the highest chance of a severe storm from August to November. Through the wet season the water can reach 30 °C (86 °F).
Dive types & marine life
Turtles, barracuda, lobster and schools of squirrelfish turn up at The Caves, with Atlantic spadefish at Coral Garden and stingrays on the Christena. Pelican Cove depends on timing: at the right time of year minnows crowd the inlet and pelicans dive on the bait fish.
- Reef
- Wreck
- Cave & cavern
- Barracuda
- Sea turtles
- Stingrays
- Reef fish swarms
Best dive sites in Nevis
- 1
Christena Wreck
Passenger ferry sunk in 1970, upright on sand with barracuda, morays and crinoids
- 2
The Caves
Coral grottos off the southwest with swim-throughs to 12 m (40 ft)
- 3
Champagne Garden
Sulfur vent on volcanic rock where divers swim through rising warm bubbles
- 4
Coral Garden
Sea-fan reef to 21 m with Atlantic spadefish and turtles, for advanced divers
- 5
Pelican Cove
Sheltered inlet where minnow swarms draw diving pelicans in season
- 6
Stoney Grove
Cliffside outcrop sheltering lobster, blue tangs, bait fish and rays
- 7
Pinney's Beach
Shallow shore dive over coral heads, suited to slow critter hunting
Site guides
Wreck
An upright 49 m ferry hull dressed in soft corals and crinoids
Reef
Atlantic spadefish cruising among large sea fans
Reef
Pelicans diving into clouds of minnows
Reef
A stony cliff outcrop sheltering lobster and blue tangs
Cave & cavern
Coral tunnels and grottos with swim-throughs no deeper than 12 m
How to get to Nevis
The last leg by air is a much smaller plane to the small airport on Nevis. Passenger ferries leave from the port in Basseterre, St. Kitts, a short distance from that island's airport, and arrive in Charlestown, Nevis. The dive centre sits at Oualie Beach on the northern end.
Photos from Nevis
Gruepig · CC BY-SA 4.0
Brian Tibbets Btibbets at en.wikipedia (www.tibbets.org) · Public domain
Dive videos
Nevis & St Kitts • Scuba Diving · Ryan Sebesta on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is there shore diving on Nevis?+
Yes. Pinney’s Beach is a shore dive with shallow depths and large coral heads, good for spending extra time searching for critters.
What wetsuit is needed for diving Nevis?+
A 3 mm shortie does for most divers through the wet season. In the colder months a full suit is worth packing.
How deep is the Christena wreck?+
The ferry lies at 22 m (73 ft) on a sandy floor, with its top at about 15 m (50 ft), and the hull has stayed mainly intact.
Can divers based on Nevis also dive St. Kitts?+
Yes. The Oualie Beach boats run to sites on both Nevis and St. Kitts, crossing the Narrows that separate the two islands.
Sources
- Dive Nevis St. Kitts home — Dive Nevis
- Dive Sites - Dive Nevis St. Kitts — Dive Nevis
- Nevis Liveaboard Diving — liveaboard.com
- Nevis: Dive & Dine — Scuba Diving
- Best Diving sites in St. Kitts and Nevis — Divezone
- Nevis — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- Turquoise shallow water off a palm-lined sand beach with two white gazebos and a few people at the waterline by Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sunbeams through heavy cloud over a green volcanic peak and a low coastline seen across dark blue sea by Brian Tibbets Btibbets at en.wikipedia (www.tibbets.org), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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