USVI dive trip planning

When to go

The US Virgin Islands have warm water and good diving all year, so the best time depends on what matters most to you: settled weather, the warmest water, or quieter, cheaper travel.

Visibility is often 60 to 100 feet, though it drops after heavy rain near river mouths and bays, and on days with big swell.

Choosing a base island

• St. Thomas for the most flights, dive operators, restaurants and wreck dives. See the St. Thomas scuba diving guide.
• St. John for a quieter stay inside a national park, calm bays and great snorkeling. See the St. John scuba diving guide.
• St. Croix for wall diving, shore diving on your own schedule and a more laid-back island. See the St. Croix scuba diving guide.

A popular plan is to split the week: a few days on St. Thomas or St. John, then a short flight to St. Croix for the wall and the pier.

Getting there and getting around

St. Thomas (Cyril E. King Airport, STT) and St. Croix (Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, STX) both have flights from the US mainland, with St. Thomas getting the most. St. John has no airport: take the passenger ferry from Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas to Cruz Bay, or the car ferry from Red Hook.

Between St. Thomas and St. Croix the quickest option is a short flight or seaplane. Ferry service between the two has come and gone over the years, so check what is running before you travel.

On all three islands, cars drive on the left, though most rental cars are left-hand drive like on the mainland. Roads are often steep and winding, and a car with good clearance makes beach and shore-dive entries easier.

Passports and entry

The USVI are a US territory. US citizens don't need a passport to visit, but when flying back to the mainland everyone goes through a US Customs and Border Protection check at the airport, so bring proof of citizenship such as a passport or a government-issued photo ID. Visitors from other countries need the same documents as for entering the mainland United States. Any trip into the British Virgin Islands, including dive day trips, is international travel and needs a passport.

Dive safety far from home

• Get dive insurance. Make sure your travel or dive insurance covers diving accidents and evacuation, not just lost luggage.
• Plan your last dive. Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommends a minimum surface interval of 12 hours before flying after a single no-decompression dive and 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple days of diving. Most people keep their last day free of diving. Our guides are a planning aid, not a dive briefing; how these guides are written explains why.
• Know the emergency plan. Ask your operator what their emergency plan is and where the nearest hyperbaric chamber is, and keep the DAN emergency hotline number with you.
• Refresh your skills. If it has been a while since your last dive, book a refresher or an easy first dive.
• Check your certification. Bring your certification card (or the digital version) and your logbook, plus your nitrox card if you plan to use enriched air.

Reef rules

The US Virgin Islands have banned sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene, which are linked to coral damage. Bring a mineral sunscreen, or better, cover up with a rash guard. Inside Virgin Islands National Park and the national monuments, boats use moorings, fishing and collecting are restricted, and you should never touch coral or wildlife. Invasive lionfish are found throughout the islands; only trained divers with permits should try to remove them.