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158davidu
I did a 3-dive trip with Sea Saba last week. The entire experience was beyond belief! We were staying on St Maarten so I had to fly or ferry over/back to do the dive. We flew over and ferried back. The flight was amazing as you're landing on this tiny little strip that doesn't look like a two-seater could land. We then taxied up the volcano and down the other side on this narrow little road. Every tack back and forth bears a panoramic view the likes of which I had never seen before! When I got to the other side of the island where the dive shop is located, between the flight and the ride over the volcano, I'd already had enough fun to justify the cost of getting there and back! It was simply fantastic beyond belief! The three dives were all further amazing and I was blown away by the entire experience. I dove to 110' on one of the pinnacles off the island and that was fantastic! The boat was very professionally staffed and I found it to be the most professional and experienced dive crew I've ever worked with. Awesome boat, too! I dove on St Maarten 2x after being on Saba and that was, comparatively speaking, a bit of a let down. I think I spent $400-500 between the costs for the dives, the flight, the ferry, and tips. It would have been a bargain at $600! Most of the divers on the boat appeared to be staying on Saba for a number of days so their costs would have been much reduced from mine, which obviously include airfare and ferry costs. The ferry ride was a bit bumpy (maybe 6' swells) and some people were getting sick but I have a cast-iron stomach and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Next time I'm in St Maarten, I'll all but certainly have to do the Saba trip more than once. It was fantastic beyond description!
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jong515
I am an experienced diver but didn't get to indulge in the best dive's Saba has to offer. Instead, I joined my fiance as she took a discover SCUBA course with Sea Saba and then we went on her first dive together.To say she was apprehensive going in would be an understatement. But the experience with Sea Saba could not have been better. Instructor "Jack" has the perfect demeanor to instill the proper knowledge but also has the patience and calmness to really bring a newcomer into the comfort zone.Our first dive was great, and my fiance left feeling enthusiastic to get into diving on her own. Which is exactly what I had hoped for.I would go back to them again and again and again. Especially now that I know what the dives below 40 feet have to offer.Thanks guys
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dcfrompcreek
They advertise it and they mean it, excellent service! Friends of ours recommended Saba as a diving destination and Sea Saba dive Center in particular. So glad we took their advice. From the morning pick up, to booking dinner reservations, setting up your gear, fantastic dive briefings and encouraging other Saba island sight seeing - amazing experience all round. Very professional and friendly and we were never in doubt as to what was happening, when. The underwater visibility & scenery was spectacular with a good chance to see some sharks, rays, turtles, very large green morays, etc. Saba also features some nice hiking trails, good restaurants and you get treated very well everywhere. We will return, as much for the diving with Sea Saba as well as for the whole Saba Island experience.
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goose3nbc
By no means am I a veteran diver, I logged my 22nd dive with Sea Saba and I would go back without hesitation. I have dove Kauai, Grand Cayman and Saint Martin but this was my most anticipated dive because of the location. The scenery above and below the Saba waterline is incredible, well worth the travel if you have the opportunity. First, the level of service provided through e-mails before the trip, the check-in at their dive shop and taxi service from Juliana's is above and beyond. I wish I had the names of all three women working behind the scenes at the dive shop, they were amazingly helpful and friendly. Caroline on board was certifying a new OW diver, and I was impressed with her coaching and approach with the student. Due to flight times from Saint Martin to Saba and only staying overnight, I had time for one afternoon dive. I'm not sure if it's routine, but the student and I were taken to the dock with an inbound three tank dive. The group of six had completed two dives, and we were boarding for their third and final dive of the day. Caroline, Ollie and ?Jen welcomed us on board, but the other group wasn't inviting as I've experienced with other divers. I wasn't acknowledged until one of the older gentleman in the group threw his bag lunch from the upper deck at me, as I set up my reg / octo. By no means a dig against Sea Saba, just not how I wanted to start my dive.After I set up my gear, I had to request fins and weights. I wasn't sure if this was standard with Sea Saba or if I was confused for the student. The boat has no marine head, not a big deal if you're aware of it. Our cruise to 50/50 reef was less than 15 minutes. I was a little disappointed, this dive site is not on any publication and I had hoped for one I read about. Dive brief was sufficient, but I was told it was primarily for me and the dive student. I was never paired up with a dive buddy, but maybe I'm not experienced enough. The dive site was beautiful, turtles, shark, and huge schools of fish. I would recommend Sea Saba Advanced Dive Center. I think it's important to highlight every experience, no matter what. Thank you for the dive and I hope to see you again in the future.
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671baw
My wife and I dove with Sea Saba for 4 days earlier this month. It was a great experience with unique diving. The boats are big and well maintained, a must for the winter sea conditions. The on/in water crews were very professional and friendly. Nitrox checks, dive plan briefs, and equipment checks were always done right. Divers were broken in to small groups of 6 or less. Most dives were deep wall or pentacle near the edge of Nitrox depth limits. The dive masters were constantly watching for depth and tank levels while continually pointing out sea life and rock formations. On shore Lynn and team do a great job too. Booking the trip over the internet was a simple task. While there Lynn provides a concierge service notifying divers of town events and making dinner reservations or arranging lunches to be brought to the boat. A very appreciative thing Sea Saba does is provide a computerized COMPLETE dive log of your dives. The best part is it includes an aerial photo of Saba that highlights your dive sites. Saba is a very unique island, and the diving is exhilarating. It deserves to be on a diver's to do list. And, Sea Saba will make it the diving experience you are looking forward to.
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U4874IFdanielb
I just want to say that the folks on Sea Saba, were so kind. I'm an older diver, lots of experience on short work dives in the cold winter water of Maine, and I've held three different certifications since 1968, but I never have been fortunate enough to dive in warm reef water, with others, and with good equipment, until a couple of years ago. I never even saw a buoyancy vest until ten years ago....I always dove alone (remember the First Rule (?) on my commercial dives. This was very new to me, and though I know I made the Sea Saba crew very nervous, as they watched this self-avowed "seasoned diver" struggling to figure out the BC harness and exhaust hose, they never made me feel embarrassed or humiliated in any way. I dove the shallow Torrens Point dive (30-60 feet, and had an absolutely wonderful experience, with golden morays, grunts, sea turtles, and the biggest (over four feet) barracuda I have ever seen. The coelenterate growths there are massive, and so amazingly varied. I of course shamed myself by using up my air about eight minutes before some new trainees...I'm not young anymore dammit, but even this was quietly ignored after the dive. These kids are so kind, and very, very skilled. I'd like to return with my children and share this all with them before I croak. Thank you all Sea Saba, for that afternoon. Daniel Bates
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liveforwater
The people at Sea Saba work very hard to make sure you do not have to work and are very very helpful from Lynn at the shop to the dive team. Unlike many places we have been in the Caribbean all you have to do is gear up and get in. They take care of everything if you want them to. Thank you everyone at Sea Saba. We will return.
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judypots
Right you are that our nitrox system had a failure just after the holiday rush (the air drier refrigeration unit--$2500 part). Luckily we had nearly 100 full nitrox tanks when the failure occurred so we thought it was fairest, and safest, to ‘ration’ the tanks @ 1 tank per person per day until the new unit arrived. We are back to our regular nitrox service for 2 weeks now. In order to ensure this does not happen again, we have a new system en route. The marine head, however, is a bit more complicated and nauseating task when guests fail to follow instructions. We continue to struggle to find the solution to offer this service to our guests without a mutiny among our crew.
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DeanJ
I dove with Sea Saba from January 4th-January 12th. I have had such great experiences with dive operations in the past, and Sea Saba is no exception. First, the dive masters are all friendly, competent, and blessed with a sens of humor. I particularly enjoyed diving with Aaron, Kelly, Ollie, Michael, and both Robs. They were all great at finding the small stuff, including a resident sea horse on the first dive of the week! Second, the boats are small, though roomy enough, and we never had more than 9-10 divers on my boat. Third, the pinnacles dive sites were well worth the trip out to them. Perfect viz, no current, and vibrant coral colors all around. This island has abundant fish life, and I noticed fewer lion fish than at other islands I have visited over the years. The only disappointment for me was the fact that the reefs nearer the shore were quite sand-covered, I am guessing from Hurricane Gonzalo this past fall. This took away from the vibrance of the reefs, which must have been great underneath the sand coating. It was quite a windy period, as well, so the viz on the dive sites near shore was less than perfect. Being my first visit to Saba, I have to say that the rugged beauty of this small volcanic island is absolutely stunning. Many great restaurants from which to choose, and easy, inexpensive taxi rides could get you to where you needed to go without any difficulty. No need to rent a car -- unless you just crave driving slowly up and down hair-pin mountainous roads! We stayed at the Queens Garden Resort (which I will review in another post), and were picked up daily around 9:00 AM and driven to the harbor to board the dive boat and be on our way to the first dive around 9:30 AM. Highly recommend Sea Saba!
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20jeannej
This is our second time with sea saba which is a real compliment. For us to do a repeat within a few years speaks volumes for what we consider a magic formula. It starts with a fantastic location and spectacular reefs...add the core ingredient of a long standing dive shop that really understands what makes for a great dive experience from the logistics to the crew to the boats and the flexibility to understand, anticipate, and respond to your needs...at various levels of di e experience. Sea saba was also able to coordinate our accomodations and made the trip planning near seamless. They help navigate and book your dining options as well. We had great luck and wonderful food and hospitality last time at Juliana ' s and stayed in a 2 bedroom villa spyglass this time. If you are a diver trying to dodge tourist traps or resort warriors...there is no better place to stay and dive. Restaurant choices and cuisine astounding for such a small island...quaint and beautiful accomodations at. All price points as well. Location, dedicated and genuine dive operators and crew, fab food and beverages...truly a special formula.
