Our dive center, SXM Divers
I’ll never forget the day Daniel and I met. It was September 2014, and we were both on a boat in the Azores, about to dive with blue sharks. I was there thanks to the Rolex Scholarship, learning everything I could about shark diving. Dan was there on assignment as an underwater photographer for Dive Photo Guide. The connection was instant. After a few days of ocean adventures and long boat rides, we started talking about diving, life, sharks, and dreams. That’s when we discovered we shared the same vision: opening a dive shop dedicated to sharks and conservation.
My original dream was to launch a shark diving ecotourism project in my home country, Venezuela. But the ongoing crisis there made that impossible. Dan, with his years of experience in construction and business in the UK, loved the idea of starting something completely new somewhere abroad. So we set off on a journey to figure out where and how we could bring our shared dream to life.
We spent the next couple of years traveling the world… diving, learning, observing different dive operations, and figuring out what worked and what didn’t. We took notes everywhere we went and kept refining our idea. In December 2016, we came to Sint Maarten and immediately knew we’d found the place. The island had everything: an abundance of sharks, healthy coral reefs, a wide variety of marine life, year-round tourism, supportive local authorities, and most importantly, it felt like a place we could one day start a family.
We planned to move in September 2017, but life had other plans. Just before our move, Hurricane Irma devastated the island. We waited a few months to see how things would recover and finally made the move five months after the storm. It wasn’t easy, but we were determined. We spent the next couple of years getting ready, building our dive center from scratch, navigating red tape, and slowly gathering equipment and support. We were finally ready to open in March 2020… and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
After yet another delay, we finally opened SXM Divers in September 2020. At the time, it was just Daniel, me, and our diver in training. We started slowly, showing friends and a few guests the beauty of Sint Maarten’s underwater world. We explore the reefs, wrecks, and marine life of Sint Maarten with guests from around the world.
Our dive center is located in Cole Bay, right by the sea. We built everything ourselves, three connected units that house our shop, our equipment room, and a compressor station on the dock. It’s simple, clean, and designed to help you focus on what really matters: the diving. We carry brands we trust, like Scubapro, Prawno Apparel, and Roland St. John. We also sell ocean-inspired prints and posters, and even offer what we’re proud to call the best coffee on the island. After a dive, you can enjoy a cold beer and a snack in our shaded garden.
But for us, SXM Divers is about more than just diving. From the start, we’ve been committed to marine conservation. We dive daily in the Man of War Shoal Marine Park and proudly support the Nature Foundation’s efforts by contributing part of our income from every dive. We report illegal fishing when we see it, and we’re constantly on the lookout for ways to protect the reef.
We also support shark research through partnerships with the One Shark Project and Global FinPrint, helping collect data and track sharks like the majestic tiger shark. Our involvement in the Caribbean Shark Coalition helps amplify regional efforts to protect these misunderstood animals.
We’ve made eco-conscious choices wherever we can, from providing reef-safe Stream2Sea sunscreen to banning single-use plastics on our boat. Our team uses refillable personal care products and encourages our guests to do the same. Every small decision adds up when it comes to protecting our marine life.
Perhaps one of the things I’m proudest of is our local diver initiative. We offer a generous discount to Sint Maarten residents who want to become certified divers. Our hope is that by making diving more accessible to locals, we can create a stronger connection between our community and the incredible marine environment that surrounds us. We’ve already seen some of our local divers go on to become passionate ocean advocates.
Building SXM Divers hasn’t been easy. Between hurricanes, pandemics, and bureaucracy, there were times when it felt like the odds were against us. But with persistence, teamwork, and a shared dream, we made it happen. And every time I see a guest light up after their first shark encounter, or hear a local diver share their growing love for the ocean, I know it was all worth it.
We hope SXM Divers continues to grow and thrive, but more importantly, we hope it keeps inspiring others to fall in love with the sea, and to help protect it.
If you’re ever in Sint Maarten, come dive with us. Whether it’s sharks, wrecks, or coral gardens, we’ll show you the best of what this island has to offer, always with care, respect, and a deep love for the ocean.
