St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures

They call themselves the "friendliest dive shop on earth" — and here's the twist: it wasn't a marketing line they invented, but a description a customer gave them. They adopted the motto more than 25 years ago and have worked every day since to live up to it. On St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, this PADI 5 Star IDC Resort backs that reputation with an award-winning, 10-instructor team who understand that the diving is fantastic everywhere here — what really sets a shop apart is what happens above the water.

Diving St Croix's full range of sites

Running two custom dive boats, this is the only shop on St Croix that visits all of the island's moored dive sites — from the famous Frederiksted Pier, Cane Bay Drop-off and Salt River walls to Blue Chute, Eagle Ray, Sleeping Shark Hole and beyond. Divers may encounter sharks, rays, turtles, whales and plenty of ocean fish.

A waterfront base with an onsite classroom, house reef and free Wi-Fi supports everything from PADI courses to TecRec and EFR first aid, plus air fills, nitrox, rentals and conservation activities. English-speaking and welcoming, it suits new and experienced divers alike.