Skip to content
Map of Sapphire Beach Reef
Add the first photo
Shore entry

Sapphire Beach Reef

U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, United States
1–5 m depthShore entryRash guard or 2mm shorty typical

Sapphire Beach Reef at a glance

Sapphire Beach Reef is a shore dive site in U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, United States with depths of 0.5–5 m (2–16 ft). Typically most favorable May · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see colorful reef fish, coral heads, and rays. Recent reports put the water around 29°C (84°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 4h ago
1.4 mwaves — about a meter and a half expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 29°C · seasonal avg 29°C

Site hazards: Boat and jet-ski traffic near the marina, shallow coral/urchins, sun exposure, wind chop, and swimmer crowding near the beach. Do not stand on coral.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Mon
Sun8:00–19:00
Mon6:00–19:00
Tue6:00–19:00
Wed6:00–11:00
Thu—
Fri—
Sat6:00–19:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:32 · Sunrise 5:55 · Sunset 18:56

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 7.8 km from site · graded 4h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: colorful reef fish, coral heads
Best time: Best in morning or calm easterly conditions before wind chop and beach crowds build.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan27%27°C1.8 m
  2. Feb20%27°C1.9 m
  3. Mar33%27°C1.8 m
  4. Apr52%27°C1.6 m
  5. May80%28°C1.2 m
  6. Jun67%29°C1.3 m
  7. Jul54%29°C1.4 m
  8. Aug56%29°C1.4 m
  9. Sep68%30°C1.4 m
  10. Oct54%30°C1.6 m
  11. Nov34%29°C1.7 m
  12. Dec26%28°C1.9 m

May hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • colorful reef fishCommonly seen
  • coral headsCommonly seen
  • raysOccasionally seen
  • sea turtlesOccasionally seen

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Site details

Sapphire Beach Reef is a shallow beach-access snorkel/freedive area on St. Thomas near Red Hook. The useful underwater area is around the rocky outcrop and coral patches, with calm-water beach conditions common enough for casual snorkeling. This should not be imported as a scuba site without additional scuba-specific confirmation.

reefshore

Boat and jet-ski traffic near the marina, shallow coral/urchins, sun exposure, wind chop, and swimmer crowding near the beach. Do not stand on coral.

Reviews

No reviews yet — this site is waiting for its first. Dived here? Your rating and a few lines help the next diver.

Spot something off?

Help keep this listing accurate for the next diver.