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Shore entry

Sapphire Beach Reef

U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, United StatesDirections
1–5 m (2–16 ft) 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 coral heads, Rays, and Sea turtle. Recent reports put the water around 30°C (85°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

No window today· next: tomorrow 7:00–18:00 · favorable & moderate

Forecast for this hour · 16:00 · run 14 h ago
1.3 m (4.4 ft)waves — about a meter and a half expected (waves — about four feet expected)

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 30°C · seasonal avg 30°C ( · Forecast 85°F · seasonal avg 86°F)

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

MonNo window

1.4 m waves · 16 kn wind (4.6 ft waves · 16 kn wind)

Tue7:00–12:00 moderate, 12:00–18:00 favorable

1.1 m waves · 13 kn wind (3.6 ft waves · 13 kn wind)

Wed7:00–18:00 favorable

1.0 m waves · 13 kn wind (3.3 ft waves · 13 kn wind)

Thu7:00–18:00 favorable

0.9 m waves · 12 kn wind (2.9 ft waves · 12 kn wind)

Fri7:00–8:00 favorable, 8:00–9:00 moderate, 9:00–18:00 favorable

0.9 m waves · 9 kn wind (3.1 ft waves · 9 kn wind)

Sat7:00–18:00 favorable

0.9 m waves · 12 kn wind (2.8 ft waves · 12 kn wind)

Sun7:00–18:00 favorable

0.9 m waves · 12 kn wind (3.1 ft waves · 12 kn wind)

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

Every forecast dive window each day, site-local time, from wave and wind forecasts. Numbers under each bar are daylight averages.

First light 5:54 · Sunrise 6:16 · Sunset 17:49 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 7.8 km from site · updated 26 Oct, 01:23 GMT-4

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Sapphire Beach Reef

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.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: coral heads, colorful reef fish
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. January, 27% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 27°C (81°F), waves have typically been 1.8 m (5.9 ft), wind has typically been 17 knots
  2. February, 20% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 27°C (80°F), waves have typically been 1.9 m (6.1 ft), wind has typically been 18 knots
  3. March, 33% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 27°C (80°F), waves have typically been 1.8 m (5.9 ft), wind has typically been 15 knots
  4. April, 52% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 27°C (81°F), waves have typically been 1.6 m (5.2 ft), wind has typically been 16 knots
  5. May, 80% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 28°C (83°F), waves have typically been 1.2 m (4.0 ft), wind has typically been 15 knots, historically most favorable
  6. June, 67% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 29°C (84°F), waves have typically been 1.3 m (4.2 ft), wind has typically been 17 knots
  7. July, 54% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 29°C (84°F), waves have typically been 1.4 m (4.5 ft), wind has typically been 18 knots
  8. August, 56% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 29°C (85°F), waves have typically been 1.4 m (4.7 ft), wind has typically been 17 knots
  9. September, 68% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 30°C (86°F), waves have typically been 1.4 m (4.5 ft), wind has typically been 14 knots
  10. October, 54% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 30°C (86°F), waves have typically been 1.6 m (5.2 ft), wind has typically been 14 knots
  11. November, 34% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 29°C (84°F), waves have typically been 1.7 m (5.6 ft), wind has typically been 16 knots
  12. December, 26% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 28°C (82°F), waves have typically been 1.9 m (6.2 ft), wind has typically been 16 knots

May has typically 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

Rough labels: “Commonly seen” usually means two or more recorded sightings near this site in public dive logs (GBIF), “Occasionally seen” one; “Seasonal” and “Rarely seen” come from dive-guide research. Not a measured rate.

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.

Data updated July 2026

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

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