Deshaies sits on the north-west coast of Basse-Terre and offers boat-access diving across three sites with varied topography: the aligned rock formations and cliff wall at Pointe aux Fous, the reef, drop-off, and cave complex at Gros Morne, and the shallow reef platform that transitions into a wall and swim-throughs at Pointe Batterie. Depths range from very shallow to twenty-five metres, covering both beginners and intermediate divers. Water stays warm throughout the year, reaching its warmest in late summer and early autumn. The species list runs to spotted drum, longlure frogfish, Indian lionfish, spotted moray, French angelfish, and arrow crab, among others.
Monthly water temperature across Deshaies's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Temperatures remain warm even at their coolest, in the early months of the year, and peak in late summer through early autumn. The dry season from December through May is generally recommended for the most settled conditions, while the wetter months tend to be quieter.
Water temperature around Deshaies ranges from about 27°C in January to 30°C in September, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
With water around 27–30°C, a rash guard or 3mm shorty works in Deshaies year-round.
Fin maps 3 sites in Deshaies (3 scuba diving sites and 2 snorkelling spots, with some suited to both).
