Best diving locations...in the world

[kanonfodr]

For the diver looking for everything: Oahu, Hawaii!

Reefs: It surrounded by some the best and easiest reef in the world. Every type of mass, too, be it deep walls, flowing canyons, to even caverns for the lusty.

Wrecks: Got several, from World War II fighter planes to sunken research vessels. Big to small, something sure to please.

Conditions: It's never bad everywhere. On Oahu, if the north shore is kicking, go west or south shore. If the east side is experiencing cloudy vis, head somewhere else. And it's almost a sure bet that conditions at the west side are going to be good no matter what. Never had a bad day diving from the west side.

Non-diving attractions: Musuems, Historical Monuments, Cultural diversity, and great nightlife. I can only think of two mentionable hotels that are not located in Waikiki, which is nightlife central. Whatever you're into, it's there somewhere. If you're not as vampiric, there is plenty of things to do in the day as well.

I'm sure there's better diving than Hawaii, but having spent over two years of my life there, I can't think of too many destinations that offer as much. And the other islands are a blast as well, whether you're checking out the world's longest-erupting volcano (Kilauea on the Big Island), or some of the most beautiful mountain ranges ever seen (Maui and Kauai). All still offer excellent diving with reputable shops.

Peace,
Greg

 

[Thalassamania]

I've been most of the places there are to go and a lot of the places that you can't go to too. For me #1 is Pt. Lobos, CA. As I said in a past post:

This had become one of those spectacular central coast days, blue sky, bright sun and 60-foot plus visibility. On a day like this Blue Fin Cove is perhaps the most spectacular dive site in the world. Let the tourists have Palancar Reef, the wall on Cayman Brac, Rosh Muhammad and Heron Island, all the frantic motion and frenetic neon of the underwater Times Squares. Give me the kelp forest. Subtle deep greens broken by shafts of light that look like a Sunday school painting. That's for me.

 

[boulderjohn]

I have been to quite a few places myself, and I really don't know what to tell you. I have quite a few that are tied in a fuzzy first place for a variety of reasons.

One thing that can make a difference is you yourself: your own personal interestsand your own skill. Some excellent sites may not be good for you if you don't have the skill to enjoy them. Your appreciation of a particular site may change with your experience as well.

When you can go can be important--the quality of some sites varies by the time of the year.

I suggest this process:

1. Get a handful of options. Maybe 6. Maybe more.

2. Scroll down the ScubaBoard web site to the regional travel section and read what people have to say there. Use the search function to find what you are looking for in the areas you are researching.

3. If the search function does not give you what you want, post a question. People will be happy to help.

4. Check to see what you can afford and what kinds of deals are available for you when you want to go. That can tip the balance between some sites.

5. Don't worry about finding the best. Pick a great site (there are so many) and don't look back!

 

[vladimir]

Of the places I've been to, and trying to use your criteria, I'd say Palau will give you good exotic marine life, great diving conditions (though not necessarily easy), and at least one good wreck. Wrecks sound secondary to you, so I'd reject Truk, which has good marine life for a wreck diver, but is only mediocre compared to the great reefs. If you lose the wreck criterion, I'd go with Lembeh as the best exotic marine life, but diving with muck and occasional trash is a little less alluring to me than a fabulous, picturesque reef. For that I'd pick the Komodo area. PNG and Cocos are the two best destinations I've been to, and I think you might agree with PNG if you re-think your criteria. Some others to think about:

Land-based vs liveaboard. Some of the best diving in the world can't be reached from land-based dive ops. On the other hand, your wife might be miserable on a liveaboard, and that's no way to spend a vacation.

Topside activities. Do you want to sample local culture, eat the local food, meet some people not paid to smile at you? A lot of dive resorts and liveaboards insulate you from that.

Variety. Do you want to replay the same dive twenty times in a week? I would say that Bonaire, Lembeh, and Cocos, for examples, lack variety to some extent (though I love each of those destinations), whereas Palau, PNG, and Komodo can deliver distinctly different dives from one day to the next.

Edit: Actually, PNG does have some wrecks, in Rabaul, I think. I haven't dived there. That might put PNG above Palau for you. But recommending PNG is a little like recommending Indonesia--you really have to look at the individual itinerary and see where you're going, because individual destinations can be quite different. I dived the Milne Bay area in the south, which is known mainly for its muck diving, though it is quite a lot more diverse than Lembeh, for example, which is pure muck.

 

[boulderjohn]

Land-based vs liveaboard. Some of the best diving in the world can't be reached from land-based dive ops. On the other hand, your wife might be miserable on a liveaboard, and that's no way to spend a vacation.

My wife, the chief planner of our vacations, graciously signed the two of us up for a liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef, even though she is strictly a snorkeler. Well, 60 miles off shore where we cruised, the GBR frequently breaks the surface. It was the greatest snorkeling in her life, and she still rates it as one of the highlights of a lifetime of vacations. On the other hand, she would nto have enjoyed any of the other liveaboards I have been on.

Topside activities. Do you want to sample local culture, eat the local food, meet some people not paid to smile at you? A lot of dive resorts and liveaboards insulate you from that.

Absolutely, positively true. A major consideration. I avoid all-inclusives as much as I can.

Variety. Do you want to replay the same dive twenty times in a week? I would say that Bonaire, Lembeh, and Cocos, for examples, lack variety to some extent (though I love each of those destinations), whereas Palau, PNG, and Komodo can deliver distinctly different dives from one day to the next.

Another truism (Vladimir was on a roll!)

 

[japan-diver]

I have to suggest my back yard Okinawa, Japan. Great reefs, viz is outstanding and the variety of sea life is unmatched. We have a variety of wrecks to pick from and from a inshore soft coral reef on one dive to an amazing drift dive with pelagics on the next is the norm here.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Papua, New Guinea

Caroline Islands- these are, by the way Palau, Yap, The Truk Islands and Chuuk, Pohnnpei, and Kosrae

Truly, you can hop from island to island in a trip of a lifetime.....

 

[RU 4 Scuba?]

Well, in my limited experience there are a few different locations that I often daydream about diving in.

Galapagos - Not sure how you feel about a liveaboard dive trip, and I also didn't see how many dives you had logged yet, but when I think about epic dive trips this seems to be what I would consider is the end all be all. To me, one of the pinnacles of diving would be to see the schooling hammerheads, and the Galapagos is good for larger aquatic life. This is one is on my bucket list for sure.

Truk - Wreck capitol of the world, not much else I can say that others haven't already. My OW instructor went there last year and had nothing but great things to say about it.

Okinawa Japan - A great diving location from what I have heard -- large sea life, wrecks, an all around good time.

Great Lakes - Gotta throw out a plug for my home state. Great wrecks, and if you are coming in the summertime, it is absolutely beautiful. Don't be afraid to step away from Lake Superior either, there is some great diving in the Mackinac Straits and elsewhere on the Lower Peninsula. Not to mention the fact that this would undoubtedly be a great vacation for both you AND your wife. I absolutely love the atmosphere in Michigan during the summer. It is low key, with some amazing restaurants and watering holes. Can't recommend it enough.

Either way, wherever you chose don't hype up the expectations so much, because if you do that, even the best of the best may not live up to the hype. Just have a good time and enjoy the fact that you are undoubtedly in a cool part of the world

 

[Supershark]

Ok guys,

In my limited experience (stopped counting dives) I would say South East Asia is a must. The Similan islands, Burma Banks, Sippidan, Borocay, Koh Tao, Samaesan Hole, etc etc etc. These all offer a range of different diving, wreck, macro, sharks, mantas, whale sharks, amazing coral. It is also cheap to dive and a cheap holiday.

Hope this helps

 

[Marie Cato]

I agree, Egypt's Red Sea and Indonesia both are worth to go. I went to Red Sea one year ago, its one of the most beautiful seas in my memory.