Where is the Best Overall Diving in the World?? (Big question I know lol)

[Jay]

Here's a link I had saved from 2016 What are the 10 best dive sites in the world? Stacks of good info in there.

FWIW re Maldives and GBR; I'm Asia Pacific focused and the former isn't on my list due to some mediocre reports from SB. Due to the scale of the GBR my 'list' in SS Yongala (something I'll always repeatedly return to) and then LOBs.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Yeah except it's missing about 1/2 of his list.. . .
fyi. SoCal isn't the only place in the world with a chamber either....

FYI -in an El Niño cycle you will see Whale Sharks, Hammerheads, Mantas, and other tropical pelagics coming up this way to Catalina Island. Granted not in abundance like in purely tropical waters, but still nice to see in what would normally be temperate waters.

And futhermore, there is no other non-private, non-military, non-professional commercial diver run large 6ata capable multi-occupant patient recompression chamber on 24 hr stand-by only for civilian diving accidents, with the full support of public county government Emergency Medical Services, a University Level One Trauma Center & Hospital, and US Coast Guard rotary wing medevac assets, along with local dive community yearly monetary contributions & volunteering time as trained stand-by in residence chamber crew -all available to a dive casualty from as far away as 200km helicopter round-trip and 90min ETA from a remote offshore divesite- regardless of whether that sticken diver has the ability to pay for transport & medical treatment or not . . .and only here in SoCal.

USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber

 

[diversteve]

You're probably right since no other chamber in the world meets your list.

I can only speak from experience. My friend used the chamber at AKR - we showed up unannounced so they called the dr. from about 10mins. away, he called his nurse and my friend was in the chamber within an hour. Dive Insuraance paid for all of it. Same friend a few years later was medi-vaced from St. Marteen to Miami, including her non-dive husband and their posessions(later) by DAN.

Where's the acres of coral in SoCal? like you see in most tropical destinations

And futhermore, there is no other non-private, non-military, non-professional commercial diver run large 6ata capable multi-occupant patient recompression chamber on 24 hr stand-by only for civilian diving accidents, with the full support of public county government Emergency Medical Services, a University Level One Trauma Center & Hospital, and US Coast Guard rotary wing medevac assets, along with local dive community yearly monetary contributions & volunteering time as trained stand-by in residence chamber crew -all available to a dive casualty from as far away as 200km helicopter round-trip and 90min ETA from a remote offshore divesite- regardless of whether that sticken diver has the ability to pay for transport & medical treatment or not . . .and only here in SoCal.

 

[Kevrumbo]

. . .

Where's the acres of coral in SoCal? like you see in most tropical destinations

Offshore and always there at Farnsworth Banks (backside Catalina Island), and parts of San Clemente and Santa Barbara Islands, called cold water Purple Hydrocoral (Stylaster Californicus) -though they are benign cousins more related to the stinging hydroids like tropical fire coral than true skeletal reef-building corals:

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #772: DIVING FARNIE

 

[KeithG]

As an old fart I get tired of these types of questions. Yes I am currently very grumpy...

The only answer is: The best dive is your next dive. Wherever...

If you are doing it right then every dive is an adventure with potentially something new waiting to be discovered. Or something waiting to be re-observed. I claim Scuba Diving is a journey and not a destination.

On our last trip to Belize one of our goals was to re-find "Bulldozer Shrimp" (not sure of their scientific name, but they are awesome). We got shutout. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Bupkis.

But on one dive we did encounter a small cluster of Sailfin Blenny's proudly displaying.

This small event made our week. We spent about 15 minutes creeping around watching them. I took a gazillion photos - all were crap. Sigh.

Please enjoy your next dive.

 

[KathyV]

That's generally a good philosophy and excellent advice @giffenk but it doesn't really apply in this situation. The OP is an experienced Dive Instructor who speaks 3 languages and has expertise and a Masters Degree in hotel and restaurant management.

He would like to relocate and find work in a new part of the world and is asking for suggestions. He also likes beautiful coral reefs and "big stuff" so that further limits the choices. Although I am sure that he would enjoy seeing those sailfin blennies that you mentioned, it's not really what he is asking for.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

The Bahamas get my vote because:

1. Cave diving.
2. Shark diving.
3. Sunken treasure.
4. Walls.
5. People.
6. Proximity to USA if you have a medical emergency.
7. Hollywood destination for making movies (You never know what you'll get to do or who you'll meet as an instructor).
8. Memories ... I have a long history there.
9. Affordable last minute flights during hurricane season.
10. Milk ... ice cold real cow's milk is usually readily available in the supermarket. Not always. But, usually.

 

[Bob DBF]

As an old fart I get tired of these types of questions. Yes I am currently very grumpy...

The only answer is: The best dive is your next dive. Wherever...

I've never been real picky, but the older I get the more I subscribe to your attitude. I guess it's just not knowing which dive will be my last, makes the next dive very special.


Bob

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The best diving I have done has none or very few of the items in the OP's wish list. As much as I love diving in Southern California, British Columbia is like SoCal on steroids.
I haven't done a lot of warm water diving. Two trips to Mexico, three to Hawaii and one to the Philippines but it wouldn't bother me a bit if I never dived warm water again.

 

[KristenK]

The only answer is: The best dive is your next dive. Wherever...

As a new diver, that is my answer. And my nextvdive is in Bali next month....I'm so excited!!

Sounds like a great life you've created for yourself. Best wishes...don't work too hard. As you know, hospitality industry can be brutal.