Bucket list dive spots?

[Kharon]

Sounds like you have some experience in the caribbean: I have a southwest companion pass and live on the east coast so plan to do a dive trip there soon. Where would you focus between cozumel/tulum, bahamas, turks&caicos, grand cayman, honduras, etc

Out of the places on your list I've only been to the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, and Roatan Honduras. I'd pick Bahamas if you want to see sharks and wrecks.

My Grand Cayman experience was very limited by the group I was with. The shore diving they did left me cold. The one set of boat dives was very good. @KathyV can fill you in on GC far better than I could.

My roatan experience (and that of others in my dive club) was that there are few fish, mostly smaller than anywhere else I've dove - think stoplight parrot fish about 6", and few of anything except creole wrasse. Also, the viz was poor to very poor and there was a lot of trash in the water.

I've heard that coz is almost all drift diving, which I'm not expecially fond of.

I think SW flies into Aruba. From there it's a short jump to Bonaire or Curacao. Sometimes you can find good connections and get there and back without too much travel time. Also, you clear US customs on Aruba, so the trip back is less of a hassle.

You might also want to consider Ft. Lauderdale or the keys. @Scuba_Jenny can give you tons of info about those areas.

 

[AdivingBel]

If you like coral, I'll 2nd the Solomon Islands. The sites in the Marovo region are spectacular.

 

[KCB]

If When/ever (it’s 50/50 right now) get in to tech, my buck list place would be bikini atoll, because of all the war ships suck there, and if I ever get in to dry suits, Scapa Flow Scotland. You can see there is a recurring historic warship lover theme going on here.

 

[abnfrog]

did bikini atoll, empress of Ireland, Bahamas ,Honduras , the Hamilton and the scourge, Australia, Bonaire .......now I need to do the doria (before its completely gone ) and my mt Everest the Britannic

 

[Sbiriguda]

I don’t see Malapascua, Moalboal and Tubbatha mentioned here... and also Dedalus in the Red Sea...many other places
For those who already saw other parts of world the Mediterranean could look exotic... there are several nice dives, among them Liguria and especially Portofino area and the Haven wreck, then Naples, Ustica etc. then Medes islands in Spain, and Crete or Croatia and so on
One of the best (if not the best) archeological dives in the world is Baia (Naples), it’s the sunken world of Atlantis made real...
Anyway
As long as you have money there are many places to go

 

[CharlieDontDive]

Truk Lagoon
Bikini Atoll
U-352
pretty much any ship sunk during wartime.

Yes...I am a WW2 buff to the extreme.

Most of the places I've dived have not been riveting. I've never done the Caribbean or Indonesia or any of these exotic places people always post about. My only exotic dive experience is about a dozen Red Sea dives. However, I did get to visit the wreck of the Thistlegorm in Egypt, which was fantastic and had been high on my underwater bucket list.

 

[Dan]

Thistlegorm in Egypt, which was fantastic and had been high on my underwater bucket list.

I’m not into wreck diving, but Thistlegorm is certainly the best one among any other wrecks I have seen.

 

[BlueTrin]

Wreck Lovers:
Chuuk Lagoon
Solomon Islands
PNG (various places)
SS President Coolidge (Vanuatu)
Philippines (Coron)
Scapa Flow (Scotland)
Bikini Atoll
Red Sea (SS Thistlegorm)

Of the above, I have done all but the last two. More to do in PNG and Solomons.

Reef Lovers:
PNG (various places)
Philippines
Indonesia (Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat)
Solomon Islands
Palau
Red Sea

Of the above, I have done all but the Red Sea and Raja Ampat and some places in PNG (like New Britain western end).

Should you add the Zenobia ?

 

[BikerBecca]

I don't have a bucket list dive site. I have a bucket list dive goal. In 2020 I hope to have completed my Tech certifications in decompression dives and Trimix and hit a maximum depth of at least 400 feet. Short visit at depth and a really, really, really, really long journey back up, but what an amazing experience.

 

[Wingy]

For WW2 buffs - the grand old lady Coolidge should be on your list

Mine - places I haven't dived yet but will - Galapagos, Cocos, Baffin Island, Kermadic Islands, Silfra, Mayotte, Crete & Bouganville