One of the perks of being a scuba diver is we have an almost endless supply of reefs, wrecks, caves and other fantastic underwater features and sea life just waiting to be explored. Thats why so many of us start planning our next dive trip as soon as we arrive home from our last one! With so many to choose from, how do we choose a dive destination?
[h=3]To help you narrow your choices, weve created a list of questions you can ask yourself:[/h][h=4]Do you want a vacation with some diving or a dive vacation?[/h]The answer to this is often dependent on who else it traveling with you if your significant other, kids, friends, whomever are not divers, you (and them) will probably have a much better, more relaxing vacation if you choose a destination that offers activities aside from diving. If youre traveling with avid divers who want to do several dives per day, every day, then pick a destination dedicated to diving. Dive resorts that cater to divers tend to be less expensive and more laid back than your traditional 4 or 5-star beachfront resort. Live-aboard dive trips where you eat, sleep and travel to dive sites aboard a boat, is another option if you want to really immerse yourself in a dive vacation.
[h=4]When are you planning to travel?[/h]If youre planning to travel during a specific month, this may also dictate where to go. You dont want to find yourself on a coveted dive vacation during a hurricane or even just the high rainy season. Surface conditions and visibility can also change between seasons, so if your desired spot tends to be rough with less visibility when you need to travel, you might want to consider a different destination.
[h=4]What do you most want to see?[/h]If youre most interested in wreck diving, of course youll need to focus on destinations known for their wrecks such as Truk Lagoon in Micronesia or Scapa Flow in Scotland. Migratory patterns of sea creatures may also be a factor in choosing a destination. If you want to dive with whale sharks, for example, you might choose to dive Isla Holbox, near Cancun, Mexico, in July when they migrate through the area. If youre into macro photography, Bonaire is a good bet. If you want to see Great Whites, head to northern California or South Africa.
[h=4]How long do you have?[/h]If you only have three or four days, youll want to choose somewhere easy to get to, where you dont burn most of your time on roundtrip travel. Direct flights into Grand Cayman and Cozumel and short land commutes make these ideal destinations for quick trips. If you can get away for longer, The Red Sea, Fiji, Palau, and the Galapagos offer a plethora of fantastic dive sites.
[h=4]How experienced are you?[/h]We must always take into account our experience level when choosing dive destinations. If youre relatively new to diving or havent dove in a while, you may want to focus on destinations with calm seas, good visibility, no currents and relatively shallow diving such as the Bahamas or the British Virgin Islands. If youre an advanced technical diver looking for adventure, Antarctica, the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the Blue Hole in the Red Sea or Yucatan Cenotes (sinkholes) in Mexico are all top notch.
[h=4]Shore diving or boat diving?[/h]Most of the best diving is only reachable by boat, but fortunately, there are some places where you simply gear up on the beach and glide in. Some of the advantages of shore diving are: its far less expensive than boat diving; if youre experienced, you dont need a divemaster; youre on your own schedule no need to adjust your day around the boats schedule; and you dont have to deal with a group of strangers who may or may not have strong diving skills. Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Florida and the Philippines have excellent shore diving.
[h=4]What is your budget?[/h]If money is no object, bucket list destinations include Micronesias Palau, the Egyptian Red Sea, Polynesias Rangiroa, and Malaysias Sipadan Island. Have no fear though, there are plenty of fantastic, affordable destinations such as Cozumel, south Florida, Honduras and even Bonaire with its unlimited shore diving.
[h=4]Are you interested in something totally different?[/h]If youve done most of your diving in warm, tropical waters and want to try something new, consider Norway, the Arctic, or Antarctica. In Norway, dive with orcas in the winter. Dive with penguins, leopard seals and sea lions in Antarctica, and with walruses in the Arctic. Not for the faint of heart, this is serious cold water diving so you should know how to dive with a dry suit.
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