Best Scuba Diving Destinations In The World
If you’re looking for your next diving destination—and you have the resources to go anywhere you want in the world—then this is the list for you! Featuring the 10 best places to scuba dive in the world, this guide will help you discover new and exciting underwater sites that’ll give you a one-of-a-kind adventure.Featured Diving Destinations
Scuba Diving Destinations: Where to Next?
Best Diving Destinations by Country
- Southeast
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Thailand
- Phuket
- Khao Lak
- East
- Taiwan
- Green Island
- Orchid Island
- Penghu
- Japan
- Taiwan
- Australia
- Great Barrier Reef
- SS Yongala Wreck
- Tangalooma Wrecks
- Ningaloo Reef
- Rowley Shoals
- Fiji Islands
- United Kingdom
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Lundy Island
- The Manacles
- Rhoscolyn Beacon
- Spain
- Tanzania
- Zanzibar & Pemba
- Mnemba Atoll, Zanzibar
- Leven Bank
- Lake Tanganyika
- Cape Town
- Mozambique
- Doodles
- Pinnacles
- Kingfisher Reef
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
- Cocos Island
- Catalina Islands
- Tortuga Islands
- Belize
- Dutch Caribbean
- Panama
- Florida
- Florida Keys
- Rainbow River
- Hog Heaven
- Spiegel Grove
- Ecuador
- Galápagos Islands
- Isla de la Plata
- Islote el Ahorcado
- California
- Caribbean
- Egypt
- Alexandria
- Dahab
- El Gouna and the Strait of Gubal
- El Quseir
- Hurghada
- Marsa Alam
- Ras Gharib
- Sharm el-Sheikh
- Oman
- Muscat
- Musandam
- Salalah
- Dibba
- Ar-Rumays
- British Columbia
Scuba Diving Resources
6 Best Drysuits: Our Top Picks
Most scuba divers wear wetsuits almost all year round when diving in certain parts of the world, but if you’re doing any cold water diving, what you’ll need is a drysuit. There are a few major differences between wetsuits and drysuits, the most distinct being that the latter is generally loose-fitting and keeps water out completely (hence the name) to keep you as warm as possible.
10 Best Wetsuits for Diving
Wetsuits may all look the same—save for the different styles and colors—but the ones that are specifically made for scuba diving are usually thicker and better at retaining body heat so you can feel comfortable and stay longer underwater. This thermal feature is especially crucial when diving in colder waters or when you dive to depths where the warmth of the sun can no longer penetrate.
5 Best Travel BCDs: Our Top Picks
With airline regulations on baggage weight restrictions getting more and more stringent, the need for lightweight and easy-to-carry scuba diving equipment becomes the need of the hour. And for those who don’t like to rent their scuba gear, perhaps the bulkiest piece of scuba diving equipment you’d have to bring is your buoyancy compensator or BCD, which can sometimes take up half your luggage space as well as half your weight limit.
6 Best Scuba Diving Gear Packages
Tired of renting your scuba diving gear? If you’re getting serious about this exciting and exhilarating hobby, it may be time to get your own equipment. But with all the brands and models available on the market, it can be quite overwhelming to choose which products to get to complete your first scuba diving rig.
Top 10 Scuba Fins
One of the most important pieces of scuba equipment that divers need to be particular about is the fins they will be wearing on their expeditions. If you’re thinking about diving and traveling deep into the depths of the water, you’ll have to make sure the model and type of fin that you get suits your needs in order for it to give you the best underwater experience.
10 Best Scuba Regulators
One of the most important components of your scuba diving equipment set is your regulator. The regulator is what helps provide just the right amount of gas from your pressurized tank so you can comfortably breathe underwater.
Barracuda Point (Sipadan Island, Malaysia)
- Maximum Depth: 65 meters
- Visibility: 15-40 meters, depending on the season
- Current: Occasionally strong
- Water Temperature: 27-31°C
- Skill Level: Entry-level divers and Advanced Open Water (AOW) divers with at least 20 log dives
Why should I dive at Barracuda Point?
If you’re interested in underwater photography, this is one of the top places to visit thanks to the incredibly diverse array of marine wildlife. It’s sure to be one of the most unforgettable diving experiences for both entry-level and experienced divers.
What marine life can I see in Barracuda Point?
When is the best time to go scuba diving in Barracuda Point?
Blue Corner Wall (Palau, Micronesia)
- Maximum Depth: 30 meters
- Visibility: 20-30 meters
- Current: Can change direction and speed at any given moment
- Water Temperature: Around 29-30°C
- Skill Level: Experienced divers (due to strong currents)
Why should I dive at Blue Corner Wall?
As one of the top scuba diving sites on the planet, Blue Corner Wall sees around 41,000 divers per year—and around 8,000 of them go to Palau specifically to dive with some of the sharks in the area. It’s definitely one of the most challenging and exciting dive spots for advanced open water divers.
What marine life can I see at Blue Corner Wall?
When is the best time to go scuba diving at Blue Corner Wall?
Visibility is often pretty good and only drops to around 15-20 meters from July to September.
Thistlegorm (Egyptian Red Sea)
- Maximum Depth: 30 meters
- Visibility: 15-25 meters
- Current: Generally calm, but can also be strong and go in different directions
- Water Temperature: 22-28°C
- Skill Level: Intermediate, advanced, guided AOW
Why should I dive at the Thistlegorm?
If you’re a PADI Advanced Open Water-certified technical diver with a fascination for underwater wrecks, you will truly enjoy exploring the massive cargo shipwreck (starting at 16 meters down to 32 meters) filled with war supplies like rifles, motorbikes, trucks, and train carriages. Drift dives are quite common in the Red Sea due to currents, as are night dives amongst towering coral and schools of fish.
What marine life can I see at Thistlegorm?
When is the best time to go scuba diving at the Thistlegorm?
Manta Ray Night Dive (Kailua Kona, Hawaii)
- Maximum Depth: 24 meters
- Visibility: 4.5-9 meters
- Current: Variable, occasionally strong
- Water Temperature: 24-26°C
- Skill Level: Certified Open Water Diver of all skill levels
Why should I join the Manta Ray Night Dive?
What other marine life will I see in Kailua Kona?
When is the best time to join the Manta Ray Night Dive?
The Yongala (Queensland, Australia)
- Maximum Depth: 33 meters
- Visibility: 10-25 meters
- Current: Often strong, making diving difficult and dangerous
- Water Temperature: 21-30°C
- Skill Level: Experienced open water divers with at least 6 logged dives and deep dive training
Why should I dive at the Yongala?
Since 1981, the wreck has been protected by the Historic Shipwrecks Act, so divers are not allowed to enter it. Nonetheless, this popular diving destination is one of the best places to scuba dive for those who have a passion for adventure, an interest in history, and an unbridled curiosity about diverse marine life.
What marine life will I see at the Yongala?
When is the best time to go scuba diving at the Yongala?
Great Blue Hole (Belize)
- Maximum Depth: 125 meters
- Visibility: 30 meters
- Current: Calm and still due to poor water circulation
- Water Temperature: 25-30°C
- Skill Level: Experienced divers with more than 24 logged dives
Why should I dive in the Great Blue Hole?
Famous ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau himself made it famous by naming it one of the top scuba diving sites in the world after investigating its depths in 1972. The exploration revealed that the hole was formed even before ocean levels rose thousands of years ago—judging from the caves, limestone stalactites, stalagmites, and coral fossils submerged hundreds of feet below the surface.
Despite its still waters, this massive sinkhole is home to plenty of marine life.
What marine life can I see in the Great Blue Hole?
When is the best time to go scuba diving in the Great Blue Hole?
Shark and Yolanda Reef (Egyptian Red Sea)
- Maximum Depth: 40 meters
- Visibility: 30 meters
- Current: Generally strong along walls and between reefs
- Water Temperature: Up to 28°C
- Skill Level: Certified diver with moderate experience
Why should I dive in the Shark and Yolanda Reef?
It begins with a visit to the stunning Anemone City, continues to the Shark Reef that features a spectacular drop-off, and ends with the Yolanda wreck, where you’ll find toilets, bathtubs, and pipes coated with corals and surrounded by pelagic life forms.
What marine life can I see in the Shark and Yolanda Reef?
When is the best time to go scuba diving in the Shark and Yolanda Reef?
Exmouth Navy Pier (Western Australia)
- Maximum Depth: 15 meters
- Visibility: 3-10 meters
- Water Temperature: 24-28°C
- Current: Usually calm and still
- Skill Level: Suitable for divers of all levels
Why should I dive in the Exmouth Navy Pier?
What marine life can I see in the Exmouth Navy Pier?
When is the best time to go scuba diving in the Exmouth Navy Pier?
Cape Kri (Raja Ampat, Indonesia)
- Maximum Depth: 40 meters
- Visibility: 30 meters
- Current: Occasionally very strong
- Water Temperature: 27-30°C
- Skill Level: Experienced divers with at least 50 logged dives
Why should I dive in Cape Kri?
Just be warned that the remoteness of the islands and varying currents (some enough for drift diving) make the Cape Kri quite challenging for beginners. At least 50 logged dives are required to enjoy this destination.
What marine life can I see in Cape Kri?
When is the best time to go scuba diving in Cape Kri?
USAT Liberty (Bali, Indonesia)
- Maximum Depth: 30 meters
- Visibility: Up to 30 meters
- Current: Can vary, but usually very still
- Water Temperature: 24-27°C
- Skill Level: Suitable for divers of all levels
Why should I dive at the USAT Liberty?
Divers also come here for the abundance of picture-perfect marine life. If you’re a beginner who’s looking for an easy wreck dive site that’s considerably less strict, or an advanced diver looking for an adventure deep in Indonesian waters, this is a great option