Updated: 2/2/2020 | February 2nd, 2020
You don’t have to spend long around a group of travelers before someone brings up scuba diving. It’s the perfect activity for romantic getaways, adventurous backpacking trips, family holidays, and everything in between.
Learning to dive was something I always wanted to do; it opens up a whole new world of exploration. Exploring the mysterious depths, you’ll find coral reefs teeming with life, exotic fish and plant life, amazing wrecks, and a whole new appreciation for the fragility of our oceans.
Whether you’re just a newbie looking to get started or a veteran searching for new places to explore, here’s a list of some of the best places in the world to go diving:
1. The Blue Hole
The Blue Hole in Belize is one of the most famous dive sites in the world, and you can probably see why. This peculiar site is actually a massive marine sinkhole. It was popularized by the famous explorer Jacques Cousteau who actually declared it to be one of the best diving sites in the world. The hole itself is around 300m in diameter and around 125m deep. The waters here are crystal-clear, offering up a chance to see reef sharks, as well as bull sharks and hammerheads.
Learn more about traveling to Belize and diving the blue hole!
2. Thailand
Thailand offers a number of awesome dive sites: Phuket, Ko Tao, Similan Islands, and the Surin Islands to name a few. While you can pretty much go diving anywhere here and still have a blast, the best diving is found near Ko Tao and up near the Similans. Moreover, Ko Tao is a cheap place to learn to scuba dive if you’re a newbie. There’s a plethora of dive shops on the island for both beginners and experts, so you’ll definitely be able to find a company that suits your needs!
Learn more about traveling to Thailand and diving these excellent sites!
3. Gili Islands
The Gilis in Indonesia have become massively popular in recent years — and for good reason! The reefs and waters here provide a gorgeous backdrop to your dives. The islands are surrounded by a huge reef system that is better preserved than others in the area. And with the island being much cheaper than its neighbor, Bali, there is even more reason to come here and explore.
Learn more about traveling and diving to the Gili Islands!
4. Sipadan
Located in Malaysia, Sipadan is arguably one of the best five dive sites in the world. The place is teeming with life. You will see turtles, cave systems, sharks, dolphins, schools of fish, bright coral, bright fish, and everything in between. Not only will you get to see these, but you’ll see them in incredible abundance and variety. It was my favorite place in Southeast Asia so definitely don’t miss it if you’ve never had a chance to dive here!
Learn more about traveling and diving Malaysia!
5. Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef needs no introduction. Located off the coast of Australia, the world’s longest reef has all the tropical sea life and coral you could ever imagine. The reef itself is almost 350,000 square kilometers; it’s so big you can see it from space! Over 2 million people visit the reef every year, though unfortunately climate change is having a disasterous effect on the reef, so don’t miss your chance to see the reef while it’s still there! Diving the great barrier reef was one of the best things I’ve ever done, despite the fact a fish pooped in front of me!
Learn more about traveling and diving Australia!
6. Hawaii
Hawaii has some great scuba diving. The islands are ringed with reefs and wildlife, so it’s pretty hard to come to Hawaii and not dive. Being one the world’s most remote archipelagos, it’s no surprise that there’s just so much going on under the water. Seals, mantas, and turtles are all very common, though it’s definitely possible to also spot humpbacks or whale sharks if you visit from December-May. The area north of the islands has been made into the largest marine reserve in the United States, ensuring great diving for years to come. With so many Americans traveling abroad to dive, Hawaii is actually an underrated choice. Don’t pass it up!
Learn more about traveling and diving Hawaii with my guide!
7. Micronesia
Tropical islands as beautiful as Micronesia always have one thing in common: they are encircled by vibrant coral reefs. Dive sites like the Blue Wall make Micronesia one of the top destinations in the South Pacific when it comes to diving. There are also plenty of WWII wrecks that you can explore, too. If you’re looking for somewhere less visited, inexpensive, and pristine then you need not look any further!
8. Boracay
Located in the Philippines, this tropical paradise is also (not surprisingly) a diving paradise. You’ll find all the usual suspects here, including eels and clown fish, as well as abundant reef systems. It’s the most popular place to dive in the Philippines and for good reason. When you’re tired of swimming below the sea, you can kick back and relax on the picturesque beaches. Double win!
9. Fernando de Noronha
This place may not be well known by travelers, but it’s a world famous dive destination and the best diving site in Brazil. In recent years Fernando de Noronha has definitely grown in popularity, which isn’t surprising. Here you will find lots of life among the blue waters that circle these islands. You’ll be able to swim with turtles, dolphins, and much more. There is even one of the best wreck sites in the world, the Corveta V 17. Not only is this one of the best dive sites in South America, it’s one of my favorites in the world. Plus, the islands are only allowed to host a limited number of visitors so you won’t be sharing this paradise with lots of other people!
Learn more about traveling to and diving these islands with my guide to Brazil!
10. Egyptian Red Sea
The Red Sea offers stunningly clear turquoise waters. The reefs are vibrant and full of life, never failing to disappoint. The consistent water temperatures year round make this a diver’s paradise. From Sharm El Sheikh to the wrecks at Sha’ab Abu Nuhas to the Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed, you’ll find excellent diving all over the Red Sea.
Regardless of whether you are a beginner or an expert, these dive sites offer up some of the most amazing sights and experiences in the world. From expansive reefs to epic wrecks, these amazing dive destinations will remind you why you started diving in the first place!
P.S. – Want some more islands to dive around? Here are some of my favorite tropical islands in the world.
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Will
Having just gotten my open-water certification, and ready to give up the life of “ski-bum” in favor of “beach bum”, this list is sure to come in handy. Thanks!
Camels & Chocolate
Ooh, now I have some new places to add to my to-dive list! So far, I’ve only done the Bahamas (which is totally underrated when it comes to diving…the Abacos, for one, are STUNNING, and Andros, too, is supposed to have amazing marine life and the second blue hole to Belize’s), Roatan (only eh), Great Barrier Reef, Dominican Republic, Maldives (which SHOULD go on your list).
Where have you dived in Hawaii? And have you ever done Cook Islands? That’s up next for me next month.
Dee King
@Camels & Chocolate – hey, done the Cooks, check out Dive Rarotonga while you’re there, and say hi from me LOL super keen to go back asap… just waitin’ on the cash… you might see sharks, if you’re lucky… boy are they scaredy cats… except big ones, never seen one, not sure I want to? LoL really wanted to see a Hammerhead, apparently they can get them around there, but generally too big to go throught the reef. Muri Lagoon average snorkelling, very average I gather by international standards. And true, why aren’t the Maldives – and the Turks and Caicos not on the list? If you make it down to NZ, strongly recommend the Poor Knights Islands. On Cousteau’s list, apparently. Deservedly! Take care, have fun!
Tajuana Ewing
Turks and Caicos have beautiful weather, people and the beaches are absolutely gorgeous. The diving is great as well. This Island is becoming a hot spot for wedding destinations and diving. All 5 Star Hotels on the award winning Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Search it on the net.
Tina
Another place, is Akumal, about 2 hours south of Cancun. It’s where Cousteau discovered sleeping sharks. It was a beautiful place, where the ocean was on one side, and the jungle on the other.
Caitlin
Fantastic post! I’m going SCUBA diving on the Great Barrier Reef in April on my honeymoon. You don’t mention where on the reef you think is best. I’ve heard Lizard Island is amazing, but we are going to Heron and Wilson Islands – hopefully that will be wonderful too.
I’m surprised you don’t mention the wrecks in the South Pacific – Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, for example.
And I’ve heard that Papua New Guinea is pretty much the ultimate for diving, on the north coast near Medan.
Caitlin
PS it would be cool to have some cool water dive sites on the list too. Or maybe on a separate list?
Travel Over 30s
I actually think the Great Barrier Reef is a bit over-rated these days especially with the amount of die back. I prefer the reef off Western Australia – at Exmouth. The reef is within reach of the beach and the water is very clear – and there are hardly any people there
PJ Szatanek
I agree 100 percent…Ningaloo is much nicer than the GBR.
Tamara
Matt – a great list indeed – some places to add to my ‘must go’ list. Out of all of these I am ashamed to say I have only visited one – the Red Sea.
I would also like to recommend diving near Zanzibar – you can dive from the north of the island but if you go a little further and get a boat to Pemba it gets even better.
Quickroute
Roatan – Honduras ain’t bad either.
Barrier reef is king though!
Sara
These photos are amazing. I’ll have to take your word for the quality of scuba – I’m terrified.
However, snorkeling I can do. Would love to see a top 10 list for snorkeling too!
Travel Over 30s
Hi Lissie again – I just tagged you over on my blogs – 7 things about you and 7 blogs you like 🙂
NomadicMatt
Ahh, so many great places. I know Hondorus, the west of Australia (whale sharks!), Bora Bora, and more are all great. I only wanted to pick ten but lets be real- there are way more than 10 great diving sites in the world!
Thank you all for your recommendations and lovely comments!
Jim Paredes
Boracay is not deserving to be on your list. It is a great vacation place but the diving is lousy. YOu have to dive to 90 feet before you see a wall or anuthing interesting.
There are far more interesting places in the Philippines to dive such as Tubataha Reef which is a candidate to be a World Heritage site. It’s a live aboard experience, and many divers will say it is better than anything in Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia.
You can also go to Anilao or Bohol.
jessie voigts
i want to go!!!
jen laceda
Your picks are right on! I love Boracay in the Philippines. Sadly, the island had become over commercialized…but the Boracay I remember is the laid back enclave of the 80’s and early 90’s (where there were only 2 clubs, a few restaurants on the beach, and maybe 3-4 beach hut hotels. I heard that nowadays, semi high rise hotels/resorts are lined side by side with clubs, themed eateries, spas, etc.
Dante
Thanks for the photos – but when it comes to dive sites, it’s like talking about your favorite food: Everyone has a different “hot spot”.
Tubataha in the Philippines is definitely a great spot – if the Taiwanese fishingboats didn’t take out all of the grouper.
If you can afford it: PNG (Papua New Guinea) offers the most fascinating spots I’ve ever seen (and I have been to almost every country between Singapore and Micronesia). Commercial dive operations are costly but if you have the chance to go on your own sailboat, you can go further then they can. We found a reef between two uninhabited islands – the top about 15 ft deep, where fish still wascurious and came to check you out. We anchored in 140ft deep water where you could see the bottom and I had to abandon the anchor dive because the sharks were too big an curious.
PNG is tiger shark country, so keep your eyes open and play it safe. Because it is out of the way for the big fishing fleets, there is still an abundant fish and coral life to find.
And the country and people are just wild.
Go before it’s gone….
Mi laik i go long Papua Nuigini
NastyGash
Saba anyone? Better than Roatan and Yucatan IMHO.
Evelyn
Did Sabah off St Martin – Magnificent. Sipidan tops, Also done Hawaii, Red Sea, Thailand , South Africa , Florida . Looking for best dive sites for August/September this year. Any suggestions for these months? great blog!
Cameron
I love the ideas but I really do think that Bonaire of the Netherland Antillies should be up there. Cozumel is beautiful as well.
Aly
Bonaire is gotta be up there as well, the entire island is based around diving. If you stayed near the water (which is everywhere) you can literally walk from into the ocean from the boardwalk and you’ll be at the wall in 20ft. Our boat was anchored there for several weeks and you’ll see the guys diving right under you, the water was so pristine. Also alot of turtles makes it fun just to free dive as well!
Lisa
I think I’ve just added 7 places to my must-see list. Culling the list to just ten must have been a job. The photos are spectacular. Thanks!
Micky
Wakatobi is by far the most amazing diving in the world. I have been all over the world diving -including most of the places listed above and the diving at Wakatobi is pristine!
muzz
Right on Dante.
Sadly too many of these beautiful places are degraded as humans over exploit this precious resource.
Some places are dying and many of the neighbouring sites have “died” some years ago.Tragic.
Greed and self interest about amongst the beauty
Aline
Cozumel is beautiful!!… You should go … its really fascinating!! =)
coach sydney
Diving is great hobby! This is an interesting site with all kinds of interesting pictures. You will find you can really spend time here.
Cape Cod Travel
really amazing photos.
thanks matt
Reese
This is an interesting activity with all kinds of interesting places. You will find you can really spend time there especially the blue hole.
Ritchie M.
There are many diving sites in the Philippine Islands that are spectacular full of fishes and corals. The Palawan Islands in the Philippines have the best diving sites. Tubbataha is also one of the best in the world. Boracay Island is a good pick as well. It is also one of the best beaches in the world, so it has a lot to offer.
Joe
Great Barrier Reef
Port Douglas is about 100% touristy. Boy were you trapped. Not cheaper than Cairns though I recommend many other places, not the only two options. Stay in the rainforest is the best way to enjoy the area as it supposed to be nature tourism though tourists seem to forget this and want resorts all over and this destroys our home.
The Great Barrier Reef is not dying travel over 30! Why do people make these things up.! They sustain some damage, as does every reef, on occasion from storm, coral bleaching etc but these events have been more recent on the Western Australian reefs. They recover. The reason it is a World Heritage site is due it’s pristine condition and lack of substantial population centres onshore.
For serious diving in the Great Barrier reef beware many operators cater to intro dive market and this is the tourist trap one must avoid. The best way to experience the reef on day trips is to snorkel. For divers you need to head to the ribbon reefs, cod hole, northern reefs and coral sea reefs like Osprey. This requires a liveabaord and some $$. The next best option is at the outer barrier reefs trips conducted by dive operators. Some are bad so reef research required.
When done you can venture to the outback close by and see the caves at Chillagoe which are coral reefs from 400 million years ago. They found the fossilised remains of the megafauna Giant Killer Kangaroo there. You can white water raft down the North Johnstone River where access to start point is by helicopter it is so pristine, no trails or track.
Discover the Mission Beach parts away from the little township and feel a million miles away with the areas most stunning beach on your doorstep.
So next time prise yourself away from the tourist trap Port Douglas and have the journey of a lifetime. Plus then be qualified to say where to avoid the tourist.
Simon
Hi Matt,
never easy to make lists, because it is impossible not to be influenced by personal experiences and tastes. However, as a long time diver I do not completely agree with ur list.
Fernando de Norhona is nice, but I wouldn’t consider it one of the best places
Blue Hole in Belize is unique, but the other spots are not at the same level
Among the best diving places I would personally suggest to add:
– Sudan (even better than many spots in Egyptian Red Sea)
– Indonesia: Bunaken Marine Park, Komodo
– Ecuador, Cocos Island: for thrilling dives with schools of hammerheads
– French Polynesia, Bora Bora
– Mexican Cenotes
– PNG
Cheers,
William Wallace
I have never thought about or had the desire to scuba dive but looking at these amazing places has got me thinking maybe I could be missing out on something special.
sara
really,, all picture is a wonderfull and amazing and sonder the redsee in the egypt all place is ahavenice fishes and alot of color in hurghada,, sharmelshakh ,,taba,,dahab,,marsaalam and newaiba
Bill Sims
To leave off the “Bloody Wall” in the Cayman Islands smacks of global parochialism. A dive master that I knew from Austrialia told me that the Great Barrier Reef was over-rated and that to get to the best spots was a real hassle. I’ve since heard the same from several who have made the trip.
Teri
As a beginner scuba diver I’ll have to admit. Diving in the Atlanta Aquarium was the best place so far! We just came back and scuba dived with 4 whale sharks, manta rays, hammerheads, groupers, jacks, sand sharks, tiger sharks, and 1000s of other things bigger than us! It was much cooler then our Belize and Costa Rican dives by far! And may I suggest spending the night in the aquarium for a cool experience too!?
Sandy
Teri,
I am sure diving in the aquarium was an amazing experience for you with all the marine life. I would have to argue though that they were not in their natural habitat. It is not the same!
Claire
Belize is extreme, it’s a must see, recently i also went to Tayrona park and Taganga in the coast of Colombia, it was amazing. The water is crystal clear and you dont have to go to far to see great things. Lobsters, moray eel,mantaray, dolphins if you are lucky and lots of other colorful fish. Also it is very cheap, the equipement is not very sophistcated but for the price is good. I will say is a nice place for those budget divers. Also very safe!
Monika
My husband and I are going on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise where we stop at St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and the Bahamas but I don’t want to dive at all 3. Does anyone have any recommendations on which place is beter than the others?
French Polynesia is definitely the best place that I’ve been diving so far.
Bita Cattelan
How does Maui compare with Turks and Caicos for diving?
I am a beginner and am planning a trip this March.I ahve an option to goto Maui or to Turks and Caicos.
Which do you recommend?
mona
gili islands & fernando de noronha is the best an fabulos places….!!!!!!!!!!
mona
the blue hole seems a mystrious one..
u can follow me on twitter.. @mona_butt
Harry
Catalina?!?! I’m from the area and don’t get me wrong, Catalina is great, but I can’t see how it can compare to most of those places. Maybe I need some tips on where to go!
Mark
I think it was a joke
Sean
The Gili Islands are one of the sadest places I have ever dived (Gili T anyway, maybe the others are better). The dynamite fishing there is so extreme it looks like an A-bomb went off underwater and the coral is piled so high on the beach on the west end of town it looks like a snow plow put it there. HIGHLY over rated.
Sipidan is definitely off the charts beautiful and is my number one pick. Book ahead!
Tony
Hi, has anyone here tried diving Karimunjawa in Indonesia ?
I hear its a fantastic unspoiled reef better than Gilli Islands but can not find much information on it yet.
anthony
Hi All,
Planning to go for a beginners scuba dive course somewhere in the Great Barrier Reefs but don’t know where to go. Any tips or recommendation to location or the company to go with will be much appreciated. Thank you in advance for any suggestion.
Kate
Where is Cozumel? Coz has some of the best diving in the world with 150’+ viz, spectacular underwater walls and swimthroughs and plenty of marine life. I don’t see how you can include Hawaii but leave out Cozumel.
1234
Bonaire of the Netherland Antillies is a good place to go scuba diving!!!!
marionchang
YES! i think Philippines is one of the best diving sites in the world here you can see different kinds of corals and sea animals 🙂 i would like to invite you guys to dive here in the Philippines you can experience different kinds of marine life here the fishes corals and many more big and small marine creatures and their full of colors we have great diving sites here hope you can visit soon thank you and have fun diving 🙂
Jamie Monk
Wish I could get to all those places! I came to Thailand in 1999 aiming to work on a dive boat in the Similan islands, loved it so much.. still here!
Kirsty
These pictures are amazing, it makes me want to go diving now!!!
Elise
Great Article! We went diving at Sipadan about 5 months ago and it was AMAZING!!! Now we have many more to add to our list! Thanks!
Josh Lunzaga
Wow, I didn’t know Boracay is a good place for diving. I never really had such experience but I tried snorkeling there 2 years ago and I didn’t see much of an abundant wildlife..well, I think I might be also scared if I stumble upon a very surprising sea creature haha. Anyway, I think Palau should be considered one of the grandest dive sites especially in the Pacific. Its beauty is just awesomeness!!
Brad
You gotta go to rainbow reef in Fiji!! Best diving in the whole world. If you go, dive Great White Wall (no white sharks sorry…). Just be sure to check when the Fijian summer is, don’t go in the winter like I did because the sky was overcast every day except the day we got there and the day we left.
James
I am a junior and have only just got my certificate and can now go down to 12 metres. where would be the best place to go?
Morck
Where is Sudan on this list? Northern Red Sea now SPOILT by too many bad divers kicking ever piece if reef to pieces… go further south and it gets better and better…the best is sudan! Unspoilt reef, fish completely unafraid of divers and displaying natural mating behaviour in front of your mask..my buddy was hit on by a displaying parot fish..National Geographic could film nothing better..and the shark action….well, night diving with 30+ curious silky shark for one, not to mention the odd tiger! and the very fat, rather ominous greys sneaking up fro mbehind..and did I metnion the schooling hammer heads??…go there before it gets rammed by the masses..oh, and there is also Umbria, better the n Thistlegorm by far for wreckies… do a deep south trip and you go all the way to the Erithrean border lands, see no boats for weeks and when finding a new reef on the boatradar, might just decide to jump in to ‘see what’s there’..i even have my name on one habili!!
elmer
Boracay is a good diving site but the best diving site in the Philippines is Verde Island Passage south of Manila. It has been described as the “centre of the centre” of the world’s marine biodiversity in a joint study by America’s Smithsonian Institute.
The Verde Island passage has been found to have 1,736 overlapping marine species in a 10-km by 10-km area, the largest concentration of marine life in the world.
The site with the second greatest number of species is in Palau Bintan in Indonesia, which has 1,670 species in a 10 by 10 km area.
Jip
I went to Fernando de Noronha a couple years ago when i used to live in Brasil ( I didnt go diving, sadly). It was beautliful! We went to this special little cove that was completly deserted and you can only reach via a special route. We went snorkelling there and saw a endangered species of sea turtle, forgot the name. We sat down on the beach and we could see the fish swimming through the waves, it was amazing. You can do diving from a very early age, 7 at the hotel we stayed, I wasnt allowed but wish I had been. Something you can do that is very cool is you go on a boat (with snorkelling things) and there are ropes attached to the boat with little boards on them. Everyone takes turns and you hold on to the planks and you can push them and be able to dive up to a certain amout of meters. Again we saw turltes, dolfins and many other sea creatures! It was an amazing experience! I think that Fernando de Noronha definetly deserves a place on this list! 🙂 J
Stuart C
Asking where the best diving is a bit like asking what is the best song or movie of all time!
From my experience
GBR overall 7/10
GBR Northern Reefs 8.5/10
Coral Sea (Aust)8/10
Cod Hole (Aust)7/10
Yongala Wreck (Aust)8.5/10
Red Sea 6/10
Maldives 8.5/10
Komodo 8/10
Thaiand not worth rating!
Palau 8/10
Yap 7/10
Ningaloo Reef 8.5/10
My winner is Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea at 9.5/10 It has it all and is off the commercial fishing map. The pinncales and deserted reefs are truelly alive and you would see any other divers other than in your group. Loster for lunch deivered by lap lap wearing native in a dugout canoes is just a bonus EVERY lunchtime.
And for a cooler water location (21-25 deg Ce)the diving of the mid north coast of New South ales in Australia is the world’s best kept secret. Dont beieve me I hear you say. Look up Fish Rock Cave on the web. Largest underwater cave in the southern hemisphere and protected shark habitate as well. Cave has heaps of crayfish and resident massive bull rays. I dived there 18 months ago and dropped into school of 40 hammerheads, then lost count at 84 grey nurse sharks in the first gutter, second gutter 30 or some more. Shark proximity to divers is as close as 0.5mts as they cruise by. Fish Rock Cave truely rocks. For the record I have nothing to do with any dive operation there or anywhere.
Off to the Sorocco Islands off Baja soon. I hope it is as good as they say.
Your in the blue,
Stu
stella
Oh!! beautiful!!!
Did you go to that ?
I have some problem to you (I’m korean so i can’t write English well, sorry )
Apriil Sharp
Hi, I am interested in diving in all these places but the only problem is, do I need a diving certificate? And also. With all these places which are the airports to get off at and where is the best places to stay?
Please let me know by my email thank you.
NomadicMatt
Yes, you’ll need your PADI license for diving.
robert
hi matt, try raja ampat papua indonesia, or komodo island in indonesia too… spectacular sites to dive! 🙂
Juan
Palau was amazing and Bali had good diving. Went scuba diving in the Gilli Islands and all the coral was dead and everyone tried to sell me drugs at every corner. The diving was very disappointing.
Ricardo G.
Muitas palavras bonitas… mas pare de tirar a camisa para mergulhar e vista uma para que este paraiso, chamado TERRA, continue a existir… A catastrofe de hoje no Japão, a primeira que realmente mostrou o que até então só os filmes de ficção mostravam : Uma onda gigante varrendo o mundo… Alerta pessoas. Quantos paÃses estiveram alertas hoje ? quantas pessoas morreram ? E essa fauna que vive nos mares ? Os poucos que ainda sobrevivem. Tambem morreram hoje ? O que veremos amanhã ? Corpos deteriorando no buraco azul ? por falta de um ecosistema para devorá-los ? Por favor… vamos abrir nossos olhos ou vamos juntar dinheiro de uma vida para comprar um lugar na nave fugitiva da realidade, que está apenas nas nossas cabeças egoÃstas e que nos levará a morte? Obrigado e desculpem o desabafo, mas minha primeira reação ao ver as notÃcias na tv, foi chorar. ” – tradução em inglês
Mohammed Abdul Kareem
I think we have in world someny place one i like only 1 bule belize in india we have someny place
Shivani
Thank you so much ! I had a project on scuba diving and this came in really handy for the top ten Scuba diving locations in the world.! 🙂
Thanx!
Zati Orquina
I want to invite all divers to visit Surigao City, Philippines. Not that popular but I can assure everyone, that you can see a lot here. I was able to dive in Sta. Catalina, California way too far in comparison. I don’t mean to be rude, I’m just telling the truth.
We are on on facebook Surigao Dive club,there’s a lot of photos there and see for yourself.
Place is pretty laidback, its very cheap to dive and people are very hospitable. Look for Mr. Jake Miranda just in case you need assistance, he is the man.
Zati Orquina
I want to invite all divers to visit Surigao City, Philippines. Not that popular but I can
assure everyone that you can see a lot here. I was able to dive in Sta. Catalina,
California way too far in comparison.I dont mean to be rude, I’m just telling the truth.
We are on facebook Surigao Dive Club, there’s a lot of pictures there and see for yourself.
Place is pretty laidback, it’s very cheap to dive and people are very hospitable. Look for Mr. Jake Miranda just in case you need assistance, he is the man.
Calum Boseley
I would like to suggest Mozambique. You can swim with th whale sharks, turtles and there is so many things to see. The scuba diving there is world class. Also, Honduras is fantastic!!!
Olly
Haven’t explored my diving side in a couple of years, but this post has got my spine tingling again!
Jared
Cenotes in the Mayan Riviera is the best diving I have ever done. Cenotos are under ground fresh water caves and caverns. Look up DOS OJOS CENOTE its about 45 min drive from Playa del carmen. 100 meters+ visibility!
Sarina
im only 13 and when im older i would love to scuba dive and i want some good places to get stated on
thanks
Pieter
The Gili Islands are spoilt by dynamite fishing and very disappointing
Those are absolutely NOT top 10 material
Top 10 material instead Cocos Island (Costa Rica), Sudan (mentioned earlier) and for sure Mozambique
Aleah
Mmm..if you’d dived in the Philippines, you’d know Boracay shouldn’t be here. There are a number of other dive sites that are better, like Tubattaha, Apo Reef, or even Puerto Galera.
Selena Gomez
Diving seems like a cool thing to do! Maybe I should just go diving for once and see what it is like.
😀
NomadicMatt
You should!
Selena Gomez
Is it really fun? Me and Justin want to do something really fun! Scuba diving in Thailand sounds like a good idea.
Selena Gomez
Also, showing the time that you replied to my comment, DANG you get up early NomadicMatt!
Baylee
Diving seems crazy cool
janet
never gone diving but having lived in the Philippines for 3 years, I would say El Nido, Palawan and Moalboal, Cebu is a great place. I’m still biased against Boracay because of how big of a tourist trap it is 😛
Lauren
This is great. I’m going to Thailand in April and need to figure out where I want to go diving. I’m stoked! Never heard of Fernando de Noronha, but it looks amazing.
Heidi
I just did my open water and advanced at Dahab in Egypt. It was absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to visit all these other places to dive now! I guess being Australian it’s embarrassing that I haven’t actually been to the reef – I really must do that when I get back.
Greg
You wrote about Thailand, the Gili’s and Sipadan but didn’t say a word about Komodo National Park, Sulawesi Strait’s and Raja Ampat (to name a few)?! wow.. Sorry but this can’t be the best diving in the world without mentioning these, I strongly disagree of your choices, having dived in many of them..
Neshtoto
LoL, these are some really good looking locations. I’d like to see them all some day… 🙂
Andrew
I love all these scuba destinations are just so picturesque. I’m not really a big diver, or even a diver at all. I’d still love to see these places though!
Sam D
Thanks for compiling this awesome list! these are many places on my to do list!
We really wanted to see amazing coral and sea life when we were in Thailand and did tours to Phi Phi and a few others and were pretty dissapointed with it. Most of the coral we saw was still badly damaged from the 2004 Thailand tsunami. We were told it would take 20-30 years maybe longer to grow back to what it used to be
Alvian Rahardjo
Hi Matt, thanks for listing Gili Islands as one of the best spots for scuba diving. But, Indonesia has many beautiful places for scuba diving, not only Gili Islands but also Raja Ampat (Papua), Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi), Bunaken (North Sulawesi) and many more.
Miguel
I’m not sure if Boracay should be on the list.
Yes, it’s a great beach. But for diving, I don’t think so.
“Tubbataha” perhaps? 🙂
janice sispon
i don’t know how to swim but seeing all of these makes me decide to go on swimming lesson so that i can go on diving!!!! 🙂
Mike
I’ve been to dive spots from Pacific to Red Sea and never really went to the same place twice until now. I recently just got back from the island of Palau for the second time. Palau is just breathtaking, from diving world’s best spots, view of hundreds of smaller rock island and its clear water, swimming in jellyfish lake to swimming and touching dolphins between rock islands. I got so hooked that i am now surfing on internet looking for good spots close by until I save up to go back again. Fyi…jellyfish lake has thousands of jellyfish strapped in it for a longtime and had lost their ability to sting so u can pretty much swim between them. Took a minute to get used to but ended up as one of the best experience. If you like diving, you’ll love diving there.
Kate
FFS Matt. If you knew anything about wildlife or diving, you wouldn’t be manhandling wild animals like you are in that octopus photo. I suppose you think that getting a good Facebook profile picture is more important than respecting and preserving the beautiful places that you’re lucky enough to go to. Even if that’s not you in the picture, you should know better than to promote that kind of behaviour by including the picture on your blog. Shame on you.
Paul
For the real divers another must is Hornby Island.
Dennis Davis
Thanks for sharing the information and your post more useful for everyone.
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Steven
Very good text and a good selection of places, but … why is Costa Rica missing here? 🙂 Places like Coco Island or Isla del Cano are “must see” places for every diver.
Jerry
Hi Matt! I loved your blog. Updated my to-do list for this year. Wanted to know if you are planning to visit Rasdhoo anytime soon?
Erika E Breddin
I grew up in Papua New Guinea, diving along the north coast – especially out of Madang. I’m very disappointed you completely skipped some of the most beautiful, untouched, crystal clear waters in the world. A SCUBA divers dream location.
Mark Pellerin
I normally never comment on articles…
I’ve been diving since certified at 13 years old (1977) and have dove tens of thousands of times in my Life. I got my wife and kids into SCUBA from the start.
Suggesting the Blue Hole got me to respond here!
I wouldn’t suggest this dive to anyone who’s new to the sport. It has its own dangers the locals may or may not explain to you.
Also, some of the other suggestions are too vague and don’t actually say exactly where to dive.
Just be careful and get a well known dive master to take you! If not for safety reason, then for the knowledge of taking you to a beautiful place that you’ll never forget!
I have dove all over the world. One of my favorite is Molokini Crater right off Maui.
I’ve gone many times. I wish I could remember the dive master’s last name. He’s a big guy named Mark. I know that doesn’t help much. But, it was the difference between a good dive and a dive that felt like Heaven.
Just saying…
Be highly cautious! There are dive shops out in some of these recommended places that only care about money and have no clue what they’re doing!
I believe it was Belize where a boat captain suggested a spot he had no idea about. We went down 60 or so feet and came up to a ridge. It so happened this (unknowingly) went straight down 1,000+ feet. To my suggestion, we approached it on our stomachs. Yet still got hit by a thermal that blasted us out of the water! Nobody got hurt, although it could have caused unrepairable hearing damage among other things.
Don’t just go diving anywhere! Research first and find a guide who knows what they’re doing. You may not only save your life, you’ll have a memory worth the money and will last a lifetime!
Bear