See full version: The Best Scuba Diving in the World; Liveaboards for each Dive Site
I grew up hearing stories of my dad scuba diving in the cold waters of the lakes in my home state of Minnesota (yes, we would even dive in the winter when they were frozen over!). I knew from a very young age that scuba diving was something I wanted to pursue! more
One thing that we really love about diving is that it can be a lifelong hobby. Some of the people we’ve met on our dives have been doing it for decades, which is pretty inspiring and definitely #lifegoals! [links]
If you’re like us, scuba diving is one of those hobbies that you just can’t get enough of.
Whatever it is that gets you hooked, we all tend to continue this hobby for similar reasons: There is no experience even remotely similar on land. more
Blue Heron Bridge
Florida, USA more
The Passage
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Mangrove roots plunge beneath the surface where they meet with vibrant coral growth. Sea fans, sponges and soft corals reach almost to the surface. Hidden tunnels and grottoes await the adventurous diver. And while all the elements combine to create a surreal scene, if you time your dive correctly, you’ll get an added bonus as the seascape is lit by intense shafts of light squeezing through the congestion above.
Los Islotes
Sea of Cortez, Mexico
The most popular places to scuba dive in the Americas are Hawaii, Florida, Mexico and the Galapagos.
The most popular places to scuba dive in Africa and the Middle-East are Egypt, the Canary Islands and Madagascar.
In addition to my World Dive Map, if you want to explore the best scuba diving destinations region by region, I recommend reading the following pages: more
The most popular places to scuba dive in Europe include Malta, Spain and Scotland. here
Please note that any destination promoting feeding or baited dives have been removed from this list, let’s promote together responsible diving tourism! more
The most popular places to scuba dive in Asia-Pacific are Bali, French Polynesia, the Philippines and Japan. [links]
Mine would go like this:
The Brummer – Scapa Flow
Yolanda – Aus
USS Oriskany – She’s brand new for me!
Uss Kitewake
The last one I have to think about!
Do you have any planned or is it a big wish list? [links]
Diver looking inside USS Oriskany – Credit: Greg Grimes [links]
USAT Liberty wreck. Tulamben, Bali – Credit: Dudarev Mikhail
“The Mighty O” is one of the largest purpose-sunk wrecks in the sea, and has quite a bit of history behind her. She served the US armed forces since 1945, and saw action in all armed conflicts between then and her final decommissioning in 1976. In 2006, she was purposely sunk off the coast of Florida to create an artificial reef. https://youtu.be/LFU-g_1CVnk The main appeal of the wreck is sheer size. The Oriskany is a former aircraft carrier, and measures a whopping 888 foot in length, and more than 30,000 tons. The wreck was completely stripped of any hazards to divers (and to the environment), so penetration is safe for those with appropriate certification. The shallower parts of the vessel, which include the superstructure and the bridge, allow for recreational diving. Whereas penetration and diving along the deeper sections of the wreck are well into the technical parts of diving. [links]
For wreck enthusiasts, there are two locations in the world that stand out, and that is Scapa Flow in the Scotland, and the Chuuk Lagoon in Micronesia. Both belong on a list of great wreck dives, but on this list, I’ll focus on Chuuk, if for no other reason than that with its warmer water, it is more accessible to divers. The lagoon served as a forward base for the Japanese navy during the Second World War (much the same way Pearl Harbor did for the Americans), and was attacked by US forces. Today, dozens of ship and plane wrecks are to be found in the lagoon, at depths ranging from the surface and down to tech depth. [links]