My top 10(+1) Scuba Spots
Scuba diving (formerly the acronym of Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) has been a popular sport for years. Exploring the water’s depths can be exhilarating. People enjoy scuba diving for many reasons, mostly for personal pleasure and professional gains. Three-fourths of the water-covered earth provides plenty of amazing spots for great diving. Here are some of the best destinations I’ve discovered:
Beqa Lagoon, Fiji
Beqa is famous and well known to many experienced divers. Even for the seasoned divers it’s a thrilling experience to explore the multitudes of marine life and beautiful underwater terrain in this popular spot. Exceptional topography and a vivid range of varying colors of coral will astound in this underwater heaven. The best time to visit this destination is the Fijian winter, around May to October.
Yap, Micronesia
Located 6000 miles away from LA, this island doesn’t change much and life here, if only for a short while can be utterly relaxing. The most amazing thing about this spot is its large marine abundance and pristine quality. Nature enthusiasts and ecologists look forward to this place because of the higher chances of spotting the mysterious manta ray. The best time to visit this destination is between December and April.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
This site offers huge down time, from shallow reefs to a 12000 foot abyss. It’s a must visit for scuba lovers. The weather here is quite tolerable (to say the least) all year around but the best time to visit is mid-December to mid-April. Summers are less crowded but there are heavy rain and hurricane threats during this time period.
Belize, Ambergris Caye, Central America
This spot has the best ecosystem and it is less explored than most destinations. Usually, you’ll find very little tourist activity here. The waters are not crystal clear but sustain great marine life. The best time to visit this destination is during November to May.
Ras Mohammed National Park, Red Sea, Egypt
To some, this is the most highly active and most sought-after place for scuba diving in the world. Diving here isn’t challenging but a has a great excitement factor. The best time to visit this destination is March to August.
Cozumel, Mexico
This is a perfect destination for short to extended dives. Cozumel has amazing reefs and super transparent water that can get you visibility up to 200 feet, on a lucky day.
Koh Tao Island, Thailand
Koh Tao is an island seemingly dedicated to scuba divers. Here you can usually find plenty of sharks to observe. Here, scuba hunting is legal so many tourists just come to hunt the local fauna.
Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
This island is actually formed of pure corals. You can literally slide on coral into the water! This spot has a relaxing environment where you can dive for whatever interval you wish. The best time to visit this destination is from April to September.
Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
Bazaruto is awesome for a lot of reasons, but the most popular activity is the night scuba diving. Dolphins and manatees can be seen swimming with the divers during the high season. The best time to visit Bazaruto is from June to August.
Phuket, Thailand
This spot offers a long scuba experience without stepping on land at all. Phuket is a wonder spot for extreme divers. The best time to visit is between October and May.
Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
This destination is growing popular day by day. It is a dream destination for a profound diving experience. Grand Turk is surrounded by walls for preservation purposes. During mid-December to mid-April there is a high tourist rush, so you’ll probably want to go between April and July.
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There’s one more that deserves mention. Roatan, Honduras was a scuba divers haven. I’m not a diver but when I was there recently, it was filled with divers and it’s apparently one of the least expensive spots to get certified or re-certified for scuba diving. Worth a mention at least…