Best diving destinations?

[TheRedHead]

Actually, you live in one of the most beautiful places in the World for diving.

If I lived there, I would be diving every weekend. You're right.

 

[captndale]

The best diving is in your area, simply because you get to dive there more often. You, however, have some truly world-class diving there in the Seattle area. You need not travel to experience some of the best.

 

[orangelemon]

Ive been to Sharm in Egypt, Mexico, Cuba and Thailand and would recommend them all, Egypt / Thailand are big dive operations resorts (sharm / Phuket) and could offer you everything you want in all grades of resort and accomodation

James

 

[scubaaaronh]

i'll give a vote for bonaire. you dive at you leisure, and you can control whether you want a 15 to 90 foot dive. We did two deep dives and the rest of the time spent from 15 to 50 ft.

 

[TheRedHead]

The best diving is in your area, simply because you get to dive there more often.

I can't agree that diving with bass, bream and beer cans is the "best" diving, but I would travel to the PNW to dive.

 

[Halthron]

Thanks - where in the Philippines would you recommend?

Coron for WW2 wrecks at recreational depths and Anilao for reefs have been my favorite. Anilao is a place that mostly locals go to, it's not touristy at all and is a nice place to do nothing but dive. If you want a little bit touristy, there's Puerto Galera/Sabang which is across the channel from Anilao. Depending on the time of year, Leyete can also be a very good place for whales as well and Subic Bay has a lot of wrecks.

The historic places generally will be sort of close to dive sites, these are islands and you can only go so far. Corregidor is close to Manila, Bataan is near Subic, Taal is near Anilao/Batangas.

 

[JDelage]

Thanks. I've never done any wreck diving so that might be very cool...

 

[JDelage]

For those interested, I put together a list on Listible.com:

http://www.listible.com/list/best-diving-destinations

Listible is a site that allows you to build a list and for people to vote items up or down. You can also add to the list. I thought that would be a good way to test this site, which I'm curious about...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

For warm-water diving, I too like Bonaire. The whole island's one big reef, so no matter where you stay the house reef is wonderful. And it's so easy to get in 5 or 6 dives a day if that's your pleasure.

For cold-water diving, head north ... it doesn't get any better than Vancouver Island. You've got big ships to dive in Nanaimo, Victoria, and a few other locations around the island. Quadra Island will give you walls that are nothing short of sensory overload ... and Port Hardy is Quadra Island on steroids. Barkley Sound has beautiful pinnacles and reefs, as well as an awesome wreck (a real one ... the Vanlene) that even a reasonably new diver can dive comfortably.

Closer to home, the San Juan Islands have some awesome walls and reefs ... you can do some of those in a day trip if you plan it right.

For exotic destinations, I like Bali ... it's bloody expensive getting there, but the diving's better than anything in the Caribbean and the people are about the friendliest anywhere in the world.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[vladimir]

The best diving in the Caribbean is mediocre to poor compared to the Indo-Pacific destinations. Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Micronesia are all on the short list of top tropical destinations. Many of their best sites are way off the tourist track.