Best diving in USA poll

[RJP]

NY/NJ are the wreck diving capitals of the US (if not the world) and I wonder why you omitted them from your poll.

Yeah, there's a wreck or two off the coast of NJ from what I hear...

:d

 

[TSandM]

It boggles my mind that anybody could dismiss California diving.

Lobos isn't expensive, and the diving there is breathtaking.

Catalina isn't expensive, and the diving there, gazing up through the kelp forests, and playing with the Garibaldis, is absolutely fabulous.

The Channel Islands are expensive, I suppose, because it's boat diving, but it's astonishing diving. As are the boat dives I've done off Monterey. The oil rigs are amazing. I'll admit I haven't done a lot of shore diving off SoCal, but the dives I've done have been fun, and the viz wasn't any worse than what we live in.

It reminds me of someone who recently posted a thread asking why people consider Monterey "world class" diving. Different strokes, I suppose.

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

Well Florida as a whole can give you the widest range of diving. You got deep,shallow,springs,lakes,rivers,salt,wreaks,caves,caverns,reefs,atlantic,gulf.... Viz from 0 to 200ft Florida just seems to have a little bit of everything except Ice diving.

 

[Rhone Man]

NY/NJ are the wreck diving capitals of the US (if not the world) and I wonder why you omitted them from your poll.

Is that the same NY/NJ that divers refer to as "the mud hole"?

 

[RJP]

Is that the same NY/NJ that divers refer to as "the mud hole"?

Just for clarity - no pun intended - it should be noted that "the mud hole" is actually just one specific, small area right off NY harbor. See the second picture in my post above.

 

[fresh_fish]

I voted for Great lakes. Even though I moved to Florida, after diving a couple places here, I really miss my shipwrecks in the cold waters.

 

[diver 85]

Flower Gardens off La/Tx coast has to be up there.......

One of the many creatures that may be seen...
Flower Gardens July 09 :: Manta Ray 1ST Dive West Bank #2 video by GEAUXtiger - Photobucket

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Sinbad,

I am originally from Libya as you probably guessed. I moved to the US when I was 17 in 81. I fell in love with diving in New England from the first time I dove there in 84 (I had done LOTS of diving in Libya prior to going to the US). I even rented a house on the water with friends of mine in the Cape Ann area during the summers just to dive EVERY day. I love the marine life, underwater rock formations and the challenge in addition to the "New England" atmosphere. Visibility is not always what it is in the tropics but it doesn't matter, marine life is fantastic. I am sitting in Tripoli, Libya, now but I am dreaming about going back to Boston to dive there.

You should dive there if you have the chance. You need to dive with somebody who knows the area and to make sure that you are diving when the conditions are right (currents, tide). If you are close to the Cape Ann area, get in touch with Cape Ann Divers. They are good people and run guided shore dives in addition to their boat charters.

If you will be there in the summer time, I'd love to go diving with you if and when I am back there!!

Yes I figured. I am originally from Karachi, Pakistan and moved to the US in 2006. I fell in love with local diving in Florida and North Carolina. While the diving community in this country loves to fly to tropical islands in the Caribbean, I am more interested in exploring dive sites within USA first. I think the sheer diversity of diving in USA is greater than what is found anywhere else in the world. Ocean wrecks, fresh water wrecks, caves, ice diving, kelp forests, wild life, you name it you will find it without leaving the country.

In my next years dive list are the Great Lakes, Puget Sound and California. I think I owe a dive trip to these places BEFORE I head out to Bonaire or Cozumel etc. In fact I was thinking of going on a road trip from LA to WA and diving all the places in between Anyway... now that you mentioned MA and North Eastern USA, I am certainly interested in diving that area. I will be here in the summer. When you get here we will plan some dives. There are a lot of scubaboard members from there. Id love to see who else would join us. At this point most who have voted seem more fascinated with Florida and California.

 

[Hank49]

Y I fell in love with local diving in Florida and North Carolina. While the diving community in this country loves to fly to tropical islands in the Caribbean, I am more interested in exploring dive sites within USA first. I think the sheer diversity of diving in USA is greater than what is found anywhere else in the world. Ocean wrecks, fresh water wrecks, caves, ice diving, kelp forests, wild life, you name it you will find it without leaving the country.

A lot of vacation divers that go to the Caribbean aren't going just because they like the diving better, I think anyway, due to the fact that a LOT of people go to Caribbean destinations who don't even DIVE !
It's the weather, the setting. Getting out of the cold up north.
Just thought I'd throw that out there. I've only done two scuba dives in the US. Hanauma Bay, Oahu.

 

[DivingPhan]

its all about the midwest cold and murky we have catfish and perch a bass or two YES!!!