My list - - - **Top-10 Dive Locations in the world** - - - your thoughts?

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I’ve actually never heard the Canary’s mentioned as a top diving locale. I’ll check it out today!
I've dived in Tenerife. Although I'm not particularly spoiled, I would expect more from a locale listed among the top 10 in the world. On the other hand, it was worthwhile and good enough to warrant a dedicated diving vacation.

For pics from Tenerife, check out https://flic.kr/p/RoGcnQ and a few of the neighboring photos in that album
 
Just watched a few Canary Island videos. It seems nice. I wouldn’t put it in the same class as the red sea or zanzibar though.

If you want to say its the best diving in “Europe” (even though it’d more accurately be described as a top-10 site in Africa)... that’s cool.

It’s a little like saying we’re the best soccer team in MLS, though.

Interesting post, I agree with many of your suggestions including Southern Egypt and Fiji. But I think that the Canary Islands deserve a spot on the list, they are definitely underrated. Gran Canaria is very good for diving, it has lots of different sites that are suitable for everyone. Plus the caves, arches and wrecks are a massive bonus! El Cabron is hands down one of the best dive sites in Europe. Check out this blog post about the different dives in this marine reserve and see if it is something that may make it onto the list one day!

El Cabron - The complete guide to the best dive site in Gran Canaria
 
The problem with trying figure out the “best” diving is that for many, cold water automatically doesn’t make their list just because it’s cold, no matter how good or colorful or beautiful it is.
There almost needs to be a best cold water place and a best warm water place, then get neutrally opinioned people who dive both with equal enthusiasm to make the final vote on which one is “best”, otherwise the results will always be skewed towards the warm water destination.
I personally feel that cold water never gets a fair break simply because most divers can’t handle it.
 
Well first of all, based on your dive experience, as nice as the Caribbean is as a dive and vacation destination, it looses a bit of it's appeal after diving the coral triangle area... So watch out , as before you know it the rest of your diving holidays will involve 24 hour flights and multiple layovers! :wink:

Anyways some comments based on my personal experiences.

#1) Banda Sea, Indonesia. Most people say the Coral Triangle's got the best diving in the world, and most people say Indonesia's got the best diving in the Coral Triangle -- and they don't appear to be wrong. The most popular sites typically seem to be Raja Ampat and Komodo. But based on videos I've seen, I actually think some sites across the Banda Sea are more impressive (and less dove).
Have worked and dived in Komodo, and dived Bali. I think Komodo and Raja probably offer one of the best balances in quality of diving available, and ease and cost of access. Doing one of the Komodo to Raja or vice-versa liveaboard repositioning trips is still on my bucket list.

#2) Central/North Fiji. It's not the Coral Triangle, but there are just colors there that you don't see anywhere else in the world. Fiji, as a dive locale, seems to have been overhyped to the point that it's now underhyped.
Only did a few dives in the Lau island (Eastern Fiji), and that was indeed quite nice.

#4) Southern Egypt (Hamata area). Hard to pick one spot in the Red Sea. Seems like the Sinai Peninsula area might have better reefs, and the Marsa Alam area might have better sharks. But I'd go with the Hamata area if I had to pick one place due to the dolphins.
The Fury Shoals have some beautiful reefs, quite shallow. A bit less in terms of quantity of marine life then other more northern sites in my recollection, but very nice reef dives. I can't recall any dolphin encounters there however. My favorites dives in Egypt would be Daedalus and Brother Island, great reefs, marine life, and chance of pelagics.
Further north to Sinai is great for wrecks, but I found that the reefs are nicer south.

#8) Similans area (Phuket to Mergui). Not quite on the same level as some of these other locales.. but pretty solid!
Yep nice diving, certainly worthwhile if you are in the area. It didn't blow me away to the level that I would plan to go there for just a diving trip.

#9) Ningaloo. The GBR (Ribbon Reefs, Coral Sea, etc.) honestly just doesn't look that impressive to me. I'd rather try Ningaloo.. one of the top 10 places in the world to see Dolphins, Whale Sharks And Mantas.
Not really personal experience, but I'd say 90% of people I know who went to the GBR came back underwhelmed. A friend who did Ningaloo liked it but wasn't raving about it. And he had no luck on the Whale Sharks.
(PS if it Manta's you want to see, Komodo was very regular, and I'd say I had 100% success rate at Manta Point (Makassar Reef)).

#10) Cebu area (incl. Negros and Bohol). This could honestly be #2 on the list, but I wanted to spread things out, and I already had a Coral Triangle locale. The Mindoro/Luzon area also seems top-notch (Puerto Galera, Anilao, Apo Reef, etc.).. but Cebu's got similar diving and Whale Sharks.
Only did some dives at Malapascua (Treshers!, other reefs north of Cebu, and Moalboal, I would say diving there was ok-ish. Would have liked to try Bohol, Balicasag but no time...
Not a big fan of the Whale Shark practices at Oslob, I personally wouldn't support that. I would have a look at Donsol, where I understand it is all done a bit more friendly towards the Whale Sharks.

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Honorable mentions:

-Tufi area, Papua New Guinea. Had two Coral Triangle regions above already.. but this certainly needs to be mentioned.
PNG diving has for me been the best I ever experienced. Diving some of the remote Louisiades was just amazing, blew me away. Also did some diving around New Ireland (Kavieng) which was also good.
PNG has both an big collection of WWII wrecks, and just stunning reefs and marine life.

-Vava'u. The Humpback experience alone garners at least a mention.
Vava'u is a great little group, and beautiful to cruise around in, but the diving was not the greatest. For a better combination of diving and whale watching I'd head out to Ha'apai. There are some very decent dives around there. You'd miss a bit of the green, more rugged landscape of Vava'u with it's beautiful little bays, as Ha'apai tends to be more flatter islands with sandy beaches. But diving is better, and I'd say almost the same chance of seeing Humpbacks. And a small plug for the Amazing Twin beach resorts in Ha'apai Tonga Matafonua and Sandy Beach run by the lovely @darrennina, one of the places on this planet I've fallen totally in love with...
 
Northern Vancouver Island BC Canada. Not much coral but the life and colour on the walls and the creatures in the water make it a divers paradise. Would pick it over several on your list.

Yup... I've been travelling to Browning almost every year since the late '80s and I maintain it's the best diving in the world.

sm Browning Joanna wow Nice DSC_9456.jpg
 

I lot of that Dive BC video was filmed with a group I had up at Browning Pass Hideaway... I'm the guy in the red toque on the boat! Awesome diving but extremely limited dive operations there and a challenge to get to.

Gratuitous plug... We're heading back to the Hideaway last week of September, and have space for a couple of bodies.
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I'd have Lembeh somewhere in the mix for being the best macro destination. Or maybe Anilao, I've heard it's similar but haven't had chance to try it yet.
 
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