Personal Top Ten?

[supergaijin]

The 'best' dive sites are often not great snorkeling sites and vice versa IME. The 2 activities are related but usually require slightly different conditions.

The 'best' diving is usually not good for beginners either but this is a strictly subjective thing. I know some incredible dive sites here in the Maldives for example that needs a good 2-3 knot current (which is ripping) before it shines. If you're diving there with a small current of 1-2knots, nothing happens and you wonder what all the fuss is about. The best diving for macro would bore the pants off many beginners who start diving to see dolphins and whales. Some others get really excited about holes in the ground.

For snorkeling in general, I think the Red Sea is amazing. Cristal clear and colourful.
For diving.... there's so many places to go, too many for one lifetime (or one man's salary).

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Of places we've actually dove, my top five list is this

Fiji (Beqa)
Bonaire
Maui and Kona
Saba/Statia/St Kitts
Cayman Islands

Want to go to the Red Sea, Galpagos, Maldives. Haven't been yet.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Splatterific]

Was thinking of trying Dutch st.maarten this fall. Anyone dive there? Any recommendations were to stay and dive?

 

[neve]

This made me look at my logbook and I was astonished to see that I ranked 93 dives as "The Best". I was probably narced, easily pleased, or lucky. I think I'll go with lucky

If I have to pick 10 best dives, they will have to be the following:

• Most recent: Aug 2011, Crystal Bay, Bali: Saw 12 mola-molas in one dive. A personal record.
• April 2011, Gato Cave, Malapascua: It was probably the prettiest I've seen. The baby sharks swimming around were just a bonus
  
• Feb 2010: Monad Shoal, Malapascua: First dive on the first day, and already two thresher sharks showed up. It swam around us, within my touching distance, for about 30 minutes.
• All my dives in Feb 2007: Rajah Ampat, Indonesia: The absolute best dive destination I've been to. There were (almost) no bad site. Misool and Alyui Bay were my favorites.
• All my dives in Nov 2006: Banda and Rajah Ampat. Again, Misool was the highlight. Also Pulau Api Banda, where I saw the biggest Bobbit worm ever.
• July 2006: Seven Skies Wreck, South China Sea: I saw my first whale shark.
• June 2006: Gracie's tank, Underwater World, Sentosa: First date with a cute guy, plus Gracie the dugong
  
• Aug 2005: Bat Cave, Nusa Penida, Bali: The first and only dive there, but oh so memorable. Probably the trickiest site ever... You can only enter the cave when conditions are absolutely perfect, super slack tide and flat water, which is almost impossible in Crystal Bay. Also saw a Mola mola on the way out
  
• Nov 2004: The Arch, The Edge, and Kapal Selam, Alor, Indonesia: Awesome topography. I can still picture it in my head. "Kapal Selam" is a night dive site we found and christened.
• Aug 2004: HMS Repulse wreck, South China Sea: The prettiest wreck I've ever seen. Changed my mind about not liking wrecks.

Honorable mentions:

• June 2004: All my dives in Komodo islands, Indonesia: Probably the my first trip to a world-class site. I was awed.
• March 2003: Lembeh, North Sulawesi, Indonesia: My first exposure to the weird and wonderful world of muck diving. I'm still hooked.

 

[ocdiver1]

Tough to pick just 10! Mine would probably be (in no particular order)

Lembeh-Bangka
Malapascua
Komodo-Alor
Tofo
Great Barrier Reef
Raja Ampat
Milne Bay
Socorro Islands
Anilao
Protea Banks

 

[ronscuba]

I think Galapagos should be on everyone's top 10 must dive list.

 

[Rhone Man]

Horses for courses, but my top 10 list (roughly in order) would be:

1. Palau
2. Truk Lagoon (done)
3. Sharm el Sheik, Egypt
4. Raj Ampat, Indonesia
5. Galapagos
6. Coron Bay, Philippines
7. Great Barrier Reef (done - well, not all of it!)
8. Bikini Atoll
9. Malapscua, Philippines
10. Outer Banks, North Carolina

---------- Post Merged at 03:08 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 03:04 PM ----------

Was thinking of trying Dutch st.maarten this fall. Anyone dive there? Any recommendations were to stay and dive?

I have dived St Maarten. To be honest, I didn't think it was spectacular, but like all Caribbean diving - it is warm, wet and clear.

I'd try Scuba Fun.

 

[neve]

I think Galapagos should be on everyone's top 10 must dive list.

I haven't been, but I'm sure it will make my top 10 when I do!

 

[kathydee]

Oh there are so many places I'd still like to go, as well as so many places I'd love to return to.

If I had to pick my favorite so far

Mexican Cenotes/Caves
Sipadan - Malaysia Borneo
Lembeh Straights - Sulawesi
Tulamben - Bali Indonesia (favorite shore diving)
Coron Wrecks - Philippines
Subic Bay Wrecks - Philippines
Kelp forests off of the Bay area on a beautiful vis day
Apo Island - Philippines
Verde Island - off of Sabang Philippines
I'll add the wrecks off of Vancouver Canada -dark, cold and creepy with current - but quite an adventure!

 

[Doc]

Wait... let me check my past issues of Scuba Diving Magazine!