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World’s Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Dive Sites

Asia and Indian Ocean, Australia and Pacific, Caribbean And Atlantic, Central America, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Cave/Cavern/Grotto Diving category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Caribbean and Atlantic

1 MEXICO

An explosion in eco-adventure tourism has made the Mayan frontier an attractive destination for avid cave divers. Caverns as measureless as the imagination offer unique opportunities for novices, and miles of fresh exploration line present new adventures for seasoned explorers. Glass factories of intricate calcite ornaments fill passages with eye candy. Massive speleothems are stacked like wedding cakes left melting in the tropical heat. Swimming through nature’s time capsule, you’ll spot the exploration-line arrows of diving legends, and perhaps a few artifacts of cultures lost. Refreshing water and endless tunnels present hours of soak time every day. Accessible adventure, extraordinary beauty and a warm culture of colorful hospitality make Mexico the top of the list for cave divers. — Jill Heinerth

Go Now: visitmexico.com

Pacific and Indian Oceans

1 PALAU

Adventurous (and properly trained) divers know that Palau harbors dark secrets ripe for exploration. Over the eons, salt-water erosion carved caverns, tunnels and other exciting structures into the Micronesian archipelago’s limestone geography. At such world-famous sites as Chandelier Cave, Siaes Tunnel and Blue Holes, those brave enough to enter will find thrills and mysteries galore.
— Eric Michael

Go Now: pristineparadisepalau.com

North America

1 FLORIDA

With crystal-clear water, Florida’s springs offer alluring portals that beckon divers into labyrinthine museums of natural history. Cathedral-size galleries, pristine fossilized remains and a playground of the natural variety make Florida’s caves a seductive attraction for cave divers. The freshening flow, tepid water and easy dive access make a return visit mandatory.
— Jill Heinerth

Go Now: visitflorida.com

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World’s Best Destinations for Advanced Diving

Australia and Pacific, Caribbean And Atlantic, Central America, Exotic Destinations, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, South America, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Advanced Diving category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Caribbean and Atlantic

1 CAYMAN ISLANDS

Rebreather support, gas blends and technical instructors are just a few reasons Grand Cayman stays popular among those looking to widen skill sets. Whether you’ve set your sights on the technical horizon or are fresh from your open-water certification, all three Cayman Islands encourage divers to step up their game. Take the walls: They’re just one environment forcing divers to grow experience, perhaps as they realize they’re not getting narced until dropping deep- er than anticipated. Learning happens naturally here, and becomes a reason for travel. Kittiwake, the 251-foot submarine rescue ship, isn’t just a fun photo op, it’s also a valuable classroom for harnessing navigation or penetration skills. — Brooke Morton

Pacific and Indian Oceans

1 PALAU

If you’ve got the guts (and the right training), Palau has the underwater terrain to challenge and reward you. With dozens of World War II-era shipwrecks to penetrate, deep current-swept reefs to fly along and dark overhead environments to probe, the Micronesian archipelago is a haven for advanced divers. And the local operators have the knowledge and experience to support mixed-gas and rebreather diving. — Eric Michael

North America

1 BRITISH COLUMBIA

Adrenaline-charged drifts at sites with screaming currents, such as Sechelt Rapids, attract a certain caliber of diver. As does a deep drop to 130-plus feet to see eerie cloud sponges and beautiful red gorgonians at Powerlines. And then there are the wreckheads penetrating the many purpose-sunk ships or on rebreathers surveying the re- mote 285-foot-deep Transpac. Advanced rec divers and expert tec divers love British Columbia. — Brandon Cole

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The World’s Best Destinations for Wreck Diving

Asia and Indian Ocean, Australia and Pacific, Caribbean And Atlantic, Exotic Destinations, Featured Travel, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Wreck Diving category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Pacific and Indian Oceans

1) CHUUCK

Many places boast a few shipwrecks as gee-whiz alternatives to biological reefs, but there’s only one Chuuk, also known as Truk. More than 50 Japanese ships, planes, subs and all manner of machinery, weaponry and fascinating (and sobering) wartime history are on display, the result of America’s deadly aerial barrage on the Japanese fleet in February 1944. This warm, calm lagoon in Micronesia holds a World War II mari- time museum without equal. The 433-foot-long Fujikawa Maru is superb, both for military and marine-life attractions — Zero fighter planes in the hold, deck guns draped in soft corals — and is shallow enough for novices. Tec divers descend 175 feet onto the phenomenal San Francisco to see tanks, trucks and bombs. Shinkoku offers bright invertebrates and school- ing fish; inside, a soldier’s bones rest in sick bay. Chuuk is also a mass grave, a testament to the tragedy of war. — Brandon Cole

Go Now: visittruk.com

North America

1) NORTH CAROLINA

Diving North Carolina’s wrecks doesn’t force you to choose between swimming the top deck alongside sand tiger sharks or penetrating. At a handful of sites, including the USS Indra and the tanker Atlas, drop inside tight quarters to navigate alongside these big fish. — Brooke Morton

Go Now: visitnc.com

2) Florida and Florida Springs

3) Washington

4) California

5) Great Lakes

Caribbean and Atlantic

1) BAHAMAS

You might expect that a nation of 700 islands would boast a massive collection of downed ships — and it does. Your favorite might change to whichever one you dived last, be it the shallow and marine-life-rich SS Sapona cargo steamer off Bimini or Edward Williams off New Providence, where you’ll likely come face to face with Caribbean reef sharks and goliath grouper. — Brooke Morton

Go Now: bahamas.com

2) Cayman Islands

3) Bay Islands

4) Curacao

5) Bonaire

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The World’s Best Scuba Diving Locations

Caribbean And Atlantic, Featured Travel, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Overall Diving category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Caribbean and Atlantic

1) BONAIRE

Diving is such an integral part of this spunky desert island not far from South America that it’s hard to separate the underwater and topside experience. Luckily, you don’t have to, because 24/7 access to its vibrant near-shore reefs is what sets Bonaire apart. If there’s a place you can have more fun than piloting your rental truck around Bonaire’s cactus-lined ring road, pulling off to submerge almost anywhere — slowing down just long enough to admire the flamingos or grab a burger at the kiteboarders beach — we haven’t heard of it. — Mary Frances Emmons

Go Now: tourismbonaire.com

2) Cayman Islands

3) Mexico

4) Bay Islands

5) Bahamas

North America

1) BRITISH COLUMBIA

Your first B.C. dive will likely take your breath away, and not just because of the refreshing 50-degree water. Novice and expert divers alike regularly rate Vancouver Island the planet’s finest coldwater diving. The mix of engaging critters, hot invertebrate colors, artificial reefs extraordinaire, rugged scenic beauty and warm Canadian hospitality ensure your return. — Brandon Cole

Go Now: hellobc.com

2) North Carolina

3) California

4) Florida

5) Washington

Pacific and Indian Oceans

1) INDONESIA

If the host of accolades from this year’s Top 100 alone don’t convince you of Indonesia’s greatness — Best Macro, Healthy Marine Environment, Best Underwater Photography, not to mention Best Overall Diving — we’re not sure what will. But we’ll keep piling on until we prove this archipelago of more than 17,000 islands has something for everyone. For metalheads, Bali is home to the most photogenic wreck on the planet — and perhaps most accessible — a U.S. Liberty-class ship lying 25 yards off Tulamben’s rocky shore. Healthy reefs and fish overload more your style? Eastern Indonesia’s Raja Ampat has hundreds of sites with colorful reefs where schools of fish are so thick you won’t be able to see your buddy. Macro divers will go gaga for the nudibranchs and weird critters in Lembeh; big-fish aficionados will love Komodo’s manta trains; and wall divers will get vertigo in Wakatobi. One trip to Indonesia and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. Just remember to tell your friends. — David Espinosa

Go Now: indonesia-tourism.com

How We Got the Numbers Thousands of Scuba Diving subscribers and online users rated their experiences at dive destinations in a variety of categories on a scale from one to five. Final scores are an average of the numerical scores awarded. A minimum number of responses was required for a destination to be included in these ratings.

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Sand Dollar Condominium Resort

Advanced Diving, Beginning Diving, Big Animal Diving, Caribbean And Atlantic, Land-based Diving, Macro Diving, Partners, Rebreathers, Sand Dollar Condominium Resort, Scuba_News, Shallow Reef Diving, Shore Diving, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, UW Photography, Wall Diving, World's Best Diving, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

www.sanddollarbonaire.com

Sand Dollar Condominium Resort

Offerning spacious and comfortable studio, one, two and three bedroom ocean view condominiums. In addition to full size kitchens, dining and living areas, and roomy porches or balconies, the property also features a seaside grilling area, lighted tennis courts, restaurant, swimming pool (now offering aerobic!), convenience store, ice cream parlor, internet café and gift shop and day spa. Sand Dollar is also home to Bari Reef – the Caribbean’s #1 reef in number of fish species, making it perfect for snorkeling and diving morning, noon and night! Bonaire Dive & Adventure, a PADI 5 star Gold Palm and SSI dive operation, offers guided snorkeling programs, dive training, world class shore diving opportunities, boat diving and free Nitrox upgrades.

Details

Information: P.O. Box 262, Kaya Gob. N. Debrot 79
Phone: +1 8002884773 +1 9544535025
Email: Res@SandDollarBonaire.com
Website: http://www.sanddollarbonaire.com

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