Starting Slow: The Best Scuba Diving Destinations for Novices

You don’t have to be a pro to enjoy scuba diving. However, you do have to choose your dive sites wisely. Get it wrong, and you could be in over your head. If you’re wondering where to start, we’ve got you covered. Read on to see some of the best scuba diving destinations for you.

The Best Scuba Diving Destinations for First-Time Divers

Looking to dive into scuba? Here are the best places to do it.

1. Koh Tao, Thailand

It’s not just the incredible food and the excellent exchange rate that makes Thailand one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It’s also the great diving opportunities. Lots of backpackers and holidaymakers flock to Koh Tao to get their PADI certifications. There, tourists have a huge choice of dive centers to choose from. The stiff competition means that prices are much more affordable than they are in other parts of the world.

2. Florida, USA

If you’d rather stay in the United States for your first scuba diving experience, head to the Florida Keys. There, you can enjoy all the wonders of diving in coral reefs without having to go too deep. You only have to go 20-30 feet down to see hundreds of varieties of tropical marine life. Once you’ve built up your confidence, you can go wreck diving. Check out the 888-foot aircraft carrier The Oriskany, The Vandenberg Navy vessel, or The Spiegel Grove, which was used during the Cold War.

3. Molokini Crater, Maui

Molokini Crater is a volcano that barely sticks out of the water off the coast of Maui.  You can expect to see manta rays, white-tip reef sharks, moray eels, and masked angelfish. If you visit during the spring, you might also catch a glimpse of the humpback whales that are known to migrate through these waters. Since the area is protected, the waters are completely calm. This makes them ideal for first-time divers.

4. Kona, Hawaii

Kona is another Hawaiian destination that’s popular for scuba diving for beginners. There are several dive centers there, all of which can guide you through your first dives in the local volcanic reefs. As you’re learning the ropes, you can observe tropical fish that aren’t found anywhere else in the world. If you’re lucky, you might even see dolphins, tiger sharks, and Hawaiian green sea turtles.

5. Bonaire, the Caribbean

The Caribbean is full of beautiful and unusual spots for scuba diving, and the island of Bonaire is one of them. All of the island’s dive sites are protected from any currents, so the waters and calm and clear. The weather is also great all-year-round, so no matter when you visit, you’re sure to have a great experience.

Get More than Just Your Feet Wet

If you use one of the world’s best scuba diving destinations for your very first dive, you’re sure to fall in love with it. We understand that scuba diving can be intimidating when you first start out. As well as donning lots of new equipment, you’ll have to get certified, learn hand signals and breathing techniques and go through lots of other protocol. To make it easy, prepare yourself with our ultimate guide to scuba diving for beginners. If you are interested in also learning about diving locally, contact us.