Best Diving and Snorkeling Destinations, 59 Measured
The short answer
Male, Maldives came out first, with 28 dive operators and 84 mapped dive sites within 50 km, in water that sits between 29 and 31°C (84 to 88°F) all year. We counted operators and sites across 59 coastal destinations rather than ranking them on opinion, and we paired each one with measured water temperature and measured cyclone risk, because the two things that ruin a dive trip are cold water and a cancelled boat.
Every figure on this page is measured and says where it came from. Nobody publishes the dive scene, the water temperature and the storm record in the same table, which is the only reason this page exists.
The ten best diving destinations we measured
Ranked by how much diving infrastructure is actually there, not by how the brochure reads. Each card shows the month that comes out best for that destination.
1Maldives
Male in April
Photo: Shahee Ilyas, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
In April
- 29°C85°FIn the dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 31°C88°FIn the waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 8.8hSunshine a dayRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 13of 30Days with rainRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 14UV index, peakRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 0%Years with a cycloneRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 8µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 27°C81°FAt nightRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 76%HumidityRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
On the ground
- 9MbpsInternetRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 52/100Cost indexRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Male Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives.
April is Male at its best, warm enough to live outdoors from breakfast until well after dark.
The sea is warm enough to stay in rather than dip and get out, so the beach is somewhere you spend the day and not somewhere you visit.
Rain landed on 13 days of the month, 98 mm in total. It is light rain, but it is most days, so an outdoor plan needs a fallback.
Practical
- CurrencyMVR
- PlugD, G, J, K, L at 230 V
- Time zoneUTC+5
2Malta
Valletta in August
Photo: Mandyy88, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
In August
- 31°C87°FIn the dayRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 28°C82°FIn the waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 12.0hSunshine a dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 3of 31Days with rainRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 10UV index, peakRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 0%Years with a cycloneRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 13µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 24°C76°FAt nightRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 75%HumidityRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
On the ground
- 100%Safe waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 87MbpsInternetRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Valletta, also known as Città Umilissima, is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 council areas.
August is Valletta at its best, warm from breakfast and dry enough to book an outdoor day and get it.
The sea is warm enough to stay in rather than dip and get out, so the beach is somewhere you spend the day and not somewhere you visit.
Rain fell on three days in the whole month.
Practical
- CurrencyEUR
- PlugG at 230 V
- Time zoneUTC+1
3Egypt
Sharm El Sheikh in August
Photo: Tanya Dedyukhina, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
In August
- 37°C99°FIn the dayRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 30°C87°FIn the waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 12.1hSunshine a dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 0of 31Days with rainRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 12UV index, peakRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 0%Years with a cycloneRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 13µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 30°C86°FAt nightRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 40%HumidityRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
On the ground
- 79%Safe waterRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 10MbpsInternetRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 2/5UK travel adviceRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
Sharm El Sheikh, alternatively rendered Sharm el-Sheikh or Charm el Sheikh, is an Egyptian city located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, on the coastal strip alo
August is the driest month of the year in Sharm El Sheikh, which is why it is the month people plan around, warm from breakfast and dry enough to book an outdoor day and get it.
Rain fell on no days in the whole month.
Practical
- CurrencyEGP
- PlugC, F at 220 V
- Time zoneUTC+2
4Curacao
Willemstad in November
Photo: Coolcaesar, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
In November
- 30°C86°FIn the dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 29°C85°FIn the waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 7.7hSunshine a dayRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 10of 30Days with rainRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 10UV index, peakRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 2%Years with a cycloneRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 8µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 26°C79°FAt nightRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 81%HumidityRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
On the ground
- 37MbpsInternetRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Willemstad is the capital and largest city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Willemstad peaks in November, warm enough to live outdoors from breakfast until well after dark.
2 percent of years in the 1985-2025 NOAA IBTrACS record saw a North Atlantic tropical system pass within 200 km during November.
One thing to weigh: Curacao records 16.9 homicides per 100,000 people. That is a country figure and not a Willemstad figure, but it is why pre-booked transfers are the norm here rather than an upsell.
Practical
- CurrencyANG
- PlugA, B, F at 127 V
- Time zoneUTC-4
5Australia
Sydney in February
Photo: Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
In February
- 26°C79°FIn the dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 23°C73°FIn the waterRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 6.8hSunshine a dayRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 8of 28Days with rainRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 12UV index, peakRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 0%Years with a cycloneRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 11µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 19°C66°FAt nightRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 74%HumidityRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
On the ground
- 43MbpsInternetRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 72/100Cost indexRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Sydney is the capital of the state of New South Wales and the largest city in both the state and Australia.
Sydney peaks in February, warm enough to live outdoors from breakfast until well after dark.
The sea is swimmable without a wetsuit, though it is bracing for the first minute, and it warms through the afternoon.
February sits outside cyclone season: no tropical system has passed within 200 km in February in the 1985-2025 NOAA IBTrACS record.
Practical
- CurrencyAUD
- PlugI at 230 V
- Time zoneUTC+11
6New Zealand
Auckland in February
Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
In February
- 24°C74°FIn the dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 22°C72°FIn the waterRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 7.6hSunshine a dayRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 6of 28Days with rainRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 12UV index, peakRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 0%Years with a cycloneRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 6µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 17°C63°FAt nightRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 75%HumidityRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
On the ground
- 100%Safe waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 57MbpsInternetRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 61/100Cost indexRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Auckland is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand.
Auckland peaks in February, mild rather than hot, which makes it a walking month more than a beach one.
The sea is swimmable without a wetsuit, though it is bracing for the first minute, and it warms through the afternoon.
February sits outside cyclone season: no South Pacific tropical system has passed within 200 km in February in the 1985-2025 NOAA IBTrACS record.
Practical
- CurrencyNZD
- PlugI at 230 V
- Time zoneUTC+13
7French Polynesia
Papeete in April
Photo: Remi Jouan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
In April
- 29°C85°FIn the dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 29°C84°FIn the waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 7.1hSunshine a dayRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 13of 30Days with rainRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 11UV index, peakRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 2%Years with a cycloneRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 5µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 24°C75°FAt nightRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 88%HumidityRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
On the ground
- 90%Safe waterRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 7MbpsInternetRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Papeete is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the French Republic located in the Pacific Ocean.
Papeete peaks in April, warm enough to live outdoors from breakfast until well after dark.
Rain landed on 13 days of the month, 116 mm in total. It is light rain, but it is most days, so an outdoor plan needs a fallback.
Practical
- CurrencyXPF
- PlugA, B, C, E, F at 110 V
- Time zoneUTC-9
8Sweden
Stockholm in July
Photo: Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
In July
- 22°C72°FIn the dayRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 22°C72°FIn the waterRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 8.8hSunshine a dayRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 10of 31Days with rainRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 6UV index, peakRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 0%Years with a cycloneRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 4µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 14°C57°FAt nightRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 75%HumidityRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
On the ground
- 100%Safe waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 88MbpsInternetRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 60/100Cost indexRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Stockholm (; Swedish: [ˈstɔ̂kːɔlm] ) is the capital and most populous city of Sweden, as well as the largest urban area in the Nordic countries.
Stockholm peaks in July, mild rather than hot, which makes it a walking month more than a beach one.
July sits outside cyclone season: no tropical system has passed within 200 km in July in the 1985-2025 NOAA IBTrACS record.
Practical
- CurrencySEK
- PlugC, F at 230 V
- Time zoneUTC+1
9South Africa
Cape Town in February
Photo: Der Berzerker from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
In February
- 28°C83°FIn the dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 19°C65°FIn the waterRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 11.1hSunshine a dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 5of 28Days with rainRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 12UV index, peakRated 1 of 5 for a holiday, bad
- 0%Years with a cycloneRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 12µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
- 17°C62°FAt nightRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 64%HumidityRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
On the ground
- 68%Safe waterRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 21MbpsInternetRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 35/100Cost indexRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa.
February is the driest month of the year in Cape Town, which is why it is the month people plan around, warm enough to live outdoors from breakfast until well after dark.
The sea is too cold to swim comfortably this month, so the coast is for walking rather than for swimming.
Rain fell on five days but added up to only 15 mm all month, so think passing showers rather than lost days.
One thing to weigh: South Africa records 43.7 homicides per 100,000 people. That is a country figure and not a Cape Town figure, but it is why pre-booked transfers are the norm here rather than an upsell.
Practical
- CurrencyZAR
- PlugC, M, N at 230 V
- Time zoneUTC+2
10Barbados
Bridgetown in November
Photo: Barry haynes, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
In November
- 29°C85°FIn the dayRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 29°C84°FIn the waterRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 8.0hSunshine a dayRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 13of 30Days with rainRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 10UV index, peakRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 0%Years with a cycloneRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
- 10µg/m³Air, PM2.5Rated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 25°C77°FAt nightRated 2 of 5 for a holiday, poor
- 75%HumidityRated 3 of 5 for a holiday, workable
On the ground
- 64MbpsInternetRated 4 of 5 for a holiday, good
- 5/5UK travel adviceRated 5 of 5 for a holiday, ideal
Bridgetown is the capital and largest city of Barbados.
Bridgetown peaks in November, warm enough to live outdoors from breakfast until well after dark.
Rain landed on 13 days of the month, 107 mm in total. It is light rain, but it is most days, so an outdoor plan needs a fallback.
Practical
- CurrencyBBD
- PlugA, B at 115 V
- Time zoneUTC-4
Every destination we measured
| Destination | Named dive sites | Wrecks | Dive operators | Sea temperature | Best month | Peak cyclone risk | Direct from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male, Maldives | 83 | 5 | 28 | 29 to 31°C | April | 0% | LHR |
| Valletta, Malta | 56 | 26 | 30 | 16 to 28°C | August | 0% | LHR |
| Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt | 53 | 15 | 23 | 23 to 30°C | August | 0% | LGW |
| Willemstad, Curacao | 28 | 7 | 20 | 27 to 30°C | November | 15% | JFK |
| Sydney, Australia | 20 | 13 | 7 | 18 to 23°C | February | 0% | JFK |
| Auckland, New Zealand | 19 | 18 | 3 | 13 to 22°C | February | 2% | JFK |
| Papeete, French Polynesia | 17 | – | 10 | 27 to 30°C | April | 5% | LAX |
| Stockholm, Sweden | 17 | 15 | 3 | -0 to 22°C | July | 0% | – |
| Cape Town, South Africa | 12 | 10 | 6 | 14 to 19°C | February | 0% | LHR |
| Bridgetown, Barbados | 8 | 7 | 2 | 28 to 30°C | November | 29% | JFK |
| Copenhagen, Denmark | 7 | 2 | 9 | 2 to 19°C | August | 0% | JFK |
| Cancun, Mexico | 5 | – | 13 | 27 to 30°C | May | 22% | JFK |
| Zanzibar City, Tanzania | 5 | – | 12 | 26 to 30°C | March | 2% | – |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 4 | 3 | 10 | 15 to 20°C | August | 2% | JFK |
| Boston, United States | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 to 20°C | June | 15% | JFK |
| Oranjestad, Aruba | 4 | 3 | 3 | 26 to 30°C | November | 15% | JFK |
| Tokyo, Japan | 3 | – | 19 | 11 to 28°C | July | 41% | – |
| Cebu, Philippines | 3 | – | 15 | 28 to 31°C | August | 39% | LAX |
| Funchal, Portugal | 3 | – | 5 | 19 to 24°C | September | 0% | LGW |
| Havana, Cuba | 2 | 2 | 8 | 26 to 30°C | July | 22% | MIA |
| Belize City, Belize | 2 | 1 | 6 | 27 to 31°C | July | 20% | MIA |
| Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | 2 | 1 | 5 | 27 to 30°C | November | 27% | JFK |
| Cartagena, Colombia | 2 | – | 3 | 29 to 30°C | September | 5% | JFK |
| Nassau, Bahamas | 2 | 2 | 2 | 24 to 31°C | July | 20% | JFK |
| Brisbane, Australia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 to 28°C | December | 5% | – |
| San Jose del Cabo, Mexico | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22 to 30°C | November | 59% | LAX |
| Port Louis, Mauritius | 1 | 1 | 17 | 24 to 28°C | May | 32% | LGW |
| Victoria, Seychelles | 1 | – | 9 | 26 to 31°C | April | 2% | – |
| Antalya, Turkey | 1 | – | 3 | 18 to 30°C | August | 0% | LGW |
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27 to 30°C | June | 34% | JFK |
| Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 1 | – | 2 | 6 to 16°C | July | 0% | JFK |
| Huatulco, Mexico | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 to 31°C | July | 24% | – |
| Colombo, Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 1 | 29 to 31°C | April | 7% | LHR |
| Faro, Portugal | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 to 20°C | August | 2% | LHR |
| Las Palmas, Spain | – | – | 13 | 20 to 23°C | August | 0% | LGW |
| Liberia, Costa Rica | – | – | 10 | 28 to 31°C | May | 5% | – |
| Vancouver, Canada | – | – | 9 | 7 to 20°C | August | 0% | JFK |
| Philipsburg, Sint Maarten | – | – | 9 | 27 to 30°C | June | 39% | JFK |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain | – | – | 8 | 20 to 24°C | September | 0% | – |
| Osaka, Japan | – | – | 8 | 9 to 29°C | October | 46% | – |
| Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | – | – | 7 | 25 to 33°C | August | 0% | JFK |
| Manila, Philippines | – | – | 7 | 28 to 32°C | April | 51% | JFK |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates | – | – | 6 | 22 to 34°C | July | 0% | JFK |
| Mombasa, Kenya | – | – | 5 | 26 to 30°C | March | 0% | – |
| Muscat, Oman | – | – | 4 | 24 to 33°C | July | 5% | LHR |
| Port Vila, Vanuatu | – | – | 3 | 26 to 29°C | December | 29% | – |
| Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | – | – | 2 | 24 to 31°C | November | 32% | LAX |
| Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | – | – | 2 | 22 to 35°C | August | 2% | JFK |
| Doha, Qatar | – | – | 2 | 20 to 35°C | August | 0% | JFK |
| Nadi, Fiji | – | – | 2 | 27 to 31°C | May | 17% | – |
| Reykjavik, Iceland | – | – | 2 | 4 to 12°C | July | 0% | – |
| Seoul, South Korea | – | – | 2 | 1 to 30°C | September | 34% | – |
| Dakar, Senegal | – | – | 2 | 19 to 30°C | October | 5% | – |
| Montego Bay, Jamaica | – | – | 1 | 27 to 31°C | June | 15% | JFK |
| Panama City, Panama | – | – | 1 | 27 to 30°C | May | 2% | JFK |
| Lima, Peru | – | – | 1 | 16 to 22°C | February | 0% | JFK |
| Salvador, Brazil | – | – | 1 | 26 to 29°C | March | 0% | – |
| Goa, India | – | – | 1 | 27 to 31°C | April | 7% | LGW |
| Malaga, Spain | – | – | 1 | 15 to 26°C | August | 2% | LHR |
Diving by region
This is how people actually search: by sea, not by month.
Best diving in the Caribbean
Willemstad, Curacao has the most dive operators we counted in caribbean: 20 within 50 km, and 19 mapped dive sites. The water runs 27 to 30°C (81 to 86°F) across the year and November is the pick. Avoid September: a tropical cyclone came within 200 km in 15% of those months since 1985.
| Destination | Named dive sites | Wrecks | Dive operators | Sea temperature | Best month | Peak cyclone risk | Direct from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willemstad, Curacao | 28 | 7 | 20 | 27 to 30°C | November | 15% | JFK |
| Bridgetown, Barbados | 8 | 7 | 2 | 28 to 30°C | November | 29% | JFK |
| Oranjestad, Aruba | 4 | 3 | 3 | 26 to 30°C | November | 15% | JFK |
| Havana, Cuba | 2 | 2 | 8 | 26 to 30°C | July | 22% | MIA |
| Belize City, Belize | 2 | 1 | 6 | 27 to 31°C | July | 20% | MIA |
| Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | 2 | 1 | 5 | 27 to 30°C | November | 27% | JFK |
| Nassau, Bahamas | 2 | 2 | 2 | 24 to 31°C | July | 20% | JFK |
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27 to 30°C | June | 34% | JFK |
Best diving in the Indian Ocean
Male, Maldives has the most dive operators we counted in indian ocean: 28 within 50 km, and 84 mapped dive sites. The water runs 29 to 31°C (84 to 88°F) across the year and April is the pick, at 31°C.
| Destination | Named dive sites | Wrecks | Dive operators | Sea temperature | Best month | Peak cyclone risk | Direct from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male, Maldives | 83 | 5 | 28 | 29 to 31°C | April | 0% | LHR |
| Zanzibar City, Tanzania | 5 | – | 12 | 26 to 30°C | March | 2% | – |
| Port Louis, Mauritius | 1 | 1 | 17 | 24 to 28°C | May | 32% | LGW |
| Victoria, Seychelles | 1 | – | 9 | 26 to 31°C | April | 2% | – |
| Colombo, Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 1 | 29 to 31°C | April | 7% | LHR |
| Mombasa, Kenya | – | – | 5 | 26 to 30°C | March | 0% | – |
| Goa, India | – | – | 1 | 27 to 31°C | April | 7% | LGW |
Best diving in the Red Sea and the Gulf
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt has the most dive operators we counted in red sea and the gulf: 23 within 50 km, and 48 mapped dive sites. The water runs 23 to 30°C (73 to 87°F) across the year and August is the pick, at 30°C.
| Destination | Named dive sites | Wrecks | Dive operators | Sea temperature | Best month | Peak cyclone risk | Direct from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt | 53 | 15 | 23 | 23 to 30°C | August | 0% | LGW |
| Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | – | – | 7 | 25 to 33°C | August | 0% | JFK |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates | – | – | 6 | 22 to 34°C | July | 0% | JFK |
| Muscat, Oman | – | – | 4 | 24 to 33°C | July | 5% | LHR |
| Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | – | – | 2 | 22 to 35°C | August | 2% | JFK |
| Doha, Qatar | – | – | 2 | 20 to 35°C | August | 0% | JFK |
Best diving in the Pacific
Sydney, Australia has the most dive operators we counted in the pacific: 7 within 50 km, and 12 mapped dive sites. The water runs 18 to 23°C (64 to 73°F) across the year and February is the pick, at 23°C.
| Destination | Named dive sites | Wrecks | Dive operators | Sea temperature | Best month | Peak cyclone risk | Direct from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney, Australia | 20 | 13 | 7 | 18 to 23°C | February | 0% | JFK |
| Auckland, New Zealand | 19 | 18 | 3 | 13 to 22°C | February | 2% | JFK |
| Papeete, French Polynesia | 17 | – | 10 | 27 to 30°C | April | 5% | LAX |
| Brisbane, Australia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 to 28°C | December | 5% | – |
| Port Vila, Vanuatu | – | – | 3 | 26 to 29°C | December | 29% | – |
| Nadi, Fiji | – | – | 2 | 27 to 31°C | May | 17% | – |
Best diving in the Americas
Cancun, Mexico has the most dive operators we counted in the americas: 13 within 50 km, and 6 mapped dive sites. The water runs 27 to 30°C (80 to 86°F) across the year and May is the pick. Avoid October: a tropical cyclone came within 200 km in 22% of those months since 1985.
| Destination | Named dive sites | Wrecks | Dive operators | Sea temperature | Best month | Peak cyclone risk | Direct from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancun, Mexico | 5 | – | 13 | 27 to 30°C | May | 22% | JFK |
| Boston, United States | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 to 20°C | June | 15% | JFK |
| Cartagena, Colombia | 2 | – | 3 | 29 to 30°C | September | 5% | JFK |
| San Jose del Cabo, Mexico | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22 to 30°C | November | 59% | LAX |
| Huatulco, Mexico | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 to 31°C | July | 24% | – |
| Liberia, Costa Rica | – | – | 10 | 28 to 31°C | May | 5% | – |
| Vancouver, Canada | – | – | 9 | 7 to 20°C | August | 0% | JFK |
| Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | – | – | 2 | 24 to 31°C | November | 32% | LAX |
Best diving in Europe and the Atlantic
Valletta, Malta has the most dive operators we counted in europe and the atlantic: 30 within 50 km, and 42 mapped dive sites. The water runs 16 to 28°C (61 to 82°F) across the year and August is the pick, at 28°C.
| Destination | Named dive sites | Wrecks | Dive operators | Sea temperature | Best month | Peak cyclone risk | Direct from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valletta, Malta | 56 | 26 | 30 | 16 to 28°C | August | 0% | LHR |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 4 | 3 | 10 | 15 to 20°C | August | 2% | JFK |
| Funchal, Portugal | 3 | – | 5 | 19 to 24°C | September | 0% | LGW |
| Antalya, Turkey | 1 | – | 3 | 18 to 30°C | August | 0% | LGW |
| Faro, Portugal | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 to 20°C | August | 2% | LHR |
| Las Palmas, Spain | – | – | 13 | 20 to 23°C | August | 0% | LGW |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain | – | – | 8 | 20 to 24°C | September | 0% | – |
| Malaga, Spain | – | – | 1 | 15 to 26°C | August | 2% | LHR |
Snorkeling instead of diving
Snorkeling needs the same two things diving needs, warm water and somewhere to get in, and it needs no certification. The destinations at the top of the table above work for both, because a place with 28 dive operators has boats going out every morning and most of them take snorkelers. What changes is the water temperature that matters to you: a diver in a wetsuit is fine at 24°C, and a snorkeler floating still on the surface is not. Below 26°C, plan on a shorty.
How we measured this
Dive operators are dive centres and dive shops mapped in OpenStreetMap within 50 km of each destination, and mapped dive sites are underwater sites tagged separately from the businesses. That distinction matters: almost nobody maps the reef, and almost everybody maps the shop that takes you there, so operator counts are the more complete signal. These are counts of what is on the map, not a census of what exists.
Sea temperature is the monthly mean from the Open-Meteo marine archive. Cyclone risk is the share of that month since 1985 in which a tropical or subtropical system passed within 200 km, from NOAA IBTrACS, which merges the warnings of every national agency, so the Indian Ocean and the Pacific are covered as well as the Atlantic. Direct routes and fares come from live airline data and move daily.
What we deliberately do not publish is dive site depth or difficulty. Those tags exist in OpenStreetMap but only on a handful of the sites near our destinations, and printing them would imply a coverage that is not there.
Best diving destinations: your questions
Where is the best diving in the world?
On the numbers, Male: 28 dive operators and 84 mapped sites within 50 km, water between 29 and 31°C, and a peak cyclone risk of 0%.
What is the best month to dive?
It depends entirely on the sea, not on the calendar. That is why every row above carries its own best month. As a rule the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea are steady all year, the Caribbean is at its worst from August to October, and the South Pacific and the southern Indian Ocean run their cyclone season from November to April.
Do I need a certification?
For scuba yes, and every destination above has operators running introductory courses. For snorkeling no. If you are choosing a first trip, water temperature and calm season matter more than the reef, because a bad first dive is usually a cold or choppy one.
Which diving destination is cheapest?
Antalya, Turkey, on a cost index of 21 where New York is 100, with 3 dive operators.
Plan the trip
If you would rather answer a few questions than read a table, our destination finder ranks every destination for the month you can travel and the airport you leave from. And for the weather side of the same decision, where is hot in February covers the same destinations month by month.