1.Roatan, Honduras
Among the diving community, there is no greater paradise for extroverts than the island of Roatan, Honduras. Though technically not a one-sport destination — deep-sea fishing is also popular — Roatan’s guests primarily travel to let their inner dive flag fly. This means no shortage of buddies for a shore or night dive, and come happy hour, talk is certainly tending toward the 110-foot visibility at West End Wall, or the rowdy school of grouper on the 230-foot wreck El Aguila.
2.St.Croix
The largest of the US Virgin Islands, little St. Croix is only 22 by 7 miles. The island has a history of trade and industry and, at one point, St. Croix was the wealthiest island in the Caribbean, a result of its slavery-fuelled “plantation economy.” This practice ended on the island only after the 1848 slave rebellion prompted the Governor-General to pass laws abolishing slavery.
3.Cozumel
Cozumel poses challenges to even the most experienced divers. The middle of the west coast tends to be preferred by newer divers honing buoyancy skills as they ride the conveyor-belt current. It’s the southern tip where things truly get wild. Devil’s Throat offers a narrow tunnel in the wall, swallowing divers only to spit them out at 130 feet, pushing the limits of recreational diving. Farther south still lies Maracaibo, where a rock arch at 115 feet leads to one of the island’s most memorable wall dives, down a sheer face frequented by spotted eagle rays and Caribbean reef sharks.
4.Belize
With more than 400 islands, white sandy beaches, the longest unbroken barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere and 298 kilometers/185 miles of coastline, Belize is a world-class scuba diving destination. While the Blue Hole is Belize best-known dive site, there’s much more to discover.
5.Bonaire
Famed as one of the best Caribbean dive destinations, Bonaire hosts amazing coral reefs and long forgotten shipwrecks. Because the island’s dive sites are protected from any currents, this is one of the best places in the world to gain a new certification. Visitors to Bonaire can choose between boat and shore diving.
6. Curacao
Known for its beautiful pristine beaches, this Dutch Caribbean paradise island offers plenty for scuba divers. Curacao has a little of everything which is why it’s a top choice for many divers. Not only does it have easy and beautiful scuba diving, but it also has great topside activities/views as well.
7. Saba
Sure, every dive is the chance to encounter unexpected wildlife. But Saba, a satellite island of St. Maarten, stacks the deck. Start with the island’s offshore pinnacles, each like an underwater mountain: deep, and far enough offshore to serve as a beacon, attracting hammerheads, dolphins and any other passers-by. Plus, like the jungle-covered island above, where vines and air plants fight to claim every square inch, so too is the environment below the waterline. Sponges jam themselves in between corals with intensity, creating a habitat irresistible to seahorses and frogfish.
8. Cayman Islands
With record-setting visibility, thriving reefs that support a resident population of sharks and a variety of underwater attractions, the Cayman Islands are as close to a sure thing as one can find in diving. Grand Cayman is the most visited of the trio, famous as much for wall dives and the 251-foot artificial wreck of the USS Kittiwake as it is for the East End, where sharks are encountered daily. The highlight of the neighboring island of Cayman Brac is the M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts, the only divable Russian warship in the Western Hemisphere. Little Cayman, a favorite among marine biologists, is prized for “an extremely high level of biodiversity that’s exceptionally healthy,” says Neil van Niekerk, with the Southern Cross Club, a resort on the outpost island. Moreover, with its lack of development, Little Cayman can steer guests to expect isolation on land and in water. Other than fellow boat mates dropping in together, divers won’t see another soul on the reefs.
9. Bahamas
If you’re looking for sharks in the Caribbean, there’s one group of islands that should be top of your list. The Bahamas offer unbelievable visibility, stunning stretches of white sandy beaches, and if that’s not enough, an enormous variety of shark experiences.
10. Barbados
With visibility, water temperature and sea conditions being fairly constant the diving in Barbados is generally good all year around. With near perfect conditions and a variety of excellent shallow dive sites the conditions are ideal for learning to dive. So no excuses!
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