Looking for the best of the best? This is the Top 100 Gold List of operators, resorts, live-aboards, underwater experiences (i.e., best big-animal encounters, shore dives and wrecks), dive bars and more, determined on a popularity contest basis. Rankings are based on the total number of responses, regardless of category.

From California's kelp forests and the walls of the Northwest to Florida's clear springs, the Midwest's shipwreck graveyards and Texas' Flower Gardens, we give you the best of our home region.

Beautiful, accessible and packed with marine life — these are among the favorite things divers love about the sun-kissed islands in the Caribbean and Atlantic.

The planet's best places to find pulse-pounding big animals, deep walls, massive wrecks, fascinating caves and more.

Get vertical in the reefs off these islands, and explore the joys of flying alongside a plunging drop-off.

In a perfect world, every dive site would be just a few fin kicks from shore. In these 15 places, they often are.

Looking for the best wreck dives? Check out where you can find scores of exploration-worthy wrecks, just waiting for you to dive.

If you're just getting into diving, you'll love these dive destinations with superb, easy conditions.