2007 World Dive Guide
May 2007
Destinations
North Carolina
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| Photo by Michael Patrick O'Neill|
Why go? Ship captains may hate it, but divers love it. The North Carolina coast, known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," has claimed thousands of ships, from tugboats to U-boats, barges to dredges. Many have run aground on the shallow shoals of the famous capes--Lookout, Hatteras and Fear--and off the beaches of Nags Head.
How to dive it With the exception of a few nearshore wrecks, the most popular dives are found anywhere from 20 to 45 miles offshore. Two-tank day trips are the norm, but you can also charter overnight or even multiday trips if you're interested. Boat accommodations vary from small six-packs to 30-passenger crew boats. The ride is less bumpy on the larger boats, at the price of a more crowded dive. Dive operators expect you to know your limits and don't dictate profiles or behavior to their customers, so come prepared.
Don't Miss North Carolina Maritime Museum. Visit Beaufort, N.C., to explore the rich cultural history and coastal environment through exhibits that include a 1950s outboard motor shop, ship models, and fossil and shell collections.
Good To Know
Weather: Dive operators will cancel trips when conditions are too rough, but even when conditions are good, you might be in for a bumpy ride.
Average Water Temp: Ranges from the low 70s to low 80s during the summer dive season, May to October. Count on warmer and calmer water south of Cape Hatteras, and colder, greener water and strong currents north of it.
Average Visibility: Vis averages 50 to 70 feet, but can peak at 100 feet or more in the very best conditions, especially during the summer.
Destination Link: www.nccoast.com.
Best Dives
U-352. What To Expect: The inner submarine hull of a German U-boat at 115 feet off Cape Lookout, taken down by Coast Guard depth charges in World War II.
Papoose. What To Expect: A 412-foot tanker torpedoed by a U-boat in 1942, broken into sections and upside-down at 120 feet of water off Cape Lookout.
USS Huron. What To Expect: A rare dive in 20 feet of water off Nags Head. Shifting sands make it a different dive every time; wreckage includes scattered cannon balls and a large four-blade propeller.
U-85. What To Expect: Strong currents off Nags Head long washed away the outer layer, leaving the pressure hull with open deck hatches, a conning tower at 80 feet and a deck gun.
Proteus. What To Expect: The passenger steamer collided head-on with the Cushing tanker in 1918 and rests at 120 feet off Cape Hatteras.
Papua New Guinea
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| Photo by Stephen Frink|
Why go? When you're on the 30-hour series of flights that takes you to Papua New Guinea, remember this: the diving will be well worth the travel time. Located north of Australia in the confluence of major ocean currents, the island nation is awash in an astounding mix of 900 species of fish and 400 species of coral that make it one of the hottest destinations on earth for underwater photographers.
How to dive it Many visitors dive PNG by live-aboard, a good choice in a destination with 600 islands spread across the Bismarck, Coral and Solomon Seas. Much of the diving revolves around pinnacles, but there are also big animal encounters and abundant wrecks to choose from. Three miles off Port Moresby is a series of must-dive seamounts. Milne Bay is famed for its critter-packed muck diving. Kavieng is PNG's top choice for big animal encounters--expect bull sharks and manta rays. Kimbe Bay has achieved dive-cult status for its staggering marine biodiversity. Tufi offers reefs, walls and wrecks.
Don't Miss The Sepik River. Tour remote villages along PNG's most important river by dugout canoe (or larger air-conditioned riverboats) for three to five nights to experience the traditions and ceremonies of some of the most isolated peoples on earth.
Good To Know
Weather: Tropical year-round with temps in the mid- to upper 80s.
Average Water Temp: Mid-70s to mid-80s.
Average Visibility: 80 feet with days of 150 to 200 feet from October to May.
Travel Savvy: A valid passport is required. There are no nonstop flights to Port Moresby (POM) from the U.S. You need a 60-day tourist visa. Departure tax is about $7 and may be included in your airfare.
Destination Links: www.pngtourism.org.pg.
Best Dives
Valley of the Fans. What To Expect: Located in the Duke of York Islands, this pinnacle dive offers an abundance of colorful sea fans. A good place to practice spotting hard-to-see fish such as leaf scorpionfish.
Restorf Island. What To Expect: A critter dive in Kimbe Bay with blue ribbon eels, devil scorpionfish and harlequin ghost pipefish.
Planet Channel. What To Expect: Extreme drift diving off Kavieng, New Ireland. Currents flowing through the straits that connect the Bismarck Sea to the Pacific Ocean fuel prodigious growth among filter-feeders like sea fans, sponges, sea whips and soft corals.
B-25 Mitchell. What To Expect: A bomber ditched under fire during battle, this wreck lies in 40 feet of water inside Madang's bay and is covered in sea fans and soft coral.
Suzie's Bommie. What To Expect: This coral dome off Madang tops out at 50 feet and is covered with massive schools of sweetlips, batfish and snapper.
Atun. What To Expect: A Taiwanese fishing vessel scuttled in 1983 by a local dive club off Rabaul. The Atun sits upright on a ledge in 70 feet of water. The wheelhouse is blanketed by soft and black corals where anemonefish and swallowtail seahorses hang out.
Puerto Rico
Why go? If you only know Puerto Rico as the island where you change planes en route to more remote parts of the Caribbean, you don't know what you're missing. There's diverse diving all around this 100- by 35-mile island, from beginner-friendly coral gardens to steep-and-deep walls, a handful of wrecks and some offshore islets with truly world-class reefs. And getting here couldn't be easier--it's a U.S. commonwealth so you don't need to exchange currency or rifle through the file cabinet to find your passport.
How to dive it For new divers, Puerto Rico's eastern beaches and those on the satellite islands of Vieques and Culebra are a logical first stop because they're bathed in calm seas. Off Fajardo, in the northeast, are top sites that feature wrecks and reefs riddled with tunnels and and caves. The diving here is easily accessible from the capital, San Juan. And off the west coast lies dramatic Tourmaline Reef, home to orchards of black coral and masses of reef fish.
Don't Miss Satellite Islands. Expect triple-digit visibility around remote Mona Island, a pristine satellite island 42 miles off the west coast of Puerto Rico. Known as the Galapagos of the Caribbean, Mona offers eye-popping wildlife encounters under water and above. Another excellent day trip from the mainland is Desecheo, well worth the 14-mile crossing for its healthy reefs and fish life. Six miles off Fajardo, the islands of Culebra and Vieques rise from the shallows to form the only landfall between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, just 15 miles east. Culebra has the distinction of being Puerto Rico's wreck capital, and you'll find thick schools of grunts, creole wrasse and angelfish around both islands.
Good To Know
Weather: The average temperature in both summer and winter are in the low to mid-80s.
Average Water Temp: 85 in summer and 75 in winter.
Average Vis: Expect 60 to 80 feet around the main island, and upwards of 100 feet around Mona and Desecheo islands.
Travel Savvy: Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, no passport is required for U.S. citizens. Nonstop flights to San Juan (SJU) originate in many U.S. gateways. Departure tax is included in airline ticket.
Destination Links: www.gotopuertorico.com.
Best Dives
Black Wall. What To Expect: A sheer wall off Puerto Rico's southwestern coast draped in black coral trees begins at 60 feet and drops to 200.
Fallen Rock. What To Expect: This vertical wall off the southwestern coast leads to a huge boulder surrounded by deep trenches.
The Trench. What To Expect: A series of spur-and-groove formations off the island's southwest coast that go to 110 feet.
El Diablo. What To Expect: Coral gardens in 50 feet of water off Fajardo.
Juan's Playground. What To Expect: A wall dive off Humacao that bottoms out at 75 feet. Look for roughtail stingrays, some measuring four feet across.
Witt Power. What To Expect: An encrusted tugboat, sunk in 1984 in 40 feet of water off Culebra Island.
Angel Reef. What To Expect: A shallow reef teeming with marine life, off the island of Vieques.
Carabinero Rock. What To Expect: Called the Galapagos of the Caribbean, Mona Island is for the truly adventurous. A three- or four-hour boat ride from the mainland brings you to this stellar wall dive with reliable 200-foot vis.
Yellow Reef. What To Expect: Immense sponge-encrusted boulders, caverns and 100-foot depths off Deseceho Island.
Sponge Valley. What To Expect: You'll see giant tube and barrel sponges, brain corals and gorgonians, while turtles, dolphins and an occasional shark ply the waters at this site off Desecheo Island.
Tahiti & Her Sister Islands
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| Photo by Rod Klein|
Why go? Tahiti and the other islands in the French Polynesian archipelago are lush volcanic islands set in a glittering South Pacific sea, the very picture of paradise. But for divers, the real attraction can be summed up in one word: Sharks.
How to dive it Tahiti is a lush island surrounded by a lagoon and then a drop-off into abyssal depths. The island's outer wall, with diving in the 130- to 170-foot range, is where advanced divers head, but recreational diving is done on the inside of the wall, which is pocked with small caves and dark overhangs full of snapper. Eleven miles from Tahiti, Moorea's topside beauty is matched by its underwater topography with coral canyons and valleys. You'll find turtles, sharks and rays at nearly every site. Rangiroa, located northwest of Tahiti in the Tuamoto archipelago, is the second-largest atoll in the world. In addition to the usual gray, white-tip, black-tip and silver-tip sharks, you may encounter hammerheads, particularly in Tiputa Pass from December to March. An hour's flight from Tahiti is Fakarava, where operators take divers to two main passes. The sites here are marked by ripping currents and tidal changes, and profuse fish life. Off Bora Bora, divers drift through Te Ava Nui Pass, a place often frequented by spotted eagle rays and sharks.
Keep in mind that French Polynesia is spread out over a lot of ocean, and there are terrific sites in these islands that only the live-aboards can reach.
Don't Miss Papeete Market. The open-air market in Papeete is a highlight of any trip to Tahiti. Here, you'll find stalls overflowing with fresh local fruit, handcrafted textiles, straw bags, wood carvings and local vanilla beans. You can buy fresh flower necklaces (leis) and crowns (heis) made by locals while you wait. If you're thirsty, buy a fresh coconut, have the top lopped off and drop a straw into it for a perfect Tahitian thirst-quencher.
Good To Know
Weather: The rainy season lasts from November to April; trade winds help keep conditions drier and cooler the rest of the year.
Average Water Temp: From the high 70s to the mid-80s, depending on the season--and they're reversed here in the southern hemisphere.
Average Visibility: In excess of 100 feet.
Travel Savvy: A valid passport is required. Nonstop flights to Papeete (PPT) originate in New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX). Inter-island travel is convenient; the domestic airlines, Air Tahiti and Air Moorea, are located at Tahiti Faa'a Airport (PPT) and offer daily service to many islands.
Destination Links: www.gototahiti.com and www.tahiti-tourisme.pf.
Best Dives
The Marado. What To Expect: A deep, gorgonian-covered wall off Tahiti Iti, the island's handle-like peninsula.
Canyons of Opunohu. What To Expect: Coral walls and canyons radiate outward from the reef off Moorea; the site is dense with turtles, black-tip and lemon sharks.
Anau. What To Expect: This shallow lagoon dive off Bora Bora is also referred to as Manta Ballroom for the gentle manta rays that circulate here.
Tapu. What To Expect: A classic shark dive with black-tip, reef and lemon sharks in 30 to 100 feet of water off Bora Bora.
The Drop Off. What To Expect: This breathtaking wall off Manihi starts at 10 feet and drops into the abyss. Every July, thousands of marbled grouper come here to mate.
Tuheiva Pass. What To Expect: A pass dive off Takehau done on an incoming tide. Expect mantas, eagle rays and reef sharks.
Avatoru Pass. What To Expect: A drift dive from Rangiroa's lagoon to the ocean on an outgoing tide. The site is frequented by Napoleon wrasse, manta rays and silver-tip sharks.
Tobago
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| Photo by Steve Simonsen|
Why go? This hidden gem of an island has been compared to a boulder in the middle of a swift river; in this case, the river is the Guyana Current, which flows along the South American coast and hits Tobago's Atlantic shore. The water then shoots around the tips of the island offering safe excitement for drift divers of all skill levels.
How to dive it Tobago's two primary dive areas are a study in contrasts. At the southwest tip of the island, Crown Point is the bustling epicenter of tourism on Tobago. At the far northeast end lies the quiet village of Speyside. Dive operators in Crown Point take divers either to the current-swept sites on the Atlantic side of the point or the protected coves on the Caribbean side. Speyside dives are clustered around two small offshore islands, Goat Island and Little Tobago. The water surrounding these islands is filled with reefs and pinnacles. Most diving is done from wooden pirogues that hold a relatively small group of divers and equipment for a single dive.
Don't Miss Carnival. The rhythmic calypso beat that is synonymous with Tobago dominates in a two-day party in February or March of every year. During this festival, colorfully costumed residents of the island hit the streets for dancing, parades and excellent local food.
Good To Know
Weather: Temps in the mid-80s year-round.
Average Water Temp: 80 degrees in summer, dropping to the low 70s in winter.
Average Visibility: 80 feet, though it can be lower during the June-to-October rainy season.
Travel Savvy: A passport is required. Nonstop flights to Port of Spain, Trinidad (POS), originate in Atlanta. From Trinidad, several carriers offer connecting flights to Crown Point, Tobago (TAB). Departure tax is about $16, but must be paid in local currency (TT$100).
Destination Links: www.visittnt.com.
Best Dives
Japanese Gardens. What To Expect: One of Tobago's prettiest reefs, this sloping bank of coral off Speyside is covered with waving fields of soft corals and sponges.
Blackjack Hole. What To Expect: Located on the exposed southern wing of Little Tobago, expect woolly currents and choppy seas. The payoff: Encounters with Atlantic pelagics including sharks, rays and dolphins.
Bookends. What To Expect: This great drift dive off Speyside marked by twin peaks of black coral and a rich reef slope of hard and soft corals.
Buccoo Reef. What To Expect: Located off Crown Point, this four-acre zone of shallow patch reefs spills out of Buccoo Bay on the Caribbean side of the island's southern tip. Also favored by snorkelers, this site is like an aquarium of corals inhabited by juvenile tropicals.
Flying Reef. What To Expect: Powerful westerly currents make this Crown Point site a tricky dive, but if you stay shallow, you can cover a lot of ground on a single tank.
Mt. Irvine Wall. What To Expect: Massive boulders that flake off from the shoreline cliffs form a shallow wall from 30 to 60 feet that's alive with fish. Take a light to explore the crevices.
Turks & Caicos
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| Photo by Stephen Frink|
Why go? Up until a couple decades ago, the Turks and Caicos were relegated to an obscure status of Caribbean dive destinations, and very few divers had heard of them, let alone dived them. But all it takes is one trip to realize the word's out--these sandy, scrubby spits and cayes arguably offer the best wall diving in the region.
How to dive it Getting to Provo's popular sites off West Caicos and French Cay and the vertical wall along Northwest Point can take up a good chunk of the day, but are worth the trip. Closer to home is Grace Bay, which features sites on a gorgeous barrier reef. On Grand Turk, the diving is along the spectacular wall off its western shore. Salt Cay is a small island, but offers a huge number of dive sites to choose from.
Don't Miss Whale watching. Between February and April, migrating North Atlantic humpback whales pass by Grand Turk and Salt Cay on their way to the Silver Banks.
Good To Know
Weather: Between June and October temps are in the high 80s, and there's a chance of brief showers; from November to May temps are between 80 and 84 and there's little rain.
Average Water Temp: In summer, the water is 82 to 84 degrees; in winter, expect temps between 74 and 78 degrees.
Average Visibility: From 50 to 150 feet of vis.
Travel Savvy: A passport is required. You'll fly into Providenciales (PLS); if you're headed for another island, you'll take a commuter flight. Nonstop flights to Provo originate in Miami and New York. The departure tax is $35.
Destination Links: www.turksandcaicostourism.com.
Best Dives
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| Photo by Stephen Frink|
The Crack. What To Expect: This coral buttress on a lush vertical wall off Provo is sliced by a steep crack, with lots of nooks for exploration.
Black Coral Forest. What To Expect: A sheer wall that drops to 130 feet and then slopes to a second drop-off off Provo. Between 45 and 90 feet is where you'll find vivid sponges and a forest of black coral.
The Anchor. What To Expect: This West Caicos drop-off begins at 50 feet. There's a centuries-old anchor wedged into a cut in the vertical wall.
G-Spot. What To Expect: Located off French Cay, this wall is smothered in sponges and gorgonians. Schooling eagle rays and sharks swarm here, especially during tidal changes.
The Aquarium. What To Expect: This Grand Turk deep dive starts at about 55 feet, where you'll find fish-packed coral ridges that terrace precipitously downward.
Tunnels. What To Expect: A breathtaking dive through a tunnel on the face of a sheer wall off Grand Turk.
Endymion. What To Expect: A rare historical wreck about 10 miles south of Salt Cay, the Endymion is an 18th-century warship in just 30 to 40 feet of water, its remains--including anchors and cannons--are scattered about the reef here.
U.S. Virgin Islands
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| Photo by Steve Simonsen|
Why go? This trio of tropical islands just a power nap from most East Coast airline hubs may be a popular tourist destination, but divers know the truth. Beyond the tourist traps and beneath its aquamarine waters lies some of the best Caribbean shipwrecks and some interesting reefs. Plus, you don't need a passport, flights are frequent and affordable, and there's no language barrier to contend with.
How to dive it The diving off St. Croix takes place along a steeply sloping wall about a quarter-mile from the island's north shore. Caves, tunnels and pinnacles are found along the wall, and in Salt River Canyon, a submerged river bed. St. Thomas and St. John, only three miles apart, share the shallow reefs of Pillsbury Sound. St. Thomas also offers easy shore diving at Coki Beach and challenging, current-swept pinnacles. Diving off St. John ranges from shallow sand flats and coral gardens to fringing reefs and encrusted cliff faces.
Don't Miss Virgin Islands National Park. The park is a true gem, encompassing 7,000-plus acres of St. John. Visitors can enjoy the park by diving, snorkeling and hiking.
Good To Know
Weather: From December to May, temps average 60 to 75 degrees, while summer temps are in the low 80s.
Average Water Temp: Mid-80s in summer; upper 70s in winter.
Average Visibility: Between 60 and 100 feet.
Travel Savvy: U.S. citizens don't need a passport, but must show proof of citizenship (a birth certificate and driver's license will do) to board flights to Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Nonstop flights to St. Thomas (STT) and St. Croix (STX) originate from several U.S. gateways. Inter-island carriers offer connecting service between St. Thomas and St. Croix. To get to St. John, you must fly to St. Thomas and catch an inter-island ferry.
Destination Links: www.usvitourism.vi.
Best Dives
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| Photo by Steve Simonsen|
Cane Bay Drop-off. What To Expect: At 40 feet, this famed wall off St. Croix slopes down from a shallow coral garden of sea whips and brain corals. Small grottoes and ledges on the wall hide yellowfin mojarra and yellowfin snapper.
Salt River Canyon (East and West Walls). What To Expect: Diving Salt River Canyon off St. Croix is split between the east and west walls, which plunge hundreds of feet from shallow reeftops that shelter tangs, damsels and butterflyfish. The wall is covered in purple tube sponges and deepwater gorgonians; look for jacks and snappers cruising alongside the wall.
Witshoal. What To Expect: Off St. Thomas, this 328-foot workhorse freighter of the West Indian Trading Company is a thriving artificial reef, coated with cup corals, deep-water sea fans and sponges. Look for groupers and barracuda.
Tunnels of Thatch. What To Expect: Several black rock arches and swim-through tunnels fire your imagination with a colorful display of encrusting sponges and cup corals at this site in St. John's Pillsbury Sound.
Major General Rogers. What To Expect: Barracuda patrol the encrusted hull of this former Coast Guard buoy tender in Pillsbury Sound, while schools of silversides swarm for protection.
May 2007
Destinations
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| Australia Bahamas Baja, Mexico Bay Islands Belize Bermuda Bonaire| British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Costa Rica Cozumel Cancun & Riviera Maya Curaçao Dominica| Eastern Caribbean Fiji Florida Keys Galapagos Hawaii Indonesia Micronesia| North Carolina Papua New Guinea Puerto Rico Tahiti, French Polynesia Tobago Turks & Caicos U.S. Virgin Islands|North Carolina
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| Photo by Michael Patrick O'Neill|
Why go? Ship captains may hate it, but divers love it. The North Carolina coast, known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," has claimed thousands of ships, from tugboats to U-boats, barges to dredges. Many have run aground on the shallow shoals of the famous capes--Lookout, Hatteras and Fear--and off the beaches of Nags Head.
How to dive it With the exception of a few nearshore wrecks, the most popular dives are found anywhere from 20 to 45 miles offshore. Two-tank day trips are the norm, but you can also charter overnight or even multiday trips if you're interested. Boat accommodations vary from small six-packs to 30-passenger crew boats. The ride is less bumpy on the larger boats, at the price of a more crowded dive. Dive operators expect you to know your limits and don't dictate profiles or behavior to their customers, so come prepared.
Don't Miss North Carolina Maritime Museum. Visit Beaufort, N.C., to explore the rich cultural history and coastal environment through exhibits that include a 1950s outboard motor shop, ship models, and fossil and shell collections.
Good To Know
Weather: Dive operators will cancel trips when conditions are too rough, but even when conditions are good, you might be in for a bumpy ride.
Average Water Temp: Ranges from the low 70s to low 80s during the summer dive season, May to October. Count on warmer and calmer water south of Cape Hatteras, and colder, greener water and strong currents north of it.
Average Visibility: Vis averages 50 to 70 feet, but can peak at 100 feet or more in the very best conditions, especially during the summer.
Destination Link: www.nccoast.com.
Best Dives
U-352. What To Expect: The inner submarine hull of a German U-boat at 115 feet off Cape Lookout, taken down by Coast Guard depth charges in World War II.
Papoose. What To Expect: A 412-foot tanker torpedoed by a U-boat in 1942, broken into sections and upside-down at 120 feet of water off Cape Lookout.
USS Huron. What To Expect: A rare dive in 20 feet of water off Nags Head. Shifting sands make it a different dive every time; wreckage includes scattered cannon balls and a large four-blade propeller.
U-85. What To Expect: Strong currents off Nags Head long washed away the outer layer, leaving the pressure hull with open deck hatches, a conning tower at 80 feet and a deck gun.
Proteus. What To Expect: The passenger steamer collided head-on with the Cushing tanker in 1918 and rests at 120 feet off Cape Hatteras.
Papua New Guinea
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| Photo by Stephen Frink|
Why go? When you're on the 30-hour series of flights that takes you to Papua New Guinea, remember this: the diving will be well worth the travel time. Located north of Australia in the confluence of major ocean currents, the island nation is awash in an astounding mix of 900 species of fish and 400 species of coral that make it one of the hottest destinations on earth for underwater photographers.
How to dive it Many visitors dive PNG by live-aboard, a good choice in a destination with 600 islands spread across the Bismarck, Coral and Solomon Seas. Much of the diving revolves around pinnacles, but there are also big animal encounters and abundant wrecks to choose from. Three miles off Port Moresby is a series of must-dive seamounts. Milne Bay is famed for its critter-packed muck diving. Kavieng is PNG's top choice for big animal encounters--expect bull sharks and manta rays. Kimbe Bay has achieved dive-cult status for its staggering marine biodiversity. Tufi offers reefs, walls and wrecks.
Don't Miss The Sepik River. Tour remote villages along PNG's most important river by dugout canoe (or larger air-conditioned riverboats) for three to five nights to experience the traditions and ceremonies of some of the most isolated peoples on earth.
Good To Know
Weather: Tropical year-round with temps in the mid- to upper 80s.
Average Water Temp: Mid-70s to mid-80s.
Average Visibility: 80 feet with days of 150 to 200 feet from October to May.
Travel Savvy: A valid passport is required. There are no nonstop flights to Port Moresby (POM) from the U.S. You need a 60-day tourist visa. Departure tax is about $7 and may be included in your airfare.
Destination Links: www.pngtourism.org.pg.
Best Dives
Valley of the Fans. What To Expect: Located in the Duke of York Islands, this pinnacle dive offers an abundance of colorful sea fans. A good place to practice spotting hard-to-see fish such as leaf scorpionfish.
Restorf Island. What To Expect: A critter dive in Kimbe Bay with blue ribbon eels, devil scorpionfish and harlequin ghost pipefish.
Planet Channel. What To Expect: Extreme drift diving off Kavieng, New Ireland. Currents flowing through the straits that connect the Bismarck Sea to the Pacific Ocean fuel prodigious growth among filter-feeders like sea fans, sponges, sea whips and soft corals.
B-25 Mitchell. What To Expect: A bomber ditched under fire during battle, this wreck lies in 40 feet of water inside Madang's bay and is covered in sea fans and soft coral.
Suzie's Bommie. What To Expect: This coral dome off Madang tops out at 50 feet and is covered with massive schools of sweetlips, batfish and snapper.
Atun. What To Expect: A Taiwanese fishing vessel scuttled in 1983 by a local dive club off Rabaul. The Atun sits upright on a ledge in 70 feet of water. The wheelhouse is blanketed by soft and black corals where anemonefish and swallowtail seahorses hang out.
Puerto Rico
Why go? If you only know Puerto Rico as the island where you change planes en route to more remote parts of the Caribbean, you don't know what you're missing. There's diverse diving all around this 100- by 35-mile island, from beginner-friendly coral gardens to steep-and-deep walls, a handful of wrecks and some offshore islets with truly world-class reefs. And getting here couldn't be easier--it's a U.S. commonwealth so you don't need to exchange currency or rifle through the file cabinet to find your passport.
How to dive it For new divers, Puerto Rico's eastern beaches and those on the satellite islands of Vieques and Culebra are a logical first stop because they're bathed in calm seas. Off Fajardo, in the northeast, are top sites that feature wrecks and reefs riddled with tunnels and and caves. The diving here is easily accessible from the capital, San Juan. And off the west coast lies dramatic Tourmaline Reef, home to orchards of black coral and masses of reef fish.
Don't Miss Satellite Islands. Expect triple-digit visibility around remote Mona Island, a pristine satellite island 42 miles off the west coast of Puerto Rico. Known as the Galapagos of the Caribbean, Mona offers eye-popping wildlife encounters under water and above. Another excellent day trip from the mainland is Desecheo, well worth the 14-mile crossing for its healthy reefs and fish life. Six miles off Fajardo, the islands of Culebra and Vieques rise from the shallows to form the only landfall between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, just 15 miles east. Culebra has the distinction of being Puerto Rico's wreck capital, and you'll find thick schools of grunts, creole wrasse and angelfish around both islands.
Good To Know
Weather: The average temperature in both summer and winter are in the low to mid-80s.
Average Water Temp: 85 in summer and 75 in winter.
Average Vis: Expect 60 to 80 feet around the main island, and upwards of 100 feet around Mona and Desecheo islands.
Travel Savvy: Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, no passport is required for U.S. citizens. Nonstop flights to San Juan (SJU) originate in many U.S. gateways. Departure tax is included in airline ticket.
Destination Links: www.gotopuertorico.com.
Best Dives
Black Wall. What To Expect: A sheer wall off Puerto Rico's southwestern coast draped in black coral trees begins at 60 feet and drops to 200.
Fallen Rock. What To Expect: This vertical wall off the southwestern coast leads to a huge boulder surrounded by deep trenches.
The Trench. What To Expect: A series of spur-and-groove formations off the island's southwest coast that go to 110 feet.
El Diablo. What To Expect: Coral gardens in 50 feet of water off Fajardo.
Juan's Playground. What To Expect: A wall dive off Humacao that bottoms out at 75 feet. Look for roughtail stingrays, some measuring four feet across.
Witt Power. What To Expect: An encrusted tugboat, sunk in 1984 in 40 feet of water off Culebra Island.
Angel Reef. What To Expect: A shallow reef teeming with marine life, off the island of Vieques.
Carabinero Rock. What To Expect: Called the Galapagos of the Caribbean, Mona Island is for the truly adventurous. A three- or four-hour boat ride from the mainland brings you to this stellar wall dive with reliable 200-foot vis.
Yellow Reef. What To Expect: Immense sponge-encrusted boulders, caverns and 100-foot depths off Deseceho Island.
Sponge Valley. What To Expect: You'll see giant tube and barrel sponges, brain corals and gorgonians, while turtles, dolphins and an occasional shark ply the waters at this site off Desecheo Island.
Tahiti & Her Sister Islands
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| Photo by Rod Klein|
Why go? Tahiti and the other islands in the French Polynesian archipelago are lush volcanic islands set in a glittering South Pacific sea, the very picture of paradise. But for divers, the real attraction can be summed up in one word: Sharks.
How to dive it Tahiti is a lush island surrounded by a lagoon and then a drop-off into abyssal depths. The island's outer wall, with diving in the 130- to 170-foot range, is where advanced divers head, but recreational diving is done on the inside of the wall, which is pocked with small caves and dark overhangs full of snapper. Eleven miles from Tahiti, Moorea's topside beauty is matched by its underwater topography with coral canyons and valleys. You'll find turtles, sharks and rays at nearly every site. Rangiroa, located northwest of Tahiti in the Tuamoto archipelago, is the second-largest atoll in the world. In addition to the usual gray, white-tip, black-tip and silver-tip sharks, you may encounter hammerheads, particularly in Tiputa Pass from December to March. An hour's flight from Tahiti is Fakarava, where operators take divers to two main passes. The sites here are marked by ripping currents and tidal changes, and profuse fish life. Off Bora Bora, divers drift through Te Ava Nui Pass, a place often frequented by spotted eagle rays and sharks.
Keep in mind that French Polynesia is spread out over a lot of ocean, and there are terrific sites in these islands that only the live-aboards can reach.
Don't Miss Papeete Market. The open-air market in Papeete is a highlight of any trip to Tahiti. Here, you'll find stalls overflowing with fresh local fruit, handcrafted textiles, straw bags, wood carvings and local vanilla beans. You can buy fresh flower necklaces (leis) and crowns (heis) made by locals while you wait. If you're thirsty, buy a fresh coconut, have the top lopped off and drop a straw into it for a perfect Tahitian thirst-quencher.
Good To Know
Weather: The rainy season lasts from November to April; trade winds help keep conditions drier and cooler the rest of the year.
Average Water Temp: From the high 70s to the mid-80s, depending on the season--and they're reversed here in the southern hemisphere.
Average Visibility: In excess of 100 feet.
Travel Savvy: A valid passport is required. Nonstop flights to Papeete (PPT) originate in New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX). Inter-island travel is convenient; the domestic airlines, Air Tahiti and Air Moorea, are located at Tahiti Faa'a Airport (PPT) and offer daily service to many islands.
Destination Links: www.gototahiti.com and www.tahiti-tourisme.pf.
Best Dives
The Marado. What To Expect: A deep, gorgonian-covered wall off Tahiti Iti, the island's handle-like peninsula.
Canyons of Opunohu. What To Expect: Coral walls and canyons radiate outward from the reef off Moorea; the site is dense with turtles, black-tip and lemon sharks.
Anau. What To Expect: This shallow lagoon dive off Bora Bora is also referred to as Manta Ballroom for the gentle manta rays that circulate here.
Tapu. What To Expect: A classic shark dive with black-tip, reef and lemon sharks in 30 to 100 feet of water off Bora Bora.
The Drop Off. What To Expect: This breathtaking wall off Manihi starts at 10 feet and drops into the abyss. Every July, thousands of marbled grouper come here to mate.
Tuheiva Pass. What To Expect: A pass dive off Takehau done on an incoming tide. Expect mantas, eagle rays and reef sharks.
Avatoru Pass. What To Expect: A drift dive from Rangiroa's lagoon to the ocean on an outgoing tide. The site is frequented by Napoleon wrasse, manta rays and silver-tip sharks.
Tobago
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| Photo by Steve Simonsen|
Why go? This hidden gem of an island has been compared to a boulder in the middle of a swift river; in this case, the river is the Guyana Current, which flows along the South American coast and hits Tobago's Atlantic shore. The water then shoots around the tips of the island offering safe excitement for drift divers of all skill levels.
How to dive it Tobago's two primary dive areas are a study in contrasts. At the southwest tip of the island, Crown Point is the bustling epicenter of tourism on Tobago. At the far northeast end lies the quiet village of Speyside. Dive operators in Crown Point take divers either to the current-swept sites on the Atlantic side of the point or the protected coves on the Caribbean side. Speyside dives are clustered around two small offshore islands, Goat Island and Little Tobago. The water surrounding these islands is filled with reefs and pinnacles. Most diving is done from wooden pirogues that hold a relatively small group of divers and equipment for a single dive.
Don't Miss Carnival. The rhythmic calypso beat that is synonymous with Tobago dominates in a two-day party in February or March of every year. During this festival, colorfully costumed residents of the island hit the streets for dancing, parades and excellent local food.
Good To Know
Weather: Temps in the mid-80s year-round.
Average Water Temp: 80 degrees in summer, dropping to the low 70s in winter.
Average Visibility: 80 feet, though it can be lower during the June-to-October rainy season.
Travel Savvy: A passport is required. Nonstop flights to Port of Spain, Trinidad (POS), originate in Atlanta. From Trinidad, several carriers offer connecting flights to Crown Point, Tobago (TAB). Departure tax is about $16, but must be paid in local currency (TT$100).
Destination Links: www.visittnt.com.
Best Dives
Japanese Gardens. What To Expect: One of Tobago's prettiest reefs, this sloping bank of coral off Speyside is covered with waving fields of soft corals and sponges.
Blackjack Hole. What To Expect: Located on the exposed southern wing of Little Tobago, expect woolly currents and choppy seas. The payoff: Encounters with Atlantic pelagics including sharks, rays and dolphins.
Bookends. What To Expect: This great drift dive off Speyside marked by twin peaks of black coral and a rich reef slope of hard and soft corals.
Buccoo Reef. What To Expect: Located off Crown Point, this four-acre zone of shallow patch reefs spills out of Buccoo Bay on the Caribbean side of the island's southern tip. Also favored by snorkelers, this site is like an aquarium of corals inhabited by juvenile tropicals.
Flying Reef. What To Expect: Powerful westerly currents make this Crown Point site a tricky dive, but if you stay shallow, you can cover a lot of ground on a single tank.
Mt. Irvine Wall. What To Expect: Massive boulders that flake off from the shoreline cliffs form a shallow wall from 30 to 60 feet that's alive with fish. Take a light to explore the crevices.
Turks & Caicos
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| Photo by Stephen Frink|
Why go? Up until a couple decades ago, the Turks and Caicos were relegated to an obscure status of Caribbean dive destinations, and very few divers had heard of them, let alone dived them. But all it takes is one trip to realize the word's out--these sandy, scrubby spits and cayes arguably offer the best wall diving in the region.
How to dive it Getting to Provo's popular sites off West Caicos and French Cay and the vertical wall along Northwest Point can take up a good chunk of the day, but are worth the trip. Closer to home is Grace Bay, which features sites on a gorgeous barrier reef. On Grand Turk, the diving is along the spectacular wall off its western shore. Salt Cay is a small island, but offers a huge number of dive sites to choose from.
Don't Miss Whale watching. Between February and April, migrating North Atlantic humpback whales pass by Grand Turk and Salt Cay on their way to the Silver Banks.
Good To Know
Weather: Between June and October temps are in the high 80s, and there's a chance of brief showers; from November to May temps are between 80 and 84 and there's little rain.
Average Water Temp: In summer, the water is 82 to 84 degrees; in winter, expect temps between 74 and 78 degrees.
Average Visibility: From 50 to 150 feet of vis.
Travel Savvy: A passport is required. You'll fly into Providenciales (PLS); if you're headed for another island, you'll take a commuter flight. Nonstop flights to Provo originate in Miami and New York. The departure tax is $35.
Destination Links: www.turksandcaicostourism.com.
Best Dives
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| Photo by Stephen Frink|
The Crack. What To Expect: This coral buttress on a lush vertical wall off Provo is sliced by a steep crack, with lots of nooks for exploration.
Black Coral Forest. What To Expect: A sheer wall that drops to 130 feet and then slopes to a second drop-off off Provo. Between 45 and 90 feet is where you'll find vivid sponges and a forest of black coral.
The Anchor. What To Expect: This West Caicos drop-off begins at 50 feet. There's a centuries-old anchor wedged into a cut in the vertical wall.
G-Spot. What To Expect: Located off French Cay, this wall is smothered in sponges and gorgonians. Schooling eagle rays and sharks swarm here, especially during tidal changes.
The Aquarium. What To Expect: This Grand Turk deep dive starts at about 55 feet, where you'll find fish-packed coral ridges that terrace precipitously downward.
Tunnels. What To Expect: A breathtaking dive through a tunnel on the face of a sheer wall off Grand Turk.
Endymion. What To Expect: A rare historical wreck about 10 miles south of Salt Cay, the Endymion is an 18th-century warship in just 30 to 40 feet of water, its remains--including anchors and cannons--are scattered about the reef here.
U.S. Virgin Islands
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| Photo by Steve Simonsen|
Why go? This trio of tropical islands just a power nap from most East Coast airline hubs may be a popular tourist destination, but divers know the truth. Beyond the tourist traps and beneath its aquamarine waters lies some of the best Caribbean shipwrecks and some interesting reefs. Plus, you don't need a passport, flights are frequent and affordable, and there's no language barrier to contend with.
How to dive it The diving off St. Croix takes place along a steeply sloping wall about a quarter-mile from the island's north shore. Caves, tunnels and pinnacles are found along the wall, and in Salt River Canyon, a submerged river bed. St. Thomas and St. John, only three miles apart, share the shallow reefs of Pillsbury Sound. St. Thomas also offers easy shore diving at Coki Beach and challenging, current-swept pinnacles. Diving off St. John ranges from shallow sand flats and coral gardens to fringing reefs and encrusted cliff faces.
Don't Miss Virgin Islands National Park. The park is a true gem, encompassing 7,000-plus acres of St. John. Visitors can enjoy the park by diving, snorkeling and hiking.
Good To Know
Weather: From December to May, temps average 60 to 75 degrees, while summer temps are in the low 80s.
Average Water Temp: Mid-80s in summer; upper 70s in winter.
Average Visibility: Between 60 and 100 feet.
Travel Savvy: U.S. citizens don't need a passport, but must show proof of citizenship (a birth certificate and driver's license will do) to board flights to Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Nonstop flights to St. Thomas (STT) and St. Croix (STX) originate from several U.S. gateways. Inter-island carriers offer connecting service between St. Thomas and St. Croix. To get to St. John, you must fly to St. Thomas and catch an inter-island ferry.
Destination Links: www.usvitourism.vi.
Best Dives
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| Photo by Steve Simonsen|
Cane Bay Drop-off. What To Expect: At 40 feet, this famed wall off St. Croix slopes down from a shallow coral garden of sea whips and brain corals. Small grottoes and ledges on the wall hide yellowfin mojarra and yellowfin snapper.
Salt River Canyon (East and West Walls). What To Expect: Diving Salt River Canyon off St. Croix is split between the east and west walls, which plunge hundreds of feet from shallow reeftops that shelter tangs, damsels and butterflyfish. The wall is covered in purple tube sponges and deepwater gorgonians; look for jacks and snappers cruising alongside the wall.
Witshoal. What To Expect: Off St. Thomas, this 328-foot workhorse freighter of the West Indian Trading Company is a thriving artificial reef, coated with cup corals, deep-water sea fans and sponges. Look for groupers and barracuda.
Tunnels of Thatch. What To Expect: Several black rock arches and swim-through tunnels fire your imagination with a colorful display of encrusting sponges and cup corals at this site in St. John's Pillsbury Sound.
Major General Rogers. What To Expect: Barracuda patrol the encrusted hull of this former Coast Guard buoy tender in Pillsbury Sound, while schools of silversides swarm for protection.
