Value for Your Diving Dollar

CARIBBEAN & ATLANTIC 1. Bonaire Thanks to its abundance of shore diving, Bonaire ends up being a pretty economical pick for divers as well. It’s the No. 1 activity on the island, so all the resorts cater to divers, making packages easy to come by. Since you don’t need to rely on boats to hit the island’s best sites, you can basically dive as much as you can handle on the cheap. In fact, many resorts just include unlimited shore diving for their guests. There are not many places where you can find that. Go Now » 2. Mexico » 3. Bay Islands » PACIFIC 1. Malaysia Malaysia is the perfect destination for the frugal diver, because it’s not just that it’s less expensive than most other world-class destinations –– the diving is so good that you won’t feel like you’re compromising. For mere dollars a day, you can dive spots the expats and locals head for on the weekend –– at sites like Tioman and Dayang off Peninsular Malaysia –– where you’re as likely to see a whale shark as you are an ornate ghost pipefish. Or grab a short commuter flight from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and head for Sabah, to dive with the barracuda ball at Sipadan or spend a sunset with mandarinfish on Mabul. Best of all, you’ll have enough money left to buy that new pair of fins. Go now » 2. Philippines » 3. Thailand » NORTH AMERICA 1. Canada/British Columbia Outside of our current economic climate, you can usually get a little more bang for your buck across the border thanks to a favorable exchange rate. But even with currencies about even, Canada offers some really affordable hotels that can help ease the price of a dive trip. There are also a lot of areas where the vibe (and therefore the prices) is still more “small town” than resort complex, so you can rent condos or cottages with kitchens and space to spread out, and bring a larger group more economically. Go Now » 2. Great Lakes » 3. North Carolina »