Overall Rating of the Diving

CARIBBEAN AND ATLANTIC 1. Bonaire Bonaire ranked high in several categories for 2010, and was voted to the spot for best overall diving for a reason: With over 60 shore dives to choose from, you’ll never get bored and it’ll never be easier to “dive until you drop.” Bonaire is well known for the preservation of its reefs, keeping a clean and kept environment for present and future divers. It’s filled with unusual coral and reef formations, wall dives, and wrecks like the famous Hilma Hoker. Best of all, Bonaire is a diver’s paradise with conditions that make it suitable to getting wet year-round. Go Now » 2. Cayman Islands » 3. Curacao » PACIFIC 1. Galapagos What makes the Galapagos a winner for overall diving? Its underwater encounters and unique biodiversity. The Galapagos is home to several dozen endemic species both on land and under water. These islands are volcanic in origin, making them the perfect home full of nutrients and flowing water for sea life and underwater mammals. Don’t be surprised to run into a pod of playing sea lions, green sea turtles or, on the more extreme side, a shark encounter including the biggest in the ocean: the gentle whale shark. These waters aren’t for the beginner diver, so take caution. Go Now » 2. Micronesia » 3. Malaysia » NORTH AMERICA 1. Canada/British Columbia Wall dives, award-winning artificial reefs, and spectacular sea life helped Canada win the readers over for overall diving quality. It’s not the easiest diving –– cold water and unpredictable visibility make it more of a challenge –– but it’s well worth the effort. More than 17,000 miles of Pacific coastline are filled with hundreds of sea lions and retired warships that have been created into diver-safe artificial reefs, making each descent new and exhilarating. Gardens of sea sponges, plumose and anemones provide quite the spectacle, while ridges, drifts, and reefs quench the curiosity of divers and leave them wanting more. When diving in Canada, you will always be in for an adventure. Go Now » 2. North Carolina » 3. Great Lakes »