1. Bonaire

2. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

3. Curaçao

4. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

5. Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

1. Maui, Hawaii

2. Monterey, California

3. British Columbia, Canada

4. Florida Springs

5. South Florida (Miami, Broward and Dade Counties)

1. Bali, Indonesia

2. Red Sea, Egypt

3. Wakatobi, Indonesia

4. Maldives

5. Western Australia, Australia

Entry is half the fun in Bonaire, where decades of conservation have paid off in a pristine underwater environment.

Bali's famed Liberty wreck, near Tulamben.

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

Read more about the best scuba diving in the world: 2014 Reader's Choice Top 100 Awards