Expert Approved: How to Pick Your Next Scuba Dive Vacation Destination

Becoming a capable scuba diver isn’t as complicated as you may think — but if you’ve ever heard certified scuba divers talk among themselves, you’d be forgiven for thinking you had to learn a whole new language just to know what they’re talking about. All it takes is a minute or two of divers name-dropping sites and shops, debating about the average “vis” or talking about “muck” and “nudibranchs” before your head starts spinning.

That can make planning your first dive-focused trip a little intimidating, especially if you’re doing the planning based on dive forums, websites, and trip reports that can go into an overwhelming amount of detail. How are you supposed to know if you should prioritize water temperature or clarity? What does an “easy” dive mean? And is there a certain time of year you should visit a dive site? Or are some dive destinations good year round? Which are which?

Fortunately, there are plenty of experts out there who can not only help, but genuinely want to. That includes dive organizations like PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), SSI (Scuba Schools International), NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors), SDI (Scuba Diving International), and TDI (Technical Diving International), to name just a few. Those are all for-profit organizations, so it behooves them to make planning dive trips and entering the world of scuba diving as easy as possible. While certified divers often like to nerd out on tech (and sometimes one-up each other on who has been to the most remote dive locations), dive professionals themselves tend to be much more approachable and very used to assisting beginners.

With 6,600 dive centers and resorts in more than 180 countries, PADI is by far the largest and most well-known certifying body in the world. More than 70 percent of recreational divers are certified by PADI, and it has issued a collective 29 million diving-related certifications since its founding in 1966. So we asked Kristin Valette Wirth, PADI’s Chief Brand and Membership Officer, for some insight on how to make one of the biggest decisions of any dive trip: where to go and when.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Matador: What factors go into deciding the best month to dive in a given location?

For cold-water diving, as with orcas in Norway, you’ll likely need a dry suit certification to rent a dry suit, if you don’t have your own. Photo: Willyam Bradberry/Shutterstock

KVW: Changing seasons and animal migrations are two factors that can impact the best time for most people to scuba dive. While warm water is always nice to scuba dive in, cold water and ice diving are equally amazing. You can have the chance to encounter orcas while diving in New Zealand and Norway, or take part in the world-famous sardine run in South Africa. Then there is ice diving in Japan, where at the start of each year you can dive Shiretoko Peninsula — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — when the sea ice is just beginning to break up and ice floes appear off the coast of the peninsula and cute little cliones, or sea angels, are flittering about.

Matador: What are a few of your favorite dive sites around the world?

Rainbow Reef, Fiji., Photo: PADI

KVW: Rainbow Reef, Fiji.  I was lucky enough to dive there recently on a family holiday. The soft coral there is as if a rainbow exploded and is a symbol of hope for the ocean. This year, PADI is working with local governments in Fiji to make Rainbow Reef an official MPA (Marine Protected Area).

Also Casino Point, Catalina Island. It’s just a short ferry ride from Southern California, there is an abundance of marine life to encounter. Aside from the expansive kelp forest, divers will find horn sharks, sea urchins, spiny lobsters, sea cucumbers, seals and giant sea bass. This was also the dive site where I certified my daughter as a PADI Open Water Diver, making it forever a favorite dive site.

Matador: How does skill or certification level factor into deciding where to scuba dive?

Certain types of diving, like wreck diving, require additional certifications. Photo: Martin Voeller/Shutterstock

KVW: This is equally an important factor to consider, as your certification will determine what dive sites you are allowed to go. If you want to do wreck diving, night diving or drift diving you will want at least an Advanced Open Water (AOW) certification. And if you want to embark on a liveaboard trip, most operators require at least a minimum of 50 logged dives.

There are also very friendly learn-to-dive or beginner dive destinations year-round, such as the Caribbean islands, Spain, Greece, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Matador: Given that most dive sites have their strengths year-round, how much does seasonality even matter?

Diving in the less popular season at many destinations can mean less crowded dive boats and more space at top dive sites. Photo: Richard Whitcombe/Shutterstock

KVW: The ocean is unpredictable, and being underwater is always an incredible and life-changing experience. There is never a guarantee that scuba divers will encounter anything, making it all the more special when you get to witness something incredible beneath the surface. You can also make every dive have a deeper purpose no matter what time of year, from taking part in Dive Against Debris and removing marine debris from the ocean to taking part in coral reef survey checks to monitor their health. Every season of the year is a great time to seek adventure and save the ocean.

Matador: What are some destinations where you can only dive at a specific time of year? Or any specific phenomenon you can only see at a specific time of year?

A diver approaching a massive school of sardines in an annual sardine run. Photo: frantisekhojdysz/Shutterstock

KVW:  Magical moments are happening in the ocean every month of the year. This includes:

• January: Hundreds of manatees migrate from the Gulf of Mexico to the warm springs of Crystal River, Florida
• February: Mexico’s Pacific Coast sees its peak whale-watching season during February where from the beach, boats, or even underwater, you might just witness sperm whales, humpback whales, gray whales with their young, or even the elusive blue whale.
• March: Mozambique in March is peak nesting season for five turtle species. Hundreds of females gather on sandy beaches, each laying over 100 eggs before the hatchlings bid for freedom about two months later.
• April: Gladden Spit in Placencia, Belize, is where whale sharks are drawn to when the eggs are released during the breeding season of two fishes (mutton snappers and groupers) provide a tasty feast for these passing pelagics.
• May: High concentrations of manta rays come into the Maldives during the shift to monsoon season and more plankton-rich waters
• June: The annual famous Sardine Run in South Africa takes place, attracting pelagic lovers and adrenaline-loving divers to witness the kingdom of life underwater.
• July: Plankton blooms off the coast of Costa Rica attract huge schooling hammerhead sharks
• August: Thousands of migrating Australian giant cuttlefish come together to mate in a kaleidoscopic courtship display in the Upper Spencer [Gulf] Marine Park area of Whyalla
• September: Calm conditions this month in Hawai’i bring the world-famous nightly symphony of manta rays that dance between divers in a magical underwater ballet performance.
• October: If you are heading down under, you’ll be able to witness the incredible phenomenon of coral spawning on the inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. The inshore reefs usually start spawning between one and six nights after the first full moon in October.
• November: In Palau, you’ll be able to see parrotfish spawning for a few weeks of the month.
• December: Witness orcas, humpbacks, and the northern lights while embracing cold water and wreck diving in the fjords of Norway.