How are you planning to spend the wintry weather this year? If the diver inside of you is calling for an adventure, you should prepare for some of the most memorable winter scuba diving destinations around the world.
Winter isn’t just for staying home wrapped up in blankets. A lot of people want to get out and escape to the fun-filled world of scuba diving. The good news is that there is no dearth of winter scuba diving destinations. Winter is a good time to start planning a holiday that involves scuba. In fact, scuba diving can be the perfect adventure to begin the new year with lots of excitement. All you need to do is pack your scuba gear and head over to those best places where diving will open your eyes to the abundant and colorful underwater riches. The holiday trip will leave you with some of the most wonderful experiences to return home with.
If you are ready for the trip, here are some of the best scuba diving destinations you can visit and explore during the winter season.
#1. Grand Cayman
The Cayman Islands are a paradise for divers of all skills and levels. The scuba destination wonderfully caters to the taste of divers, no matter whether they are looking for reefs or shipwrecks and little creatures or large marine animals. If you are planning to scuba dive during the winter, Grand Canyon should definitely be on the list. The place offers such popular dive sites as Trinity Caves, Orange Canyon, and Eagle Ray. If you are looking for shore diving, you will not be disappointed either. Spotted Eagle Ray, Nurse Shark, and Gray Reef Shark are wonderful destinations where you can indulge inshore diving and have lots of fun.
With so much to offer for every diver, Grand Cayman has always remained one of the best scuba diving destinations. The magnificent sight of blue waters and the rich and varied marine life will amaze you.
#2. Palau, Micronesia
Palau is well-known for all the diversity it has to offer divers. From exquisite reefs and ample marine life to historical shipwrecks and strange-looking covers, you will have plenty to explore in this place.
Though Palau attracts divers throughout the year, the winter season is the best time to enjoy scuba diving here. The scuba destination offers a wide range of fun-filled dive sites for every diver. Whether you are a basic diver or a seasoned one, you will love to dive in Palau. The Rock Islands and Peleliu Island are two locations where you will find most of the famous dive sites.
#3. Bahamas
If you are in search of a winter scuba destination, which is both popular as well as close to the United States, it is the Bahamas.
The Bahamas is simply a treasure trove of beautiful islands and scenic beaches. The place is also dotted with some of the best and the most luxurious resorts. Plan your stay at one of these resorts and enjoy scuba diving, particularly around New Providence and the Great Bahama Islands. Drop-offs, shark diving, and historical shipwrecks are some of the key attractions in the Bahamas.
#4. Norway
The long Norwegian coastline features multiple beautiful islands, ample marine life, and wrecks for divers to see and explore.
Though Norway gets freezing cold in December, it attracts a lot of adventure lovers who want to indulge in snorkeling and diving. In fact, winter diving along the coastline in Norway offers an enriching experience. If you are properly geared up, you will have a great time diving here. Orcas and humpbacks are two key attractions for marine lovers and divers who arrive here. The massive whales often move out into the open sea after the Christmas season is over.
#5. Raja Ampat, Indonesia
When talking about winter scuba destinations, Raja Ampat is one name that can never be missed out. In fact, it is during the winter that you will be able to have the most fun and excitement in this place.
Raja Ampat is a group of picturesque islands, which form the Coral Triangle with other islands in the region. Here, you will have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of coral reefs. Whether you are in search of crystal-clear blue waters or diverse marine life, Raja Ampat will fill you with great joy. During the winter, visibility in this place is the highest. Plus, the place hardly gets any rain at this time of the year. That is why it is always best to visit the place in winter.
#6. Fiji
The Fijian archipelago in the South Pacific is much popular as a wintertime scuba diving destination. Viti Levu, the main island, is inhabited by the majority of Fiji’s population. Other islands are either deserted or have only a small number of inhabitants. While at this diving destination, you will get to indulge in-wall dives and shark dives and explore caverns and canyons. Fiji is also for those who want to do shore diving. The major crowd-puller of this diving destination is its vibrant and colorful coral reef ecosystem, which you will love to see and explore.
Visibility at the majority of diving sites in Fiji is great. So, you can prepare yourself for one of the most exciting adventures.
#7. Socorro Island, Mexico
If you fancy swimming with humpback whales, Socorro Island is the ideal destination to visit. In fact, this island is amongst a handful of places in the world where you can fulfill this dream. This is a scuba diving destination, which is most suited to divers who carry advanced skills and experience.
Key attractions in this diving place include Tiger sharks, Silky sharks, Giant manta rays, and dolphins. You can also spot whale sharks while diving. Being a remote destination, the island is accessible only through the liveaboard. During the winter season, the island attracts a large number of highly skilled divers from different parts of the world. The start of the new year is the best time to travel here. The visibility at this diving site is excellent, which promises a great deal of fun.
#8. Maldives
The remote islands of the Maldives happen to be one of the most visited holiday sites in the world. If you plan to stay in one of the most luxurious resorts and indulge in diving, this is one of the best choices.
It is the popular big fish encounters that magnetize divers and marine enthusiasts to the Maldives the most. Whether you want to see silk sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads, or whale sharks, the Maldives islands are where you should be. The beginning of the new year is the best time to visit these islands. The best thing about this diving destination is that the inhabitants of this place are one of the friendliest you will ever find. The warm and welcoming culture, excellent diving opportunities, and classy and luxurious hotels make this place an ideal holiday destination. However, you should exercise caution when the currents are strong.
#9. Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
Consisting of more than 200 islands, Jardines de la Reina is the largest protected region in the Caribbean. The place prohibits commercial fishing as well as human inhabitation for the permanent term.
If you are planning a scuba diving trip in winter, you should definitely have Jardines de la Reina on your holiday list. While here, what you will see for sure is a wide range of shark species. Also, the place has the distinction of being among those few destinations that feature undamaged reefs. The sea often remains calm and offers several dive sites that you will love exploring. Though you will see divers arriving here throughout the year, winter is a good time to be here.
#10. Chuuk Lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia
For marine enthusiasts looking to winter dive and explore wrecks, the Chuuk Lagoon is a great destination. The erstwhile Japanese naval base features the wrecks of multiple aircraft, submarines, ships, and warships.
The Chuuk Lagoon is more popular as a wreck diving destination than any other type of dive. The best part is that the wrecks from decades ago still remain in the depths of the lagoon for all divers to see. In addition to all the wrecks, you will also get to explore several species of sharks in this place. The diverse marine life of the lagoon is also worth exploring. Conditions are ideal for scuba diving during the first few months of the year. If you want to explore all the best wrecks and have the most fun, plan your travel by liveaboard. Just book in advance.
Do You Have Scuba Diving Certification?
It’s great if you already know how to scuba dive. If you don’t have a diving certification, you should start learning as soon as you can. In order to explore some of the best winter scuba destinations around the world, you need to master the basic skills and obtain certification from a scuba school.
Located in Montclair, CA, the Scuba Schools of America is an ideal place where you can learn scuba diving and snorkeling from highly experienced instructors. We also help divers plan scuba trips to some of the most well-known diving destinations throughout the world. For detailed information on all scuba courses and training programs, feel free to give us a call.
