Table of Contents INTRODUCTION THE OCEAN THE WORLD OF DIVING PROTECT THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT CARIBBEAN SEA -- BEST TIME TO GO Florida Keys, United States -- Year-round, summer best, but hurricanes blow late summer Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas -- Year-round, summer best, but hurricanes blow late summer Turks & Caicos Islands, British Overseas Territory -- Winter, spring, and summer Isla de la Juventud, Cuba -- Rainy in spring, hot and humid in summer so winter is best Jardines de la Reina, Cuba -- Rainy in spring, hot and humid in summer so winter is best Cayman Islands, British Overseas Territory -- Year-round Cozumel & The Yucatán, Mexico -- Year-round, but summer is calmest Belize, Belize -- Year-round, but late summer is best Dominica, West Indies -- Year-round, but late summer is best Grenada & The Bianca C, Grenada -- Year-round, summer best, but hurricanes blow late summer Bonaire, Dutch Antilles -- Year-round, but late summer is best ATLANTIC OCEAN -- BEST TIME TO GO Scapa Flow, Scotland -- Summer Porthkerris & the Manacles, England -- Spring and summer Lundy Island, England -- Spring and summer Isle of Man, Irish Sea -- Spring and summer Iceland, Iceland -- Year-round Svalbard, Norway -- Brief summer interlude Newfoundland, Canada -- Year-round, but northern hemisphere summer is best North Carolina Outer Banks, United States -- Summer Gansbaai, South Africa -- Year-round, but northern hemisphere summer is best MEDITERRANEAN SEA -- BEST TIME TO GO Medas Islands, Spain -- Spring to late autumn, but crowded in August Sardinia, Italy -- Summer is best, but crowded in August Ustica Island, Italy -- Year-round, summer is best, but avoid August when busy Croatia, Adriatic -- Year-round, summer is best The Zenobia, Cyprus -- Year-round, summer is best, but avoid August when busy RED SEA -- BEST TIME TO GO Thistlegorm, Egypt -- Year-round, but summer is very hot The Brothers, Egypt -- Year-round, but summer is very hot Dahab, Egypt -- Year-round, but summer is very hot Jackson Reef, Egypt -- Year-round, but summer is very hot Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan -- Spring or autumn is best, summer very hot Sha''ab Rumi, Sudan -- Too hot in summer, spring, and autumn are best INDIAN OCEAN -- BEST TIME TO GO Aliwal Shoal, South Africa -- Northern hemisphere winter months are best Sodwana, South Africa -- Northern hemisphere winter months are best Inhaca Island & Bazaruto, Mozambique -- Northern hemisphere winter months are best Watamu Marine Park, Kenya -- October to April, but December to March is best Zanzibar, Tanzania -- October to April, but December to March is best Grande Comore, Comoros -- March to November, but May to September is best Mauritius & Rodrigues, Mauritius -- Avoid February, March, September and October when windy Seychelles, Seychelles -- May to October is best Aldabra & Amirantes, Seychelles -- May to October is best Lhaviyani & Felidhoo Atolls, Maldives -- Year-round, but winter and spring are best Similan Islands, Thailand -- November to April is best Komodo, Indonesia -- Year-round, but May to December is best Bali, Indonesia -- Year-round, but May to December is best Wakatobi, Indonesia -- Year-round Ningaloo Ree, Australia -- Year-round Kangaroo Island, Australia -- Year-round Neptunes Islands & Dangerous Reef, Australia -- Year-round PACIFIC OCEAN -- BEST TIME TO GO Catalina Island, United States -- Autumn and winter is best Sea of Cortez, Mexico -- Year-round, but windy in November and December Cocos & Malpelo Islands, Costa Rica & Colombia -- December to September, but bad weather still possible Galápagos Islands, Ecuador -- Year-round, but weather can be changeable Rangiroa, French Polynesia -- Year-round, but November to April is best Bora Bora, French Polynesia -- Year-round, but November to April is best Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands -- April to September, when calmest, is best Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia -- Year-round, but rainy from July to October Yap Island, Micronesia -- Year-round, but December to April is best Palau Archipelago, Palau -- Year-round, but rainy from July to October Tubbataha Reefs, Philippines -- April to October is best Layang Layang, Malaysia -- April to October is best Sipadan Island, Malaysia -- April to October is best Eastern Fields & Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea -- Year-round, but May to October is best Gizo & Uepi Islands, Solomon Islands -- Year-round, but April to October is best S.S. President Coolidge, Vanuatu -- Year-round, but April to October is best Fiji Archipelago, Fiji -- Year-round, but November to April is best Great Barrier Reef, Australia -- Year-round Coral Sea, Australia -- Year-round Yongala, Australia -- Year-round Rainbow Warrior, New Zealand -- Northern hemisphere winter months are best Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand -- Northern hemisphere winter months are best The Lermontov, New Zealand -- Northern hemisphere winter months are best DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS & SAFE DIVING DIVE ORGANIZATIONS GLOSSARY PICTURE CREDITS INDEX.