In this time of uncertainty, it’s a gift to have home turf with such an advantage. No matter where you hail from, there’s much to discover, whether you’re taking your training to the next level or finally checking out that backyard spot you’ve been curious about for years.

1 SLOW AND STEADY

The sand tiger sharks off the coast of North Carolina, which scored top Readers Choice honors for big animals, tend to surprise first-timers who aren’t accustomed to their movements— they swim slowly and lurk alongside divers, which makes for longer encounters and better photo ops. May through October, you can find them off of a handful of wrecks including the Caribsea.

2 TINY HOMES

For divers who know to look, the Florida Keys offers a parade of macro critters from sea hares to seahorses, stargazers to flying gurnards. Ranked No. 1 in the Readers Choice awards for macro life, this string of islands offers a mix of environments, including sea grass beds, rubble fields and reefs where a host of tiny tropical denizens dwell.

3 STRAIGHT-UP FUN

It’s hard to say what about diving British Columbia enthralls more divers: the varied fauna—from wolf eels to Pacific octopuses—or the endless fields of anemones and other invertebrates that make these drop-offs so colorful. Browning Wall in Queen Charlotte Strait, packed with the whites, oranges and reds of anemones and sponges, is just one of the sites that scored this Canadian destination the No. 1 spot in the wall diving category.

4 CONSERVE AND PROTECT

With more than 100 marine protected areas, California leads the United States in underwater conservation and was voted the overall winner in the Readers Choice awards for health of marine environment. In diver-favorite areas such as Channel Islands National Park off the southern California coast, this has translated into a rebounding in the populations of several species, including leopard sharks, olive rockfish and white sea bass.

5 BEST IN SHOW

Florida has a lot to brag about. It’s home to the world’s three largest artificial reefs: the USS Oriskany off the Panhandle, the Vandenberg in Key West and the Spiegel Grove off Key Largo. Then consider Florida's big animals galore, from the pulsing goliath grouper aggregations on the east coast off Jupiter every September to wintertime manatees packing into the springs near the west coast by the hundreds, some years. Caves, river diving, drifts, reefs—yeah, it’s no wonder the Sunshine State rolled in at No. 1 as the best overall dive destination.

6 ADVENTURE TO-GO

Americans love road trips because they offer a chance to get out, explore, maybe camp a little, and see a whole heck of a lot. Nearly every corner of the U.S. map offers something different: caves and springs in central Florida, reefs and wrecks of the Florida Keys, the wrecks of the Great Lakes, shore diving in Washington, and so much more.

7 LANDLOCKED THRILLS

Demand always drives supply; with diving, it’s no different. We love how many quarries, from Dutch Springs in Pennsylvania to Pennyroyal Scuba Center in Kentucky, give divers—especially those in the Northeast and the heartland—the opportunity to have fun while keeping their scuba diving skills sharp. Besides, who doesn’t love diving inside all manner of planes, buses and train cars, such as the submerged Boeing 727 in Mermet Springs, Illinois?

8 DIVERSITY OF TRAINING

The menu of PADI specialty courses spans some 25 items long, and nearly every single one is offered in North America. In winter, the Ice Diver course is taught in cold-water locales such as New York and Illinois. The currents off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, teach Drift Diver students to stay neutrally buoyant in moving water and handle surface marker buoys with no stress. Ready for Altitude Diver? Colorado’s mountain lakes await. Find a list of more than 30 PADI Specialty Diver courses at padi.com/courses.