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Scuba Diving's 2020 Readers Choice Awards Rank the World's Best Diving

By Scuba Diving Partner | Published On November 7, 2019
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Scuba Diving's 2020 Readers Choice Awards Rank the World's Best Diving

Nearly 5,000 Scuba Diving readers rated their top picks for scuba diving destinations, operators, resorts and liveaboards from around the world. Below we present the 2020 Readers Choice award winners in their entirety. Be on the lookout for this Special Issue, on newsstands through February 10, 2020.

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Destinations
Liveaboards
Operators
Resorts

Readers Choice Best Dive Operators 2020

4,832 certified and qualified surveys were completed for the 2020 Readers Choice Awards from divers around the world.

Ethan Daniels/Shutterstock.com

Destinations

We asked our readers to evaluate the dive destinations they’ve visited over the past two years and score them on a variety of categories. For each category, we listed the top destinations that received an excellent score (in order based on number of votes and percentile of score).

Best Overall Destinations (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Mexico
Bahamas
Cayman Islands
Bonaire
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Belize
Turks and Caicos
Bay Islands
Curaçao
Aruba

Best Overall Destinations (Pacific and Indian)

Hawaii
Indonesia
Palau
Thailand
Fiji
Maldives
Galapagos
Mexico
Australia
Philippines

Best Overall Destinations (United States and Canada)

Florida Keys
California
Florida
North Carolina
British Columbia
Great Lakes
Washington

Best Big Animals (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Bahamas
Belize
Turks and Caicos
U.S. Virgin Islands
Bay Islands
Mexico
Cayman Islands
Cuba

Best Big Animals (Pacific and Indian)

Mexico
Galapagos
Palau
Maldives
Indonesia
Hawaii
Costa Rica
Fiji
Australia

Best Big Animals (United States and Canada)

North Carolina
Florida Keys
Florida
California
British Columbia
Texas

Best Macro Life (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Bonaire
Bay Islands
Turks and Caicos
U.S. Virgin Islands
Bahamas
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Belize
Mexico
Puerto Rico

Best Macro Life (Pacific and Indian)

Indonesia
Solomon Islands
Philippines
Palau
Fiji
Malaysia
Thailand
Australia
Hawaii

Best Macro Life (United States and Canada)

British Columbia
Washington
Florida
Florida Keys
California

Best Wreck Diving (Caribbean and Atlantic)

British Virgin Islands
Bermuda
Barbados
Cayman Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Aruba
Bay Islands
Grenada
Bahamas
Mexico

Best Wreck Diving (Pacific and Indian)

Truk Lagoon
Red Sea
Hawaii
Palau
Solomon Islands

Best Wreck Diving (United States and Canada)

North Carolina
Great Lakes
Florida Keys
Florida
St. Lawrence Seaway
New York/New Jersey
California
British Columbia

Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Diving (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Mexico
Cayman Islands
Bahamas
Belize
Bay Islands

Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Diving (Pacific and Indian)

Hawaii
Palau

Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Diving (United States and Canada)

Florida
California

Best Shore Diving (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Bonaire
Curaçao
Cayman Islands
Bay Islands
Mexico

Best Shore Diving (Pacific and Indian)

Indonesia
Hawaii
Japan
Philippines

Best Shore Diving (United States and Canada)

California
Washington
Florida
British Columbia

Best Wall Diving (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos
Belize
Mexico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Cuba
Bay Islands
Bahamas
Curaçao

Best Wall Diving (Pacific and Indian)

Indonesia
Palau
Red Sea
Hawaii
Australia
Mexico
Fiji
Maldives
Philippines
Galapagos

Best Wall Diving (United States and Canada)

British Columbia
California
Washington

Best Beginner Diving (Caribbean and Atlantic)

U.S. Virgin Islands
Bonaire
Bay Islands
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Bahamas
Aruba
Belize
Turks and Caicos
Mexico
St. Lucia
Cuba

Best Beginner Diving (Pacific and Indian)

Hawaii
Japan
Red Sea
Philippines
Thailand
Indonesia

Best Beginner Diving (United States and Canada)

Florida Keys
Florida
California
Washington
Great Lakes

Best Advanced Diving (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Mexico
Bonaire
Belize
Bahamas
Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos
Curaçao
Bay Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands

Best Advanced Diving (Pacific and Indian)

Indonesia
Mexico
Truk Lagoon
Galapagos
Palau
Maldives
Fiji
Philippines
Solomon Islands
Costa Rica
Hawaii
Red Sea
French Polynesia
New Zealand

Best Advanced Diving (United States and Canada)

Great Lakes
British Columbia
North Carolina
Massachusetts
California
South Carolina
Washington
New York/New Jersey
Florida Keys

Best Destinations for Photography (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Bonaire
Cayman Islands
Bay Islands
Bahamas
Belize
Mexico
Turks and Caicos
Curaçao
U.S. Virgin Islands

Best Destinations for Photography (Pacific and Indian)

Indonesia
Truk Lagoon
Mexico
Philippines
Palau
Fiji
Solomon Islands
Maldives
Galapagos
Hawaii
Red Sea
Malaysia
Japan
Thailand

Best Destinations for Photography (United States and Canada)

Florida Keys
California
British Columbia
North Carolina
Florida
Texas
Great Lakes

Best Snorkeling (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Bonaire
Curaçao
U.S. Virgin
Islands
Belize
Cayman Islands
Bay Islands
Bahamas
Mexico
Turks and Caicos
Cuba

Best Snorkeling (Pacific and Indian)

Hawaii
Australia
Fiji
Indonesia
Red Sea
Maldives

Best Snorkeling (United States and Canada)

Florida Keys
Florida
California

Health of Marine Environment (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Bonaire
Turks and Caicos
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Mexico
Belize
Bay Islands
Bahamas
Cuba
St. Lucia

Health of Marine Environment (Pacific and Indian)

Indonesia
Palau
Galapagos
Mexico
Fiji
Philippines
Hawaii
Red Sea

Health of Marine Environment (United States and Canada)

California
British Columbia
Washington
Florida
Texas
North Carolina

Best Destinations for Value (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Mexico
Bay Islands
Puerto Rico
Bonaire
Bahamas
Belize
Cuba
Turks and Caicos
Cayman Islands
Curaçao

Best Destinations for Value (Pacific and Indian)

Red Sea
Philippines
Thailand
Indonesia
Mexico

Best Destinations for Value (United States and Canada)

Florida
Great Lakes
Florida Keys
California
Texas
North Carolina
British Columbia
Washington


Best Liveaboards 2020

Okeanos Aggressor II visits Cocos Island, a popular destination for liveaboard divers.

Carlos Villoch

Liveaboards

We asked our readers to evaluate the liveaboards they’ve dived with over the past two years on a variety of subjects, and to pick the best liveaboard they’ve ever experienced. For each cate- gory, we listed the top overall readers choice, along with every liveaboard that received an excellent score (based on number of votes and percentile of score) in alphabetical order.

Best Liveaboards (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Belize Aggressor IV
Blackbeard’s Cruises, Bahamas
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos Aggressor II
Turks and Caicos Explorer II

Best Liveaboards (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Truk Odyssey, Chuuk, Micronesia
Dewi Nusantara, Indonesia
Galapagos Aggressor III
Galapagos Sky
Kona Aggressor II, Hawaii
Maldives Aggressor II
Nautilus Explorer, Mexico
Okeanos Aggressor II, Cocos, Costa Rica
Palau Aggressor II
Spirit of Freedom, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Spoilsport, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Arenui, Indonesia

Quality of the Liveaboard (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Cuan Law, British Virgin Islands
Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Belize Aggressor IV
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Oceans for Youth, Cuba
Roatan Aggressor, Honduras
Turks and Caicos Aggressor II
Turks and Caicos Explorer II

Quality of the Liveaboard (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: The Arenui, Indonesia
Four Seasons Explorer, Maldives
Galapagos Sky
Kona Aggressor II, Hawaii
Maldives Aggressor II
Truk Odyssey, Chuuk, Micronesia
Palau Siren
Philippine Siren
Spirit of Freedom, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Spoilsport, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Quality of the Berths (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Belize Aggressor IV
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Cuan Law, British Virgin Islands
Oceans for Youth, Cuba
Roatan Aggressor, Honduras
Turks and Caicos Aggressor II
Turks and Caicos Explorer II

Quality of the Berths (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: The Arenui, Indonesia
Dewi Nusantara, Indonesia
Galapagos Sky
Maldives Aggressor II
Truk Odyssey, Chuuk, Micronesia
Palau Aggressor II
Palau Siren
Pelagian, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Philippine Siren
Red Sea Aggressor II, Egypt
Thailand Aggressor

Quality of Rental Gear (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Belize Aggressor IV
Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Blackbeard’s Cruises, Bahamas
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos Aggressor II

Quality of Rental Gear (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Palau Aggressor II
Galapagos Aggressor III
Nautilus Explorer, Mexico
Truk Odyssey, Chuuk, Micronesia
Spirit of Freedom, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Quality of Staff (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Turks and Caicos Aggressor II
Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Belize Aggressor IV
Blackbeard’s Cruises, Bahamas
Caribbean Explorer II, Saba, St. Kitts and St. Maarten
Cat Ppalu, Bahamas
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Cuan Law, British Virgin Islands

Quality of Staff (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: The Arenui, Indonesia
Galapagos Sky
Maldives Aggressor II
Truk Odyssey, Chuuk, Micronesia
Palau Siren
Philippine Siren
Rocio Del Mar, Mexico
Rock Islands Aggressor, Palau
Spoilsport, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Thailand Aggressor

Level of Value (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Blackbeard’s Cruises, Bahamas
Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Belize Aggressor IV
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Cuan Law, British Virgin Islands
Roatan Aggressor, Honduras
Turks and Caicos Aggressor II
Turks and Caicos Explorer II

Level of Value (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Red Sea Aggressor II, Egypt, Red Sea
Galapagos Sky
Kona Aggressor II, Hawaii
Maldives Aggressor II
Truk Odyssey, Chuuk, Micronesia
Okeanos Aggressor II, Cocos, Costa Rica
Palau Siren
Rocio Del Mar, Baja, Mexico
Spirit of Freedom, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Thailand Aggressor

Level of Luxury (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Cuan Law, British Virgin Islands
Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Belize Aggressor IV
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Oceans for Youth, Cuba
Roatan Aggressor, Honduras
Turks and Caicos Aggressor II

Level of Luxury (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Four Seasons Explorer, Maldives
Dewi Nusantara, Indonesia
Galapagos Sky
Maldives Aggressor II
Truk Odyssey, Chuuk, Micronesia
Palau Aggressor II
Palau Siren
Pelagian, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Philippine Siren
Red Sea Aggressor II, Egypt
The Arenui, Indonesia

Attention to Safety (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Cuan Law, British Virgin Islands
Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Belize Aggressor IV
Blackbeard’s Cruises, Bahamas
Caribbean Explorer II, Saba, St. Kitts and St. Maarten
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Oceans for Youth, Cuba
Roatan Aggressor, Honduras
Turks and Caicos Aggressor II
Turks and Caicos Explorer II

Attention to Safety (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Galapagos Sky
Kona Aggressor II, Hawaii
Maldives Aggressor II
Nautilus Explorer, Mexico
Truk Odyssey, Chuuk, Micronesia
Rocio Del Mar, Mexico
Rock Islands Aggressor, Palau
Spirit of Freedom, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Spoilsport, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Thailand Aggressor

Quality of the Food (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Cuan Law, British Virgin Islands
Aqua Cat, Bahamas
Bahamas Aggressor
Belize Aggressor III
Belize Aggressor IV
Cat Ppalu, Bahamas
Cayman Aggressor V, Cayman Islands
Roatan Aggressor, Honduras
Turks and Caicos Aggressor II
Turks and Caicos Explorer II

Quality of the Food (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: The Arenui, Indonesia
Galapagos Sky
Kona Aggressor II, Hawaii
Maldives Aggressor II
Okeanos Aggressor II, Cocos, Costa Rica
Palau Aggressor II
Rocio Del Mar, Mexico
Rock Islands Aggressor, Palau
Spoilsport, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Thailand Aggressor


Horizon Divers Florida Keys

Survey respondents have been scuba diving an average of 16.5 times in the last 12 months before taking the survey.

Courtesy Horizon Divers

Dive Operators

We asked readers to evaluate the operators they’ve dived with in the past two years on a variety of subjects, and to pick the best operator they’ve ever dived with. For each category, we listed the top overall readers choice, along with all of the operators who received an excellent score (based on number of votes and percentile of score) in alphabetical order.

Best Overall (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Buddy Dive, Bonaire
Aldora Divers, Cozumel, Mexico
Anthony’s Key Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
CoCo View Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras
Dive With Martin, Cozumel
Divi Dive Bonaire
Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Pro Dive International - Mexico, Riviera Maya
Reef Divers, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
Scuba Club Cozumel Dive Center, Mexico
Stuart Cove’s Dive
Bahamas, New Providence
Sunset Divers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Best Overall (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Maui Dive Shop, Hawaii
Beqa Adventure Divers, Fiji
Big Island Divers, Hawaii
Dive Maui, Hawaii
Dive Oahu, Hawaii
Jack’s Diving Locker, Hawaii
Kona Diving Company, Hawaii
Kona Honu Divers, Hawaii
Sam’s Tours, Palau
Scuba Shack, Maui, Hawaii
Seasport Divers, Kauai, Hawaii
Wakatobi Dive Resort Dive Center, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Best Overall (United States and Canada)

Readers Choice: Rainbow Reef, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Ocean Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Horizon Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys

Quality of Dive Boats (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Brac Scuba Shack Divers, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands
Aldora Divers, Cozumel, Mexico
Anthony’s Key Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras
CoCo View Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras
Divetech, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Don Foster’s Dive Cayman, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands

Quality of Dive Boats (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Nautilus Dive Tech, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Dive Oahu, Hawaii
Jack’s Diving Locker, Hawaii
Kona Diving Company, Hawaii
Kona Honu Divers, Hawaii
Maui Dive Shop, Hawaii
Scuba Shack, Maui, Hawaii
Seasport Divers, Kauai, Hawaii
Top Dive, Islands of Tahiti
Wakatobi Dive Resort Dive Center, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Quality of Dive Boats (United States and Canada)

Readers Choice: Horizon Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Dive Key West, Florida Keys
Ocean Divers, Key Largo,Florida Keys
Rainbow Reef, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Sea Experience, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Quality of Rental Gear (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Don Foster’s Dive Cayman, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Aldora Divers, Cozumel, Mexico
Barefoot Divers, Roatan, Honduras
Belize Diving Services, Caye Caulker, Belize
Divi Dive Bonaire
Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Ramon’s Village Divers, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Reef Divers, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands
Sunset Divers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
UNEXSO, Grand Bahama, Bahamas

Quality of Rental Gear (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Scuba Shack, Maui, Hawaii
Big Island Divers, Hawaii
Dive Maui, Hawaii
Dive Oahu, Hawaii
Jack’s Diving Locker, Hawaii
Kona Honu Divers, Hawaii
Maui Dive Shop, Hawaii
Sam’s Tours, Palau
Seasport Divers, Kauai, Hawaii
Top Dive, Islands of Tahiti

Quality of Rental Gear (United States and Canada)

Readers Choice: Horizon Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Rainbow Reef, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Sea Experience, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Quality of Facilities (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Reef Divers, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
Aldora Divers, Cozumel, Mexico
Anthony’s Key Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras
Barefoot Divers, Roatan, Honduras
Buddy Dive, Bonaire
CoCo View Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras
Divi Dive Bonaire
Don Foster’s Dive Cayman, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Sunset Divers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
UNEXSO, Grand Bahama, Bahamas

Quality of Facilities (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Scuba Shack, Maui, Hawaii
Dive Oahu, Hawaii
Jack’s Diving Locker, Hawaii
Kona Diving Company, Hawaii
Kona Honu Divers, Hawaii
Nautilus Dive Tech, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Sam’s Tours, Palau
Seasport Divers, Kauai, Hawaii
Wakatobi Dive Resort Dive Center, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Yap Divers at Manta Ray Bay Resort, Micronesia

Quality of Facilities (United States and Canada)

Readers Choice: Horizon Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Dive Key West, Florida Keys
Ocean Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Rainbow Reef, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Sea Experience, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Quality of Dive Training and Courses (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Red Sail Sports, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Aldora Divers, Cozumel, Mexico
Anthony’s Key Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
Buddy Dive, Bonaire
CoCo View Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras
Divetech, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Divi Dive Bonaire
Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Scuba Club Cozumel Dive Center, Mexico
Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, New Providence

Quality of Dive Training and Courses (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Jack’s Diving Locker, Hawaii
Beqa Adventure Divers, Fiji
Big Island Divers, Hawaii
Dive Maui, Hawaii
Dive Oahu, Hawaii
Kona Diving Company, Hawaii
Kona Honu Divers, Hawaii
Maui Dive Shop, Hawaii
Sam’s Tours, Palau
Seasport Divers, Kauai, Hawaii

Quality of Dive Training and Courses (United States and Canada)

Readers Choice: Rainbow Reef, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Ocean Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys

Quality of Staff (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Dive With Martin, Cozumel
Aldora Divers, Cozumel, Mexico
Barefoot Divers, Roatan, Honduras
Brac Scuba Shack Divers, Cayman Islands
CoCo View Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras
Cozumel Marine World, Mexico
Don Foster’s Dive Cayman, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Ramon’s Village Divers, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Reef Divers, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands

Quality of Staff (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Wakatobi Dive Resort Dive Center, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Dive Maui, Hawaii
Dive Oahu, Hawaii
Jack’s Diving Locker, Hawaii
Kona Diving Company, Hawaii
Kona Honu Divers, Hawaii
Manta Scuba Diving, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Maui Dive Shop, Hawaii
Scuba Shack, Maui, Hawaii
Seasport Divers, Kauai, Hawaii
Yap Divers at Manta Ray Bay Resort, Micronesia

Quality of Staff (United States and Canada)

Readers Choice: Horizon Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Rainbow Reef, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Sea Experience, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Attention to Safety (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Dive With Martin, Cozumel
Aldora Divers, Cozumel, Mexico
CoCo View Resort Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras
Dive Provo, Turks and Caicos
Divetech, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Don Foster’s Dive Cayman, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Reef Divers, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands

Attention to Safety (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Wakatobi Dive Resort Dive Center, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Dive Oahu, Hawaii
Jack’s Diving Locker, Hawaii
Kona Diving Company, Hawaii
Kona Honu Divers, Hawaii
Manta Scuba Diving, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Maui Dive Shop, Hawaii
Sam’s Tours, Palau
Scuba Shack, Maui, Hawaii
Seasport Divers, Kauai, Hawaii

Attention to Safety (United States and Canada)

Readers Choice: Horizon Divers, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Dive Key West, Florida Keys
Rainbow Reef, Key Largo, Florida Keys


Best Dive Resorts 2020

57 percent of Readers Choice survey respondents have been certified for 10 or more years.

Ethan Daniels/Shutterstock.com

Resorts

We asked our readers to evaluate the dive resorts they’ve visited within the past two years on a variety of subjects, and to pick the best dive resort they’ve ever visited. For each category, we listed the top overall readers choice, along with all of the resorts that received an excellent score (based on number of votes and percentile of score) in alphabetical order.

Best Overall (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Anthony’s Key Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
Allegro Cozumel of Barcelo Hotel Group, Mexico
Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia
Buddy Dive Resort, Bonaire
Cayman Brac Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
CoCo View Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Divi Resort, Bonaire
Hotel Cozumel, Mexico
Little Cayman Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
Occidental Cozumel of Barcelo Hotel Group, Mexico
Palace Resort, Cozumel, Mexico
Ramon’s Village Resort, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Scuba Club Cozumel, Mexico
Sunset House, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Turneffe Island Resort, Belize

Best Overall (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Beqa Lagoon Resort, Fiji
Atlantis Dive Resorts, Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines
Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia
Palau Pacific Resort
Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Quality of the Resort (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia
Anthony’s Key Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Cayman Brac Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
Compass Point, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Presidente Intercontinental, Cozumel, Mexico
Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Gros-Islet, St. Lucia
Sandals Ochi, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Sandals Royal Bahamian, Nassau, Bahamas
Turneffe Island Resort, Belize
Villa on Dunbar Rock, Guanaja, Honduras

Quality of the Resort (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Atlantis Dive Resorts, Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines
Beqa Lagoon Resort, Fiji
Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia
Palau Pacific Resort

Quality of the Rooms (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia
Barefoot Cay Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Compass Point, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Palace Resort, Cozumel, Mexico
Presidente Intercontinental, Cozumel, Mexico
Ramon’s Village Resort, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Gros-Islet, St. Lucia
Sandals Royal Bahamian, Nassau, Bahamas
Turneffe Island Resort, Belize
Villa on Dunbar Rock, Guanaja, Honduras

Quality of the Rooms (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Atlantis Dive Resorts, Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines
Beqa Lagoon Resort, Fiji
Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia
Palau Pacific Resort

Quality of the Restaurant (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia
Anthony’s Key Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Cayman Brac Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
Cobalt Coast Dive Resort, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
CoCo View Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Compass Point, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Little Cayman Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
Palace Resort, Cozumel, Mexico
Presidente Intercontinental, Cozumel, Mexico
Ramon’s Village Resort, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Quality of the Restaurant (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Atlantis Dive Resorts, Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines
Beqa Lagoon Resort, Fiji
Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia
Palau Pacific Resort

Quality of Staff (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Turneffe Island Resort, Belize
Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia
Anthony’s Key Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Cayman Brac Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
Cobalt Coast Dive Resort, Grand Cayman,Cayman Islands
CoCo View Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Compass Point, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Little Cayman Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
Palace Resort, Cozumel, Mexico
Ramon’s Village Resort, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Quality of Staff (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Atlantis Dive Resorts, Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines
Beqa Lagoon Resort, Fiji
Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia
Palau Pacific Resort

Value of the Resort (Caribbean and Atlantic)

Readers Choice: Hotel Cozumel, Mexico
Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia
Anthony’s Key Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
Buddy Dive Resort, Bonaire
Cayman Brac Beach Resort, Cayman Islands
CoCo View Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Compass Point, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Palace Resort, Cozumel, Mexico
Ramon’s Village Resort, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Scuba Club Cozumel, Mexico

Value of the Resort (Pacific and Indian)

Readers Choice: Beqa Lagoon Resort, Fiji
Atlantis Dive Resorts, Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines
Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia
Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Dive Travel Agencies

We asked our readers to pick the best dive travel agency they have utilized. For each category, we listed the top overall readers choice, along with all of the travel services who received an excellent score (based on number of votes) in alphabetical order.

Readers Choice: Caradonna Dive Adventures
Aggressor Adventures
Bay Adventures
Bluewater Travel
Island Dreams Tours & Travel
Maduro Dive FantaSeas
Pacific Dive & Travel
PADI Travel
Quest Dive Adventures
Reef & Rainforest Dive & Adventure Travel
Scuba Travel Ventures
Ultimate Dive Travel

Family-Friendly Experiences

We asked our readers to pick the best family-friendly dive experiences. For each category, we listed the top overall readers choice, along with all of the experiences that received an excellent score (based on number of votes) in alphabetical order.

Readers Choice: Beaches, Turks & Caicos
Buddy Rangers, Buddy Dive Resort, Bonaire
Family Summer Adventures, Jack’s Diving Locker, Kona, Hawaii
Family Weeks, Aggressor Adventures
Kids Sea Camp/Family Dive Adventures

The full list of results was published in Scuba Diving's World's Best Diving Special Issue, on newsstands until February 10, 2020.

MORE: The Best Overall Dive Destinations