The best dive destinations for beginners

Have you ever have dreamed of floating weightlessly like an astronaut, investigating unusual species like a field researcher, or looking for lost objects like a treasure hunter? Scuba diving can make these dreams a reality! Scuba diving is relatively easy and only requires a short period of training to get started. Whether your goal in diving is fish watching, ocean conservation or simply meeting other adventurous people, 70% of the globe becomes accessible to you the moment you learn to breathe underwater!

If you’re thinking about learning to scuba dive, or have recently completed your training, you may be wondering where to go on your first dive trip. While there are scuba diving destinations suitable for all levels of experience, beginners may want to choose a destination that offers calm waters, easy entry and exit points and plenty of shallow reefs to explore. With that in mind, here are five of the best dive destinations for beginners:

1. Bali, Indonesia

With its warm water, gentle currents and abundance of marine life, Bali is a great place to learn to dive or to dive for the first time in a while. The island has a wide range of dive sites to suit all levels of experience, from shallow reefs teeming with colourful fish, to dramatic drop-offs and shipwrecks. Bali is also home to a number of excellent dive schools, so you can be sure you’ll be in safe hands.

2. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the most iconic dive destinations in the world, the Great Barrier Reef is a must-see for any scuba diver. The reef is home to an incredible diversity of marine life, from colourful corals and clownfish, to turtles, sharks and rays. With over 3,000 individual reef systems, the Great Barrier Reef has something to offer everyone, from beginner to experienced diver.

3. The Red Sea, Egypt

The Red Sea is another excellent destination for beginner divers, with its warm water, abundant marine life and easy entry and exit points. The Red Sea is also home to a number of wrecks, which can be explored by divers of all levels. If you’re interested in learning more about Red Sea diving, check out our blog post on the best dive sites in the Red Sea.

4. The Maldives

The Maldives is an archipelago of over 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean, known for its clear blue waters, white sand beaches and luxury resorts. The Maldives is also a great place to dive, with a wide range of dive sites to suit all levels of experience. Beginner divers can explore the shallower reefs, while more experienced divers can venture out to the deeper waters in search of sharks, rays and other pelagic species.

5. Thailand

With its warm water, abundance of marine life and easy entry and exit points, Thailand is another great destination for beginner divers. Thailand has a wide range of dive sites to suit all levels of experience, from shallow reefs teeming with colourful fish, to dramatic drop-offs and shipwrecks. Thailand is also home to a number of excellent dive schools, so you can be sure you’ll be in safe hands.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or a experienced diver, there’s a scuba diving destination out there for you. So what are you waiting for? Get diving!