Best Places In The World For Beginner Scuba Divers
While traveling scuba diving is one of the biggest adventures you can go on. You will not only see the world above the waves but dive beneath and experience a whole new world. But to do so you need to take a course to get your certification. There are some destinations that are more ideal for beginners but the place you are right now is also perfect. You don’t need to travel far away and spend thousands of dollars just to start your scuba journey.
But if you are willing to travel to an ideal place, there are a couple of things you might want to consider. These factors include water clarity, marine life, affordability, instructor quality, certification options, safety, and accessibility. In this blog post we will not only talk about those but I will also give you some tips for beautiful places around the world for beginner divers.
What Makes a Great Place to Learn Scuba Diving?
Warm, Calm Waters
When the water is warm and calm you will instantly feel more confident and secure. You can focus on learning the neccesary skills without getting sidetracked my strong currents or freezing fingers.
Excellent Visibility
Again, if the visibility underwater is great, you will feel more secure during your lessions.
Affordable Certification Courses
This point is very individual. What is affordable to you might not be affordable to others. Especiall if you travel with your friends, make sure you find a place where everybody feel comfortable with the course costs. You will find an overview about the costs of scuba diving in this blog post:
Experienced Dive Schools
It is important that you choose an experienced dive school for your first course. Before you book your course check the reviews from other divers online. Once you’re there it is important that the dive instructor makes you feel secure and confident.
Rich Marine Life
A rich marine life is secondary for choosing the right place but it can actually help you become more passionate about diving. When you see cool fish and other marine life during your dive you probably want to keep going.
So let’s talk about ideal places for you to learn how to scuba dive.
1. Koh Tao, Thailand
Koh Tao is an extremly popular island for backpackers from all over the world. Koh Tao is affordable and you have ideal conditions for scuba diving all year round. The water is calm and warm and you see big schools of fish, turtles, colorful corals and reef sharks. There are a lot of dive schools you can choose from and diving is relately cheap.
2. Utila, Honduras
In Honduras you will find one of the cheapest Open Water Certifications. Depending on the season you will see Whale Sharks, macro life and beautiful coral reefs.
3. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system on the planet. Depending on the season you get perfect conditions, calm and warm water and a diverse marine ecosystem. The downside is, that courses (and diving in general) are expensive. In my experience Port Douglas is the perfect town for diving adventures since you’re closer to the reef and your boat ride is shorter. There are far more dive schools in Cairns though.
4. Gili Islands, Indonesia
On the Gili Islands there is no motorized traffic. This also means that there are no motorized boats (except for the ferries) around the island. This leads to a more relaxed atmosphere in the water. There are plenty of reefs that you can reach from the shore which have calm conditions. You will see turtles, reef sharks and colorful coral gardens.
5. Bonaire, Caribbean
In Bonaire you have easy beach access, which makes beginner courses more relaxed. The whole island of Bonaire is surrounded by a protected marine park. Thanks to this the country has amazing marine life and offers perfect conditions.
6. Red Sea, Egypt
The Red Sea is famous for its perfect conditions year round. I did my Open Water and Advanced Open Water Certification in Marsa Alam and both times I was fascinated with what the Red Sea has to offer for scuba divers. You will not only find beautiful corals (avoid Hurghada), turtles and dolphins but depending on the season you can also see Whale Sharks and Hammerhead Sharks. Diving Courses in Egypt are affordable and offer excellent service.
7. Cebu, Philippines
The Philippines is also a very budget-friendly destination for scuba divers. Highlights are turtles, corals and big school of fish. You will discover diverse and intact marine ecosystems.
Tips for First-Time Scuba Divers
As I mentioned before: It’s not so much the perfect location for your course but instead choose a place that is accessible for you. This could also be a diving center in your home town, even if you don’t live near the ocean. You can also learn how to dive in rivers and lakes if you want. The most important thing is that you choose a dive center that has a good reputation and where you feel comfortable. Don’t let your instructor rush you. If you don’t understand something or want to do an exercise again, ask. And even if dive briefings seem repetetive, listen carefully. There is a reason why instructors and guides mention some things over and over again. Last but not least: Leave your camera at home during the course. It will get in the way and you will get distracted way too easily.
Conclusion
There is no ideal scuba destination. Thailand, Egypt and the Phillippines are among the cheapest countries for diving but depending on where you live it might make more sense to book a course closer to your home. When calculating the cost of your course you also need to consider flights and hotel. When choosing a destination for your course make sure to book a destination that not only matches your budget but where you feel confident diving and where you get the underwater experience you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the cheapest place to learn scuba diving?
Thailand, Egypt and the Philippines are some of the cheapest countries where you can get your scuba certification.
Is scuba diving difficult for beginners?
In scuba diving there are some skills that are difficult for beginners. A lot of beginners fail to take of their mask on the first try. But like in every other sport: pratice makes perfect.
What’s the minimum age to get certified?
The minimum age to get scuba certified is around 10 years old. There are special courses for kids and teenagers who want to get their scuba certification.
How long does it take to get scuba certified?
Your Open Water Certification takes around 3 days and your Advanced Certification around 2 days.
Can non-swimmers learn scuba diving?
For your certification you need to be able to swim 200 meters. So you do need to be able to swim at least a little bit. The more comfortable you are in the water, the better you are at scuba diving.
Which certification agency is best?
There are a lot of agencies. The most popular ones are PADI and SSI. As long as you are not pursuing a career in scuba diving it does not matter which one you go with.
