Reader Rankings: Top 10 Advanced Dives
Want to go a little deeper or venture inside a wreck or drift along with a ripping current? If you have the skills and training for advanced diving, you'll love these spots that our readers picked.
These rankings are part of our 2017 World's Best Platinum Awards, a readers survey. For more on the survey and method, click here.
| SITE | RESULTS |
|---|---|
| Palancar Horseshoe, Cozumel, Mexico | 15.99% |
| Blue Corner, Palau | 6.28% |
| Darwin and Wolf Islands, Galapagos Islands | 4.59% |
| Cathedrals (First and Second), Lanai | 3.61% |
| San Francisco Maru, Chuuk Lagoon | 3.61% |
| Lost Blue Hole, Exuma Cays, Bahamas | 3.42% |
| Alcyone, Cocos Island, Costa Rica | 2.72% |
| Tiger Beach, Bahamas | 2.63% |
| Andros Blue Hole, Andros, Bahamas | 2.48% |
| Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, Mexico | 2.20% |
The Top 3
Palancar Horseshoe | Cozumel, Mexico
The vibrant reef off Cozumel
Kadu Pinheiro
Start with the U-shaped amphitheater that gives this Cozumel favorite its name. All around the sand are towering brain corals and barrel sponges. The reefs themselves are like irregular pyramids, some rising from 100 feet deep to within 20 feet of the surface. Plus, this site is rife with canyons and caves with entrances that seem large enough to drive a car into. Leave the sandy flats and this site gets more advanced the farther you drop down the wall into the blue abyss. The currents aren’t felt on the flat upper reef shelf, but as soon as you swim over that edge, it’s like taking an on ramp to the freeway. Here comes speed. And traffic. You might get passed by a hawksbill turtle, eagle ray or reef shark.
Blue Corner | Palau
Divers hang on for a wild ride at Palau's Blue Corner.
iStockphoto
The currents here are so strong that only sharks, barracuda and grouper have no problem staying put; the rest of us need reef hooks that allow us to stay stationary. When you’ve had your fill of the action, unhook and let the current carry you.
A manta cruises through the Galapagos Islands
iStockphoto
Darwin and Wolf Islands | Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
These two satellite islands of what is already a remote destination are known for unpredictable, strong down-currents. They’re also known for the best odds of encountering hundreds of schooling hammerheads as well as whale sharks, mantas and more.