How to Choose the Perfect Scuba Diving Liveaboard Vacation

If "eat, sleep, dive" sounds like a motto you can stand behind, a liveaboard trip may be the perfect vacation. But for every benefit of a liveaboard trip, there's a dozen options pulling you in opposite directions. We cut down to the chase and crafted an easy-to-follow guide for picking your next destination.

Did you get the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands or Turks and Caicos?

Warm water, easy traveling and beautiful scenery is important to you as a diver. These Caribbean islands certainly check off all of the boxes. With incredible viz and cool sights to see like the Kittiwake wreck or Amphitrite mermaid statue, Grand Cayman is an excellent spot for new divers. But the Turks & Caicos and British Virgin Islands have plenty to offer themselves.

Did you get the Bahamas, Cozumel or Belize?

You love warm, clear Caribbean water, but are not afraid to mix it up with a shark encounter or go on a wild ride amid current. From hammerhead encounters to the famous Washing Machine drift dive — watch the video here— the Bahamas has so much to offer. Cozumel provides jaw-dropping underwater beauty and plenty of fun dives in current, while Belize features thrilling animal encounters and the Great Blue Hole.

Did you get Alaska, British Columbia or the Channel Islands?

You’re a tough guy or gal who’s willing to stick it out in cold water in order for the big reward: amazing animal encounters and vivid colors. Find solace among California’s stunning kelp forests, or mix it up with some sea lions in British Columbia.

Did you get Guadalupe Island, Socorro Islands, Galapagos or Cocos Island?

Bigger is certainly better in your book, and diving is all about animal encounters that will be imprinted in your memory for a lifetime. That’s just what you get at these three locales: whale shark sightings off Socorro; schools or rays off the Galapagos; great whites off Isla Guadalupe and so much more.

Did you get Australia, Raja Ampat or Papua New Guinea?

Pack up your bags and get ready: You’re about to see some wild sights. Raja Ampat is an underwater photographer’s dream, with wacky creatures lurking at every turn. Tour Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and Papua New Guinea has world-class muck diving and so much more.

Did you get Komodo, Fiji or Palau?

You’re in for a wild rush in this part of the world, with sharks roaming in Fiji, thrilling currents off Komodo and wild drift dives in Palau.

Did you get the Philippines or Truk Lagoon?

The eerie WWII wrecks of Truk (or Chuuk) Lagoon will give you an amazing glimpse into the past, and the Philippines’ 7,107 islands have so much to offer.

Did you get the Solomon Islands, Maldives or Sudan?

Pristine diving with beautiful reefs is what you’ll find in these spots. The Solomon Islands stands out for its war history and biological diversity, and the Maldives provides big-animal encounters and great drift dives.