Diving The USA

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California | Hawaii | Alabama | Michigan | Florida

The Diving

California | Hawaii | Alabama | Michigan | Florida

Download a free guide to diving America's Marine Sanctuaries (courtesy NOAA).

California Dive Sites

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"Giant Black Sea Bass, Garibaldi, kelp bass, lobsters... so much to see.
Wellington Lee, USA, 2007

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"Excellent site for beginner or advanced divers
Rob, USA, 2008

Hawaii Dive Sites

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"This was my first night dive ever and I couldn't have gotten luckier. We dropped to about 12 m and joined a circle of about 20 divers with our torches pointing upward. The lights formed a circle of beams and a huge school of silver baitfish were swimming and shimmering within the lights. Then the mantas flew in to feed on the plankton gathering in the light beams. These magnificent creatures feasted and danced for us putting on a show that was nothing short of magical. I was fortunate there was a videographer who got the whole thing on tape. I can't imagine any night dive surpassing Kona's Manta Dive. Some lifelong divers said it was their best dive experience ever."
Tom Sotis
 
Underwater lights placed on the ocean floor attract infinite amounts of plankton, which in turn attract the huge, yet beautiful manta rays of Kona Hawaii. The rays get so close to you, that you often have to move to avoid them accidentally hitting you. This was by far, the best dive I have ever done. I have been to Sting Ray City in Grand Cayman before, and as good as that dive is, it came nowhere near the experience with the manta dive. It is very rare to experience such an amazingly wonderful and unforgettable time with one of the most beautiful and gentle animals in the world."
Julie

"Seeing these amazing creatures swim right up to your face with their huge mouths open and simply glide right over you is one of the most amazing sights in the world. The grace of these large creatures is astounding. "
Katie

"Shallow 35 ft manta ray night dives. All you do is be negatively buoyant and shine your light to the surface. The manta swoop and eat the plankton. No corals."
Aquashik

"So much stuff! Eels! Mantas! Even a reef shark. "
Krent

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"swim throughs, seaturtles and frogfish. 65 feet "
Derek Erickson

"Tons of turtles all around. Dive through lava tubes. Snapper, eels, and trigger fish everywhere. "
Linda Laughlin

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"Turtles and other large fish come through this area of cleaning."
Linda Laughlin

"The Manta Rays in the cool waters of Hawaii make this make it a great experience for all. Watching these creatures in the night is just wonderful."
Frances Santoy

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"Huge schools of jacks, and tons of sharks - this was an awesome dive."
Derek Erickson

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"A wall dive with a Hawaiian monk seal and the largest schools of butterflies I've ever seen. Lionfish everywhere."
Derek Erickson

"1943 Navy oiler sunk for reef in 1989. Access holes cut in upright ship. "
Akiko, South Seas Aquatics Hawaii

"Korean fishing boat sunk for reef in 1998. Lots of turtles and tropical fish everywhere. Amazing."
Akiko, South Seas Aquatics Hawaii

"Magnificent wall dive with unlimited visibility open to the Pacific. Lots of Pelagics: 14 ft blue shark, reef, coral, colour."
A. Lisowski

"The back side of this extinct cinder cone plunges to incredible depths and presents a wall dive with seemingly infinite exposure. It felt like a space walk as we hung on our safety stop in the clear blue with the sound of whales around us. We cruised the 100' level of the cone through forrests of black coral. Many unique critters here not found in other parts of the world. "
Jerry Vonderharr, USA, 2007

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"Best night shore night dive. Squid, parrot fish in bubble, slipper lobsters, spanish shawls...all sorts of critters! "
Susie Hills, USA, 2007

"Hanama bay is incredible diving for the novice to the expeert and uncertified family can snorkel with ease and see almost as great wildlife as the divers. Beyond the near reef line there are resident turtles, transient rays, and every kind of sealife in this protected park. it isn't a technical dive. it does take some skill in rough water entries and exits during the winter. But everybody can enjoy it. After snorkeling Hanama with us my niece got certified. "
Stephen E. Barger

"WWII corsair plane wreck. Sit in the cockpit 105 feet underwater. "
Sean Deming, 2007, USA

Florida Dive Sites

"Florida and the Florida keys have wonderful coral spots, they are amazing, specially key largo."
Carlos Llerena

Alabama Dive Sites

Rating:

"Freshwater Jellyfish, (Craspedacusta sowerbii)
In the summer and fall of 1998, a little known freshwater creature has appeared in Dive Land Park's quarry, Craspedacusta sowerbii or Freshwater Jellyfish as they are more commonly referred to. It is not common to see occurrences of freshwater Jellyfish, so I must say I felt privileged to get an up-close view of this harmless nickel sized creature. C. sowerbii, other than their small size, seem to look and behave like their larger saltwater cousins and they cannot sting humans!
'Unlike marine jellyfish, C. sowerbii has a structure call a velum. This thin, shelf-like structure extends inward from the circular edge (ring canal) of the bell. The manubrium, which ends in a mouth, extends down through a hole in the velum. The velum helps set C. sowerbii apart from the true jellyfish. However, because C. sowerbii looks like a jellyfish, we call it a jellyfish!'
'C. sowerbii belongs to the class Hydrozoa which includes the more common hydra.'
Be sure to look for the Freshwater Jellyfish when you visit Dive Land's quarry. They were observed in shallower waters near the quarry's rim from 0 to 35 ft. in depth.
For more complete and detailed information, and to report sightings, you must visit Dr. Terry Peard's research project on Craspedacusta sowerbi at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Perry is looking for sighting reports and details to continue building his research database.
This dive site promises to be more than just the average quarry/Pit dive..... IE cold water nothing to see..... If nothing else it is a chance to see freshwater Jellyies.... "
Matilda Jean Duffy.

Michigan Dive Sites

Rating:

"The dive is not for the "faint of heart" especially if you are wearing a wetsuit (as I was). The temp drops to 41 degrees below the thermocline, but the views of well preserved shipwrecks is worth the shivering. My favorite is the Eber Ward, century old wreck in 120 feet of water.
This ship was sunk in 1909 after encountering packs of ice on its first journey of the season, leaving holes in the bow large enough to swim through. There are entrances at the stern as well, and once inside you can swim from one end to the other entirely inside on not one but TWO decks. The upper one is the more interesting, with rows of hand carts towards the bow, and well-preserved loading gear hanging under every cargo hatch.
Two large, hinged anchors are still inside the bow, and another rest just below on the lake bottom.
One of the strangest items to find was a capstan inside the wreck.
The not-to-be-missed items on this wreck include the prop, bathtub, and ultra-rare mushroom anchor which is still in place in the hawse pipe on the port side.
Of the 700 or so dives that I've done around the world since 1975, this was my favorite.
"
Jerry Vonderharr, USA, 2007

USA Dive Operators

Recommend a dive operator or list your diving company on this page.

California | Hawaii | Florida

California Dive Operators

Daily dive trips to over fifteen different sites in San Diego. A NAUI dive centre offering Kelp forest and Wreck diving.

SeaStar Adventures
La Jolla
San Diego
California
Rating:

"I've dived and snorkled all over the world and La Jolla is a unique and beautiful place. SeaStar is a great dive guide company: professional, personable, detail oriented and dedicated to safety. Our guide was exceptionally familiar with the area and went the extra mile to make sure we had the best possible experience. I would recommend them to anyone. They went out of their way for us. Service was excellent.
Wellington Lee, USA, 2007

SeaClypse Dive Adventures
7730 Herschel Ave
La Jolla
San Diego
California
rob@seaclypse.com
Scuba diving and snorkeling tours of San Diego's best underwater sites. Scuba Adventure tours to Baja Mexico. Dive Instruction and boat dives also available.

Hawaii Dive Operators

Kona Honu Divers
glenn@konahonudivers.com

237 Marshall Drive
Tel: 925-947-6766
Fax: 800-640-2060
E-mail: terri@conquerfear.com

Tel: 808 922-0852

Oahu
Hawaii
E-mail: sean@reefpirates.com
Prices from $89 for 2 tank dives with all gear included (2007).

Old Koloa Town
Kauai
Rating:

"Fathom Five costs from $100 to $130, for a two tank boat dive. No more than 6 divers per boat, so nice personal attention. "
Linda Laughlin

2827 Poipu Rd
Koloa
Hi 96756
Tel: (800)-685-5889
E-mail: Info@seasportdivers.com
Rating:

"Dived the south shore of Kauai with Seasport Divers and they are a great operation. very knowledge staff, great dives, and so many sea turtles. Then I dove Niihau with them. the best dives I've ever had. 150 foot viz, monk seals, so many rare fish, wall dives and huge swim throughs. this guys are great. I recommend them to anyone. $110 for a 2 tank dive, $260 for 3 tank Niihau trip, $15 for 2 tanks of Nitrox. Definately worth the $$$, and they had the best price for nitrox I've ever paid. $15 for 2 tanks at 32%."
Derek Erickson

Florida Dive Operators

Fort Lauderdale
Florida
Tel: 888-223-6568
E-mail: Info@AquaSportsInc.com
SCUBA diving and rescue training institute.

For hotels see the Agoda site...

Books to Take

Buy from UK... (see below for US)

Buy from US...

Your Comments

Please send us your comments on diving in the USA. Do you want to recommend a diving centre or dive site? Let us know. Have a question - try our Diving Board.

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