BY BROOKE MORTON From SCUBA DIVING

5 Best Places To Dive In The Caribbean & Atlantic – 2017 Readers Choice Awards

Our annual Top 100 Readers Choice Awards are based on your real-world dives, and they let us take that journey right along with you.
Since 1994, we’ve been presenting our ­readers’ picks for the best diving in the world in our annual Top 100 Readers Choice Awards. It’s a feature that we love to put together, because we consider the results of our annual Top 100 survey a way for magazine readers, fans and online followers to share their most ­remarkable moments ­underwater. Below you’ll find the winning destinations in the Best Overall Scuba Diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic oceans, and offer you a magical glimpse at your next dive vacation.
How the Winners are Chosen:

Thousands of Scuba ­Diving subscribers and online users rated their experiences at dive destinations in a ­variety of categories on a scale from 1 to 5. Final scores are an average of the numerical scores awarded. A minimum number of ­responses was required for a destination to be included in these ratings.

1. Cayman Islands
Best Overall Diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans

IMAGE:
Scuba Diver Kittiwake Wreck Grand Cayman
Keri Wilk
The Cayman Islands took the #1 spot in our Top 100 Readers Choice Awards for Best Overall Diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic regions. Here, a diver looks up at Grand Cayman’s Kittiwake wreck.
No other Caribbean dive destination packs as many punches as Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac with their combined 365 sites — a mix of wrecks, reefs and sheer walls. Plus, visibility on all three extends up to 150 feet, seeming almost unlimited some days. On top of that, the islands are home to experts in a host of underwater pursuits, from image-making to technical diving. Because nearly every resident counts scuba as a pursuit, the menu of what to do underwater in the Cayman Islands can widen to include even more options, from freediving to advanced DPV and rebreather diving adventures. Find out more about diving in the Cayman Islands and see our feature on the 5 Best Ways to Explore the Cayman Islands.
Dive Conditions

Visibility: 100 feet or more Water Temperature: 78-82°F year-round Weather: Diving is good all year. Cayman has mild air temperatures of 70-80°F year-round and a little more rain during the summer months What to Wear: Bathing suit, shorty or skin suit in summer; winter may be more comfortable with a 3-5 mm wetsuit

2. Mexico
Best Overall Diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans

IMAGE:
Mexico Scuba Diving
Shutterstock
Mexico was voted the #2 best destination for scuba diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans.
From ethereal cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula to ripping drift dives in Cozumel, Mexico is a diver’s paradise — no matter what your experience level or preferred diving style. Adventure seekers are in for the adventure for a lifetime in Playa del Carmen, where you can dive with bull sharks from November to March.
The cenotes of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula need no introduction, partly because so many are cavern dives that have been enjoyed by legions of divers not cave-trained. If you want a taste of where the big boys go for subterranean thrills — without the necessity of years of additional training — this is the place. With constantly perfect visibility underwater and water temperatures in the mid-70s year-round, the cenotes are one of the best year-round dive sites for underwater photographers, divers, freedivers and cave-diving enthusiasts.
Dive Conditions in Costa Maya

Visibility: Averages 80-100 feet
Water Temperature: Mid-80s in summer; mid-70s in winter
Weather: Mid-to-high 80s in summer; mid-70s in winter
What to Wear: Skins or bathing suits are more than suitable in the summer months, but divers prone to cold may want a 5 mm or more in winter
Dive Conditions in Cozumel

Visibility: 80-100 feet
Water Temperature: 75-85°F
Weather: 80°F all year, but humidity can make it hotter
What to Wear: 3-5 mm wetsuit in winter, skin or bathing suit in summer
Dive Conditions in Riviera Maya

Visibility: consistently 100 feet or more in the cenotes; 60-100 feet offshore
Water Temperature: Freshwater cenotes stay in the mid-70s year-round; offshore temperatures range between mid-70s to mid-80s depending on the season
Weather: Average temperature ranges from 77-87°F year round
What to Wear: 3-5 mm in the cenotes, especially if you’re prone to cold

3. Bahamas
They say it’s better in the Bahamas — because when it comes to massive coral reefs, exploring shipwrecks and shark encounters, it’s not just better in the Bahamas — it’s simply the best.
From adrenaline-pumping encounters with oceanic whitetip sharks in Cat Island and hammerhead sharks in Bimini, to a relaxing dive experience in the southern Bahamas of San Salvador, Long Island, Crooked Island and Acklins — the Bahamas offers diversity and beauty that is unmatched.
Dive Conditions

Weather: From December to May, temperatures range from 75 degrees to 60 degrees, while summer temps are in the low to mid-80s
Average Water Temp: Average of 24°C/75°F during the winter, 27°C/80°F in spring and 31°C/88°F in the summer
Average Visibility: 80 to 100 feet
Language: English
IMAGE:
Bahamas Scuba Dive Shark
Shutterstock
The Bahamas was voted the #3 best destination for scuba diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans.

4. Bonaire
Diving is such an integral part of this spunky desert island not far from South America that it’s hard to separate the underwater and topside experience. Luckily, you don’t have to, because 24/7 access to its vibrant near-shore reefs is what sets Bonaire apart. If there’s a place you can have more fun than piloting your rental truck around Bonaire’s cactus-lined ring road, pulling off to submerge almost anywhere — slowing down just long enough to admire the flamingos or grab a burger at the kiteboarders beach — we haven’t heard of it.
Dive Conditions

Weather: Bonaire is an arid, sunny island swept by constant trade winds. Daytime temps rarely rise above 85 in summer, or fall below 75 in winter
Average Water Temp: Averages 80 in summer, but may drop to mid-70s in winter
Average Visibility: Ranges from 50 to 100 feet

IMAGE:
Bonaire Scuba Diving
Shutterstock
Bonaire was voted the #4 best destination for scuba diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans.

5. Belize
Our top finisher in the Caribbean and Atlantic region is a perennial favorite with Top 100 voters. Its Great Blue Hole is justifiably famous, but that’s only a fraction of what awaits divers along the world’s second-longest barrier reef, the Mesoamerican (two words: whale sharks).
Dive Conditions

Weather: Belize’s rainy season is from June to August, so the best visibility and conditions are during the drier months from February to May.
Average Water Temp: Averages between 78-84°F
Average Visibility: On the barrier reef and atolls, vis is often 100 feet or more
IMAGE:
Belize Scuba Diving
Shutterstock
Belize was voted the #5 best destination for scuba diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans.

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