What are some best places to go scuba diving in the US?

Many divers travel for their scuba diving adventures in far-off places, but there are many locations to discover closer to home. If you live in the United States, you have many opportunities to go on beautiful dives without having to bring a passport. Here are a few of the best locations in the US for scuba diving. But go out and discover some great locations near you!

Sombrero Reef, Florida

Sombrero Reef is one of the more popular scuba diving and Florida Keys snorkeling destinations in the Marathon Florida area. This boat-accessed reef is teeming with schooling fish, as well as a healthy local population of barracuda. Although it has seen some recent signs of coral bleaching in some areas it is still a great reef to visit.

Casino Point, California

Casino Point is one of the most popular dive sites in California and deservingly so. This popular snorkel and dive site is well worth the hype–featuring several wrecks and historical artifacts as well as an abundance of sea life. Catalina Island is known for its breathtaking crystal-clear waters and offers divers visibility. A super-accessible dive site with concrete steps leading down to the water and easy to access fill locations.

Flower Garden Banks, Texas

At the turn of the century, snapper and grouper fishermen named these productive fishing banks the “Flower Gardens” after the brightly colored sponges, plants, and other marine life they sometimes snagged and brought to the surface. The Flower Garden Banks, which are large natural salt domes, are a National Marine Sanctuary and lie about 115 miles off the Texas/Louisiana coast. Flower Garden banks are the northernmost coral reefs.

Lake Huron, Michigan

The most popular place to dive in Lake Huron is Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This dive site, also known as “shipwreck alley,” has 100 historic shipwrecks that date back to 1844; the wrecks you can find here can go from only a few inches of water to over 200 feet (61 meters) deep. Underwater life abounds, including colorful sunfish and unusual species like the longnose gar. The recreational dive season in Michigan is from May- November, though it is possible to dive a number of the lakes all year. You can dive it in a 7 mil wetsuit but really it’s dry suit diving.

Crystal River, Florida

An amazing freshwater US scuba diving destination complete with manatees! Crystal River diving offers you a new experience as well as the best places to do manatee snorkeling. Many divers prefer Crystal River for its massive manatee population. Crystal River is the only place in the world where you can swim with manatees. The crystal clear waters are amazing for photography.

Kona, Hawaii

Arches, caverns, caves, reef channels, and pinnacles are just a few of the unique features you will commonly find while scuba diving in Kona. This adds to the excitement when scuba diving and snorkeling! Amazing location with a wide variety of diving.

Morehead, North Carolina

It’s easy to understand why North Carolina has been rated the #1 wreck diving destination before, luring many scuba divers every year from around the world. Head to Morehead and dive among the sand-tiger sharks. The diving here is fantastic when it happens, it is frequently blown out because of the weather but truly amazing when the weather holds.

These magnificent scuba diving destinations are staples for every scuba diver. From beginners to experienced divers, everyone can find something to explore in the United States.

If you want to suggest a cool place to dive, let us know in the comments section below! We truly hope you enjoyed learning about these dive sites and we hope you will consider visiting them one day.

Updated on: December 05, 2023