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UNDERWATER WONDERS:

THE WORLD'S TOP TEN DIVE DESTINATIONS

As with real estate, the three keys to dive travel are location, location, and location. An ideal dive destination should have all or many of the following: unusual diving opportunities; convenient locations and diving; a variety of accommodations, dining, and shopping options; experienced dive operators; and possible diversions for non-divers or those just learning the sport.

The dive destination industry is big business and it's easy to arrange a trip to suit any specific needs. Beyond our admittedly subjective overview of the top ten, the best resources for trip ideas are knowledgeable travel agents, dive travel companies, scuba diving magazines, tourism offices (all have dive-specific publications), and individual resorts and hotels that cater to divers.

Here's a short overview of our ten favorite places for underwater fun.

AUSTRALIA'S GREAT BARRIER REEF

Say "G'day, mate" to the mother lode of scuba diving. The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 1,200 miles along the Queensland coast of Australia. Along the way, there are more than 1,400 species of fish and an incredible variety of coral formations.

The world's longest barrier reef has become known as a haven for sharks. It's the perfect place to see great whites and other toothy fish from the deep. Dive travelers in the know head for Heron Island (the location of an active marine research center), Lizard, and many other famous dive sites along this incredible reef.

Contact the Australian Tourist Commission at 2121 Avenue of the Stars, #1200, Los Angeles, CA 90067, (310) 552-1988.

BAHAMAS

About 700 landmasses over 90,000 square miles of the Caribbean and Atlantic make for plenty of uncrowded dives in the Bahamas. The closeness to Florida, along with many excellent dive operators, mean it truly can be better in the Bahamas.

Grand Bahama features the legendary Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO) and unique diving with sharks, dolphins, and Theo's Wreck. New Providence, known for busy Nassau, also offers some great diving off the southwest side (the site of many James Bond underwater scenes). The quieter Family Islands lead to virgin diving and an even better way to get good pictures in the Bahamas. San Salvador, Long Island, and Andros are three of many premier examples.

Contact the Bahamas Tourist Board at 255 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134, (305) 442-4860.

BONAIRE

Part of the Dutch ABCs (the other two are Aruba and Curacao), Bonaire attracts divers from around the world for its consistent conditions. The marine park surrounds the entire island and offers more than 100 documented dive sites.

Bonaire is dedicated to dive tourism and offers one of the best overall diving experiences in the world. There's lots of shore diving, short boat trips, and incredible underwater life.

Contact the Bonaire Tourist Information Office at Resorts Management Inc., The Carriage House, 201 1/2 E. 29th St., New York, NY 10016, (212) 779-0242.

CAYMAN ISLANDS

The Caymans still reign as a Caribbean mecca for divers. From big-time operators to small and quiet places, divers flock to these islands for some of the most-renowned diving in the world.

Grand Cayman is the grandaddy of Caribbean diving. From Stingray City to some of the best wall diving in the world, this is the place to try it all. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are much more subdued on the surface, but every bit as colorful below.

Contact the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, P.O. Box 67, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, (809) 949-8989.

COZUMEL

Si, this is Mexico's most popular diving destination for good reason. The dive operators are much-improved and have shed their reputation as being non-professional. A dive trip to Cozumel today brings few hassles and superior diving.

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is the Mexican Caribbean for divers, with consistently clear conditions. Cozumel features legendary sites, like Palancar, Paraiso, Punta Sur, and the airplane wreck. Most of the trips are drift dives, making diving a bit like watching an underwater movie as you drift by the reefs and marine life.

Contact the Mexican Government Tourism Office at 405 Park Ave., Ste. 1401, New York, NY 10022, (212) 755-7261.

FIJI

Though Fiji is pretty far afield, it's well worth the trip. If dive travel is often colorful, than the results from Fiji are rainbows leading to pots of gold(en) dives. Though it's an exotic dive destination, the services and accommodations are modern.

The main attraction for divers is the soft coral, making for incredibly colorful and lush landscapes. The most popular spot is Beqa Lagoon, on the southern coast of Viti Levu. Even further out-of-the-way islands include Taveuni and Matagi.

Contact the Fiji Visitor's Bureau at 5777 West Century Blvd., Ste. 200, Los Angeles, CA 90045, (310) 568-1616.

FLORIDA KEYS

According to all reports, the Florida Keys are the most-visited dive destination in the world. All those divers (and Hemingway) can't be wrong. The Keys offer great diving, excellent operators, and incredible convenience. Famous photographic sites include Christ of the Abyss, Dry Tortugas, and The Elbow.

Along with protected marine parks at Key Largo and Looe Key, the Keys have been designated as a national marine sanctuary. This should save the reefs and lead to plenty of good pictures for future generations, all the way from Key Largo to Key West.

Contact the Florida Division of Tourism at 126 Van Buren St., Tallahassee, FL 32301, (904) 487-1462.

HAWAII

Diving in the Hawaiian Islands is different. Colorful coral and marine life is generally replaced by craggy outcroppings from volcanic eruptions, lava tubes and caverns, and lots of strange underwater formations.

Dive operations abound on the Big Island, Kauai, Maui, and Oahu. Due to the isolated location of the islands, divers often find unusual fish and other marine life to photograph.

Contact the Hawaii Visitors Bureau at Waikiki Business Plaza, 2270 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815, (808) 923-1811.

LIVE-ABOARD BOATS

Though not a dive destination in the traditional sense, 'live-aboard' dive boats are definitely great bases for diving almost anywhere in the world. They offer an opportunity to complete lots of diving in unusual places. Some well-known possibilities include the Agressor's fleet (P.O. Drawer K, Morgan City, LA 70381, (504) 385-2628 or (800) 348-2628) of dive boats throughout the world and the Wave Dancer fleet with renowned Peter Hughes Diving (1390 S. Dixie Hwy., Ste. 2213, Coral Gables, FL 33146, (305) 669-9391 or (800) 9-DANCER).

Live-aboards are generally for diving fanatics. They reach dive sites not usually visited by land-based operators. The trips can range from very basic to luxurious, short excursions to long trips, and close destinations and boats much further afield. For the experienced diver, they're a great option.

Another 'live-aboard' option that's more like staying at a floating resort is to take a traditional cruise with a line and ship that offers specialized scuba diving programs. For instance, Princess Cruises recently introduced its groundbreaking New Waves program with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), by far the largest certification agency in the world. Diving programs on many seven-day Caribbean sailings (including aforementioned Grand Cayman and Cozumel) make the Princess and PADI combination a great choice. New Waves is organized and conducted by a staff of fully-certified and professional instructors, with at least two staff members on each ship.

New Waves diving activities include: demonstrations; introductory scuba tours; dive trips for certified divers; and a wide range of certification courses. This is a perfect choice when one or more traveller is a non-diver. Love Boat diving may not include an underwater encounter with Captain Stubing, but it's sure to include a wide range of Caribbean diving.

RED SEA

Moses may have been the first to part the Red Sea, but modern divers are discovering it as well. The unusual marine environment between Arabia and the continent of Africa offers unique diving and underwater life.

Still relatively undiscovered, the most popular diving is in the north, around the Gulf of Aqaba (out of the resort city of Eilat). From Egypt, Ras Muhammad's reefs are reached from Sharm El Sheikh.

Contact the Israel Tourist Office at 350 Fifth Ave., 19th Floor, New York, NY 10118, (212) 560-0650 or the Egyptian Tourism Authority at 630 Fifth Ave., Ste. 1706, New York 10011, (212) 332-2570.

THE BEST OF THE REST

Some other great diving destinations include: Belize; the British Virgin Islands; parts of the California coast; the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines of Florida; the Galapagos Islands; Honduras; Puerto Rico; the Turks & Caicos; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Between our top ten and these additional choices, you'll have a lifetime of worldwide diving.

FOR NON-DIVERS

The dive destinations outlined above also cater to non-divers with a variety of services and activities (as long as you choose the right resort). However, a dive-oriented vacation is the ideal time for non-divers to try diving or to get certified.

The basics of scuba diving are surprisingly simple. Divers use specialized modern equipment that adapts to the aquatic environment. Scuba equipment provides a portable air supply that allows divers to spend an extended time underwater (from a few minutes to several hours, depending on factors like depth and breathing efficiency).

The tank is a high-pressure cylinder that stores plain old compressed air--never oxygen--that is released with a valve. This passes through a regulator to deliver a controlled amount of air when you inhale. A gauge lets you monitor the air supply.

The tank and regulator are typically held in place by a buoyancy control device (BCD), an expandable bladder that can be inflated or deflated to control a diver's buoyancy. The mask is the window to the underwater world, creating an air space which allows divers to see. A snorkel is attached to the mask and allows divers to breathe at the surface without having to lift their heads. Fins allow you to move through the water with far less effort and far greater efficiency. A weight belt is also worn to allow you to sink.

The certification process is interesting and easy. It is divided into three parts, stretched over approximately thirty hours: classroom instruction (using a book and visual aids), pool practice, and open water instruction. The classroom and pool sessions generally take place at the same time, while the open water dives (at least four of them) serve as the final test. The entire process can be completed locally over many weeks or packed into a few days at scuba schools in exotic locations like those outlined above.

The only thing you need to jump right in is good health, desire, and a reasonable comfort level with water. The pool sessions even turn out to be fun, as you learn new skills and develop confidence in your abilities underwater.

The open water dives are when all basic scuba skills are reviewed and tested. After passing a final written exam, you, too, can become an underwater god.

There are three general ways of getting certified. Everything can be completed nearby through a local dive shop. Another method is to complete the classroom and pool sessions locally and then complete the open water dives on a warm-weather vacation. Or you can do everything at a vacation scuba school.

You earn a 'C-card,' the certification card for open water divers. The two largest certifying organizations are the aforementioned PADI and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). A piece of plastic from them or another major certifying agency means you can rent or buy scuba equipment, obtain air for tanks, and participate in other exciting diving activities at world-famous dive destinations like those outlined above. You'll never leave home without it.

Becoming a certified diver is a way to enjoy a part of this world that few get to experience and to share it with significant others. Any of the ten spots outlined above is a perfect start to a lifetime of diving.