Dive travel guides
Every guide in one place: the boats, the dive sites, the seasons and how to plan the trip. Filter by destination.
Good in October
Where the diving is at its best in October, from our season data.
Southern Red Sea
Peak Oct–DecAdvancedOffshore reefs for oceanic whitetips and hammerheads, plus dugongs and turtles at Marsa Alam.
Nusa Penida
Peak Jul–OctSome experienceSeasonal mola mola at Crystal Bay and resident reef mantas at Manta Point and Manta Bay.
Central Maldives
Peak Jan–Mar, Jun–OctSome experienceChannel and thila diving with grey reef sharks, manta cleaning stations and year-round whale sharks at South Ari.
Northern Red Sea
Peak Mar–May, Sep–NovSome experienceWreck diving (Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas) and wall diving at Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran.
Banda Sea and the Forgotten Islands
Peak Sep–NovAdvancedRemote volcanic islands where schools of scalloped hammerheads move into recreational depth.
Liveaboards 16
The boats we rank, how to choose one, and boat or resort for each place.
Best liveaboard destinations in November
The Maldives, the Red Sea or Raja Ampat in November, and which kind of diver each one suits.
Best Maldives liveaboards 2026
Twelve boats ranked, and how to choose between the central atolls, Hanifaru Bay and the deep south.
Best Raja Ampat liveaboards 2026
Seven boats ranked, with prices, what is included and the park fees that come on top.
Best Red Sea liveaboards 2026
Eight boats ranked, and how to choose between the north and south circuits.
How to plan a Banda Sea liveaboard
Choose the window first, then the route, and book at least 10 to 12 nights.
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Banda Sea liveaboard hammerheads
Go from September to November, or March to April, and expect remote sites, strong current and Advanced-level diving.
Red Sea diving on a budget
Shore diving has the lowest entry price. A liveaboard gives the most dives for each dollar.
Your first liveaboard: what to expect and how to choose
What a liveaboard is, how to choose your first one, what life onboard is like, and the tips that matter.
How to choose a liveaboard
Start with what you want to dive and what you can spend, then compare boats, reviews and terms.
Komodo liveaboards: cost, season and boats
Do you need one, what it costs once park and fuel fees are added, and which four boats to compare.
Maldives liveaboard or resort for diving?
A liveaboard gives you more dives and more sites. A resort gives you a bed that stays put, a beach and a gentler start.
How to choose a Maldives liveaboard
Go premium, check the itinerary and group size, and book early for Hanifaru Bay snorkelling and the whale sharks.
Raja Ampat: liveaboard or resort?
A liveaboard covers the whole archipelago, and a resort goes deep into one region. Choose by how much water you want to see.
Raja Ampat liveaboards: cost, season and boats
Why a boat beats a land base here, what the mandatory fees add, and which boats to compare.
Raja Ampat vs Komodo: which to dive?
Raja Ampat is about abundance, Komodo is about adrenaline. Here is how to choose between them.
Red Sea liveaboard: north or south?
Book north for wrecks, history and forgiving diving. Book south for sharks and open water.
Red Sea guides 13
Dahab Blue Hole: depth, the Arch and how to dive it
A shore dive within recreational limits on the inner rim or the Bells entry. The Arch is the technical dive that gave the site its reputation.
Diving in Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm is a base, not the reason to go: the Thistlegorm, Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran are all within a few hours of the marina.
Scuba diving in Hurghada, Red Sea
The base for Abu Nuhas and flexible north or south liveaboards. Sharm is better for the Thistlegorm and Tiran.
Best time to dive the Red Sea
Choose your month by what you want to see: wrecks, oceanic whitetips, hammerheads or the warmest water.
Diving Abu Nuhas: four wrecks on one Red Sea reef
Giannis D, Chrisoula K, Carnatic and Kimon M: depths, levels and how to dive them.
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Diving Daedalus Reef, Red Sea
A remote offshore reef with oceanic whitetips, hammerheads and a manned lighthouse, reached only by liveaboard on the south circuit.
Diving Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea
A submerged ridge off Marsa Alam: oceanic whitetips from October to December, two plateau dives and an advanced drift.
Diving Marsa Alam, Red Sea
A base for dugongs at Abu Dabbab, day trips to Elphinstone and the south circuit from Port Ghalib.
Diving Ras Mohammed National Park
Walls that drop past 80 metres, grey reef sharks at Shark Reef and a wreck full of bathroom fittings, 45 minutes to an hour from Sharm.
Diving the Brothers Islands, Red Sea
Two remote islands with two wrecks, steep walls and oceanic whitetips. Reached by liveaboard only, and for experienced divers.
Diving the SS Thistlegorm
A 128-metre wartime cargo ship at 30 metres, best dived at dawn from a liveaboard. What to expect and the skills to bring.
Diving the Straits of Tiran, Red Sea
Four reefs, hammerheads at Jackson and strong, shifting current. Advanced for Jackson, day trips from Sharm.
Red Sea wreck diving: the six best wrecks and where to start
Six wrecks with depths and levels, and the order to dive them in: Abu Nuhas, Dunraven, then the Thistlegorm.
Maldives guides 6
Diving Fuvahmulah Atoll
Resident tiger sharks, threshers and oceanic mantas on a single island in the far south of the Maldives.
Best time to dive the Maldives
Choose your month by what you want to see: mantas, whale sharks, tiger sharks or the clearest reefs.
Scubaspa Yang vs Yin: which boat, which cabin?
The two boats are identical, so the choice that matters is the cabin tier.
Hanifaru Bay: manta season and how to get there
A small bay in Baa Atoll where mantas feed in numbers. Only permitted operators can enter, so choose your boat and your month early.
South Ari Atoll diving and whale sharks
Whale sharks all year, best seen snorkelling, with reef and channel dives for scuba.
Indonesia guides 2
Plan the trip 9
Seasons, gear and the decisions that shape a dive trip.
Top 5 destinations for manta ray encounters
Hanifaru Bay is our pick, by snorkel. Four more places to find mantas, and the months to go.
Where to dive each month of 2026
Four seasons, a dozen destinations, and when each one is at its best.
What to pack for a liveaboard dive trip
Bring your own mask, dive computer and cards even if you rent the rest, and pack light.
Are tiger sharks dangerous to divers?
The risk to a scuba diver is incredibly low. Here is why, and the rules that keep it that way.
How to choose a scuba BCD
Back inflation, jacket, backplate and wing, or travel BCD: what each does underwater and who it suits.
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How to choose your first dive computer
A wrist-mounted unit without air integration, a conservative algorithm and a readable display covers most beginners.
Pre-dive safety check (BWRAF)
BWRAF in five steps: check your BCD, weights, releases, air and buddy at setup and again just before you enter the water.
Scuba diving ascents and descents
Nine short chapters on going down and coming up in control, and what to do when it goes wrong.
Scuba wetsuit temperature guide
Which thickness for which water, how to choose a suit type, why fit beats brand, and the detail most guides skip: your head.