The Caribbean offers some of the finest scuba diving in the world . There are islands with stretches of reef teeming with tropical fish and walls that drop from six to 6000 metres in the bleep of a depth-sounder. There are wrecks and caves to explore, coral-clad pinnacles and underwater fumaroles that bubble volcanic gases – like diving in champagne. You can even dive with sharks and dolphins in the Bahamas.

There are dive shops on almost all of the islands, so it is easy to set up a dive trip when you are there. If you are not already a diver a ‘resort course’ will allow you to dive while on island (the qualification lasts while you are there). Longer lasting qualifications are also available as well if you want to set aside the time. It is always worth considering ‘referral diving’, in which you do much of the theory at home (thereby not wasting tanning time abroad), but the open water dives in the Caribbean.

On DefinitiveCaribbean we list the best PADI/NAUI dive shops/operators, live-aboard dive boats and specialist dive tour operators and travel organisers. You may choose to arrange your trip by booking directly with a hotel, resort or villa that offers dive packages or via a tour operator (shown where applicable on every accommodation review page).

Please see here for a list of Accommodation for Divers, which shows a range of accommodation choices throughout the region that is in close proximity to a reputable dive shop.

Alternatively, to read more about DIVING AND DIVE OPERATORS on each island, please select from the island list below: