Kurt Kucera

Scuba Diver, Car Enthusiast, Outdoorsman

Best Diving Spots In Hawaii

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If you have a passion for scuba diving, look no further than the Big Island of Hawaii. The island has plenty of stellar diving spots that anyone would love, and has had the admiration of scuba diver’s around the world. Check out these great diving spots for the next time you plan to go to Hawaii!

Golden Arches

If you’re looking for a great photo opportunity, be sure to check out Golden Arches. This diving spot is known for the colorful fish who live on the reef, moray eels, whitetip reef sharks and like many other Hawaiian diving sites, you may see a group of spinner dolphins!

Naia

Speaking of dolphins, be sure to check out Naia the next time you want to go diving in Hawaii! Naia means Dolphin in Hawaii, it’s likely you’ll run into a few when you take your dive. What you’re even more likely to see are rare fish like stonefish and frogfish who live at this spectacular dive site.

Au Au Crater

If you’re looking for something a little more interesting, check out Au Au Crater. If you hadn’t guessed it by the name, Au Au Crater is a submerged volcano crater that is one of the best when it comes to showing off the unique underwater topography of the various Hawaiian islands. Be wary though, as you’re likely to spot larger ocean dwellers such as white tip and hammerhead sharks.

Best Destination Dives in August

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It can be a challenge to decide where to take your August diving trip. There is so much underwater action taking place right now; from the coasts of Australia to Mexico. Depending on whether you’d like to swim with sea lions or have the company of whale sharks, there are numerous locations offering great diving experiences this time of year.

Here are two great options for anyone looking to take an August dive trip.
Galapagos Islands
 As the weather cools throughout the Galapagos Islands stronger currents and conditions move in. However, this also means that August marks the arrival of whale sharks. On the Islands of Darwin and Wolf you can not only dive with these phenomenal creatures, but you’ll also have the opportunity to see Galapagos sharks and scalloped hammerheads.

Of course there are always turtles, eagle rays, and all types of fish to swim alongside. Sharks are what most divers are searching for this time of year, but make sure to also keep an eye out for marine iguanas, sea lions, and Galapagos penguins in the shallows.
The water will be cold so make sure you’ve packed a thick wetsuit.

 

Southern Australia

As winter begins in South Australia, the ocean offers a truly special marine life experience. In the summer as the water temperatures drop, hundreds of thousands of cuttlefish arrive to breed. If you decide to take a dive near Adelaide, along the upper ends of the Spencer Gulf you will be able to see these gigantic cuttlefish in huge numbers.

With the male fish heavily outnumbering the female, competition is fierce and the vibrant colors they display to attract a mate can be quite the show. This can be an intense, sensational dive!
 There are also a number of guided tours, helping you to find leafy sea dragons. Australia is very well known for these and because the creatures are larger than seahorses they’re especially great for any underwater photography.

Prime Scuba Diving Sites in Florida

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Scuba diving is a fun activity to explore the ocean and witness life under the sea. With so many beautiful oceans around the world, many people don’t realize that there are amazing spots to scuba dive right here in the United State. Florida, in particular, is home to some of the greatest shores to explore underwater life. These are the prime diving sites in Florida:

Ginnie Springs – Central Florida
The fresh spring waters of Ginnie Springs offers the best scuba diving destination in central Florida. It sits with a 100-foot-diameter depression and has a collection of three smaller springs. These springs are Devil’s Eye, Devil’s Ear and Little Devil. Being connected to the tannin-dyed Santa Fe River gives the spring warm and crystal clear water. The beauty of the Ginnie Springs is home to much wildlife to explore beneath the waters.

Key Largo – The Florida Keys
In the heart of the Florid Keys lies Key Largo. This prime scuba diving spot features colorful reefs and an abundance of fish life. Divers will also have a chance to see some of the shipwrecks beneath the water. While underwater, divers will be sure to see barracuda, jacks, and silversides. There is much to see and explore in Key Largo, which is why it has become one of the most popular scuba diving sites in Florida.

Venice – The Gulf Coast
In the shark tooth capital of the world, Venice will truly give divers a run for their money. Divers will have the opportunity to explore the waters and find huge shark teeth that could be potentially worth hundreds of dollars. The waters offer about 10 feet of average visibility to search the bottom of the sea for shark teeth. Even is divers are unable to find a tooth worth money, they’ll find enough souvenirs to last a lifetime.

Destin – The Florida Panhandle
Stretched across the Florida Panhandle, Destin is one of the most beautiful sites to scuba dive in Florida. Divers will be emersed in warm waters and will have the opportunity to explore amazing underwater life. They will find limestone ledges covered in corals, sponges, and fish. This site has become popular due to tub boats, army tanks, airplanes, landing craft, ships, and bridge rubble that have fallen beneath the seas and are now home to grouper, flounder, and cobia.

Historical Sites to Visit in Key West

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For people wanting to vacation to beautiful spots within the US, there are a large number of places to check out. One of the vacation hot spots in the US is the Florida Keys, and it attracts many tourists and travelers from around the world each year. There are a lot of different things to see and do when you visit Key West, Florida. Some of which are fun outdoor sports including, snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing, boating, fishing, and many more.

The great thing about Key West, Florida is that there is so much to see and do that is not only outdoors and water-related, but it also offers so much history to be explored. Let’s take a quick look at five of the best places to check out when you plan your next vacation to Key West.

Harry S. Truman Little White House
Harry Truman came to Key West during the winter months and utilized this spot as his vacation home. Because he worked extensively during those vacations, they named it the “Little White House” like a home away from home. The structure was initially built and used as naval command headquarters in 1890 during the Spanish-American war as well as World War I and II. Truman wasn’t the only president who vacationed here. In fact, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter also used this spot during their time in the Keys. Tourists can visit The Little White House and check out the history that has gone into it.

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
Many people already know that Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West is a historical landmark and will come to the island just to check it out. He is a well-known literary icon and was not born in Key West, but he had a house in which he lived in for less than ten years. Tourists can take tours of the house and the grounds and check out the space in which many believed he wrote some of “A Farewell to Arms” as well as “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”

Key West Cemetery
The Key West Cemetery is a spot you don’t want to miss out on seeing during your trip. It is very different from many other cemeteries you will find anywhere else in the world. In the authentic Key West quirky style, tombstones are left with quotes that are the typical inscriptions you would think. A very famous quote from a tombstone reads, “I told you I was sick,” and another, “I’m just resting my eyes.” On each burial, spot resides quite a few people piled on top of one another because it is a spot many want to be buried and remembered.

Top Rated Diving Locations of 2019

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Each year scuba divers from all over the world rate the best places and destinations they’ve been during the previous season. One of the greatest things about this is that other divers can read all about the best places to scuba dive and plan for their next vacation based upon these reviews. Of course, everyone takes into consideration divers with real in-person experience from each of these spots, so it’s no wonder these types of articles are so well received.

Scuba Diving Magazine takes a poll from its readers to gauge the best scuba diving spots around the world. The list goes into detail and shares each of the destinations based on diver choice and what the place offers in regards to visuals and what you will be diving for. The vote was taken from over 5,000 readers which gives it a significant edge to be as accurate as possible. The great aspect of this list is that it is also broken down by the type of diver you are. Let’s “dive” into some of the best destinations.

One of the most significant ways to look at scuba diving destinations is to review the best overall and all around dive locations by the different regions. Within the Atlantic and Caribbean region, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Bonaire, as well as Turks and Caicos are among the top five. The Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea include Hawaii, Indonesia, Galapagos, the Philippines, and Fiji, to name a few. If you’re looking for places a little more local where you may not have to spend all the travel money to go abroad, here are the top five locations within the United States and Canada that include the Florida Keys, California, the Great Lakes, Florida Panhandle, and Washington. If you live close to any of these places, you already know you are in prime diving territory.

In reviewing some of the other relevant categories, Scuba Diving Magazine breaks each region’s top five into the follow which includes, big animals, macro life, wreck diving, cavern, cave and grotto, shore diving, beginner diving, advanced diving, underwater photography, and the best value. This yearly recap of destinations serves as a great way to get the best out of your next diving adventure and make sure you experience precisely what you came for.