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Scuba Dive Travel - Global Conditions - Part 2
South and Central America
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South and Central America as a whole probably offers some of the most diverse scuba diving. This is due the South America stretching from the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean down to the icy waters of the South Atlantic and thus offering completely different scuba diving conditions. It would be correct to assume that Central America offers better diving than South America with Central America boasting some of the best dive sites in the world such as the Blue Hole in the scuba diving hot spot of Belize as well as Honduras, which consist of over 200 scuba diving sites, though one can note that South America also hosts some fascinating dive sites especially in Brazil and Argentina.
As discussed in the previous article on global scuba diving conditions the Caribbean is an amazingly and sometimes overly warm area of ocean which can sometimes lead to the bleaching of corals. Central America is located in such an area that both sides of the stretch of land are subject to warm waters, one being the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean on the eastern side while the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean are located on the western side. Clear waters are one of the main reasons for Caribbean diving being so extraordinary- that and the warm waters meaning scuba divers are not required to wear thick wet suits.
In the more southern areas of South America the waters begin to cool and when scuba diving Chile, the name will do the waters justice as water temperatures drop to very chilly temperatures of near 0 degrees Celsius. A contrast to the diving which takes place on some of the northern- South American countries such as Columbia and Venezuela. Should one be scuba diving the Central American and northern South American dive sites one can expect numerous colourful tropical fish life, while should you dive more southern locations in South America fish life becomes larger, though lacks the colours you would find in the Caribbean.
North America
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Northern America boasts some great scuba diving and is host to numerous scuba diving conditions. On the south eastern areas of the United States is the Gulf of Mexico- states such as Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi border the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is located just off the northern Caribbean after passing the Yucatan Peninsula and stretches from Mexico and Texas through to Florida. Florida's east coast is located along the Atlantic while the west is located in the Gulf of Mexico. The western coast of the United States of America is subject to the waters of the Northern Pacific Ocean and the east has that of the North Atlantic. As one heads north towards Canada the oceanic heat becomes almost undivable and in most parts of Canada extremely thick wet suits are required. Both Florida in the United States and Mexico host some of the most amazing scuba diving sites in the world, with Mexico probably going out on top with crystal clear waters and marine life that is out of this world.
North America's scuba diving is by no means confined to the ocean and both the United States and Canada have some wonderful inland dive sites, especially British Columbia which hosts some amazing wrecks. Mexico offers its legendary cenotes as prime diving locations and also provides a great place for a vacation. The Gulf of Mexico as well as the south eastern coastal areas of the United States are prime hurricane spots and every summer the waters of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Northern Atlantic see numerous tropical storms, these storms can often negatively impact the coral reefs while at the same time sinking ships which sometimes become a wonderful dive site. One of the reasons for the quick development of hurricanes within the Gulf of Mexico is the deep warm waters which house potent oceanic heat content and energy for the storms to develop.
As mentioned above the marine life in Mexico is absolutely stunning as well as the general water visibility and divers from all over the world converge on what can only be described as a scuba diving paradise. The fish life in Mexico is reminiscent on that of The Red Sea and hosts plenty of different fish from beautiful small, colourful and playful fish to large, vicious and deadly sharks. Located off Baja California, Mexico is Guadalupe Island which has in recent years established itself among one of the top cage shark diving locations in the world competing with Gansbaai in South Africa. The inland dams and rivers of the United States and Canada are home to plenty of trout and bass and hold some of the world’s best fishing fresh water, though for divers it may not be like scuba diving in Mexico but if you want to dive inland and close to home it's often the best option. Let's not forget the large game fish which can be found along the East Coast of the United States, and the whales sighted in parts of Canada.
Over all if one hand an option for ocean diving out of the United States, Canada or Mexico one would have to decide based on their individual love for scuba diving and what they find the most enthralling. For those who love wreck diving and don't mind cold waters, British Columbia would be great; For those who enjoy the murky lakes and fresh water diving the United States has plenty to offer from state to state; But for most scuba divers who want to see splendid tropical fish and clear waters, Mexico is definitely the place to dive.
Europe
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When one thinks of Europe your mind may automatically think of sightseeing; The Eifel Tower, Vatican City, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Buckingham Palace, the list goes on. But Europe offers some equally as impressive underwater sightseeing to be done. Norway offers some amazing scuba diving for those gutsy enough to brave the water temperatures which descends down to near zero at times, but with that said Alesund has some splendid wrecks which are a must for those intrigued by wreck diving. One may not think of Ireland as a good scuba diving location but Ireland has in excess of 200 diving sites and water temperatures are a bit more pleasant than that of Norway. England too offers some interesting scuba diving with large pike present at many diving sites though waters in England remain fairly cold in most places. France, Portugal, Italy and Spain allow divers whom are more partial to warm waters to get some good scuba dives in too with far more moderate temperatures and some great marine life too, let's not forget the above water beauty of these locations.
Should one be planning a holiday to Europe and wanting to get some good diving in at the same time these would be prime locations to achieve that. And last but most certainly not least- Turkey. Turkey is a previously featured destination on DiveTime and as to be expected hosts some amazing scuba diving in Europe with over 100 scuba diving sites.
Conditions through-out Europe differ greatly and the ocean temperatures drop drastically as you head further north. The Adriatic Sea offers some brilliant scuba diving, along the coasts of Croatia, Greece and Italy among others. The temperatures of these waters are generally in the upper teens allowing for comfortable scuba diving with a wetsuit. Many of France's dive sites are located in small lakes or dams though France also hosts some of the best beaches in the world with plenty of days of warm sunshine in the summer months. Visibility in Europe is generally not too great in majority of areas, ranging usually in the 5 to 12 meter range though further north as the waters become icier the visibility increases, with some Norwegian dive sites boasting visibility in excess of 30 meters.
One probably wouldn't travel to Europe for the sole purpose of scuba diving unless one is a wreck enthusiast or in desire of scuba diving every country possible. Though Europe is most certainly capable of hosting exciting scuba diving, so if you are in the process of considering a holiday in Europe you may want to decide on one where you could at the same time go sightseeing and be able of scuba diving without being disappointed. As mentioned above some prime examples of counties that will give you a great scuba diving experience as well as an amazing time sightseeing are: Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and England. (It is suggested that you dive these areas in summer).
As one can see above, scuba diving need not be the same old thing you do on the weekends in a familiar surrounding and there is plenty of diversity throughout the world and each location holds its own charm. As a scuba diver you should always be looking to explore the unexplored and extend your boundaries. And thanks to dive shops there is never an excuse for scuba diving in a new location, especially while on holiday. The final piece of this article topic will consist of South East Asia and Oceana.
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