7 of the best scuba diving destinations in the USA

08.01.2025 - 18:33 / lonelyplanet.com / Lake Champlain

Jan 8, 2025 • 8 min read

From artifact-filled quarries and historic shipwrecks planted in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea to thrilling shark encounters in the Pacific, you don’t have to leave the USA to experience a diverse and vibrant underwater world. 

There are endless dive sites in the USA that are suitable for everyone, from beginner divers to experienced pros, exploring everything from warm tropical oceans to cold water lakes. And American dive shops can help you learn to dive on courses certified by PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors – the most recognized dive training system worldwide.

Whether you are just starting out as a diver or have hundreds of dives under your belt, here are six of the best US dive sites to put on your must-dive list.

What to expect: Home to a multitude of sharks, eels and manta rays, the Molokini Crater off the island of Maui in Hawaii is a partially submerged volcanic caldera, celebrated for its clear visibility and diverse coral landscapes full of cauliflower and tube corals. Dives range from shallow reef dives inside the crater to the "back wall" – a popular place for drift and wall dives at around 80ft, visited by gray, white and blacktip reef sharks.

What to know: Early morning dives typically provide optimal visibility at the crater. You can dive year-round as the water temperature rarely drops below 75°F.

How to make it happen: Dive Wailea and Ali‘i Nui Sailing Charters offer rental gear, certification courses and guided scuba tours. Visitors can combine a dive at Molokini with an excursion aboard the newly built Ali‘i Kai Catamaran – sunset dinner cruises feature gourmet Pacific Rim cuisine and a top-shelf open bar.

What to expect: Powered by a horse-operated treadmill, horse ferries were a common mode of transport in the 19th century for crossing rivers and lakes. Vermont's Lake Champlain, the ninth largest freshwater lake in the United States, hides the wreck of one of these historic horse ferries – today a thrilling dive site.

Dating back to the first half of the 19th century, this time-worn wooden vessel is 63ft long and 23ft wide and sits at a depth of 50ft. The lake's cool waters have preserved many features – look for the remnants of the paddle wheels' iron hubs and oak spokes. Post-dive, you can learn more about the lake's wrecks at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Ferrisburgh.

What to know: Drysuit diving is recommended, as the water temperature ranges from around 40°F to a high of just over 70°F in the summer. Visibility ranges from 10ft to 30ft, and the dive season runs from May to October.

How to Make it Happen: Burlington's Waterfront Diving Center is the best place to start your diving experience in Lake Champlain; established