SCUBA Fans Will Want To Add These Spots to Their List of the Best Places To Go Diving

The world is full of amazing places where people can go to check out natural wonders. And while just about anyone can drive to their nearest public park, or else hop in a plane and fly to the ends of the Earth to check out some of the cooler landscapes around the planet, there are those who prefer to take their sightseeing underwater.

For those people, that means getting licensed to become a SCUBA diver, so that you can go deep into the depths of the water to see marine and aquatic life.

While many places will offer unique views or examples of wildlife that can't be found anywhere else on the planet, many experts believe that there are few places that are considered some of the best spots to go SCUBA diving.

So grab your flippers, fill up your tank, and grab those goggles so you're ready to travel to one of these top-tier SCUBA locations.

When it comes to American SCUBA spots, there are actually quite a number of worthy places to consider, according to the SCUBA Diving website.

It lists many locations, both fresh and salt water, on its list of top 10 spots, including:

• The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico
• The HMS Yukon in California
• Strawberry Wall in Washington
• Manta Night Dive in Hawaii
• Sombrero Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• Bonne Terre Mine in Missouri
• USS Oriskany in Florida

• U-352 Cape Lookout in North Carolina
• Dutch Springs in Pennsylvania
• Catalina Island in California

Of course, if you'd like to experience any of these U.S. locations, you'll need to make sure you're closely adhering to the rules and guidelines, which can mean getting a PADI Open Water Diver SCUB Certification, depending on where you're planning to dive (and for how long). Additionally, you'll need the right kind of gear depending on where you're swimming, which could mean different suits or masks.

Of course, if you want to grab your passport along with the rest of your SCUBA gear, you may want to look into some of these international SCUBA destinations. According to Blue Water Travel, there are plenty of places all over the globe that offer up a chance to spot rare marine life, or even large species, including:

• Galapagos Islands in Ecuador
• Palau
• Raja Ampat, Indonesia
• Anilao in the Philippines
• Socorro Islands in Mexico
• Fiji
• Dumaguete in the Philippines
• Papua New Guinea
• Cozumel in Mexico

• Lembeh in Indonesia
• The Red Sea
• Maldives

Of course, if you're traveling out of the country to one of these diving hotspots, you'll want to remember to check international diving rules and regulations before you go. Additionally, you'll need to make some decisions about how you want your equipment to arrive (shipping vs. packing it in your luggage) and whether or not you'll rent some of your supplies when you arrive.

Also, no matter where you go, it's important to remember that you need to have a little down time between your last dive and when you board a plane in order to avoid decompression sickness, so make sure you build a buffer into your trip if you decide to fly to one of these great SCUBA diving destinations.