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Where to learn to dive in August

49 destinations with plenty of calm, shallow sites that are open in August, ranked for a first dive or an Open Water course. Seasons come from published sources.

Best places to learn in August

  1. 1Koh Samui & Koh PhanganThailandBest Mar–Apr, Jun–Aug10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 28–30 °C4 easy shore divesBest season in August95/ 100
  2. 2Kona (Big Island)United StatesGood all year8 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–28 °C5 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in August87/ 100
  3. 3BonaireBest Dec–Jun13 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C9 easy shore divesGood season in August84/ 100
  4. 4Cayman IslandsBest Dec–Apr10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in August79/ 100
  5. 5WakatobiIndonesiaBest Mar–Dec17 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CBest season in August78/ 100
  6. 6Great Barrier Reef (Cairns & Port Douglas)AustraliaBest May–Aug9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in August78/ 100
  7. 7BahamasBest Jun–Mar10 Open Water sitesWater 22–28 °CMostly calm waterBest season in August77/ 100
  8. 8Koh TaoThailandBest Mar–May, Sep–Oct10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CGood season in August77/ 100
  9. 9Marsa Alam & the BrothersEgyptBest Jun–Oct8 Open Water sitesWater 23–30 °C5 easy shore divesBest season in August77/ 100
  10. 10CuraçaoBest Jan–Sep6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C4 easy shore divesBest season in August77/ 100
  11. 11DahabEgyptBest Sep–Dec, Mar–Jun9 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °C8 easy shore divesGood season in August76/ 100
  12. 12Phuket & Koh LantaThailandBest Nov–Apr9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °C2 easy shore divesStrong current at 38% of sitesOff-season in August74/ 100
  13. 13MalapascuaPhilippinesBest Dec–May9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in August72/ 100
  14. 14Trincomalee & East Sri LankaSri LankaBest Mar–Sep7 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in August72/ 100
  15. 15MauiUnited StatesBest Mar–Oct6 Open Water sitesWater 23–27 °C4 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in August72/ 100
  16. 16Riviera Maya & CenotesMexicoBest Nov–Apr11 Open Water sitesWater 23–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in August70/ 100
  17. 17Bali & Nusa PenidaIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct10 Open Water sites4 easy shore divesStrong current at 54% of sitesBest season in August70/ 100
  18. 18Florida KeysUnited StatesBest May–Aug8 Open Water sitesWater 22–29 °CBest season in August69/ 100
  19. 19Gili IslandsIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct7 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CBest season in August69/ 100
  20. 20Puerto GaleraPhilippinesBest Dec–May9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CGood season in August67/ 100
  21. 21Farne Islands & St AbbsUnited KingdomBest Aug–Oct7 Open Water sites3 easy shore divesBest season in August67/ 100
  22. 22UtilaHondurasBest Mar–May6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in August66/ 100
  23. 23AnilaoPhilippinesBest Nov–Dec, Apr–May13 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °COff-season in August65/ 100
  24. 24Dorset (Portland & Swanage)United KingdomBest May–Oct6 Open Water sites3 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in August64/ 100
  25. 25Bohol & PanglaoPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C3 easy shore divesGood season in August64/ 100
  26. 26HurghadaEgyptBest Apr–May, Oct–Nov8 Open Water sitesWater 21–28 °CGood season in August62/ 100
  27. 27Cancún & Isla MujeresMexicoBest Nov–Feb, Jun–Sep5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in August62/ 100
  28. 28Pembrokeshire & SkomerUnited KingdomBest Jun–Sep5 Open Water sites5 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in August61/ 100
  29. 29Okinawa & YonaguniJapanBest Apr–May6 Open Water sitesWater 21–30 °C2 easy shore divesStrong current at 38% of sitesGood season in August60/ 100
  30. 30Sodwana BaySouth AfricaBest Apr–Sep5 Open Water sitesWater 20–29 °CMostly calm waterBest season in August60/ 100
  31. 31CreteGreeceBest Jul–Sep7 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterBest season in August59/ 100
  32. 32Tobermory (Fathom Five)CanadaBest Jul–Aug7 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterBest season in August59/ 100
  33. 33CozumelMexicoBest May–Aug6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–28 °CStrong current at 50% of sitesBest season in August59/ 100
  34. 34Dumaguete, Dauin & Apo IslandPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °C2 easy shore divesMostly calm waterOff-season in August58/ 100
  35. 35Fernando de NoronhaBrazilBest Mar–Jul, Oct5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–27 °CMostly calm waterGood season in August58/ 100
  36. 36MoalboalPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CGood season in August58/ 100
  37. 37Sharm El Sheikh & Ras MohammedEgyptBest Sep–Nov8 Open Water sitesWater 20–28 °CGood season in August57/ 100
  38. 38Phú QuốcVietnamBest Nov–Apr6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 28–31 °CMostly calm waterOff-season in August57/ 100
  39. 39Southeast Florida (Palm Beach to Miami)United StatesBest May–Sep5 Open Water sitesWater 20–29 °CMostly calm waterBest season in August56/ 100
  40. 40Malta, Gozo & CominoMaltaBest Apr–Oct6 Open Water sites4 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in August55/ 100
  41. 41Nha TrangVietnamBest Apr–Aug4 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in August54/ 100
  42. 42Mactan (Cebu)PhilippinesBest Feb–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26.5–29.5 °CStrong current at 47% of sitesGood season in August52/ 100
  43. 43MallorcaSpainGood May–Oct6 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in August49/ 100
  44. 44KomodoIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct5 Open Water sitesWater 20–30 °CStrong current at 65% of sitesBest season in August47/ 100
  45. 45Andaman Islands (Havelock & Neil)IndiaBest Dec–Mar4 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °CStrong current at 36% of sitesOff-season in August43/ 100
  46. 46CoronPhilippinesBest Dec–Apr4 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °CMostly calm waterOff-season in August43/ 100
  47. 47Narvik & LofotenNorwayBest Jul–Aug4 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterBest season in August43/ 100
  48. 48Plymouth & South CornwallUnited KingdomBest Jul–Oct4 Open Water sitesBest season in August42/ 100
  49. 49AzoresPortugalBest Jul–Oct4 Open Water sitesStrong current at 45% of sitesBest season in August37/ 100

How the score works: number of dive sites whose usual dive suits Open Water divers (up to 40 points), share of the destination's sites that are Open Water friendly (20), water temperature (15), easy sites you can dive from the shore (10), calm water (10, minus the share of sites with strong current) and, for a given month, the season (15). Only destinations with at least 4 documented Open Water sites are ranked. Always learn with a certified instructor, who decides the actual dive plan.

Already certified? See where to dive in August for every level.

Find a beginner-friendly trip in August
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