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Where to learn to dive in May

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

Best places to learn in May

  1. 1Koh Samui & Koh PhanganThailandBest Mar–Apr, Jun–Aug10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 28–30 °C4 easy shore divesGood season in May91/ 100
  2. 2BonaireBest Dec–Jun13 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C9 easy shore divesBest season in May88/ 100
  3. 3Kona (Big Island)United StatesGood all year8 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–28 °C5 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in May87/ 100
  4. 4Koh TaoThailandBest Mar–May, Sep–Oct10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CBest season in May82/ 100
  5. 5DahabEgyptBest Sep–Dec, Mar–Jun9 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °C8 easy shore divesBest season in May80/ 100
  6. 6Phuket & Koh LantaThailandBest Nov–Apr9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °C2 easy shore divesStrong current at 38% of sitesGood season in May80/ 100
  7. 7Cayman IslandsBest Dec–Apr10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in May79/ 100
  8. 8WakatobiIndonesiaBest Mar–Dec17 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CBest season in May78/ 100
  9. 9Great Barrier Reef (Cairns & Port Douglas)AustraliaBest May–Aug9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in May78/ 100
  10. 10CuraçaoBest Jan–Sep6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C4 easy shore divesBest season in May77/ 100
  11. 11MalapascuaPhilippinesBest Dec–May9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in May76/ 100
  12. 12AnilaoPhilippinesBest Nov–Dec, Apr–May13 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °CBest season in May75/ 100
  13. 13BahamasBest Jun–Mar10 Open Water sitesWater 22–28 °CMostly calm waterGood season in May73/ 100
  14. 14Puerto GaleraPhilippinesBest Dec–May9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CBest season in May72/ 100
  15. 15Marsa Alam & the BrothersEgyptBest Jun–Oct8 Open Water sitesWater 23–30 °C5 easy shore divesGood season in May72/ 100
  16. 16Trincomalee & East Sri LankaSri LankaBest Mar–Sep7 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in May72/ 100
  17. 17MauiUnited StatesBest Mar–Oct6 Open Water sitesWater 23–27 °C4 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in May72/ 100
  18. 18Riviera Maya & CenotesMexicoBest Nov–Apr11 Open Water sitesWater 23–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in May70/ 100
  19. 19Bali & Nusa PenidaIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct10 Open Water sites4 easy shore divesStrong current at 54% of sitesBest season in May70/ 100
  20. 20UtilaHondurasBest Mar–May6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in May70/ 100
  21. 21Florida KeysUnited StatesBest May–Aug8 Open Water sitesWater 22–29 °CBest season in May69/ 100
  22. 22Gili IslandsIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct7 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CBest season in May69/ 100
  23. 23Bohol & PanglaoPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C3 easy shore divesBest season in May69/ 100
  24. 24Dumaguete, Dauin & Apo IslandPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °C2 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in May69/ 100
  25. 25HurghadaEgyptBest Apr–May, Oct–Nov8 Open Water sitesWater 21–28 °CBest season in May66/ 100
  26. 26Dorset (Portland & Swanage)United KingdomBest May–Oct6 Open Water sites3 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in May64/ 100
  27. 27Okinawa & YonaguniJapanBest Apr–May6 Open Water sitesWater 21–30 °C2 easy shore divesStrong current at 38% of sitesBest season in May64/ 100
  28. 28Phú QuốcVietnamBest Nov–Apr6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 28–31 °CMostly calm waterGood season in May64/ 100
  29. 29Farne Islands & St AbbsUnited KingdomBest Aug–Oct7 Open Water sites3 easy shore divesGood season in May63/ 100
  30. 30MoalboalPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CBest season in May63/ 100
  31. 31Fernando de NoronhaBrazilBest Mar–Jul, Oct5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–27 °CMostly calm waterBest season in May62/ 100
  32. 32Sodwana BaySouth AfricaBest Apr–Sep5 Open Water sitesWater 20–29 °CMostly calm waterBest season in May60/ 100
  33. 33CozumelMexicoBest May–Aug6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–28 °CStrong current at 50% of sitesBest season in May59/ 100
  34. 34Sharm El Sheikh & Ras MohammedEgyptBest Sep–Nov8 Open Water sitesWater 20–28 °CGood season in May57/ 100
  35. 35Cancún & Isla MujeresMexicoBest Nov–Feb, Jun–Sep5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in May57/ 100
  36. 36Pembrokeshire & SkomerUnited KingdomBest Jun–Sep5 Open Water sites5 easy shore divesMostly calm waterGood season in May57/ 100
  37. 37Mactan (Cebu)PhilippinesBest Feb–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26.5–29.5 °CStrong current at 47% of sitesBest season in May56/ 100
  38. 38Southeast Florida (Palm Beach to Miami)United StatesBest May–Sep5 Open Water sitesWater 20–29 °CMostly calm waterBest season in May56/ 100
  39. 39Malta, Gozo & CominoMaltaBest Apr–Oct6 Open Water sites4 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in May55/ 100
  40. 40CreteGreeceBest Jul–Sep7 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in May54/ 100
  41. 41Tobermory (Fathom Five)CanadaBest Jul–Aug7 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in May54/ 100
  42. 42Nha TrangVietnamBest Apr–Aug4 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in May54/ 100
  43. 43Similan Islands & Khao LakThailandBest Feb–Apr6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °COff-season in May51/ 100
  44. 44Sri Lanka West & South (Colombo to Unawatuna)Sri LankaBest Nov–Mar5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °COff-season in May50/ 100
  45. 45Andaman Islands (Havelock & Neil)IndiaBest Dec–Mar4 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °CStrong current at 36% of sitesGood season in May50/ 100
  46. 46CoronPhilippinesBest Dec–Apr4 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in May50/ 100
  47. 47MallorcaSpainGood May–Oct6 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in May49/ 100
  48. 48KomodoIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct5 Open Water sitesWater 20–30 °CStrong current at 65% of sitesBest season in May47/ 100
  49. 49Plymouth & South CornwallUnited KingdomBest Jul–Oct4 Open Water sitesGood season in May37/ 100
  50. 50AzoresPortugalBest Jul–Oct4 Open Water sitesStrong current at 45% of sitesGood season in May32/ 100
  51. 51Narvik & LofotenNorwayBest Jul–Aug4 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterOff-season in May32/ 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 May for every level.

Find a beginner-friendly trip in May
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