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Where to learn to dive in October

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

Best places to learn in October

  1. 1Koh Samui & Koh PhanganThailandBest Mar–Apr, Jun–Aug10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 28–30 °C4 easy shore divesGood season in October91/ 100
  2. 2Kona (Big Island)United StatesGood all year8 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–28 °C5 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in October87/ 100
  3. 3BonaireBest Dec–Jun13 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C9 easy shore divesGood season in October84/ 100
  4. 4Koh TaoThailandBest Mar–May, Sep–Oct10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CBest season in October82/ 100
  5. 5DahabEgyptBest Sep–Dec, Mar–Jun9 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °C8 easy shore divesBest season in October80/ 100
  6. 6Phuket & Koh LantaThailandBest Nov–Apr9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °C2 easy shore divesStrong current at 38% of sitesGood season in October80/ 100
  7. 7Cayman IslandsBest Dec–Apr10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October79/ 100
  8. 8WakatobiIndonesiaBest Mar–Dec17 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CBest season in October78/ 100
  9. 9BahamasBest Jun–Mar10 Open Water sitesWater 22–28 °CMostly calm waterBest season in October77/ 100
  10. 10Marsa Alam & the BrothersEgyptBest Jun–Oct8 Open Water sitesWater 23–30 °C5 easy shore divesBest season in October77/ 100
  11. 11Great Barrier Reef (Cairns & Port Douglas)AustraliaBest May–Aug9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October74/ 100
  12. 12CuraçaoBest Jan–Sep6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C4 easy shore divesGood season in October73/ 100
  13. 13MalapascuaPhilippinesBest Dec–May9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October72/ 100
  14. 14MauiUnited StatesBest Mar–Oct6 Open Water sitesWater 23–27 °C4 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in October72/ 100
  15. 15AnilaoPhilippinesBest Nov–Dec, Apr–May13 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °CGood season in October71/ 100
  16. 16Riviera Maya & CenotesMexicoBest Nov–Apr11 Open Water sitesWater 23–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October70/ 100
  17. 17Bali & Nusa PenidaIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct10 Open Water sites4 easy shore divesStrong current at 54% of sitesBest season in October70/ 100
  18. 18Gili IslandsIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct7 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CBest season in October69/ 100
  19. 19Trincomalee & East Sri LankaSri LankaBest Mar–Sep7 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October68/ 100
  20. 20Puerto GaleraPhilippinesBest Dec–May9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CGood season in October67/ 100
  21. 21Farne Islands & St AbbsUnited KingdomBest Aug–Oct7 Open Water sites3 easy shore divesBest season in October67/ 100
  22. 22HurghadaEgyptBest Apr–May, Oct–Nov8 Open Water sitesWater 21–28 °CBest season in October66/ 100
  23. 23UtilaHondurasBest Mar–May6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October66/ 100
  24. 24Dumaguete, Dauin & Apo IslandPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °C2 easy shore divesMostly calm waterGood season in October65/ 100
  25. 25Florida KeysUnited StatesBest May–Aug8 Open Water sitesWater 22–29 °CGood season in October64/ 100
  26. 26Dorset (Portland & Swanage)United KingdomBest May–Oct6 Open Water sites3 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in October64/ 100
  27. 27Phú QuốcVietnamBest Nov–Apr6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 28–31 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October64/ 100
  28. 28Bohol & PanglaoPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C3 easy shore divesGood season in October64/ 100
  29. 29Sharm El Sheikh & Ras MohammedEgyptBest Sep–Nov8 Open Water sitesWater 20–28 °CBest season in October62/ 100
  30. 30Fernando de NoronhaBrazilBest Mar–Jul, Oct5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–27 °CMostly calm waterBest season in October62/ 100
  31. 31Okinawa & YonaguniJapanBest Apr–May6 Open Water sitesWater 21–30 °C2 easy shore divesStrong current at 38% of sitesGood season in October60/ 100
  32. 32Cancún & Isla MujeresMexicoBest Nov–Feb, Jun–Sep5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October57/ 100
  33. 33Pembrokeshire & SkomerUnited KingdomBest Jun–Sep5 Open Water sites5 easy shore divesMostly calm waterGood season in October57/ 100
  34. 34Malta, Gozo & CominoMaltaBest Apr–Oct6 Open Water sites4 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in October55/ 100
  35. 35Sodwana BaySouth AfricaBest Apr–Sep5 Open Water sitesWater 20–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October55/ 100
  36. 36CreteGreeceBest Jul–Sep7 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in October54/ 100
  37. 37Tobermory (Fathom Five)CanadaBest Jul–Aug7 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in October54/ 100
  38. 38CozumelMexicoBest May–Aug6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–28 °CStrong current at 50% of sitesGood season in October54/ 100
  39. 39Mactan (Cebu)PhilippinesBest Feb–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26.5–29.5 °CStrong current at 47% of sitesGood season in October52/ 100
  40. 40MoalboalPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °COff-season in October52/ 100
  41. 41Similan Islands & Khao LakThailandBest Feb–Apr6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °COff-season in October51/ 100
  42. 42Southeast Florida (Palm Beach to Miami)United StatesBest May–Sep5 Open Water sitesWater 20–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October51/ 100
  43. 43Sri Lanka West & South (Colombo to Unawatuna)Sri LankaBest Nov–Mar5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °COff-season in October50/ 100
  44. 44Andaman Islands (Havelock & Neil)IndiaBest Dec–Mar4 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °CStrong current at 36% of sitesGood season in October50/ 100
  45. 45CoronPhilippinesBest Dec–Apr4 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in October50/ 100
  46. 46MallorcaSpainGood May–Oct6 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in October49/ 100
  47. 47KomodoIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct5 Open Water sitesWater 20–30 °CStrong current at 65% of sitesBest season in October47/ 100
  48. 48Nha TrangVietnamBest Apr–Aug4 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °CMostly calm waterOff-season in October43/ 100
  49. 49Plymouth & South CornwallUnited KingdomBest Jul–Oct4 Open Water sitesBest season in October42/ 100
  50. 50Narvik & LofotenNorwayBest Jul–Aug4 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in October39/ 100
  51. 51AzoresPortugalBest Jul–Oct4 Open Water sitesStrong current at 45% of sitesBest season in October37/ 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 October for every level.

Find a beginner-friendly trip in October
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