Where to learn to dive in September

1. 1Koh Samui & Koh PhanganThailandBest Mar–Apr, Jun–Aug10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 28–30 °C4 easy shore divesGood season in September91/ 100
2. 2Kona (Big Island)United StatesGood all year8 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–28 °C5 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in September87/ 100
3. 3BonaireBest Dec–Jun13 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C9 easy shore divesGood season in September84/ 100
4. 4Koh TaoThailandBest Mar–May, Sep–Oct10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CBest season in September82/ 100
5. 5DahabEgyptBest Sep–Dec, Mar–Jun9 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °C8 easy shore divesBest season in September80/ 100
6. 6Cayman IslandsBest Dec–Apr10 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in September79/ 100
7. 7WakatobiIndonesiaBest Mar–Dec17 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CBest season in September78/ 100
8. 8BahamasBest Jun–Mar10 Open Water sitesWater 22–28 °CMostly calm waterBest season in September77/ 100
9. 9Marsa Alam & the BrothersEgyptBest Jun–Oct8 Open Water sitesWater 23–30 °C5 easy shore divesBest season in September77/ 100
10. 10CuraçaoBest Jan–Sep6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C4 easy shore divesBest season in September77/ 100
11. 11Great Barrier Reef (Cairns & Port Douglas)AustraliaBest May–Aug9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in September74/ 100
12. 12Phuket & Koh LantaThailandBest Nov–Apr9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °C2 easy shore divesStrong current at 38% of sitesOff-season in September74/ 100
13. 13MalapascuaPhilippinesBest Dec–May9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in September72/ 100
14. 14Trincomalee & East Sri LankaSri LankaBest Mar–Sep7 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in September72/ 100
15. 15MauiUnited StatesBest Mar–Oct6 Open Water sitesWater 23–27 °C4 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in September72/ 100
16. 16Riviera Maya & CenotesMexicoBest Nov–Apr11 Open Water sitesWater 23–29 °CMostly calm waterGood season in September70/ 100
17. 17Bali & Nusa PenidaIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct10 Open Water sites4 easy shore divesStrong current at 54% of sitesBest season in September70/ 100
18. 18Gili IslandsIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct7 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CBest season in September69/ 100
19. 19Puerto GaleraPhilippinesBest Dec–May9 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CGood season in September67/ 100
20. 20Farne Islands & St AbbsUnited KingdomBest Aug–Oct7 Open Water sites3 easy shore divesBest season in September67/ 100
21. 21UtilaHondurasBest Mar–May6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in September66/ 100
22. 22AnilaoPhilippinesBest Nov–Dec, Apr–May13 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °COff-season in September65/ 100
23. 23Florida KeysUnited StatesBest May–Aug8 Open Water sitesWater 22–29 °CGood season in September64/ 100
24. 24Dorset (Portland & Swanage)United KingdomBest May–Oct6 Open Water sites3 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in September64/ 100
25. 25Bohol & PanglaoPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °C3 easy shore divesGood season in September64/ 100
26. 26HurghadaEgyptBest Apr–May, Oct–Nov8 Open Water sitesWater 21–28 °CGood season in September62/ 100
27. 27Sharm El Sheikh & Ras MohammedEgyptBest Sep–Nov8 Open Water sitesWater 20–28 °CBest season in September62/ 100
28. 28Cancún & Isla MujeresMexicoBest Nov–Feb, Jun–Sep5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 24–30 °CMostly calm waterBest season in September62/ 100
29. 29Pembrokeshire & SkomerUnited KingdomBest Jun–Sep5 Open Water sites5 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in September61/ 100
30. 30Okinawa & YonaguniJapanBest Apr–May6 Open Water sitesWater 21–30 °C2 easy shore divesStrong current at 38% of sitesGood season in September60/ 100
31. 31Sodwana BaySouth AfricaBest Apr–Sep5 Open Water sitesWater 20–29 °CMostly calm waterBest season in September60/ 100
32. 32CreteGreeceBest Jul–Sep7 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterBest season in September59/ 100
33. 33Dumaguete, Dauin & Apo IslandPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °C2 easy shore divesMostly calm waterOff-season in September58/ 100
34. 34Fernando de NoronhaBrazilBest Mar–Jul, Oct5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–27 °CMostly calm waterGood season in September58/ 100
35. 35Phú QuốcVietnamBest Nov–Apr6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 28–31 °CMostly calm waterOff-season in September57/ 100
36. 36Southeast Florida (Palm Beach to Miami)United StatesBest May–Sep5 Open Water sitesWater 20–29 °CMostly calm waterBest season in September56/ 100
37. 37Malta, Gozo & CominoMaltaBest Apr–Oct6 Open Water sites4 easy shore divesMostly calm waterBest season in September55/ 100
38. 38Tobermory (Fathom Five)CanadaBest Jul–Aug7 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in September54/ 100
39. 39CozumelMexicoBest May–Aug6 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–28 °CStrong current at 50% of sitesGood season in September54/ 100
40. 40Mactan (Cebu)PhilippinesBest Feb–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26.5–29.5 °CStrong current at 47% of sitesGood season in September52/ 100
41. 41MoalboalPhilippinesBest Jan–May5 Open Water sitesWarm water, 25–30 °COff-season in September52/ 100
42. 42MallorcaSpainGood May–Oct6 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in September49/ 100
43. 43Nha TrangVietnamBest Apr–Aug4 Open Water sitesWater 22–30 °CMostly calm waterGood season in September49/ 100
44. 44KomodoIndonesiaBest Apr–Oct5 Open Water sitesWater 20–30 °CStrong current at 65% of sitesBest season in September47/ 100
45. 45Andaman Islands (Havelock & Neil)IndiaBest Dec–Mar4 Open Water sitesWarm water, 26–29 °CStrong current at 36% of sitesOff-season in September43/ 100
46. 46CoronPhilippinesBest Dec–Apr4 Open Water sitesWarm water, 27–30 °CMostly calm waterOff-season in September43/ 100
47. 47Plymouth & South CornwallUnited KingdomBest Jul–Oct4 Open Water sitesBest season in September42/ 100
48. 48Narvik & LofotenNorwayBest Jul–Aug4 Open Water sitesMostly calm waterGood season in September39/ 100
49. 49AzoresPortugalBest Jul–Oct4 Open Water sitesStrong current at 45% of sitesBest season in September37/ 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.