Top Shore Diving Destinations of the World

Shore diving, as the name implies, is the ability to enter the water directly from the shore. This may be a house reef, a beach, a pebbly shoreline or perhaps a giant stride entry from the rocks. Read more to discover our best holiday recommendations.

Many divers turn to day boat diving or liveaboards for their diving holidays, assuming that heading farther out to sea means better diving. But there are many upsides to shore diving, including direct access to the ocean! In this blog, we’re going to cover some of the best shore diving destinations in the world and explore some of its virtues.

Malta & Gozo

Malta and Gozo are well known for their shore dives, with a multitude of options and easy entries for divers of all abilities. The dive centres escort eager divers around the islands, using their local knowledge to identify which entry points and dive sites are most suited to diver's experience and interests. Dive into the crystal clear waters whether it be a historic wreck, pretty reef, beautiful turquoise lagoon or cavern to explore. On Gozo, the Inland Sea is a unique and spectacular dive, as is Cathedral Cave, mainly due to their topography, but expect plenty of marine life and colour from the soft corals. Divers are spoilt for choice when it comes to wrecks around the islands, some accessible from the shore, often just a short swim from entry. In addition, the varied sites such as Cirkewwa and Qawra Point are where you can expect to see rainbow wrasse, octopus, dentex and barracuda. 

Image by Dawn Thatcher

For those who suffer from being seasick, shore diving can be a real blessing. There's no need to sit in a boat, and so it removes the motion element from your day. Eliminating the boat can also have other benefits, as it makes your diving considerably more time efficient. 

Bonaire

Bonaire is world-famous for its shore diving and offer first class facilities such as car rental packages for divers, giving you the option for unlimited diving. Located in the southern Caribbean Sea, the island is often described as being the shore diving capital of the world. The dive sites in Bonaire's Marine Park are marked by numbered yellow stones and extend the length of the west coast, each an entry point to a different underwater world. Expect plenty of colourful fish, soft and hard corals and turtles along the fringing coral reef. The local staff will pop tank refills in the boot of the pick-up or ‘yute' and you can drive yourself to one of over 60 dive sites at a time that suits you.

Image by Beth Watson

Ideal for buddies, families and groups, Bonaire is widely regarded as having the best infrastructure for shore diving. Exciting excursions to other areas of the islands, including kayaking from white sand beaches and snorkelling in mangroves, add to the appeal. This location is ideal for planning your dives and scuba diving your plans.

Maldives

We couldn't cover the best shore diving options without mention of the magical Maldives in the Indian Ocean. In the Maldives, shore diving is more commonly referred to as house reef diving, simply because the reef is directly accessed from the resort. Diving a house reef in the Maldives is normally unguided, and can offer you huge flexibility with your daily schedule. However, many dive centres in the Maldives also offer a schedule guided dive twice a day, showing you the best of their vibrant house reef.

Maldives is synonymous as a dive destination with private island holidays and luxurious overwater villas. Many of the best house reefs in the Maldives, such as Reethi Beach Resort in Baa Atoll and Filitheyo Resort in Faafu Atoll have multiple entry and exit points around the island, providing ample variety for divers and snorkellers alike. Highlights include an abundant and diverse marine life amongst the beautiful coral reefs surrounding the island resorts, resident hawksbill turtle, eagle rays and plenty of large pelagic encounters including sharks are possible to see on these house reefs. From the stunning beach at Vilamendhoo Island Resort, in South Ari Atoll, it's possible to encounter manta rays and whale sharks on the house reef from December to March. In Baa Atoll, from June to September, the house reefs and dive sites around the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Hanifaru Bay are visited by manta rays, many with just snorkelling gear even encounter these beauties.

Marine enthusiasts will fall in love with the beautiful lagoons, stunning beaches, and delicious food that each resort offers. Timeless ocean views and the reefs in the Maldives are a big hit with shore divers.

Egypt

Shore diving kick-started the scuba diving industry in Egypt, as the coral reefs stretch their way down the coastline and around the Sinia peninsular. One of the best diving destinations in the world, the Red Sea has crystal clear waters and an exciting underwater world just a few fin kicks away.

The vast majority of resorts from the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge, Soma Bay to Wadi Lahmy Resort in Hamata offer house reef diving as standard. Helping to keep the holiday budget down without compromising on the quality of the diving, you can choose onsite if you wish to pay the local supplements for boat diving. South in Marsa Alam, resorts will often offer both diving from the shore, conducted by jeep, but also house reef snorkelling. For those of you who struggle on boats or prefer to have a dive guide, this is the best way to explore a variety of locations (without the need for sea-sickness remedies). Shore dives in the Red Sea will be bustling with marine life, moray eels, reef sharks, sea turtles, and if the conditions are right whale sharks have been spotted.

With easy access from the UK, the Red Sea is a popular place for newer diver and underwater photographers to hone their skills. Unguided diving allows buddy pairs to take their time at each site, many house reefs have a sandy area to practice skills and get comfortable in the water. No pressure from a big dive group allowing you to simply watch that octopus for as long as you want.

Indonesia

Indonesia, in the heart of the Coral Triangle, is filled with gorgeous house reef and shore dives. Coral reefs filled with curious creatures, large and small, from nudibranch to bat fish to manta rays. Resorts in areas such as Raja Ampat and Flores and Komodo often have expansive house reefs, allowing unlimited water access to both divers and snorkellers. Boat diving perfectly complements these reefs, allowing you to dive, dive, dive.

A popular option for photographers, shore divers don't face the same time restraints you may get when boat diving, and you also have the space to capture that award-winning shot! Superb options for photographers can be found at Alam Batu in Bali and Dive Into Lembeh in Lembeh. The main attraction in these areas is undoubtedly the macro critters, with of subjects in all shapes and sizes. Visiting at different times of the year also brings new life and different species. Creatures that spring to mind include nudibranch, mimic octopus, frogfish, ghost pipefish and scorpion fish.

Shore diving is the preferred option for many divers, offering varied and highly rewarding scuba diving experiences, often with exceptional value too! For many, it's the preferred way to see the delights of our underwater world more intimately and at their own pace.

For more information about shore diving holidays, please call the Regaldive Team on 01353 659 999, or pop us an enquiry, and we will be happy to help you choose the right destination for you.