Top 100 Gold List

Jon Cornforth

Looking for the best of the best? This is the Top 100 Gold List of operators, resorts, live-aboards, underwater experiences (i.e., best big-animal encounters, shore dives and wrecks), dive bars and more, determined on a popularity contest basis. Rankings are based on the total number of responses, regardless of category.

1. Best 24/7 Dive Destination: Bonaire

2. Best Dive Site: Darwin's Arch, Galapagos

3. Best Drift Dive: Palancar Deep, Cozumel

4. Best Dive Site: Roca Partida, Socorro Islands, Mexico

5. Best Wreck Dive: USS Spiegel Grove, Key Largo, Florida Keys

6. Best 24/7 Dive Destination: Roatan, Bay Islands

7. Best Animal Encounter: Schooling hammerheads, Galapagos

8. Best Drift Dive: Ulong Channel, Palau

9. Best Animal Encounter: Stuart Cove's Shark Dive, New Providence Island, Bahamas

10.Best Wreck Dive: San Francisco Maru, Truk Lagoon

11. Best Night Dive: Jack's Diving Locker Pelagic Magic, Big Island, Hawaii

12. Best Live-Aboard: Galapagos Aggressor

13.Best Wreck Dive: USS Kittiwake, Grand Cayman

14. Best Wall Dive: Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands

15. Best Wall Dive: Molokini Back Wall, Maui, Hawaii

16. Best Dive Resort: Buddy Dive Resort, Bonaire

17. Best Dive Site: E6, Bligh Water, Fiji

18. Best Wall Dive: Barracuda Point, Sipadan, Malaysia

19. Best Marine Park: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

20. Best Dive Operation: Scuba Shack, Maui, Hawaii

21. Best Night Dive: RMS Rhone, British Virgin Islands

22. Best Night Life: Key West, Florida Keys

23. Best Oil Rig Dive: Eureka Rig, Long Beach, California

24. Best Live-aboard: Palau Aggressor II

25. Best Dive Site: Stonehenge, South Andaman Sea, Thailand

26. Best Beach: Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

27. Best Wreck Dive: Superior Producer, Curaçao

28. Best Drift Dive: L'Anse Chemin, Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

29. Best Dive Resort: Sunset House, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

30. Best Live-Aboard: Turks & Caicos Aggressor II

31. Best Push-the-Limits Diving: Antarctic Islands

32. Best Live-Aboard: Truk Odyssey

33. Best Shore Dive: Liberty, Bali, Indonesia

34. Best Marine Park: Bonaire National Marine Park

35. Best Wreck Dive: Cristobal Colon, Bermuda

36. Best Live-Aboard: Aqua Cat, Bahamas

37. Best Wall Dive: Half Moon Caye Wall, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize

38. Best Animal Encounter: Sea lions, Los Islotes, La Paz, Mexico

39. Best Push-the-Limits Diving: Riviera Maya Cave Systems, Mexico

40. Best Live-Aboard: Arenui, Indonesia

41. Best Dive Operation: Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

42. Best Wall Dive: Ngemelis Wall, Palau

43. Best Wreck Dive: Bianca C, Grenada

44. Best Animal Encounter: Manta Sandy, Raja Ampat, Indonesia

45. Best Wreck Dive: LuLu, Gulf Shores, Alabama

46. Most Family-Friendly Dive Experience: Anthony’s Key Resort’s Dolphin Encounter, Roatan

47. Best Night Dive: Lighthouse, Malapascua, Philippines

48. Most Romantic Dive Destination: Hawaiian Islands

49. Best Night Dive: Samurai Wharf, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

50. Best Wall Dive: Santa Rosa Wall, Cozumel, Mexico

51. Best Dive Operator: Fun Baja, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

52. Best Wreck Dive: U-352, Morehead City, North Carolina

53. Best Beach: Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

54. Best Live-Aboard: Mike Ball's Spoilsport, Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea

55. Best Wall Dive: Cane Bay Wall, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

56. Best Live-Aboard: Sun Dancer II, Belize

57. Best Drift Diving: Goofnuw Channel, Yap

58. Best Dive Operator: Unexso, Grand Bahama

59. Best Wreck Dive: USS Oriskany, Pensacola, Florida

60. Best Animal Encounter: Manatees, Crystal River, Florida

61. Best Bar: Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

62. Best Dive Operator: Sam's Tours, Palau

63. Best Drift Dive: Kamikaze Cut, Tobago

64. Best Barrier Reef: Great Barrier Reef, Australia

65. Most Family-Friendly Dive Experience: Kids Sea Camp

66. Best Wreck Dive: Cedarville, Mackinac Straits Underwater Preserve, Michigan

67. Best Night Life: Bali, Indonesia

68. Best Push-the-Limits Diving: Silfra Crack, Thingvellir National Park, Iceland

69. Best Drift Dive: Tumakohua Pass, Fakarava, French Polynesia

70. Best Shore Dive: CoCo View Wall, Roatan, Bay Islands

71. Most Romantic Dive Destination: Fiji

72. Best Wreck Dive: Numidia, Big Brother Island, Red Sea

73. Best Bar: My Bar, Sunset House, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

74. Best Push-the-Limits Diving: Sardine Run, South Africa

**75. Best Animal Encounter: **Humpback whales, Dominican Republic

76. Best Beach: Tulum Riviera Maya, Mexico

77. Best Beach: Kaanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii

78. Best Surface Interval: Watching the sun set, Jade Mountain, St. Lucia

79. Best Marine Park: Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, California

80. Best Barrier Reef: Belize Barrier Reef

81. Best Push-the-Limits Diving: Peacock Springs Cave System, Luraville, Florida

82. Best Wall Dive: Browning Pass Wall, British Columbia

83. Best Shore Dive: Point Lobos, Carmel, California

84. Best Surface Interval: Looking for whale sharks, Utila, Bay Islands

85. Best Animal Encounter: Stingray City, Grand Cayman

86. Best Shore Dive: Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Florida

87. Best Drift Diving: Nakwakto Rapids, British Columbia, Canada

88. Best Live-Aboard: Valentina, Sea of Cortez, Mexico

89. Best Bar: Thirsty Turtle Beach Bar & Grill, Roatan

90. Best Surface Interval: Hiking to waterfalls, Dominica

91. Best Bar: Caribbean Club, Key Largo, Florida

92. Best Wreck Dive: Mohawk, Sanibel, Florida

93. Best 24/7 Destination: Utila, Bay Islands

94. Best Night Life: Full Moon Party, Phi Phi Don, Thailand

95. Best Night Dive: Arborek Jetty, Raja Ampat, Indonesia

96. Best Restaurant with a View: Don Diego, Sandos Finisterra Resort, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

97. Best Off-Gassing Road Trip: Todos Santos, Baja Sur, Mexico

98. Best Marine Park: Gardens of the Queen, Cuba

99. Best Swimming Pool: Laguna Beach Resort, Utila, Bay Islands

100. Best Animal Encounter: Hammerheads, El Bajo, Sea of Cortez