Shore diving can be the ultimate do-it-yourself adventure. Beyond choosing your schedule, planning your profile, and staying down as long as you please, you can access sites that some commercial operators wouldn’t touch. We asked locals about eight of the most extreme shore dives on the planet, from British Columbia to Bonaire, Maui, Vanuatu and beyond. Are you up to the challenge?

The Top 100 Gold List of operators, resorts, liveaboards, experiences (such as best wall, shore and artificial-reef sites), beach bars, topside attractions and more was determined on a “popularity contest” basis.