A traditional hub of central Caribbean sailing activity, Antigua is an island of sheltered bays and spectacular white-sand beaches. Somewhat lower and drier than the islands to the south, Antigua is best known as a hub of sailing activity in the central Caribbean. Antigua can't offer the spectacular walls and extreme water clarity of more famous dive destinations, but there is plenty of healthy, intriguing underwater terrain for visiting divers to explore. Some 1,000 miles of shallow coral reefs ring Antigua and nearby Barbuda. The majority of sites lie in 60 to 80 feet of water feet, and there are no true walls in the gently sloping plateau on which the islands lie. Plankton growth may reduce visibility to less than 100 feet. Much of the island's extensive reef system remains unexplored, and despite local fishing pressure, the majority of reefs - and especially the more distant reefs - are in good condition, and sport plentiful wildlife.