For some, wintertime means a progression of ice and snow storms, and trouble navigating slippery roads to get around.  Imagine how pleasant it is to take a trip somewhere warm during those coldest of months.  That mental lift is one of the big reasons for the popularity of scuba diving vacations.  Denver scuba shops offer destinations domestic or international that offer warm water, fascinating geography and sumptuous accommodations.One aspect to consider is traveling with or without diving equipment.  Denver divers may discover that they prefer their own equipment, but it can be a hassle getting your gear in and out of airports.  Many traveling divers find that it is easier to travel to the destination, and then rent quality diving equipment.  Denver travelers can then relax and enjoy every aspect of their trip, rather than having to fuss with keeping track of their diving equipment.  Denver scuba divers will find that equipment is available to rent at all the top diving vacation spots.If arriving at your vacation destination is the best part of your trip, no doubt deciding where to go on your Colorado diving vacations is next in line for that honor.  Explore Cozumel, Mexico or the Fiji Islands on your next scuba diving vacations.  Denver divers can also choose to visit the Maldives atolls; Baja, Mexico; Dominica Island; the Philippines and even less traveled areas such as Isla Guadalupe, Mexico.  There are various types of luxury accommodations available on Colorado diving vacations.  In some instances you will be staying aboard a wonderful yacht.  In these cases, you will dine on ship and enjoy the wonderful sights and sea life at your destination for Denver scuba dive vacations.  At other times, you may stay in a fantastic resort.  This offers you the chance to dine in other locations and explore the wonderful countryside.  While on scuba diving vacations, Denver scuba divers can expect to spend a great deal of time in the water.  Three to four dives per day are not uncommon on the better Colorado diving vacations.  Because underwater photography is so popular with divers, many of the Denver scuba dive vacations’ accommodations also offer special areas for photographers to work, with ample power outlets and large work tables.  With good reason is photography so important on Colorado diving vacations, because you will be visiting amazing areas that feature stunning corals, and sea life such as whale sharks and giant mantas found in few other places in the world.  Enjoy beautiful beaches, clear water and amazing reefs and marine life on your next Denver scuba dive vacations.  When you are ready to take a trip, it is best to make reservations well in advance of the time you want for your scuba diving vacations.  Denver residents will have many wonderful choices from which to choose their favorite spots for diving.

Boracay in the Philippines along with nearby Indonesia’s Bali are consistently voted by scuba diving magazines and publications as amongst the top 10 scuba diving destinations and resorts in the world.
There are quite a few diving operators offer dive safaris to hard to reach locations in Boracay such as Sibuyan Sea, Tablas, Romblon and Semirara. Closer to Boracay are also some world class dive sites catering to divers of varying diving skills. If you are not a scuba diver, you will find snorkeling in Boracay just as exhilarating because of its rich marine life.
For example, Friday’s Rock which lies close to the island’s west shore you can find a variety of brilliant colored soft and hard corals, butterfly fishes, wrasses, damsel fishes, blue tangs, stingrays and snappers, often along with big scorpion fishes and lion fishes hiding in rocks and crevices.
There are 2 dive sites nearby called Punta1 and Punta2. Punta 1 is shallower dive which is a drop off to about 24m (80ft) Punta 2 starts at 30m and goes down to 50m (170ft). Groupas, trigger fishes, angel fishes as well as sweetlips, tuna, barracuda and the occasional reef shark populate these two interesting dive locations.
Just southeast of Boracay lies the Crocodile Island (so named because of shape of the island and not after the scaly reptile) which is a very popular scuba diving site. It is wall diving here of about 25m(80ft) in depth at its bottom. This diving destination is so rich in marine life that many species of fish and corals make its residence here. There are even a few poisonous banded sea snakes here and some are as long as two meters (6.4ft) long. Do be careful because all sea snakes are poisonous and their bites can be fatal.
Another excellent dive site nearby is the Laurel Island. This dive site is for the more experienced scuba divers as the undercurrent here can get quite strong. Because of this fact, drift diving can be a pleasure here. It is also these strong currents that encourage corals to open up their beautiful yellow and orange polyps to feed on microscopic planktons and marine creatures, festooning the walls of an 8m (25ft) tunnel at the tip of the island. You can also find big sponges and handsome gorgonian sea fans here.
At northern Boracay is Yapak, which is a deep wall diving starting at around 30m(95ft) and descending the depth of 60m (190 ft). Again, the undercurrent here can be rather tricky. This area is the domain of larger pelagic fishes such as barracudas and various species of sharks. Occasionally, a hammerhead shark will swim by and giant manta rays are also frequently sighted.
Other interesting dive spots in the Boracay are Carabao (buffalo), Cathedral Cave, Buruanga, Black Rock and Dog Drift. So if you are going to the Phillipines for a scuba diving vacation, why not try scuba diving in beautiful Boracay.

If you’ve never been to Belize, a great spot to start is Ambergris Caye. It offers great diving and interesting topside attractions to keep you busy during those surface intervals.
Ambergris Caye is the most popular spot in Belize for scuba diving. It offers a variety of diving such as reefs, walls, blue holes and more. If you’ve never been to Belize before, Ambergris Caye is a great place to start.
Geography
Ambergris Caye is the largest island of Belize and is about 25 miles long and 1 mile wide. So it’s a small island and easy to explore. The town on Amergris Caye is San Pedro and lies near the southern tip.
San Pedro has 3 main roads that run parallel to the beach and reef. They have more tourist oriented names now but many of the locals still call them by their old names. The 3 main streets are Barrier Reef Drive (Front Street), Pescador Drive (Middle Street) and Angel Coral Drive (Back Street).
The barrier reef lies just offshore from Ambergris. It is about a half mile east from the shore so boat rides to most dive sites are short.
Location
Belize itself is situated on the Caribbean coast. It is bordered by Mexico in the north, Guatemala to the south and west and the Caribbean on the east.
Ambergris Caye is located about 35 miles northeast of Belize City and 11 miles north of it’s sister island Caye Caulker.
There is airport on the island with several flights a day from Belize City (Maya Island Air and Tropic Air). The flight is short, about 20 minutes, but beautiful. You can also reach Ambergris via water taxi from Belize City (or Caye Caulker). The ride from Belize City is about 75 minutes and is a fun way to get the island.
Weather
The average daytime temperature during the summer months is typically around the mid to high 80’s F with temperatures in the 90’s F not that uncommon. Things cool off a bit in the winter months with average temperatures closer to around 80F.
Belize and Ambergris Caye have a rainy season from June to November with the most rainfall occurring in the September-November timeframe. The island does get hit by hurricanes during the hurricane season (June-November also).
Reefs and Rides
Ambergris Caye Belize sits right off the second largest barrier reef in the world (the reef runs for 185 miles). The reef is only about a half mile offshore from the island so boat rides can be short. The visibility is typically in the 50-100 foot range.
If you go out to the reef, some dive sights are less than a 10 minute ride away. One of the most popular spots for diving is within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve which lies less than 5 miles from San Pedro. This is also the area where the popular Shark Ray Alley is located. Although it is a snorkel spot, it is fun and worth doing.
There is alot of variety in Ambergris Caye diving. You can do canyons, tunnels, wrecks, blue hole, etc. Since it is the most popular tourist spot and dive destination in Belize, there are alot of dive operators to choose from. Most hotels usually have or are affiliated with/recommend a particular outfit.
So if you’re looking for a spot with great diving and interesting topside attractions, Belize and Ambergris Caye may be for you.