You can dive practically anywhere there’s water – a swimming pool, the ocean and all points in between, including quarries, lakes, rivers, springs or even aquariums. Where you can scuba dive is determined by your:
Experience level
Dive site access and conditions
Interests
For example, if you’ve just finished your PADI Open Water Diver course, you probably shouldn’t dive under Antarctic ice on your next dive. However, don’t limit yourself. Some of the best diving is closer than you think.
Your local dive site can be anything from a purpose-built site, like a large aquarium, or a more natural site like Belize’s Blue Hole or Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. It may be a manmade reservoir or a fossil-filled river. It’s not always about great visibility because what you see is more important than how far you see.
The only truly important thing about where you dive is that you have the training and experience for diving there, and that you have a dive buddy to go with you. Your local PADI Dive Center or Resort can help you organize great local diving or a dive vacation.