Remember this for next time. Chances are, you make this mental note on nearly every dive trip when you find a quaint cafe, realize that hiking boots definitely should have been on the packing list or find out that whale shark aggregation season ended a week before you arrived. Sometimes there is no next time, so we reached out to dive pros from around the world to share their best insider tips for divers looking to visit.

CARIBBEAN AND ATLANTIC

Antigua
“Make sure you stay for a Sunday night so you can check out the big reggae party and barbecue that happens weekly at Shirley Heights, a scenic spot overlooking English Harbour.” —Larry Basham, Elite Island Resorts

Bahamas
“Don’t forget a good pair of sunglasses. It’s bright on the water and you need to protect your eyes. We recommend polarized to take the glare off the water.” —Michelle Cove, Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas

“In May and June, one of the highlights is a regular aggregation of blacknose sharks—we see a sharknado of about 100 of them inside the Blue Hole [off Nassau].” —Kevin Purdy, All-Star Liveaboards

Bay Islands, Honduras
“The Roatan reef system is fragile, so we ask divers to be aware at all times. Divers must wear reef-safe sunscreen. We expect everyone diving or snorkeling here to help protect it for future generations.” —Kevin Brewer, Anthony’s Key Resort

Belize
“A lot of times people don’t know where to look for flights to Ambergris Caye. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air are the two carriers that fly from the Belize mainland to our island.” —Steve Sherwin, Ramon’s Village Resort

Bonaire
“You’ll want a good pair of booties and open-heel fins, for sure. Don’t forget a dry box either, to store car keys and other small things you don’t want to leave in the car while shore diving.” —Augusto Montbrun, Buddy Dive Resort

Cayman Islands
“When coming to Little Cayman, fly Cayman Airways when possible. Their gateways include Chicago; New York City; Denver; Miami; and Tampa, Florida. This way, if there is a difficulty and you miss your connection to Little Cayman, they will host you in a hotel on Grand Cayman.” —Neil Van Niekerk, Southern Cross Club in Little Cayman

“Sign up for boat diving with a side of shore diving, sprinkle in secrets from a local guide about finding special marine creatures, get to the reef, slow down your movement, relax your breathing and observe. Stay still and simmer for three or four minutes, until the marine life shows up. Discover how much more you will see when you slow down.” —Sergio Coni, Don Foster’s Dive Cayman

Cozumel
“Present your C-card and get local discounts at Anemona de Mar Beach Club, Casa Mission, La Mission, Señor Frogs and Winjet Fast Ferry.” —Alex Briceño, Explora Tours

“The best reefs are located off the southern tip of the island, from south Palancar to Punta Sur. These are deep drift dives for advanced divers only.” —Carlos Rico, underwater photographer and divemaster

“Cozumel has a ton of festivals, starting with Carnival in February. Turtle season extends April through August. Day of the Dead is celebrated the first and second days in November, and Scuba Fest is in late November or early December.” —Stephanie Phillips, Occidental Cozumel and Allegro Cozumel

“Diving in Cozumel is fabulous year-round, but from May until September, the visibility is the best. If you want to dive with bull sharks, the best time to come to Mexico is November to March.” —Annalisa Zagara, Pro Dive International

Dominican Republic
“If you’re coming to the Dominican Republic, the dive sites are less crowded and the visibility is best from May until September.” —Markus Fleischmann, Pro Dive International

Riviera Maya, Mexico
“If you’re focusing on cenote diving, we recommend staying in Playa del Carmen. It’s easier for us and most dive shops to organize from there. Plus, Playa has a little bit of everything—shopping, nightlife and restaurants. —Alessandra Figari, Cave Training Mexico

St. Lucia
“Divers interested in underwater photography should definitely bring macro lenses. There are so many critters on St. Lucia that you won’t find elsewhere.”
—Karolin Troubetzkoy, Anse Chastanet Resort

PACIFIC AND INDIAN

Big Island of Hawaii
“Don’t forget to use reef-safe sun- screen in Hawaii. Last year, it became a law that only reef-safe sunscreen can be used. If you forget to pack it, you can definitely buy it here in Hawaii.” —Teri Leicher, Jack’s Diving Locker

“Bring your reusable utensils, grocery bag, water bottle and straw. Reduce your footprint.” —Virginia Armstrong, Kona Honu Divers

Chuuk, Micronesia
“When heading out to Truk, fly as far as Guam, then stop and spend a day or two to adjust to the time zone and get hydrated before flying on to Truk.” —Cliff Horton, Odyssey Adventures

Fiji
“Fiji Airways flies nonstop from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu to Nadi, Fiji. Plus, a lot of the flight attendants are Fijian, which is a fun way to start the vacation.” —Alex Ilnitsky, Beqa Lagoon Resort

Maldives
“There’s a misconception about the wet monsoon season in Maldives. It’s not as rainy as you’d think—there can be plenty of sunshine-packed days December to April. Plus, the highlight from May to November is that manta rays congregate in mass aggregations.” —Guia Sciortino, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

Oahu, Hawaii
“Transportation is really easy on the island of Oahu. Don’t assume that you need a rental car for your entire vacation. If you’re based in Waikiki, you can get around easily by foot or by bus. If you do rent a car for the day, take a short trip to check out Electric Beach or go snorkel Shark’s Cove [outside the community of Pupukea].” —Shelly Rofrits, Dive Oahu

Palau
“Two great months to travel to Palau are May and June. Most of our tourists have gone back home from summer break, leaving everyone else great diving and weather!” —Marc Bauman, Sam’s Tours

Queensland, Australia
“We have ‘visa’ bolded on our booking forms to highlight its importance. Completing the electronic form too close to travel dates or incorrectly could result in being refused travel when departing the U.S.” —Craig Stephen, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions

U.S. AND CANADA

Florida Keys
“You will definitely want a rental car. Key Largo may seem like a small island, but it’s 10 miles long—with dive shops, hotels and restaurants spread out. We have only three Ubers and one Lyft down here, and just two regular taxis.” —Dan Dawson, Horizon Divers

Fort Lauderdale, Florida
“Visitors to Fort Lauderdale won’t need a rental car. We are 10 minutes from the airport, and all the hotels and restaurants are all right here on a 2-mile stretch of beach.” —Treavor Bellandi, Sea Experience