St. Lucia

Almost all the diving sits on the leeward west coast, and it is boat-led but undemanding: centres work off the waterfront, moorings are minutes away, and two-tank mornings are the standard shape of a day. The Soufriere Marine Management Area zones the southern sites, holds boats on fixed moorings and charges divers a fee collected through the shops. Operators up at Rodney Bay run a long way south to reach the same water, so divers set on the Piton sites usually stay in Soufriere.

The profile underwater is a steep slope rather than a sheer face, with coral and sponge over volcanic rock and sand chutes cutting down between the ridges. Sites separate by how much water moves across them: the bays shelve gently and collect sand, rubble and small subjects, while exposed points are run as one-way passes with the boat following your bubbles. A couple of resort beaches also let you get in without a boat at all.

The strength is shallow colour. Most of the growth sits above thirty metres where light is still strong, which is forgiving for photographers and for divers still working on air consumption. Nothing demands a deep profile, so surface intervals stay short and repetitive diving is easy. That makes it a workable base for training weeks, first dives after certification and mixed-ability groups. Divers travelling for pelagic encounters or a long wreck list will find the menu short.