Scuba diving in New Zealand offers something for everyone. New Zealand has literally hundreds of scuba diving sites with over 15,000 km of coast line and numerous lakes and rivers. Many of these sites are world class. Coastal waters teem with colourful, fascinating sea life and the usually clear waters make for excellent viewing. The country abounds with sub-tropical reefs, wrecks, clear water springs and alpine fiords. If you are looking for a rich variety of scuba diving experiences then it’s time you visited New Zealand.

New Zealand waters are among the few virgin wonders left in diving today. The wealth and density of marine life is exhilarating.
Lying exactly halfway between the equator and the South Pole, the water and weather in New Zealand are both temperate - benign even. Below, there’s a crazy mixed-up muddled-up marine life world where coral reef crinoids exist with forests of kelp, and volcanic rock formations are covered with hard corals and seafans.

One of the most unique New Zealand dive sites is the crystal-clear waters of the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve. With its incredible range of fish, including many tropical species, it was considered by the late Jacques Cousteau to be one of the world’s top diving locations.

But there is more to scuba diving in New Zealand than just the Poor Knights. Among the other great diving areas are the sheltered Bay of Islands, the dramatic fiords of Fiordland, and Stewart Island with its breathtaking kelp forests and huge paua (abalone). Many easily accessible wrecks off the New Zealand coast also provide special diving opportunities, as do the great variety of fresh water dives.