See the ocean's beauty on a SCUBA vacation.

Oceans cover the majority of the earth's surface, a fact that makes SCUBA divers particularly happy. Anywhere there is a reef, coastline or shipwreck, you'll find groups of divers happily swimming among the fish and coral, surrounded by the beauty of the sea. If you're a diver, or have been thinking about learning to dive, planning a vacation to an exciting SCUBA destination can be one of the best ways to enjoy what our oceans have to offer.

Robert Howell is a freelance photographer who has been actively diving for five years. Here he describes some of the most popular diving destinations and vacations in North America:

• US locations. There are plenty of great diving destinations right here in America, including Key West and the other Florida Keys on the Atlantic side, and the Southern California Coast in the Pacific.

• Shipwrecks. If you're interested in shipwrecks, the East Coast is the place to be, as it offers many old wrecks in places like South Carolina, including some sunken Civil War vessels, and even wrecked ships from as recently as the 80s and 90s.

• Mexico. According to Howell, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico offers incredible diving at affordable vacation prices. Destinations include Cancun, Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel.

• Live-aboards. If you're only interested in SCUBA diving and have no desire to see the sights on land, you should consider vacationing on a live-aboard diving boat. Such trips are a great opportunity to get in up to five dives a day, often including exciting night dives.

• Plan ahead. As with any type of vacation, you should make sure to do plenty of research and make reservations in advance to avoid missing out on rooms or dive packages. Travel agencies and websites are great resources for divers, and can help you pick the perfect diving destination, whether you're a beginner or an old pro.

SCUBA Voyages
www.scubavoyages.com

Travelbooty: SCUBA Diving Travel
www.scubadivetravel.com

SCUBA Central
www.scubacentral.com

Scuba Duba
www.scubaduba.com/index.html

Yahoo SCUBA Links
dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Outdoors/Scuba/

Sport Diver Magazine Interactive
www.sportdivermag.com