Which liveaboard destination is best for first-timers?

Egypt's northern Red Sea, the Bahamas, Belize and Thailand's Similans. Warm calm water, short crossings, good visibility, mild current and excellent value.

The best first liveaboard is one where the diving is easy enough that you can enjoy the format rather than survive it. Four destinations do this particularly well.

Egypt's northern Red Sea is the classic starting point: 25 to 29°C water, 20 to 30 metre visibility, short crossings from Hurghada, wrecks like the Thistlegorm, healthy reefs, and the lowest prices in the world. Thailand's Similan Islands offer the same gentle profile with granite boulder scenery, in a 4 to 6 night format that is a manageable first commitment.

In the Caribbean, Belize combines the Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef with mild conditions and short steams, while the Bahamas gives you warm water, easy reefs and world-class shark diving on Tiger Beach itineraries with almost no current on the mainstream sites.

What to avoid on a first trip: negative entries into strong current, long open-water crossings and cold thermoclines. That rules out Galápagos, Cocos, Socorro and Malpelo, and it makes Komodo's central and southern sites a stretch. Those destinations are extraordinary — they are simply better as trip three or four, when your buoyancy and air consumption are second nature.