Tropical Beach House Guam

Kayak-access diving in Tumon Bay

Tropical Beach House Guam is a PADI 5 Star Gold resort based at the Westin Resort Guam in Tumon, and it makes the most of that address. Lessons can run in the hotel swimming pool, and there's a Jacuzzi to sink into between classes — a rare kind of comfort for anyone working through a certification.

The water helps too. Sea temperatures here sit at around 85°F almost year-round, so you're not cutting a lesson short because you've got cold. The centre's two PADI instructors work in English and Japanese, and gear rental covers both adults and kids.

What sets the diving apart is how you reach it. Eco-friendly kayaks carry the gear out to the site, where you don at the surface after a paddle of roughly 10 minutes. The area outside Tumon Bay is isolated, and other dive shops seldom go there — sites are chosen fresh each time, each with its own character despite sitting close together. Individually guided diving is always guaranteed, with sharks, whales, turtles and ocean fish among what passes through.