Curacao

[pjm1128]

Can anybody tell me anything about the diving in Curacao? I'm heading there on a dive trip in Feb '08. Thanks.

Pat

[ertechsg]

No info on Curacao but can tell you how lucky you are. Injoy!

[bubbles]

I was in Curacao for a week dive trip one year ago. Had a blast. I stayed at Sunset Waters and their service was awesome. Make sure to dive the Mushroom Forest. Great shore and boat dives. Let me know if you need more info. Didn't dive any of the island near the capital city...mostly stayed at the Sunset Waters end of the island which is closer to the bulk of the dive sites anyways. Have fun!

[squidlee1]

it is as good as Bonaire. The shore diving spots are marked
with rocks. Some of the beaches charge a small entry fee while
others are free. We've never experienced anything negative. Our
accommodation of choice is All West Apartments in Westpunt.

laura

[2Time Tommy]

Spent July 22-29 at Sunset Waters and can't compliment them enough. Took advantage of the all-inclusive package, including six 2-tank dives off their boats and shore diving on their house reef that included my first-ever seahorse sightings (multiple times) and viewings of octopus, turtles, rays, and some of the healthiest coral I've seen. Dive op (run by Lynn Bean) is absolutely top-notch, with a crew that embodies "customer service." I've heard Sunset Divers (the Sunset Waters dive shop) described as a "liveaboard-ashore" and it was wonderful.

Mushroom Forest is an absolute must-dive. Even better, pluck down the extra $50 for a trip to Watamula, at the northern-most point of the island for an experience that my wife called, "Mushroom Forest on steroids" and others called MushForest "times a hundred." I can only describe it as entering one of the grand cathedrals of the world, only underwater. Remarkably beautiful. Words fail me, quite honestly.

I must have said to the wife, "I love this place," a hundred times or so. I've heard of PBD -- Post-Bonaire Depression -- but surely I'm experiencing AFLAC (like the duck) -- Another Foreigner Longing After Curacao.

Tom Thomas

[Mooosse]

Going to Breezes for the 2nd time this January (08) love it!! Went to Aruba last year and still loved Curaco much better!!

[diversteve]

The reef parallels the shore in most spots so it's hard to get lost. IMO the better diving is to the west.

Some good dives:

Tugboat - East of town. The dive past the point along the cliffs is better than the boat as it's only in 20' of water and you risk having a cruise tour drop 100 snorkelers or more on your heads - happened to my friends...

Varsenbaai/Police Beach. Ask the dive operator how to find the seahorses. There's a pontoon boat perched on the reef in 80' of water to the east. And turtles eating sea grass just offshore slightly south of the dock - about 6' deep. You might see them come up for air while you're drifting back to the dock. I also saw about 100 squid just off the dock.

Habitat's reef is very good. Flounder in the shallows, big morays to the east, lots of smaller stuff. There's a resident octo just off the dock to the west. And five minutes up the road is Porto Marie - another recommended site.

Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland is worth the drive. It's the house reef at Kura Hulanda in West Punt. Ocean Encounters West has facilities there. Plan to do two dives, east is really good and west has an almost vertical wall in one spot with all sorts of baitfish milling around and bigger fish out in the distance. Best shore dives we did all week.

The best boat dive, actually from what I've heard, the best dive on the island is Watamula to the east of West Punt.

My friends g/f lives there, she recommended Snake Bay also. We didn't get there.
I didn't like Sunset Water's dive, to the west is a boat channel and straight out is a small Cessna wreck. My buddy thought it was a lobster trap as the skin's been removed from the main fuselage. Not worth the effort. The dive east wasn't bad though. We did a boat dive with them to Lost Anchor, it was a nice pleasant drift dive. With 6 of us on the boat, the DM just dropped us and then hung around till we were done.

Playa Jeremi was one I could've skipped. Long swim out and not much to see. It was far more interesting snorkeling along the cliffs coming back in. No facilties there at all, not even a restroom.

You'll need a vehicle to go between the divesites, they're pretty spread out. Get something that locks, there's a theft problem at more remote sites.

If you're staying somewhere west of town, buy food at Centrum market before you drive out, there's not much out west.

[davepoff]

I was there 12 years ago and have heard since then that diving is still the same, GREAT!

[maggs_the]

Originally Posted by pjm1128

Can anybody tell me anything about the diving in Curacao? I'm heading there on a dive trip in Feb '08. Thanks.

Pat

Pat - didja go yet? how about a trip report we are going in August and it just feels soooooo far awayyyyy..

[PhD4JC]

I am going May 29-June 5
Will be staying at Breezes
dreaming about it...

Originally Posted by maggs_the

Pat - didja go yet? how about a trip report we are going in August and it just feels soooooo far awayyyyy..