Newbie Divers Heading to Curacao, lots of questions

[Reeferhead]

Hi all,

The wife and I are heading to Curacao in September. I'm deployed to Afghanistan at the moment. This will be the first trip we make when I get back. We're fairly new, <20 dives a piece. We've been to Key largo, Cozumel, and Belize for a day once on a cruise. I'm a big coral nut, been keeping reef tanks and home culturing coral since I was a teenager. I'm really interested in checking out the coral spawning event in Curacao and plan on timing our trip accordingly. Neither of us have ever shore dived or dove at night before. I love diving and would do it all day long if I could but my wife although she loves diving prefers a good mix of chilling, drinking, dancing, shopping, and exploring. Typically, 8 dives on a week long trip is about all she's up for. In addition, we may be bringing two non-diving friends along with us. This is the primary reason we chose Curacao over Bonaire.

We plan on 7-10 nights. Typically we like staying at all-inclusives but I quickly realized there aren't many options in Curacao. What everyone's opinion on this? Will we be seriously missing out on what the island has to offer if we confine ourselves to one resort?

Is a rental car an necessity? I'd like to be able to shore dive. It looks like many of the resorts include unlimited shore diving. Does this mean you can just take the tanks and go? or are you limited their house reef only? We were looking at Breezes which in adjacent to Dive Bus. I'm not really sure if this is a better option option over renting a car or not.

Which boat dives would top the list? Keep in mind were looking at 8-12 dives total.

Sorry, about all the simple questions but I made sure to put "newbie" in the subject line

TIA and Take Care,

Nick

 

[diversteve]

Mushroom Forest should be a must dive for you. It's literally stacks of Mushroom coral piled on top of each other. Boat dive only.

I know nothing about Breezes except that they are affiliated with Ocean Encounters. For boat dives, they start at their location at Lions Dive and pick up along the coast at Breezes and one other resort. I don't know what sort of shore diving is at Breezes, but the Dive Bus hut next door is located just off a dive site.

I highly recommend the Dive Bus, they're good people. Suzy, the owner posts here on SB often. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/members/thedivebus.html

You might consider doing is a couple of dives with them to get an understanding of how to shoredive in Curacao, followed by some dives by yourselves on the West End.

For the most part they're easy entries with slight current but at some sites the reef is a good swim out as the beach entry is in a protected cove. So you need decent nav skills when you turn the dive to find the cove while u/w. Otherwise it's all tall ironshore cliffs in some areas. Or do like I do and pop up for a look occasionally.

I don't think that the Dive Bus goes all the way out to the far west end of the island. But ask Suzy.

Diving a lot of the dive sites on Curacao requires a car. Mostly because all of the west sites are located a short drive towards the water from one of two main roads. Also some of the better dives are co-located on other diveops private property - not sure if the Dive Bus can take you there.

Good dives not to be missed:

Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland on the far west end (West Punt), it's the location of the Ocean Encounters West diveop, they have a nice easy dock entry out to the reef.

Nos Kas is another good dive but it's the Habitat resort house reef so you have to pay to dive there. Also a good dock entry with excellent facilities.

Several of the other divesites in that area are easy beach entries, Playa Jeremi, Playa Lagun and Porto Marie are all good dives. There is absolutely no facilities at Playa Jeremi so bring everything. Playa Lagun and Porto Marie have diveops/snackshops onsite also for tanks/weight etc.

Another good dive is Varsenbaai, we saw seahorses, squid, turtles and a pontoon boat wreck all on the same dive. Easy entry off their dock or beach also. Just about every dive site that has any sort of facility collects a small usage fee also. It's just a few guilders though.

A friend who's an instructor there recommended Snake Bay also, we didn't get to it.

An easy dive just east of Breezes is the Tugboat, it's in 20' of water a short distance off a beach. The better part of that dive is the wall around the point, it's crawling with life.

Tanks are available from several locations that I'm aware of. We rented tanks for both Nos Kas and Porto Marie at Habitat. They have tanks down at the water level and also for pickup in their parking lot. An all day unlimited rental was about $25 last year.

Discover Diving at Playa Lagun let us keep tanks for about 3 days. They have a drive-up loading ramp also if you get a truck/suv. We also rented tanks from Hooks Hut in Piscadera Bay for a couple of days. Nobody seemed to concerned about a deposit either.

We stayed a few days in Lagun and a few days in Piscadera Bay. PB is a little more upscale. The advantage to Breezes is it's just east of the main part of town so if your friends wanted to go downtown it would be a better location. There's even a bus nearby.

The other AI's, Sunset Waters, Habitat and Lodge Kura Hulanda are pretty far out west. Sunset Waters and Habitat are 20mins. back to Willemsted, LKH is double that. And there's not much of anything else nearby - we drove back to town almost daily for restaurants and other stuff. All the casinos are in town also - or at Piscadera Bay.

hth,

 

[Reeferhead]

Lots of good info Steve, Thanks. I think we may do what you said. Dive with Dive Bus when we first get there and then rent a car and pick and choose the shore and boat dives we want to do.

Another newbie question, So how exactly does does renting tanks work? Do you rent one for a day and just get it refilled anywhere?

Thanks Again,

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Hi Nick,
Steve mentions a lot of great dive sites, I'll add for the non divers. For sites that combine great snorkeling I'd recommend the Tug Boat at Caracas Bay, Lagun and Alice In Wonderland at Kalki. The Lodge Kura Hulanda is at Playa Kalki and your wife might like to schedule a massage while you are there. From There I would highly recommend a boat dive (5 minutes) to Watamula. It's the site that I think has the most impressive coral heads. The beaches at Cas Abou and Porto Marie are (IMHO) 2 of the nicest looking beaches. Also at PM there is a great lunch spot - try the pancakes with apples and bacon cooked right inside. If you dive "out west" in the morning, the others might like to take the car and hike Mt. Christoffel. If they do, you'd have time for a 2 tank boat morning. Again, I would suggest from OEW. The park is less than 5 miles away.
Mark and Suzy are great. Apparently so is the new Crowley who has been having fun with his posts here on the board. The have dives on both sides of the island and will take non divers as well. But... I would strongly suggest renting a car. Even if you dive with the Dive Bus, you can follow them or meet them on any dive and then have the option of exploring the area after the dive. Timing should be fine. Your wife/friends can find plenty to do or nothing to do in the hour you are underwater. Have a fun vacation and thanks for your service from an American living in Curacao. If you email me, I'll send you my notes on the West end. curacaosunshine@gmail.com

 

[herman]

Instead of renting a car, I highly suggest you rent a pickup instead. They have (or at least did) nice 4 dr diesel pickups you can rent at the airport. They are way better for hauling dive gear than a car. I personally avoid all inclusive, you miss too much of the island by staying on the resort. Plenty of sites to visit and good places to eat on Curacao to be cooped up at one place.

 

[diversteve]

Another newbie question, So how exactly does does renting tanks work? Do you rent one for a day and just get it refilled anywhere?

Thanks Again,

If you're only doing 8-12 dives over 7-10 days so what would that be? 2 dives per day? Just rent two tanks each. Most days we paired shore diving at a remote location with diving where we knew there was a diveop onsite to minimize the need to haul extra tanks. But we tried to do 4 dives per day. Given the need to travel 1/2 hr. or more between dive sites, that was only accomplished twice all week. Get a good map also, there's one you can pick up there or on Amazon.com - roads out of the city are barely marked.

The one place I recommend you don't rent onsite was Varsenbaai - based on the cleanliness of the location, I'd be concerned about their air quality. That may've changed since last year though. We were advised to lock everything up at the more remote locations also.

You can get a good idea of who is onsite where from the Curacao.com website:
Curacao dive operators | Bon Bini Curacao

 

[Crowley]

Hi all,
I love diving and would do it all day long if I could but my wife although she loves diving prefers a good mix of chilling, drinking, dancing, shopping, and exploring.

Dudes - you sound like my kinda people!

apart from the shopping. I'm not into that. Or the dancing. I salsa like a sea cucumber.

Thanks for the compliment Sunshine - and the recommendation. (Your plain brown envelope is in the mail!)

Reeferhead - You guys are welcome to pop down any time and we'll give you the lo-down on diving here. You can rent tanks and gear from us and dive independently if you wish (although we can't let you fill them elsewhere) and of course we can take you out if you want. Even if you don't end up diving with us, pop down for a beer or twelve. :cool2:

With regards the all-inclusive thing, all I am gonna say is that you will get what you pay for, and there are plenty of good places to eat around here!

Public transport around Willemstad is actually quite good, but can be a little long-winded. Sunshine is right - having your own transport is a good idea because it gives you the freedom to roam; see the national park and the flamingos and the dive sites in your own time. Buses do go out around the whole island but I don't think you'll find many after 6pm and although Curacao is a small island, it's quite spread out. Most of the hotels have a rent-a-car facility, but if you want cheap and (er, very) cheerful for a week I might be able to point you at a couple of more 'local' rental facilities!

If you have any questions at all don't hesitate to ask; this island can be a little mystifying sometimes, but it's quite simple really!

Hope you enjoy your stay here; be cool to meet you guys!

Dive safe

C.

 

[TheDiveBus]

Hi there Nick / Reeferhead

Here's my input for what it's worth:

- the shore diving in Curacao is wonderfully easy with instant rewards just a few minutes swim from shore, low to zero current and zero-surf and easy shore entries. However we're not known for our sandy beaches so booty fins are recommended :cool2:

- coral spawning takes place in September and October and it is very cool indeed. The hype is about the coral spawning itself which takes place at night, but the sponges and marine critters spawn during the day time which is equally as cool and has a higher chance of being seen. You can go here for more info about coral spawning in Curacao: The Dive Bus - What is coral spawning?

- All inclusives: as the other posters have said, there's Habitat and Sunset Waters which are mid-way up the island, and whilst excellent locations, and wouldn't (from the sounds of it) be great for your wife as they are a little 'remote' from the action. Marriot also does AI but it seems like the best solution would be Breezes which - location-wise - would best suit your wife's requirements of a good mix of chilling, drinking, dancing, shopping, and exploring, and yours for diving Breezes has mixed reviews (which you should check out on scubaboard and also tripadvisor.com but basically as long as you have the right expectations about the place, it should be just fine :cool2:

- Since you're looking at a nice, easy, 2 dives per day plus a good choice of additional 'dry' activities, and I hate / always resist doing this (sorry!! but I think it would suit you guys)... diving with The Dive Bus whilst staying at Breezes or the new Kontiki resort right next door - may well suit you guys down to the ground. Certainly for the first few days til you find your feet at least....

- If you're seriously thinking of diving independently - i.e. renting a vehicle and tanks - then to answer your question about renting tanks and refilling: as with anywhere else, you will get more out of your dives if you dive with a guide who knows the dive sites well. Having said that, it's also possible - of course - to dive independently. You can get tanks from a lot of dive sites but not all, but you'll get a better deal if you get your tanks from a single supplier (typically). Also you won't be disappointed if the on-site dive shop doesn't have tanks available... Very few places if any (please correct me if I'm wrong here!!!) will fill other operators' tanks. Instead you just rent the tanks you'll need for the day and, at The Dive Bus for sure other places I'm not sure, you'll only be charged for the tanks you actually use.

- I would agree with Sunshine that having your own transport is a good idea because it gives you the freedom to roam. And I would agree with Crowley in that public transport does exist but it's not really suitable for divers trying to get to a specific diving location (although it's fine for the evenings and a LOT cheaper than a cab).

- As for the best vehicle for independent diving, very sorry but I whole-heartedly disagree with what herman said about renting a truck... Unfortunately crime (against property not the person) is common in Curacao at some dive sites so if you have anything within easy access (i.e.. in the back of a truck), it may well be [-]stolen[/-] borrowed long-term. Whilst they are certainly not as much fun, we always recommend that independent divers rent a regular saloon car and keep stuff (spare tanks for eg) in the trunk so they're less accessible and less obvious. Go here for more tips for independent divers: The Dive Bus - Independent Shore Diving, Curacao But that's just our opinion (sorry herman :depressed

- Curacao is notoriously difficult to navigate and would put a strain on the best of relationships. The ONLY map to have is the Drive and Dive map (throw away any freebies you get with your rental car) and even that's not perfect...

- a LOT of the shore diving sites in Curacao are perfect for non-divers as well as divers, less so for some of the boat dive sites. Non divers are just as welcome with The Dive Bus as divers and most of our regular dive sites will make both teams very happy. I totally agree with Sunshine's comments about diving/snorkelling sites and for more info on Curacao's dive/snorkel sites, go here: The Dive Bus - Shore Diving Sites

- to summarise:
- I agree with Crowley that this island can be a little mystifying sometimes, but it's quite simple really, when you know who to ask (Don't HESITATE to PM me and I'll do my very best to ensure you have the best possible time in Curacao, whether you dive with The Dive Bus or not).
- you can CERTAINLY get the perfect balance of activities for you and your wife but you are better off staying east / Willemstad way rather than west to ensure that. Go here for more info about the different areas of Curacao: The Dive Bus - Which part of Curacao to stay in
- if I missed anything out, don't hesitate to PM me or better still, email me direct at: suzy@the-dive-bus.com

Whatever you decide, you will have a WONDERFUL time in Curacao - if not, come by the Dive Bus and we will ensure that you do, whether you're diving with us or not :blinking:

All best,
Suzy

The Dive Bus - HOME

 

[Jorgy]

We just in Curacao for Christmas stayed at Sunset Waters and had a great time.

We had boat dives included in the package so we only did one shore dive, which was on the SW house reef.

It was a nice dive; SW has a nice beach and dive shop, if you are not staying at the resort you can still use the beach just need to pay for it.

The dive itself is a very easy shore walk-in beach entry in a mini-bay then follow two old water pipes out the reef, turn right or left depending on current and have a great dive. There is a map of the dive on wall in front of the dive shop.

The nice thing about SW is that you have a beach, restaurant, rest rooms and dive shop all right there. So spending the day chilling and diving is very doable. SW is very laid back and the facilities could use some upgrading, but the service was great and it was very relaxing.....

If boat dives are an option then I would recommend SW dive shop, they have 2 boats and run to morning and afternoon 2-tank trips, great dive op.

Hope this helps.......M

PS: Saw coral spawning in Bonaire it is very cool.......

 

[Bosun]

I would recommend staying somewhere with a good house reef so you get in easily as you need. We have done the coral spawning in Bonaire and once in Curacao over the last 10 years, although we missed 2008. Our pattern is to do a noon dive (sponges) and then again (rough timings) about 17:30 or just later for sea cucumbers and then 20:00 and 22:00 and if enough is going on 24:00. The days are expected to be 7th to 13th of Sep and Oct, there maybe something on a smaller scale in August.