Curacao: Relaxed Guided Dives, Goby Divers or Porto Mari Sports

[ScubaERDoc]

Hello!

I am all set for Curacao in 3 weeks. My friends and I have booked a Villa in the central part of the island. Unfortunately this means that we will be relatively far from the dive shops I was originally excited about diving with: All West and Dive Bus.

The owner of the villa has recommended 3 nearby dive ops: 1) Relaxed Guided Dives, 2) Goby Divers or 3) Porto Mari Sports

Has anyone been diving with any of them and what are your thoughts??

Thanks

 

[CuracaoJ]

Good morning from Curacao ERDoc.

A little more info would be helpful in answering you. Do you plan on having a car while you are here? Will you be able to have a buddy and do your own shore diving, or are you looking only for "guided" tours?

Jeff

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

A villa in the center of the island suggests that you are staying in Coral Estates, right? Curacao is an island. "relatively far" is what people who have lived here for a couple of years now think of a 25 minute drive.
Both the Dive Bus and Relaxed Divers guide shore dives. If you have a car, you can meet them wherever they go. You can check both schedules for your choice of dive sites. Porto Marie is in St. Willibrordus. You'll probably do a couple (or more) dives there. You can bring tanks from PM to Daibooi (between PM and CE) but Daibooi reef is a further swim out.
You'll still want to dive with Go West Diving (All West) for your boat dives. Westpunt is approx. 25 minutes from Coral Estates. If that's where you are staying everyone would highly recommend that you rent a car.

 

[Kukuisa]

From your villa to either The Dive Bus (east of town) or Go West Diving (far West) is some distance for the every day routine. You have to drive half an hour to get there. Nothing wrong with them.
For people staying in the middle part of the island I would recommend the central located Relaxed Guide Dives.

 

[diversteve]

Assuming the villa is in Coral Estates - isn't that only about 5 minutes to Porto Mari? We rented from Porto Mari Sports and dove there. Can't say anything particularly good or bad about them. Nice people.

Discover Dive in Lagun might be another option - at least for shore diving as they have a pickup truck height dock for easy tank pickup. Although it's not real close either - might as well go a few more minutes to Go West from there. DD would be convenient for diving at Playa(s) Lagun or Jeremi.

 

[ScubaERDoc]

We are staying at a place called Flamingo Villa. 5 divers total with a broad range of experience levels. Planning on doing a first day of boat dives, then a day or two of guided shore dives to get orientated to the area. Afterwards we are planning on doing almost a week of independent shore diving. I head that Goby Divers is a new op run by some former DMs from Habitat. Any word on them?

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Flamingo Villa is beautiful! The Habitat restaurant has opened but I hadn't heard about the dive shop, maybe it'e the "new" Goby Divers?

 

[Kukuisa]

Beside that the Goby Divers are a new company, established earlier this year (Chamber of Commerce records), very little is known about them. I could't find a webside of them.

 

[Karel]

You don't have to choose A diving school, you can choose several on different places. (including us) Every diving facility has different options. For info about diving sites you can look at Duikstekken - Curacao duik magazine . You can also mail us about anything considering diving at Curacao.
:cool2:

 

[song]

Goby Divers is owned by a couple of former divemasters/instructors from Habitat (recently got an e-mail from them). They are top-notch people and divers who look out for their guests and the reef. While I cannot say I've had any experience with the "new" Goby Divers company I would not hesitate to endorse their owners, would expect nothing less than excellence from them.