Aruba trip report - Dive Aruba

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Byte Me

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
722
Reaction score
60
Location
@ Miller Time! in SE Wisconsin
# of dives
500 - 999
Dove three days last week with Dive Aruba: Clive and his son Mark. Set everything up ahead of time with Clive via email. He's the owner/operator and works with his son, which keeps him pretty busy so if you don't hear back via email immediately, he'll get to you! He's friendly and very knowledgeable but matter of fact. Picked me up each AM at 8:30 at the Marriott, picked up everyone else followed by a stop at his home office/shop to pay and get people weights and geared up, if needed.

Tuesday - Had 5 divers on the boat. It rained the night before and Clive drove a bit further North to check the ocean after picking me up. Once we had everyone he suggested that we do the Thursday dives (Finger Reef and Masbango) because they were south and would have better vis. All agreed and Clive was right, we had great vis on these sites. Finger reef was decent, lots of Black Coral and really big sea fans, sponges bottom of the reef was in 115 feet but didn't spend too much time that deep so still got 61 minutes in. Reef and coral were in decent shape - have to keep in mind that in February I spend a week on Bonaire so that's my most recent reference and quite a high bar. Saw a couple really big squid and a puffer at the end of the dive. Second dive was from the same anchor point and a drift dive. Real mild current and a totally chill dive. Saw a couple big green morays, some smaller chain morays, big sponges and sea fans. Nice little drift dive that could have lasted longer, this was the only time Mark thumbed the dive for all of us at the end so it was easier to pick up as there were other boats in the area. Came up with 800psi after a 62 minute dive.

Wednesday there were just two of us. Mark DM'd both dives while Clive did some boat maintenance. We did the Jane Sea and Barcadera reef. The Jane Sea was great - might be the best wreck I've ever done because the thing is just covered with life. Tube, rope & other sponges, corals, soft corals, tons of fish a couple big green morays, a fun swim through around the stern. Could have penetrated the engine room but didn't bother, didn't look like there was much in there, then we finished off back at the mooring line. Got "only" 50 minutes in but average depth was 55ft. The back of the wreck is in about 95' so we spent most of the dive fairly deep. Barcadera was another fun, relaxing drift. Lots of big green morays, soft corals, etc. The other diver sucked through air pretty quick so we hung with him during his safety stop and then Mark & I went looking for a nurse shark that he knew hangs under a coral head much of the time. Alas, it wasn't there today.

Thursday two of the people on the boat from Tuesday were back and the other guy from Wednesday so there were four of us. We did Arashi reef and Debbie II wreck followed by the Antilla. The reef is in about 70' and is fairly flat and surrounded by sand. Tons of juvi fish on this site and something that quite surprised me - painted tunicates! Haven't seen those since painted reef in Belize. The Debbie II is a small but nice wreck that had a big school of yellowtail snapper, a couple barracuda hanging out, a BIG grouper in the hold and some fun swim throughs. Also, just off the bow we found two big green morays sharing the same coral head, hadn't seen two of that size hanging together ever before. The Antilla is a HUGE wreck and very popular snorkel site. Two big Catamarans filled with ~100 people each were there when we got there along with two other dive boats. By the time we dropped in the other divers were done and since we were on the bow mooring the snorkelers were no issue. Another cool wreck covered with life. The masts hid schools of fish, tons of tube and rope sponges, tunicates, hard and soft corals. We did only one swim through found a big group of squirrel fish and a ton of silversides or other small schooling fish.

I wasn't expecting much from Aruba diving since you don't really hear much about it as a dive destination but I was pleasantly surprised. Clive was great and quick to share knowledge of the island, the wrecks and diving in general. Both he and Mark were great in the water as well. Dive briefings were very good and covered reef structure, hand signals, turn points and at what point to let them know where you're at on air as well as what critters to expect. Surface intervals we had fruit and juice pouches on each dive. It was our first trip to Aruba and I'm the only diver but we all loved it. Definitely want to come back and would for sure dive with Clive again. We saw the Red Sail and a couple other boats a few times, the groups were big, dives were short. With Dive Aruba everything was well organized and you were treated like a competent experienced diver unless to requested or proved otherwise. Both Clive and Mark kept a closer eye on your first dive with them to do a bit of an assessment. Really had a great time with them and hope to see them on their boat the Amigo again soon.

Will edit to add link to pictures when I get them up.
 
Brilliant timing Byte Me, I've just booked to go to Aruba for the second time in June this year and was wondering what outfit to dive with. Clive & Dive Aruba were on the top of that list, but it's always nice to have a SB member back up what I've read out there on the interwebs.
I'm afraid I was one of the snorkelers around the Antilla last year - well, SNUBA rather than snorkeling which lead me to get my OW as soon as I was back in the UK - and I'm looking forward to getting back and being able to see the wreck properly rather than being held back by a 20ft hose!
I'm planning four (or six if the girlfriend is feeling very understanding about me deserting her!) dives out there the Antilla is the only must on my list. I've only got 18 dives under my belt so far, but they are varied... UK inland & sea, Mexico cenote's & ocean plus some dives in Iceland. But no drift dives so far, and no chance of getting any under my belt in advance. Anything that I should worry about?
 
I've been diving Aruba for 30 years (timeshare family), and I've always said it gets shortchanged on reputation because of it's proximity to Bonaire and Curacao. Your report jives with my experience there totally. :)
 
Aruba is a great place to dive and snorkel. Check out arubabobsnorkeling.com
 
Have dived with Clive for 6 years, sometimes more than once a year. One word: Great! (I go to Bonaire every year and yes, some of the sites in Aruba compete favorably with Bonaire)
 
Trying to decide who to use on our first trip to Aruba. Clive does get rave reviews, but I am concerned. His boat looks very small. No head I imagine? Does he come back in between dives? Are the dive sites close? Does he ever cancel due to rough weather? I’ve been out on larger boats when it’s been quite rough, and the small boats were nowhere to be seen. Not looking for a cattle boat, but prefer a boat the size of a Newton. Is that his only boat?
 
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