Bonaire again? Looking for recommendations for new dive destination.

[GrafCanuck]

If you are going to Curacao and don't want the nightlife than Nos Kruseros in Westpunt is a good value apartment unit and right across the street from Dive West and a house reef. Both are excellent. Note that you are roughly 45 minutes by car to town. However, there are a handful of other shore dive sites within a 15-20 minute drive of Nos Kruseros.

Conversely if you want the nightlife than would recommend the Sea Aquarium. You can dive through Ocean Encounters (3 minute walk) or the Dive Bus (15 minute walk). There are house reefs for shore diving but in my opinion not as good as in Westpunt but better than most other Caribbean locations. You are a 10 minute drive into Wilemstad.

Bonaire and Curacao are as much the same as they are different. I love them both but for different reasons. If I want to go to a dive centric island with dive sites and everything else (mostly) within a 15-20 minute drive than I go to Bonaire. If I want a few more other than diving choices, good diving, better sand beaches than I go to Curacao. I have found Curacao to be a little more expensive to dive than Bonaire. This is not a scientific sample though. Have been going to Curacao for the last 5 or so years. Direct flight from Toronto to the island. Bonaire has always been pricey and requiring a connecting (PITA) flight. In 2018 Sunwing started flying direct from Toronto to Bonaire and at a reasonable price.

I'm tempted to next try Grand Cayman but I know it will cost roughly 2x to do so versus either Bonaire or Curacao. A bucket list thing.

 

[Kharon]

If you are going to Curacao and don't want the nightlife than Nos Kruseros in Westpunt is a good value apartment unit and right across the street from Dive West and a house reef. Both are excellent. Note that you are roughly 45 minutes by car to town. However, there are a handful of other shore dive sites within a 15-20 minute drive of Nos Kruseros.

Conversely if you want the nightlife than would recommend the Sea Aquarium. You can dive through Ocean Encounters (3 minute walk) or the Dive Bus (15 minute walk). There are house reefs for shore diving but in my opinion not as good as in Westpunt but better than most other Caribbean locations. You are a 10 minute drive into Wilemstad.

Bonaire and Curacao are as much the same as they are different. I love them both but for different reasons. If I want to go to a dive centric island with dive sites and everything else (mostly) within a 15-20 minute drive than I go to Bonaire. If I want a few more other than diving choices, good diving, better sand beaches than I go to Curacao. I have found Curacao to be a little more expensive to dive than Bonaire. This is not a scientific sample though. Have been going to Curacao for the last 5 or so years. Direct flight from Toronto to the island. Bonaire has always been pricey and requiring a connecting (PITA) flight. In 2018 Sunwing started flying direct from Toronto to Bonaire and at a reasonable price.

I'm tempted to next try Grand Cayman but I know it will cost roughly 2x to do so versus either Bonaire or Curacao. A bucket list thing.

Is it possible to dive solo from shoe on Curacao? All dive shops that replied to my inquieies said absolutely not - even with my solo card.

 

[tkaelin]

Is it possible to dive solo from shoe on Curacao? All dive shops that replied to my inquieies said absolutely not - even with my solo card.

Gowest Diving in Westpunt and Bdiving on Cas Abou allow solo diving if properly certified and equipped. Gowest would be your choice if you are thinking of diving like in Bon with a car, unlimited package and driving to some sites, which as described on some CUR posts there are other and perhaps better ways to do CUR. I would be interested if you contacted Gowest or Bdiving and they told you otherwise. I was just there in Jan and they both confirmed their solo policies.

 

[nippurmagnum]

Roatan? My trip to CoCo View in May 2018 was epic. Everything on your list. Don't need a car because your on their island. House reef is amazing: easy access, walls, shipwreck, airplane, wide variety of creatures. night dives are easy and awesome.

Anthony’s Key also fits the bill. I’ve done both CCV and Anthony’s Key, and they are roughly comparable. AKR runs 2 for 1 specials that makes them very competitive on price. But the house reef at CCV is better, and available 24/7.

 

[Kharon]

Gowest Diving in Westpunt and Bdiving on Cas Abou allow solo diving if properly certified and equipped. Gowest would be your choice if you are thinking of diving like in Bon with a car, unlimited package and driving to some sites, which as described on some CUR posts there are other and perhaps better ways to do CUR. I would be interested if you contacted Gowest or Bdiving and they told you otherwise. I was just there in Jan and they both confirmed their solo policies.

It was some years back when I contacted the dive shops on Curacao and they all replied that solo was a no-go. However, a few years later, returning from a Bonaire trip I ran into a Curacao dive shop owner. When I asked why they forbid solo, he said "come to my shop - we don't have that restriction". I guess that solo is becomming more understood and accepted. That's great.

Is the reef a lot farther from shore on Curacao? I understand the shore is a lot more forgiving for entry and exit than Bonaire, but very long surface swims would make it difficult for this old geezer.

Anthony’s Key also fits the bill. I’ve done both CCV and Anthony’s Key, and they are roughly comparable. AKR runs 2 for 1 specials that makes them very competitive on price. But the house reef at CCV is better, and available 24/7.

The CCV and AK house reef is the same with the same ship and airplane. The only difference is which wall is closest. You can reach CCV wall from AK and visa versa. It's all the same.

 

[scubadada]

...The CCV and AK house reef is the same with the same ship and airplane. The only difference is which wall is closest. You can reach CCV wall from AK and visa versa. It's all the same.

Not really, a long swim. Fantasy Island?

 

[GrafCanuck]

Is it possible to dive solo from shoe on Curacao? All dive shops that replied to my inquieies said absolutely not - even with my solo card.

If you are into solo diving would suggest that Bonaire be the better option over Curacao. Why? First off, you can get tanks 24 hours a day in Bonaire. This is not the case in Curacao, once 5:00pm hits you are out of luck. The dive shops are much more liberal in Bonaire when it comes to solo diving and there are more of them - hence more choices. In Bonaire there's at least one dive buddy sign up list at Sand Dollars. I did not see any sign up board at a handful of dive shops that I have visited in Curacao. PS - I'm a dive shop junky and if there is one with 10-15 minutes from where I'm staying, I will eventually find.

I really like both islands for diving. Try both out if you can.

 

[KathyV]

It was some years back when I contacted the dive shops on Curacao and they all replied that solo was a no-go. However, a few years later, returning from a Bonaire trip I ran into a Curacao dive shop owner. When I asked why they forbid solo, he said "come to my shop - we don't have that restriction". I guess that solo is becomming more understood and accepted. That's great.

Is the reef a lot farther from shore on Curacao? I understand the shore is a lot more forgiving for entry and exit than Bonaire, but very long surface swims would make it difficult for this old geezer.



The CCV and AK house reef is the same with the same ship and airplane. The only difference is which wall is closest. You can reach CCV wall from AK and visa versa. It's all the same.

I'm guessing that you are thinking of Fantasy Island Resort on Roatan, they share the same house reef with Cocoview.

 

[scubafanatic]

-1 for Roatan and CoCoView. I've only been once, so it could well have been an anomaly, but the viz was worse than my local quarry. Not fun. The shore dive in front has a very long slope to get to it, and we had to follow the line like in a cavern to not get lost. The resort was OK, a bit rustic. I hav no desire to go back, and wife has stated she will NOT go back.

Agreed for the most part. Not lake quarry level, but pretty milky, sedimenty vis, worse was the total lack of fish life, and this was back in about 2005. The dive op and rooms were fine, and no issue with no-see-ums. I liked the actual resort but would not go back due to mainly totally fished out, and that was 15 yrs ago, I doubt it's improved since then.

 

[dmaziuk]

Is the reef a lot farther from shore on Curacao? I understand the shore is a lot more forgiving for entry and exit than Bonaire, but very long surface swims would make it difficult for this old geezer.

Depends: if you stay in AllWest, house reef is about twice as far as an average Bonaire site. I.e. like 40 feet rather than 20. You get the key to the tank room, too, there's no such thing as 5 pm (but they don't keep nitrox there). Some sites you do have to swim out a bit, and BYO gas.