blueeyes_austin
Contributor
A Slideshow of pictures from this trip is available at:
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=90101
Photodex show...I think you'll like it!
Dates:
November 25 December 1, 2005
Accommodations:
Black Durgon Inn. My wife and I loved the place in fact, we enjoyed it
so much that we booked a trip in July 2006 the day after we returned
to Austin! That said, Im not sure the Black Durgon is the best inn
for everyone. It is a casual establishment; for example, there is a
nice breakfast down in an open air kitchen by the water. Most likely
Rick and Rona (the proprietors) will be around with their delightful
little daughter. Al, Ronas father and the fellow who established the
Inn may be around as well. The overall feel is of hanging around with
a group of friends. In addition, because the Inn is small, you will
also have a lot of interaction with the other guests. So, if you are a
laid back and social person who doesnt stand on ceremony, I think it
may be a good place for you. If you are looking for a more refined
level of service, maybe not so much.
Our room, while a bit small, was spotlessly clean.
Diving
While Kenzie and I enjoyed Rick and Ronas hospitality, I dont think
it takes anything away from them to say that the very best part of the
Inn is the fabulous access to two great dive sites: Small Wall (south
of the dock) and the Durgon House Reef (north of the dock). The access
is easy (although you will need to haul tanks up and down from the
streetside entryway) and having the cage right next to the dock is a
very nice setup. There is only one rinse tank; no problems with the
small number of divers at the Inn when we were there, but it could
pose problems for bigger groups.
Of 14 dives that Kenzie and I did in 5 days, 12 were off of the dock
at the Black Durgon. After a short coral rubble shelf, the sharply
sloping reef runs down to a sandy floor at 40 meters with garden eels.
Along the reef and wall are a nice collection of sponges and corals
and an interesting cave at around 16 meters. By varying your rate of
ascent and descent you have a great variety of dive profiles to choose
from.
With the exception of several encounters with the resident tarpon,
most of the life we saw was fairly small. Many types of eels
(including a fight between two large spotted morays), squid, schools
of trumpetfish and a common octopus being bothered by a soapfish were
among the interesting critters.
Transport:
Uneventful in both directions from Austin, Texas. We were constrained
a bit by using frequent flyer miles, so we flew on American into
Curacao on the 24th and returned from Bonaire on the 1st. Got a last
minute deal at the Kura Hulanda, which was nice. Flew from Curacao to
Bonaire on Divi Divi Air, which I would HIGHLY recommend. (Call them
up and they put your name on a list. When you go to the counter the
day of the flight you pay. Easy as pie and a much better experience
than the sullen line at Bonaire Express!) Had a long layover in San
Juan, so we took a bit of a trip to Old San Juan.
Rented from AB Car Rental. Decent vehicle, no complaints, although it
is a bit of a pain to have to drop keys rather than check in with a
human for the early morning flight to San Juan.
Food:
Ate several meals at the Lost Penguin. My wife, foodie and with a
masters in hospitality, was VERY impressed with the quality of the
restaurant. We took a trip with Rick, Rona, and some guests to Maiky
Shack, which we liked. On our last night we splurged on a tasty pizza
at Pasa Bon.
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=90101
Photodex show...I think you'll like it!
Dates:
November 25 December 1, 2005
Accommodations:
Black Durgon Inn. My wife and I loved the place in fact, we enjoyed it
so much that we booked a trip in July 2006 the day after we returned
to Austin! That said, Im not sure the Black Durgon is the best inn
for everyone. It is a casual establishment; for example, there is a
nice breakfast down in an open air kitchen by the water. Most likely
Rick and Rona (the proprietors) will be around with their delightful
little daughter. Al, Ronas father and the fellow who established the
Inn may be around as well. The overall feel is of hanging around with
a group of friends. In addition, because the Inn is small, you will
also have a lot of interaction with the other guests. So, if you are a
laid back and social person who doesnt stand on ceremony, I think it
may be a good place for you. If you are looking for a more refined
level of service, maybe not so much.
Our room, while a bit small, was spotlessly clean.
Diving
While Kenzie and I enjoyed Rick and Ronas hospitality, I dont think
it takes anything away from them to say that the very best part of the
Inn is the fabulous access to two great dive sites: Small Wall (south
of the dock) and the Durgon House Reef (north of the dock). The access
is easy (although you will need to haul tanks up and down from the
streetside entryway) and having the cage right next to the dock is a
very nice setup. There is only one rinse tank; no problems with the
small number of divers at the Inn when we were there, but it could
pose problems for bigger groups.
Of 14 dives that Kenzie and I did in 5 days, 12 were off of the dock
at the Black Durgon. After a short coral rubble shelf, the sharply
sloping reef runs down to a sandy floor at 40 meters with garden eels.
Along the reef and wall are a nice collection of sponges and corals
and an interesting cave at around 16 meters. By varying your rate of
ascent and descent you have a great variety of dive profiles to choose
from.
With the exception of several encounters with the resident tarpon,
most of the life we saw was fairly small. Many types of eels
(including a fight between two large spotted morays), squid, schools
of trumpetfish and a common octopus being bothered by a soapfish were
among the interesting critters.
Transport:
Uneventful in both directions from Austin, Texas. We were constrained
a bit by using frequent flyer miles, so we flew on American into
Curacao on the 24th and returned from Bonaire on the 1st. Got a last
minute deal at the Kura Hulanda, which was nice. Flew from Curacao to
Bonaire on Divi Divi Air, which I would HIGHLY recommend. (Call them
up and they put your name on a list. When you go to the counter the
day of the flight you pay. Easy as pie and a much better experience
than the sullen line at Bonaire Express!) Had a long layover in San
Juan, so we took a bit of a trip to Old San Juan.
Rented from AB Car Rental. Decent vehicle, no complaints, although it
is a bit of a pain to have to drop keys rather than check in with a
human for the early morning flight to San Juan.
Food:
Ate several meals at the Lost Penguin. My wife, foodie and with a
masters in hospitality, was VERY impressed with the quality of the
restaurant. We took a trip with Rick, Rona, and some guests to Maiky
Shack, which we liked. On our last night we splurged on a tasty pizza
at Pasa Bon.
