Curacao Aug 15-22nd: Need dive-site advice

[RJP]

Spending a week with the wife and kids there, all of whom are non-divers. With any luck I'm hoping to be able to get 6-8 dives in during the trip. The key for me will be to limit time away from family to "just the time underwater" wherever possible. This worked last time we were there, where I did some shore dives with Caribbean Sea Sports right at the Marriott and off the Zodiac at their Cas Abou location.

Hoping to branch out a bit more. My wife objects to me disappearing for the bulk of the day on boat trips, but seems to be OK with me jumping in the water for an hour every now and then. So I'd like to know other locations with a nice beach where I can set my wife and kids up with lounge chairs etc, play with them for a while, dive, and then rejoin them on the beach. Bathroom facilities and restaurant/bar important.

Sounds like a job for the Dive Bus! I'm assuming that with a little planning I could simply meet them at predetermined sites, no?

Thanks in advance for any insight and information.

 

[FlamingoVilla]

Dive locations - Curacao Diving Paradise
Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Curacao, ABC Islands

Playa Lagun (towards Westpunt). Good facilities. A rather large protected cove enclosed by cliffs, therefore usually very calm and clear. 20 yards past the mouth of the bay, gauge the current and swim out against the current, so the return trip is easier and not tiring. Rental Gear and Instruction available at Discover Diving Center. The drop off is about 10m from shore. Average depth: 18m. ::: Discover Diving :::

Playa Abou/Knip (towards Westpunt) Beautiful white sand & turquoise water. Snorkeling good, Chairs for rent, facilities, restaurant.

Cas Abao (near Soto, towards Westpunt), small entrance fee per car, facilities great. Shallow shelf near to the shore with a drop off at about 9m from shore. Cas Abao Beach Watersports and Shop

Playa Porto Mari (in Willibrordus) small entrance fee, can rent chairs, good restaurant for lunch. Most beautiful beach on the island, fun, large, great to spend the day. Also called The Valley, has 2 healthy parallel reefs.
Avg depth: 18m. Gear and Instructional courses available. Reef Ball Trail. Playa Portomari

Flamingo

 

[under water]

Hi,
My wife and I will be going to Curacao on Aug 15th- 22nd as well. It is our first time there, so obviously I can't give you tips from personal experience on the island, but I thought I would share this link which seems like a great resource for a lot of the dive sites on the island.
CuraíÂo Actief

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

To add to Flamingo's west end list;
Habitat has a nice house reef (Flamingo's house reef as well 8) no beach but the small Daibooi beach is less than 5 minutes away.
Sunset Waters has a nice resort beach and shore dive.
Your wife can get a massage at the Lodge Kura Hulanda while you dive with Ocean Encounters West in Westpunt. If you can swing by on a Thursday afternoon, there is a one tank boat dive to Watamula just 5 minutes from the dock. She can also get a massage at Porto Marie and Cas Abou.
Got a dive buddy? If your wife and family can give you a lift to Directors Bay, you can dive along the wall and then meet them snorkeling by the tugboat.
And yes, you can meet the Dive Bus at their site du jour and having the family and a car will make it easier to tour that area after the dive.
A lot might depend on where you are staying on the island. If you are at Breezes ot Lions Dive, The Bus Hut is next door.

 

[RJP]

A lot might depend on where you are staying on the island. If you are at Breezes ot Lions Dive, The Bus Hut is next door.

Will be at the Marriott - with 1.2MM "Honored Guest" points in my account it's hard to justify paying to stay anywhere else!

 

[Kukuisa]

On the eastern side of the island you can go the beaches of:

Janthiel: bar, restaurant, shade, chairs, good scuba.
Seaquarium area: bars, chairs, shade, nice beach, scuba some less (but the Dive Hut is around the corner).
Bluebay/Blauwbaai: good restaurant, chairs, shade, good scuba.

K.

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Thanks, K
I knew someone would add the east end. My only shore dives have been from directors Bay and the Hut, David has done the Superior Producer and Blue Bay. I know, I know...... one day.

 

[Just another Cinderella]

I would add my 2 cents for Porto Marie and Playa Kalki as sites where the diver and non diving family can have the most fun. Try not to go on the weekend.

 

[tridacna]

Dive Bus is great. I dived with them many times. I prefer Tom at the Marriott but...

 

[LeeParrish]

Will be at the Marriott - with 1.2MM "Honored Guest" points in my account it's hard to justify paying to stay anywhere else!

We were at the Marriott a few weeks ago, also on points. We really enjoyed it, and two things that made it even better, we asked ahead of time to have a fridge put in the room, and for a room on the side of the resort next to the dive shop. We had room 202, which was perfect, second floor with nice view, about 50 paces from the dive shop, a nice balcony to sit on that looked over the beach, and having a fridge in the room means you can grab snacks and drinks from the local supermarket and have cold drinks available 7x24.

Also, if you can't get away to go on a dive, snorkel the reef right at the Marriott. I saw juvenile French Angels, squid, Squirrelfish, and even a few sharptail eels right within a few feet of the beach. The dive shop can point you to where some of the bigger eels live on the rock breakwater near where they moor their boats.