December 8-16, 2023
Location: All West Apartments
Dive Operation: Go West Diving
2 am boat dives x 5 days
Shore dives pm and night
Apartments: very large, generally good condition. Key is used to lock to the door both from outside and inside. The key was corroded and broke off inside the lock. Management was responsive and fixed right away. Kitchen was very convenient. The driver from the airport took us to the grocery store.
Dive locker with tanks is locked at all times. You use your key to open a pad lock.
The steps are about 30 to get up and down to the beach. Not bad is you're in decent shape with good knees.
The water entry is easy compared to Bonaire with it's surf.
House reef is very nice, eels, fish, crab, lobster, lots of turtles. Beautiful and great for night diving.
Lots of mosquitos at the apartments, I did end up with dengue fever.
Trucks: manual transmission, good condition, easy to use.
Food: great local food but most places close by 5-8pm because the locals eat their main meals in the afternoon.
Dive shop: nice dive guides but the place is understaffed and everyone was new. They did their best but obviously they didn't know the reef super well because they only arrived 3 weeks prior. Looks like high turn over. The boat mostly does drift dives and you have to catch the tow line and fight some waves to get on board. Quick exits as the boat is moving. Boat captains are very skilled.
Overall pleasant and pretty good diving. I wouldn't go back because of bad experience getting dengue fever.
