We are starting to plan our trip to Curacao and there will 3 to 5 of us going. We have been to Bonaire a few times and I absolutely love Bonaire.
... right now we are looking at Ocean Encounters WEST as the dive shop, possible staying at All West. I have been reading the comments.. great comments.... My questions are
Shore diving-
do you recommend that we rent a truck for our shore diving adventures? some comments recommend trucks over cars... At All WEST, all the packages include Room, Car/Truck and either a shore or boat diving package. Based on your numbers, I would recommend a truck over a car... this would offer you flexibility w/ tanks and gear.
recommendations for shore dives... just go with the dive shop recommendations and/or your recommendations or do you recommend any online or printed material??? Generally speaking I have dove most of the spots up and down the island so I can give you specific information on arrival including directions and protocols.
any definite shore dive that you would recommend that we hire a dive guide for Curacao is a very easy island to shore dive therefore most of the sites on the West should not require a DM if you are experienced and comfortable. However, for East locations, I would recommend speaking to Mark and Suzy @ the Dive Bus for specific information since they are the experts on that side.....
if we decide on more distant location shore dives and we don't have enough Nitrox tanks from ocean encounters...do most dive shops carry Nitrox??? Generally however OEW does have a recipricol relationship w/ Ocean Encounters on the east side so it should not be a problem.
Boat diving with ocean encounters-
for Klein... I know that it can be based on weather, current etc but how many days ahead can we plan the trip? ASAP... fills up fast. However there are additional options available with the Jonalisa, Dive Charter Curacao and the Mermaid.
our the boats usually packed.... I ask because then we will do less boat diving and more shore diving.... It really depends on the week however our 3 boats are large enough to accommodate.
All West- where are the nearest food markets/shops??? Typically when booking w/ All West we meet you at the airport, take you to the market (Centrum) and then take you to All West where your vehicle and apartment are waiting. If you need additional items, Barber has a mini market for staples.
What restaurants are a must? Sol Food, Landhuis Misje, Landhuis Daniel on the west plus on the east El Gaucho, Equus, & The Gouveneur
Thank you for any help....
