Curacao Shore or Boat

[chachita]

Curacao is bigger and has many more sites than Bonaire. You can shore dive from a different beach everyday and not repeat for at least 3 weeks. The beaches Ron Rosa mentions are all great.

Once you get used to the convenience and freedom of shore diving, going and coming when you please, on your own schedule - not that of 10+ other people, diving on boats is a hassle. It's like flying, where you waste huge amounts of time before and after just to get to fly...

Most beaches in Curacao are easily accessible and you're likely to spend the day 20 feet from the water.

 

[scubatexastony]

When we were in Bonaire, we had a package of a limited number of boat dives and a truck for unlimited shore dive. That worked out well. From what I understand, shore diving isn't as easy in Curacao, as the distances are far longer between sites. I do notice, however, that getting a car/truck and lugging around tanks doesn't seem to be the "thing" to do there the way it is in Bonaire.

This doesn't help you, of course (sorry!), but I have been wondering about this myself. I hear the shore diving is great, there just don't seem to be as many people taking advantage of it as there are in Bonaire. At least, that's my impression.

Of the 200+ dives since September '05, 4 have been on a boat...... it doesn't get any easier! Sheeze :no Unless you're parkin' the truck in the surf zone...

 

[Sorrows]

Well, I LOVE shore diving, much prefer it to the dive boats, but my only experience in shore diving has been in Bonaire. I just noticed that people don't talk about shore diving in Curacao the way they do with Bonaire, and there don't seem to be the convenient hotel-truck-dive packages. I've read numerous trip reports here and elsewhere were apparently the only shore diving the writer did was on the hotel reef. I just find it curious and baffling. Are people put off by the distances?

What I loved about the shore diving in Bonaire was being able to dive anytime, particularly in the early morning or late afternoon/dusk during the "traffic jam". So many more fish that the 3 p.m. afternoon boat dive!

 

[bluwolf]

I must agree with Sorrows, the information just isn't there regarding shore diving recommendations like it is for Bonaire.

But I believe it now....no boat package for me, I for one loved the freedom the one day we did the shore diving in Bonaire....although another couple with us did not feel like diving after climbing down 1000 steps, but that's another story.

But to that point...when I look for packages to Bonaire, most offer 7 days truck rental...but I don't see that on packages for Curacao, which was also my concern.

I'm sure I'll find something, even if I have to reserve it seperately, but if anyone has recommendations to find a good package without air, it would be appreciated. Again, it must include SunsetWaters.

 

[diversteve]

I don't know about packages, but we're spending 9 days there next month and so far have located at least 4 dive operators who offer unlimited shore diving in the $150/wk. range. My guess is that the reason there's no car bundling is because you don't need the ubiquitous "truck" like in Bonaire - a lot of the shoredive sites seem to have tank rentals on site and parking lots. Also a lot of the west end sites are pretty removed from the airport so shuttling vehicles has to be a bigger hassle for the resorts. We're renting an SUV and and 4-door truck(for tanks - there's six of us) for the week at the airport. fwiw, the person booking our cars commented that all the rental places seemed to be in collusion since pricing only varied by a couple of dollars between all the ones she checked.

From what I've noticed Ocean Encounters seems to have the most coverage on the island. But if you're staying at Sunset Waters, I'd rent a vehicle separately. How many times can you shoredive the "Airplane"?

 

[tedtim]

We went to Curacao in January. We rented a vehicle for the week and used it everyday not only for diving, but for getting the "shoppers" into town for their excursions. It was cheap for shore diving considering the cost for a tank and weights plus the cost of the rental for the week.

We also did one two tank boat dive. There are a few sites you cannot access from shore. Just plan ahead if you want to go boat diving to make sure that the operator is not going somewhere you can do a shore dive instead.

 

[Sorrows]

But if you go to Captain Don's or Sunset Waters or any of the better-known dive resorts of Curacao, which list "unlimited shore diving" does that mean you can pick up your tanks in the morning from the resort's dive op and head out in your car/truck (as it's done in Bonaire.) Or does "unlimited shore diving" mean only from their shore?

Sorry to have so many questions, but it seems to me that if you are going to have the total diving freedom we all love so much, you shouldn't have to depend on renting a tank at the shore dive site. What if they are closed? Or don't have nitrox?

 

[ronrosa]

But if you go to Captain Don's or Sunset Waters or any of the better-known dive resorts of Curacao, which list "unlimited shore diving" does that mean you can pick up your tanks in the morning from the resort's dive op and head out in your car/truck (as it's done in Bonaire.) .....

Yes.

The option of renting a tank at the site is good for those with a small car, don't want to carry tanks or boat divers who want to try-out shore diving at one of the beach sites.

Take a look at www.shorediving.com. Good site descriptions, details, ratings and pictures.

Port_Marie

 

[chachita]

The one must-do boat dive in Curacao is the Mushroom Forest and the best way to do it to drive down to Let's Go Watersports in Santa Cruz and have Captain Goodlife take you in his boat. You can do a dive in the morning, have a delicious lunch on his charming terrace restaurant[best home-made fries in town], take a siesta in a hammock under a palm tree, and then wake up and go diving again. Paradise! You can book ahead by telephone, but you can also just show up and he can usually accommodate you.

Bonus: He's a complete character and will have you laughing the whole day!