As my wife likes to point out:
"Bonaire is where divers go to vacation. Curacao is where vacationers go to dive."
Indeed. What I've wondered is why it isn't
both.
I joined ScubaBoard Dec. '06. Been on a lot since then. Seems like back then, Curacao was mentioned uncommonly, like some undiscovered gem. Over time, it seemed there were more posts about it. A few people even preferred it to Bonaire. With talk about a larger island, sandy beaches, more 'non-dive' things to do, and cheaper flight options compared to Bonaire (such that many people flying to Bonaire have a connecting flight in Curacao), it seemed peculiar that is got so little 'scuba press.'
Then I see a post that
the 2 dive resorts in Curacao have closed.
2? Whereas in Bonaire, off the top my head, I think of Caribbean Club, Beach Comber Villas, Hamlet Oasis, Captain Don's Habitat, Buddy Dive, Sand Dollar (choice of Dive Friends or BDA), Eden Beach Resort, Windsock Resort, Belmar, Den Lamen...and there are more. I guess you could argue some (Eden Beach and Sand Dollar) are sort of like a hotel with a dive op. on-site, but these seems heavily oriented to dive tourism (although Eden Beach's web site less so under the new ownership I believe came into play some years back).
I'd consider Curacao myself, but I'm not adventurous enough to go alone, and I'm afraid a my wife or buddy might try to take the opportunity to divert part of the trip to something besides diving.
Richard.