EAP details for Curacao

[GTA_Diving_Wonder]

Our fourth trip to Curacao is coming up in February. As we are no spring chickens, and my buddy and I dive independently of other dive groups/operators on the island, often on low or no population beaches as our entry point, the lack of an EAP is not a great place to be. Just asking for some help on some of the details in completing our EAP if anyone knows the answer to these questions:

1. While diving, will my 406Mhz PLB work for Curacao marine response resources? For example either my buddy or I need help while in water and we can't get to shore.
2. How to call ambulance (is it 911?) , when it makes sense to call an ambulance vs just drive for help based off location on the island? What is the emergency response time for further out areas like Westpunt?
3. What hospital for the Willemstad end of the island?
4. Is it the same hospital for all of the island, if we are at the Westpunt end? Or is there a different hospital?
5. What decompression chamber(s) are available on the island? Name of center, location, phone?

I also plan to add all the (active) dive shops as we encounter them at the beaches, and poll them for hours of operation and resources such as AEDs and oxygen to add to my resource list. It'd be helpful if someone has already done this, or there is already such a centralized guide?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Saturated and satisfied]

Quick answers

1. I would imagine so. The coastguard here is using pretty up to date equipment.
2. Ambulance # is 911. The drive is about 45 minutes from the hospital to Westpunt so you can make some rough estimates of drive/response time.
3. The main Hospital and medical centers are all within Willemstad and the main Hospital has a brand new chamber.

There is no centralized guide collating emergency resources. Most dive shops worth their salt will carry O2 but not many will carry an AED.

Hopefully this will help and maybe there will be some someone out there with better info?

 

[tkaelin]

Great questions and thanks for the answers. TK

 

[AndrewBoyd78]

Actually medical is 912 here on Curacao. 911 is police and 913 is coastguard.

As far as your PLB, keep in mind how far you might be from coastguard operations. If you are up at Westpoint, you will be 10+ miles from Willemstad where they are.

Please always use a surface marker! There is often boat traffic near shore and do not surface too far out. Currents are generally not too strong. Our dive sites are never crowded so please don’t feel you need to add risk by going where there are fewer people.

 

[ReefHound]

Actually medical is 912 here on Curacao. 911 is police and 913 is coastguard.

As far as your PLB, keep in mind how far you might be from coastguard operations. If you are up at Westpoint, you will be 10+ miles from Willemstad where they are.

Please always use a surface marker! There is often boat traffic near shore and do not surface too far out. Currents are generally not too strong. Our dive sites are never crowded so please don’t feel you need to add risk by going where there are fewer people.

Do you mean use a marker whenever you are on the surface or always tow a dive flag on shore dives?

 

[AndrewBoyd78]

Speaking as a dive boat operator here, I would prefer divers always use a surface marker at all times.

 

[ReefHound]

Speaking as a dive boat operator here, I would prefer divers always use a surface marker at all times.

Speaking as a diver, I tow a dive flag when legally required but they make me feel less safe. While you are an educated boater and Westpunt may not have the problem, what I find is too many tourists on jetskis think they are some kind of slalom marker and like to run patterns around them. Or think they found some booty floating away and try to take them. They also create issues underwater. You definitely can't clip them off to you. If a boat runs over one and the prop catches it, you might lose a finger or get hurt even if loosely holding them. If you're holding them all the time it inhibits your ability to deal with your gear and handle issues. If more than one diver has one, you have to worry about lines getting crossed. If currents vary or there is wind, they may pull you along or create drag making it harder to stay with your buddy. Or the line is pulled over the top of wall on wall dives so you have to be careful not to rake it across soft corals.

What's the great benefit to you that outweighs all that. And I'm not talking about surfacing, in that case I'll send a marker up first.

 

[GTA_Diving_Wonder]

Speaking as a dive boat operator here, I would prefer divers always use a surface marker at all times.

Hi Andy! My dive buddy and I dove with you last year when we were there. We just did a 2-dive quick jaunt out to East Point with you and KK and a few other walk-ons.

I will say the chances when I'm diving a reef of me pulling 60-100' of line linked to the surface are minimal. That's too much to manage and potentially unsafe as ReefHound mentions. I carry a deploy-able SMB, whistle, flashlight, mirror and PLB at all times if we need to do an emergency ascent, otherwise we only surface for entry and exit at the shoreline.

J

 

[CosbySweater]

Hi Andy! My dive buddy and I dove with you last year when we were there. We just did a 2-dive quick jaunt out to East Point with you and KK and a few other walk-ons.

I will say the chances when I'm diving a reef of me pulling 60-100' of line linked to the surface are minimal. That's too much to manage and potentially unsafe as ReefHound mentions. I carry a deploy-able SMB, whistle, flashlight, mirror and PLB at all times if we need to do an emergency ascent, otherwise we only surface for entry and exit at the shoreline.

J

In shallow water (<20') it makes sense to deploy an SMB, especially at sites with mooring balls or obvious boat activity. I'll typically deploy one around 20' and tow it in to shore. I'll deploy one from deeper depths if there is a boat maneuvering directly above me either trying to hook up to a mooring ball or dropping anchor. I don't want them dropping **** on me.

I'm with you though, I'm not going to deploy an SMB from 60 feet and pull it around with me all dive. I'm perfectly safe from boat traffic at that depth. The risk, I guess, is if you have to make an emergency ascent to the surface from that depth.

 

[ReefHound]

In shallow water (<20') it makes sense to deploy an SMB, especially at sites with mooring balls or obvious boat activity. I'll typically deploy one around 20' and tow it in to shore. I'll deploy one from deeper depths if there is a boat maneuvering directly above me either trying to hook up to a mooring ball or dropping anchor. I don't want them dropping **** on me.

That sounds like a really bad idea to me. Sounds like you're just asking for your marker and line to get wrapped up in their prop. The captain will be furious!