Family Trip to Curacao in October

[snoballz]

My dive schedule is coming together but I do have a question for Bryan or anyone that knows OE's schedule.

My schedule currently looks like this:
Tuesday, 10/06: Klein Curacao and East Point with Ocean Encounters
Tuesday Night: Marriott House Reef with Caribbean Sea Sports

Wednesday, 10/07: Small Wall and Saba with Caribbean Sea Sports

Thursday, 10/08: Mushroom Forest with Ocean Encounters

Friday, 10/09: Superior Producer and Cornelius Bay with Ocean Encounters

When I pull the dive site schedule on Ocean Encounters' website, the alternate site to Superior Producer is a site called the Corner. What would prompt a change in sites? How frequent is the change? Superior Producer is one of the places I want to dive and would be highly be disappointed if I end up at the alternate site (i.e. Corner).

Thanks!

 

[Diver OnLu]

Friday, 10/09: Superior Producer and Cornelius Bay with Ocean Encounters

When I pull the dive site schedule on Ocean Encounters' website, the alternate site to Superior Producer is a site called the Corner. What would prompt a change in sites? How frequent is the change? Superior Producer is one of the places I want to dive and would be highly be disappointed if I end up at the alternate site (i.e. Corner).

Thanks!

Hi Luke,

OE have an alternative dive site for Superior Producer because you are only allowed to dive the wreck when there is no cruise ship lying at the mega pier. Normally on Fridays you have no issues, but in case a cruise ship comes in anyway, there is no diving the Superior Producer, sad as it may be

Greetings from Westpoint, Curacao
Andreas

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

snoballz-

I personally would recommend trying to do Mushroom Forest and Watamula the same day because they are really close. Both are great sites and I wouldn't miss either but Watamula (to date) is my all time favorite site. Mushroom forest is a shore dive at Ocean Encounter Wests house reef and Watamula is a really quick boat ride right around the corner. Your wife could hang out at Kura Hulanda Beach Club with the baby. Not sure if that would be too much time away from the room though for your baby. Otherwise maybe you could head up that way and do Watamula and then a shore dive at Mushroom and then head back to the Marriott which is a bit of a drive. Sunshine's would be great for lunch or dinner and is a very short ride (check which days she is open though, Thurs-Sunday I believe). These sites are relatively far from the Marriott, not sure how much time would be eaten up by the boat ride from there. I second Porto Marie as well, beautiful beach with a nice shore dive. Your wife would enjoy the beach, nice lounge chairs and there's an outdoor restaurant with great smoothies! If you want to get out a lot from the Marriott, I would probably rent a car.

Andreas-Can't wait!!! I think the hubby emailed you with our dates.

 

[Damselfish]

snoballz-

I personally would recommend trying to do Mushroom Forest and Watamula the same day because they are really close. Both are great sites and I wouldn't miss either but Watamula (to date) is my all time favorite site. Mushroom forest is a shore dive at Ocean Encounter Wests house reef and Watamula is a really quick boat ride right around the corner.

The shore dive at Ocean Encounters West is Alice in Wonderland (Playa Kalki). Mushroom Forest is several miles east from there.

I don't know if Mushroom can be done from shore. But it's often done by OEW on a 2-tank boat trip along with Watamula, or at least was when we were there. The Marriott op might go to Mushroom since it's not quite so far west.

 

[snoballz]

Thank you everyone for all of the replies (even the funny replies that I missed earlier) so far!

I'm trying to plan dives whereby I do not have to personally drive and hence why CSS works given that the dive op is right in the Marriott and also why OE works since they are right next door at the Hilton.

CSS does offer a trip to Mushroom Forest on Tuesdays but the trip by OE works better with my schedule at this point. We'll see what unfolds in the next few days.

Watamula is another site I really want to dive but given the schedule looks like I have to make some compromises and will not be able to.

I'll most likely rent a car (not to get to dive site) to visit destinations with the family including Sunshine's!

Thanks again for the recommendations!!!

 

[Damselfish]

if I were choosing between Mushroom and Watamula, I'd pick Watamula.

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Hi Luke, We look forward to seeing what a snoball looks like in the Caribbean. Personally I like Watamula better than Mushroom Forest (really, only my opinion everyone). I will sometimes suggest either the 2 tank morning dive with OEW on Sunday, Tuesday or Wednesday or the afternoon dive on Thursday. Your wife can relax on the beach while you dive and before or after your dive you can explore the West end. OEW often goes on other afternoons to Watamula. It's a common request that never gets any squawks from the other divers. I have some notes on the west end that a guest added to our web site. Check it out for dry land activities and sites in Banda Bou (west end). Curacao Sunshine - Rental Property on the Island of Curacao
If you are going to make any changes, I'd opt for Thursday and come out to Westpunt/OEW and plan to see Shete Boca, Landhuis Knip and drive in to see or snorkel at a few of the areas beaches (Knip, Jeremi & Lagun) in the morning and get a spot on the 2PM afternoon boat to Watamula.
But really, all the Curacao dive sites have something special to offer. If you miss a few it'll be a great reason to return. Maybe next trip you can plan to stay in St. Willibordus, Lagun or Westpunt and concentrate on the boat/shore dives at this end of the island. Even if we are not open, we hope to see you in Westpunt!
Hey! I just checked your travel dates. You will be here during the October coral spawning period. OEW has a special night dive along with a presentation from CARMABI and yes, our pizza on Saturday, October 10th. It is a 40 minute drive from your hotel but... please join us or check out Mark and Suzy at the Dive Bus, they have some night dives planned as well.

 

[Damselfish]

hey Sunshine - did you get my PM about the magazine article?

 

[jd950]

Pardon the hijack, but is that oil rig still parked somewhere? I had heard it was going to stay at Curacao through the hurricane season before being towed off to wherever. I wanted to check it out last time but missed it and wonder if it might still be around in late October?

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Hi Damselfish, Yes, I was just about to write you. A customer back in NH subscribes to Caribbean Travel & Life and sent me a link. It's always about the brownies, dontcha know! It's an honor to be included with such fun places like Angelica's kitchen and the new Moon restaurant.
JD the oil rig construction platform just stole away in the night. David said he saw it from the road in Tera Cora headed towards Bonaire. I hope the crew enjoys diving on their days off. And now, Westpunt is back to being only moon and starlit.