Mushroom Forest, Watamula, and Alice in Wonderland - how to dive all in one day?

[jabc]

Hi all, this is my very first post here.

I would like to dive all three of these sites on Friday, May 18, 2012. I checked Go West's website and their boat is scheduled for Scooter and Santa Cruz on Fridays (I dove Santa Cruz back in 2008).

Any advice on how I can dive these sites that day, or the next best alternative? I will need dive buddies for these dives.

I also need to find accomodations, preferably in a centrally located location. I am staying in Curacao the nights of 17th and 18th and I have an early morning flight to Miami on the 19th. Any reccs?

I'm coming to Curacao on the 17th after six days diving on Bonaire, not diving on the 17th, diving on the 18th, and my flight is at 7:15 a.m. on the 19th...so if I finished my last dive about 4 p.m. on the 18th, would that be enough surface interval to fly safely on the 19th? Or should I plan to finish my diving earlier on the 18th?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Swim_mom]

I would try contacting the Dive bus - they might arrange a private day for you. they can also help you with accommodations

 

[jdcpa]

I assume the question is really how can I do this without spending more money than one would pay for normal diving. Your only option may be to rent the Go West boat for the morning and get them to take you to Mushroom and Watamula. They will get one of the staff to dive with you.

Alice in Wonderland is the easy one. That is the house reef at Go West Diving.

Watamula is normally done by boat. I am not aware that the Dive Bus has a boat that they could get all the way up to Westpunt, but I can't say that for sure. Those two sites aren't real close to each other, so driving all the way form town and then the long boat rides may be expensive.

Maybe someone else has a better idea. There is another operator that advertises/plugs their operation here as well. Curious2dive? Maybe they can do it.

It seems like you are asking for a special situation. I am afraid that the only way you will get it is to pay for it. It is too bad you do not have more time to pull that off.

All it hurts is to ask and see what you get. You might get lucky.

 

[jabc]

I've sent an email to Dive Bus asking for their recommendation for this day, but without mentioning these specific dive sites. I'll probe further once I get more information. Sounds like I need to be more flexible and realistic. Maybe a regular boat trip out west and shore diving somewhere (3 dives combined) would work.

Any other good dive operators within a short boat ride of the western sites? I would rather drive up there than take a boat up the length of the island.

Many thanks.

 

[jdcpa]

Generally the boats do not go from town to that far west, although I think they do come up to Mushroom Forest once a week. Go West is the only one I know of that does Watamula.

The only real boat operator I know of on the west end is Go West Diving. Good operation, you will like them.

Dive Bus gets good reviews as well.

Can't go wrong either way, but since your listed dives are all on the west end, Go West seems the more logical choice.

 

[darook]

I would suggest Nitrox no matter who you use to give you more margin on the no-fly time. When I was on the early flight I stopped at noon the previous day. That or not worry about specific sites and enjoy a three dive day near town without all of the running around. As you likely know navigating Curacao is not the easiest thing in the World as road signs are a bit of an afterthought.

 

[Kksmama]

I'm coming to Curacao on the 17th after six days diving on Bonaire, not diving on the 17th, diving on the 18th, and my flight is at 7:15 a.m. on the 19th...so if I finished my last dive about 4 p.m. on the 18th, would that be enough surface interval to fly safely on the 19th? Or should I plan to finish my diving earlier on the 18th?

Are you asking if you can dive for six days, fly on the seventh, dive 3 times on the 8th day and then get on another plane 15 hours later? I'm no expert, but I did just read the incidents thread about getting bent on a plane ride home, so it doesn't sound good to me. I've decided to dive shallow, before noon, and on nitrox, if we dive at all on our last day. And hope everyone else on the plane has been even more conservative.

 

[scubadada]

Playa Kalki (Alice in Wonderland) is a shore/dock dive. Watamulla and Mushroom Forest are boat dives and must be shedueled. Go West is your best bet, I would try to coordinate with them.

Good diving, Craig

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

You can try Neils at Dive Charter Curacao. He has a boat you can yes, charter. Perhaps you can find others who might like the same dives.

 

[diversteve]

Cas Abou Diving does Mushroom Forest 3x a week - maybe one is Friday:

Three times a week we offer a special 2-tank boat trip to Mushroom Forest. Our captain will bring you to this special divesite and one of our certified dive masters will show you the best of Mushroom Forest. Depending on the time spent we will also take you on a short snorkel tour to the Blue Room.

Or Discover Diving in Lagun:

For the certified diver we have a daily nice diving program like Mushroom forest, Watamula, Superior Producer and. More information klik here .

Discoverdiving & Restaurant -> Home  

Ocean Encounters also does Mushroom Forest - probably out of Lions Dive though so that's a long boat ride:
Mushroom Forest

With some advance planning I wonder if you could get one of them to drop you at Playa Kalki in the afternoon - maybe at the GoWest dock and then rent a car thru Lodge Kura Hulanda for one way back to town - IDK that might be kind of a stretch though.

I think you have to pass on Watamula though as it's farther west(north?) past Westpunt.