Need tips 4a good 2 weeks dive trip in Aruba looking for best quality/price opportun

[Lumen001]

Hi !
I 'd like to plan a nice and not too expensive dive trip to Aruba from +- saturday sept 28th to october 14th 2013 '' wich used to be the low season'' (I am open for similar better diving place). I've made the Roatan Island and I did enjoy it a lot. I am certified AOWD and recue PADI , My log is around 220 dives. Most of my dives have been made in Cuba and Riviera Maya locations. I'll bring with me a nice youg (59 years) recently OWD lady. She has 10 dives in her log. She is very ''zen'' and very talented diver. The purpose of the trip is doing , to add, a lot of very nice dives to get more experience underwater for her. ''Tek like Dives'' or deeper dives will be for the second week, if there will be some. I'd like to get tips, adresses , reffrences to find the right condo at the right price, renting the right car at the right price if necessary. I'm looking for a dive shop wich will not bring us 30 - 50 divers folowing like ducks at the same time the same spot. Because, the lady is a very talented new divers, I'll appreciate not diving with the crowd, and adapt the next dive to the next step she will be able to enjoy to reach in a quiet pleasant diving environnement. We expect to make more than 20 & + dives.

If it is easy to find opportunities adapted to our situation we'll dicover Aruba, if it appear not to be that easy and obvious, the second plan will be : going to Riviera Maya area in the same period. We will be heading to Aruba another time

Thank you for your Help, tips and refferences

Lumen
PS : I speak spanish english and french , I dance Salsa Merengue and Bachata, I enjoy trekking and snorkling.

 

[diversteve]

You might consider Curacao also - the next island over. Flights are probably about the same as to Aruba, both in price and duration.

They have 4x the shore dives there - closer to 50 compared to about 12-15 on Aruba. I suspect accommodations are more reasonable also. We stayed 10 days there, shared car, shared condo for $1700pp. including meals and diving. We only did about $300 worth of boat dives though. Entries off Curacao are typically off sandy beaches. The few off ironshore have dive docks.

Bonaire is also a short flight over from either island. So you could split weeks between them if desired. Midweek flights are $84 r/t. - weekends it's about double. Bonaire is the undisputed shore diving capital of the Caribbean - there's at least 60 dive sites. Accommodations in all price ranges also. Many of the dive resorts are also waterfront and also on known dive sites. Entries are more difficult there, often over ironshore/coral rubble - like Roatan. IDK Aruba but Bonaire/Curacao is more small stuff than big animals - a lot like Roatan. No sharks, some rays, some grouper, lots of turtles.

Scuba Shore Diving Region: ABC Islands shows the differences between the islands for shore diving.
Curacao Travel- Caribbean, Curacao, Dutch Caribbean is a good place to start.
Info Bonaire - The Bonaire Information Site - The Most Current and Up-To-Date Information for Bonaire.

It's also $84 mid-week to fly between them if you wanted to try two different islands. It doubles on the weekend as most Bonaire trips run Sat-Sat.

RecTek is the tech operator on Bonaire. IDK if there is one on Curacao. Except for some deep dives (Windjammer wreck) I don't think there's a lot of that on either island.

 

[Lumen001]

Thank you so much for such very valuable information. I'm looking to maybe go in Curacao (around 14 days ), I found that the Dive bus look like suitable for us , but thi is in south east ... I red that the south west is the best area for diving ?, I little bit lost regarding Hotel or condo - accomodation place to stay, my girlfriend cook very well and she prefer eat well at ''home'' most of the time. Do you have any other comment, reccomended contact or suggestion regarding well spotted condo ?
we also could split one week in the south east in a condo or an hotel and enjoy a second week in the south west part of the Curacao Island ? It is a lot of informations to manage , i maybe need to be under firm directions recommendations a little bit ?

with more reading I'm considering and thinking doing one week at Westpunt (All West Apartments & Diving) and another week at Willemstad but still searching info to find the right thing.

PS : I have not been able to figure out or find info regarding ''IDK '' is it a place, a dive site , a hotel a diveshop ?

 

[diversteve]

Sorry, U.S. slang: IDK = I don't know.

Better diving on Curacao tends to be either east or west of town. To the east there are some good dives and the Marine Park is there. Farther east - accessible by boat only - there are some even better dives.

We liked the diving to the west better. Especially near Westpunt and Lagun. Porto Mari a little farther east was also a good dive.

Marazul might be another option in Westpunt - it's in the same area. A couple of rentals there:
Westpunt Vacation Rental - VRBO 356333 - 1 BR Curacao Townhome, Direct Ocean & Pool Front, Marazul Dive Resort, New King Bed
Westpunt Vacation Rental - VRBO 377995 - 1 BR Curacao Apartment, Marazul Dive Resort, Relax & Enjoy the Ocean View & Sound

Later in the week we moved to the Piscadera Bay area - about 10mins. west of downtown. And stayed here: Piscadera Bay Resort Curacao - tropische vakantie bungalows - Home They were decent but older. Recently refurbished. All have decks/outdoor tables and full kitchens. There's a shore dive across the street at the Marriott (Caribbean Sea Sports is the operator) And Blue Bay is about a 10 minute drive west - another shore dive site. The resorts private beach is a 5min. walk. Since the area is uphill, most of the units have water views. Mine did from the kitchen and the deck. Note that there's a $100 cleaning charge and electric to pay on check-out. My electric was about $70 a few years ago.

Centrum Market - one of the larger markets on Curacao - is one mile away. Two miles east is Otrabunda, the west side of downtown. You can park there and walk across the Swinging Bridge to the famous shopping district seen in all the photos. (the brightly colored buildings) Some days there was a fish and produce market near the waterfront.

Recently someone else posted about this place: Willemstad Vacation Rental - VRBO 935767ha - 1 BR Curacao House, Last Minute Offer July!! Cozy Modern Apartment at Upscale Piscadera Bay! It's part of this resort: Royal Palm Resort

It seems a lot nicer for less money. It appears there are other rentals available there as well.

If you wanted to be closer to the city, this is an option: Atlantis Apartments : Welcome to our curacao dive apartment rental site It's located east of town near the Sea Aquarium area. They don't seem to have as complete a kitchen though. But the onsite diveshop and shore dive might make it a better deal. There are also some beachfront rentals in the Jan Thiel area east of downtown. I don't know anything about them.

 

[Lumen001]

Thank you a lot for all these precious infos

I Have not been able to book at All West Appt no availabilities no vacancy , I have booked at Marazul Westpunt

I Have not been able to book at Atlantis nor Cozy Modern Apartment at Upscale Piscadera Bay,
no availabilities Nor no vacancy, I have booked at Iguana Inn in Willemstad
I asked (sent am Email) to reserve air thank with Dive bus operator but did not receive any answer until now,

I booked a car rental for the entire trip

Now I have to study hoe wil I optimize my diving vacations by finding the best dive sites to discover
Once again thank you very very much
Lumen

 

[femftal]

Sounds like you've already decided on Curacao, but thought I would throw my two cents in on Aruba. It was my first trip after getting OW certified, and the folks at Fly-n-Dive were GREAT for me. Very understanding of the new diver and we were always in a small group. There were probably about ten people on the boat each day, divided up between 2-3 divemasters/instructors. We always stay at Club Arias in Savaneta, a fabulous bed and breakfast away from the touristy areas.

My favorite dive site was probably Isla de Oro, but the wreck of the Jane C was also great. Most of Aruba's sites are a bit deeper - starting at about 40 feet and down - than Bonaire, not sure about Curacao as we haven't been there yet.

I'm sure you'll both have a great time no matter where you end up!