Bas Tol(B.A.S.Diving)
Registered
Boat sju... I think you have 2 sites mixed up. I have seen you mention diving Carels Vision from shore before in another thread and was wondering how you did that
Carels Vision is listed as 'boat dive only' but that doesn't mean it can not be done from shore in this case. However it involves some creativity to get to the water. One way is to use the makeshift pallet ladder the fishermen use to get down the cliffs... not recommended with dive gear! And the other is to go down a steep narrow trail tru the trees/bushes to get to the water. Not the 'typical' shore access as you mention. From your description of a channel and reef cresting close to shore (fore-reef) I am pretty sure you're talking about Candyland. Could be Taylor Maid too... if you drove down a narrow bumpy coral path that forks off the main road right after passing Candyland.
This is a great area to dive. IMO best/healthiest/biggest coral reef on the west side. This nice area roughly stretches from BOPEC terminal to the N/W corner (Wecua Point) Once you get around the corner and move further up north the reef is not that nice anymore because of damage done by Lenny in '98. To me, diving there is like time travel.... back to how the reefs typically looked 20-30 years ago. It is the only stretch of coast line where the fore-reef is still intact.... no entry/exit unless you find a channel to get through that fore-reef. That's unique now. It used to be like that pretty much everywhere.
Candyland is very nice, Taylor Maid is even a little nicer(more spectacular) and keeps getting better until on the corner...going more north from there the reef starts to show more signs of damage.
Between Bopec and Wecua point (where the lighthouse is and the old Rincon garbage dump shoots) there are 5 sites/good entry & exit spots (accessible with truck)... Playa Kruipie, Candyland, Taylor Maid I,II & III and Boka Marli.
Then once you get around the corner there are 4 more...(it's nice diving but far from what it's like before the corner)..Carels Vision, Boka Dreifie(HAM radio station house), Nukove and Playa Frans, where the road ends. Beyond Playa Frans starts the no diving zone until Boka Slagbaai.
All these sites can be connected in different drift dives.. all within diveable distance of each other.
Bas
Carels Vision is listed as 'boat dive only' but that doesn't mean it can not be done from shore in this case. However it involves some creativity to get to the water. One way is to use the makeshift pallet ladder the fishermen use to get down the cliffs... not recommended with dive gear! And the other is to go down a steep narrow trail tru the trees/bushes to get to the water. Not the 'typical' shore access as you mention. From your description of a channel and reef cresting close to shore (fore-reef) I am pretty sure you're talking about Candyland. Could be Taylor Maid too... if you drove down a narrow bumpy coral path that forks off the main road right after passing Candyland.This is a great area to dive. IMO best/healthiest/biggest coral reef on the west side. This nice area roughly stretches from BOPEC terminal to the N/W corner (Wecua Point) Once you get around the corner and move further up north the reef is not that nice anymore because of damage done by Lenny in '98. To me, diving there is like time travel.... back to how the reefs typically looked 20-30 years ago. It is the only stretch of coast line where the fore-reef is still intact.... no entry/exit unless you find a channel to get through that fore-reef. That's unique now. It used to be like that pretty much everywhere.
Candyland is very nice, Taylor Maid is even a little nicer(more spectacular) and keeps getting better until on the corner...going more north from there the reef starts to show more signs of damage.
Between Bopec and Wecua point (where the lighthouse is and the old Rincon garbage dump shoots) there are 5 sites/good entry & exit spots (accessible with truck)... Playa Kruipie, Candyland, Taylor Maid I,II & III and Boka Marli.
Then once you get around the corner there are 4 more...(it's nice diving but far from what it's like before the corner)..Carels Vision, Boka Dreifie(HAM radio station house), Nukove and Playa Frans, where the road ends. Beyond Playa Frans starts the no diving zone until Boka Slagbaai.
All these sites can be connected in different drift dives.. all within diveable distance of each other.
Bas
