Your favorite memories of Curacao?

[goatfish]

Hi everyone!

I am going to Curacao in March for a week of diving, staying at Habitat. What are some of your favorite memories of the island? Any advice on "must do" , "shouldn't miss" type of activities? Any favorite dive sites?

I realize I could do an archive search, but it's so much more fun to talk in real time with enthusiasts
Thanks,

GF

 

[mikerault]

Dive the Superior Producer.

 

[Scubagal]

Be sure to dive Mushroom Forest, my favorite dive in Curacao. I wrote a trip report with lots of pictures from our trip there last year if you're interested. Curacao Trip Report. We're already planning a return trip to Curacao in 2008.

 

[Sharky1948]

My wife and I have been to Habitat on Curacao twice. We loved it. The house shore dive is a lot of fun. Just follow the line out and over the wall and have fun. There are even octopi up on the sand flats, hidden in the shells.

The house boat goes to a lot of very nice sides...the only name I recall is Mushroom Forest. On every dive we seemed to see life that was either bigger, more colorful, or more plentiful than we have seen in other venues.

I don't think the house operation goes to the Superior Producer, though I may be wrong.

If Tuki is still one of the boat drivers/DMs, say hello from Donna and Mike!

Have fun and let us know if you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Mike and Donna

ps. Hanging out in the pool looking over the ocean during your SIT is not so shabby either!

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

We stayed at the east end of Curacao last trip, so my notes will be skewed that direction on the island. However, we're returning to Curacao in March to visit the west end and central area of the island more this time. I'll PM you our itinerary in case we overlap and would like to meet up.

Consider a day trip to Klein Curacao with 2 dives there if you have decent sea legs. We went on the Mermaid, I understand another boat named Miss Ann also offers such trips.

Director's Bay was a great spot, and we had the site to ourselves when we dove there (shore dive).

Superior Producer and Saba were OK boat dives for us.

A day trip to Porto Marie diving the double reef system there and having a nice lunch from the snack bar / restaraunt there was fun, and we were the only folks from USA with a mixed bag of German and Dutch divers. It was fun comapring life outside of scuba with them during SI's!

The big mantis shrimp at Divers Leap, plus that was just a overall nice dive site with lots of diversity (we did this as a boat dive).

You may want to get your BF a pair of heavily tinted, preferably mirrored sun glasses. We're only human. I grew up in a beach side community, I know.

At Jan Thiel, on weekends, you have to watch out for the guys on jet skis / seadoos coming inside the roped off area to pick up girls from the float platform who have converted their 2 piece swimsuits to 1 piece. Stay deep until you're right by the shore.

If you plan on doing any shore diving, have decent booties and open-heel fins. The shore entries we did were easier than Bonaire typical entries, but there is some coral rubble in the shallows.

Around dusk, if you're wading / swimming, you may want to get your booties on if you've been going barefoot. At 'shift change' I encountered a red fire worm with my big toe in the coral rubble beside the Jan Thiel beach!!! This is the only time I've had this happen.

We had my non-diving in-laws with us last time, and they aren't adventurous diners, so we didn't get to dine around. But we plan to make up for that this trip!

Have a great trip!

 

[zahner]

We're going to be at Habitat in March too, can't wait for the unlimited shore diving.

 

[gangrel441]

First, let me tell you that Anne Marie and Harry at Easy Divers will take good care of you. We dove with them at Sunset Waters before they moved to Habitat. It was some of the best diving we have ever done!

As was said before, Mushroom Forest is outstanding! I don't think Easy Divers will let you spend a week diving with them without takiing you out there. Also, night dives are a must! The color in Curacao is unlike anything I have seen before or since.

If you spend some time on land, the Seaquarium is worth a trip, even if just as a curiousity. There are some interesting historical spots on the island, too, so make sure you get out to check out what's on the surface.

 

[crb792]

Mushroom Forest is a very cool dive, but do not miss Porto Marie and Radio City.

 

[Scubagal]

Mushroom Forest is a very cool dive, but do not miss Porto Marie and Radio City.

Agreed, those were my favorite three dive sites on Curacao.

 

[goatfish]

Thank you everyone! The Mushroom forest sounds amazing! I am so looking forward also to the night dives. Come here, fishy, fishy, fishy.... We will be there Mar 9- 16. Anyone else there at the same time?

GF.