Curacao Trip Report - June 20th 2009

[Bryan.]

sorry mike, but i have to really disagree. tugboat is way over grown with algae from the ships that are docked near by for way too long, mushroom forest is a decent site but definitely not great, and the superior producer is only a so so wreck dive. the diving in curacao is actually a big disappointment.
ocean encounters is even a bigger disappointment. this diving outfit has no clue about this industry. dealing with them was like dealing with a corporate lawyer. while they have nice boats and equipment, they have no idea how to help their guest's have FUN!and most of the people i spoke with who were diving with us felt the same way. they are also two or three times more expensive than the other operators around the island. don't waste your money!
there are almost NO PELAGIC'S on any of the dives. you can see arrowhead crabs, some anemone shrimp, and the occasional eel. after one month of being in curacao, there was a small nurse shark spotted on a mushroom forest dive, and the dive master working at OE went crazy.
there are many, many places where this would have been so common an occurrence, as to not even get much of a mention in the conversation at the end of the dive. curacao was supposed to be famous for great visibility, but in the two different trips that i have made there, the vis was poor at best. and i was there long enough for it to have changed if it was going to. it's true, what a poster wrote earlier in this thread, that the vis had to be better than in oklahoma, but the other poster didn't pay thousands of dollars to dive in oklahoma! if you are going to save all year, to go to some exotic place, it should be as advertised. curacao and ocean encounters is not!!!
the whole island looks like a desert, not a lush tropical island. and the parts that don't look like desert, are ghetto's, with trash everywhere, and dirty broken down everything.
i was so surprised while traveling around the island. the only part that looks like the pictures of the colored buildings we all see on the net, or on postcards, is the immediate area in punda, where the floating bridge is. but walk a few minutes away from that area, and you are back in the nasty broken down area's. it is also of note, that many local's will tell you not to be on the other side of that floating bridge at night. you will surely get robbed. it was told to me by many locals, that you have to be especially careful in curacao at night in most places.
sorry to be a downer, but i wish someone would have told me the honest truth about this place before i spent the money to come here.
if anyone isn't sure about what i am saying, just look up the local newspapers online, and use a dutch translator. there are so many better places to go and spend your money for diving and better atmosphere. a little research is worth a lot.
finally, if you do come to curacao, i definitely advise that you DO NOT DIVE WITH OCEAN ENCOUNTERS!!!! THEY ARE TERRIBLE!!! dive with the dive bus or silent immersion. everyone that i spoke with said that they are much friendlier, and really try to make your diving fun.

Hi all and especially Stevea,
Please disregard these comments because these are comments from an employee who was dismissed from Ocean Encounters recently during his probationary period. I will not discuss the facts however these comments should not be taken with any grain of truth and I am truly disappointed in the lack of professionalism that Stevea has displayed. In fact, this lack of professionalism is something that Ocean Encounters will be forwarding to PADI so that they may review his professional status immediately.

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

Wow, a little Curacao drama going on.

I guess gtoph & I are one of the "NON-RESIDENTS" (at least for now) that knew what to expect with Curacao because we do RESEARCH before every trip we take. Sometimes not everything turns out to be what you hoped (such as Mosquito Island on our Bahamas trip).

Here's why I liked Curacao (in no particular order):
1.Trade winds seemed to give a near constant breeze
2. Beautiful color of the water/contrast with the desert landscape
3. Beautiful white sand beach with great shore entry/swimming areas
4. Fantastic amount of fish life and TONS of babies. I totally agree with an above poster that Watamula is a spectacular dive. I have yet to be anywhere else and think "what should I focus on" because there were so many fish.
5. The fact that you can stay in a more "remote" side of town and actually VACATION and then take your rental car for a 20-30 min drive to the "city" where they have tons of restaurants and shopping, famous Willemstad buildings and apparently now Movie Theaters!
6. Decent amount of things for non-divers to do like the Seaquarium, Ostrich Farm, Hiking, Golf (I think), Shopping, Beaches, Snorkeling and more....
7. Worldwide cuisine all over the island
8. Great locals to meet and hang out with from all over the world!
9. Lots of choices for accommodations for every type of traveler.
10. Beautiful colored birds, Iguanas and can't forget the GOATS!
11. Culture, History and art

There are always going to be people who expect or want a destination to look like Hawaii. Curacao looks nothing like a lush island with rolling green hills and Palm tree lined beaches but that's what makes the ABC's different from many of those locations. That's not to say we didn't see flowers, and we were there in June which is pretty dry from what I understand. The water however is striking and that's really what I care about anyways. I also felt like we didn't have enough time to see everything I wanted to see! We enjoyed diving with Ocean Encounters West, liked the smaller boat and they are definitely professional and safety minded. We'll be diving with them in NOVEMBER!!

We might not have booked yet but we are definitely coming! Gtoph likes to tease me but he's definitely taking me at this point. By the way, I read that comment about a new camera, you better be careful what you say....someone might hold you to that! I don't think I could even travel with one Stan's size, that sucker is huge. Sunshine, Fresh/Local turkey is fine too! Ask that farmer to plump one up! I could bring cranberry relish, anything canned or packaged! This sounds like it could be one big party!

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

Personally, I like the ecology and topography of the less developed areas of Curacao. They make me a bit homesick / nostalgic about the many yeras I lived in South Texas and Central Texas. We just got back from a 2 week trip there, the prickly pear cactus fruit were just starting to turn red, and everyone thought I was out of my mind to pick up dried out acacia tree cuttings to use for grilling (mesquite is a member of the acaia family) until they tested the results for themselves. Cost U Less has good quality Angus beef at very reasonable prices if you don't get some fresh seafood to grill up.

The main paved roads in the less developed areas of Curacao are like rural Texas Farm-to-Market (FM) roads while the side roads are really a lot like Texas county roads.

But Texas doesn't have bright clear water along the Gulf Coast.

 

[Diver OnLu]

My dive partner and I are pretty jaded about our dive sites, having experienced many places in South East Asia waters, but we were both really blown away after the dive at Watamula, an excitement like we have never had diving in Bonaire or even other sites on Curacao.

Hi lauadibob,

Your statement quoted above really expresses my own experience very well! I am just back from a trip to Bali - the diving on the north-east coast there was really interesting, especially for the incredible variety of critters, but also for some beautiful reefs here and there - but in the end I was very satisfied with my decision of returning to Curacao.

If people compare Curaco with the Indian or Pacific Ocean, the Red Sea, or whatever other dive destination, they have to be aware that the Caribbean is really a different sea. If diving was the same all around the world, I would possibly be bored with it by now. But it's not, and every regional environment (including my "home waters" of the Baltic Sea ) has something specific to offer that may thrill divers interested in underwater landscape and marine life! Each diver has a choice to say which sea he/she prefers. I like diversity, so maybe I needed to go diving at other places during the past 4 months to refresh my appreciation of what we have on Curacao - a friendly and beautiful island (if you prefer to see little rainfall around the year, and can live with or even like somewhat arid landscapes that necessarily go along with that) surrounded by water of really great color featuring beautiful coral reefs inhabited by many interesting creatures. Only people not interested at all in any marine life smaller than 2 feet can say they don't like it at all. But everybody who can afford it, please do go and dive somewhere else from time to time, and you will see how many great and different experiences SCUBA diving has to offer! Maybe you gladly come back to Curacao afterwards, just like me...

If you do, feel invited to see me at OEW in Westpoint if you need any help or information about diving around my favorite island. lauadibob, for example, might try dive sites like Eastpoint, Rediho City or Scooter - if you liked Watamula, you will also enjoy these spots very much!

Greetings from Hamburg
Andreas

 

[Rick Murchison]

I find that if one takes the time to look, there is ample wonder at any dive site. Hammerheads are marvelous and big, but not very personable; Pederson Shrimp are fascinating and fun to play with, and tickle when they're giving you a manicure.

If you conclude that a site is less than wonderful, you probably weren't paying attention.
Rick

 

[porsc]

Hi all and especially Stevea,
Please disregard these comments because these are comments from an employee who was dismissed from Ocean Encounters recently during his probationary period. I will not discuss the facts however these comments should not be taken with any grain of truth and I am truly disappointed in the lack of professionalism that Stevea has displayed. In fact, this lack of professionalism is something that Ocean Encounters will be forwarding to PADI so that they may review his professional status immediately.

actually there is little truth in your statement, as the trial period was terminated because the manager found out i was searching for another job, and because they failed to live up to any of the agreements that i was brought there for. however, my comments came directly from situations i witnessed, feedback from guest's and complaints not addressed. it is understandable that brian thinks it's unprofessional to state the truth, as they are usually in favor of covering up the truth.
...and i AM willing to provide details if you want to go there. i sent padi several emails about their less than professional business dealings, in the previous months.
now, i simply gave my opinion about curacao, and the operation of OE. there is no padi standard against that. but your thinking there is typical of OE management.

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Hey! How 'bout those Red Sox! And, whaddya think about the Celtic's new acquisitions?
Hugs and fishes, Sunshine

 

[Epinephelus]

actually there is little truth in your statement, as the trial period was terminated because the manager found out i was searching for another job,

Sorry pal, you came on here acting like a dissatisfied customer, and it turns out you're a dissatisfied employee.
Your credibility is totally shot, no matter what the excuse!
E

 

[porsc]

first of all i was both a dissatisfied customer and employee while there. second, i was trying to give my opinion only, which is exactly what i did. and unless i am mistaken, every member on this board has the right to voice their opinion. third, i wanted to avoid exactly what this is turning into. but for the record, what i wrote is fact. it is the way i feel, and it is what i observed and recorded. my credibility is intact.

Porsc, I enjoy reading trip reports and hearing various opinions whether their experience is stellar or miserable. I can only imagine your frusturation when you traveled a great distance to only be disappointed.
I always appreciate reading feedback on dive ops.
While I may disagree with your findings, it certainly was not offensive to read. That is why I enjoy these forums. Everyone has their opinions

exactly! whether we agree or disagree, every member on here has the right to voice their opinion. that is what makes this a great board.

 

[jd950]

Porsc, you DID sound like a tourist who was very disappointed in your trip. I felt bad for you and started a lengthy response pointing out the positives of the island but backing up your right to voice your feelings. I didn't get my response posted, but I regret spending time on it and feel I was misled by your post. You should have been upfront about who you were and the context of your comments. Because you weren't upfront, you have lost credibility, I am afraid.

Anyway, you had your say and there is really not point in continuing a public discussion of this other than providing entertainment to peole who like to watch a fight (which, admittedly, can be entertaining to warped people like me).

I wish you more happiness in your next job location.