lmorin
Contributor
Sunset Waters is an all-inclusive resort perched along the cliff frontage overlooking the ocean and south side of a causeway. The view is very pleasant. A small road drops diagonally through the cliff and down to shore level from a point between the dining hall area to the north and the Lobby/Registration/accommodations area to the south. The road provides an access to the Sunset Divers dive operation, the docks, the beach area and a bar/reception area next to the causeway. A modest swimming pool, a smaller one for children and a hot tub are situated adjacent to and landward of the accommodations. There is a pool-side bar and a main bar at one end of the dining hall. A small recreation room has a pingpong table, and exercise equipment available. There are swings, a slide and jungle-gym equipment for children at the beach area. There are also two seldom-used tennis courts. A limited number of free usage safe deposit boxes are available in the Registration office for storing valuables. Everything is within easy walking distance.
Hotel. The hotel was “worn.” Nothing seemed new. In our room, for example, the latch on the door to the balcony was missing, although the functionality was retained because there was a working manual lock. The bed sheets were very thin, having seen better days many months or years ago. One had holes in one corner. The mattress was comfortable enough, but had broad shallow troughs created by a long history of reclining bodies. The toilet seat perhaps epitomized the state of the entire establishment. The paint was worn away by repeated scrubbing and the two pressure pads on the underside were missing. Everything was clean, functional and simple. But clearly, there has been little money returned to the infrastructure in an attempt to stay current with some interpretation of “modern.” The same is true for the landscaping. Money, in the form of irrigation water, needs to be put into the planting just to make the general appearance fresher. The place could be lovely. The one exception to these comments is the presence of a modern lock on the room door opened with a plastic card.
Food. During our stay, most of the meals were buffet style. Our first lunch (on a Tuesday) was from a small menu. The next day, a different lunch menu was offered. This time, 30-45 min elapsed before any guest was served. Finally, everyone was served more or less at once. This was frustrating for some who had a early afternoon dive boat departure, although a complaint brought instant food to those people. We never did learn why things were so slow that day, but that was the last time menu orders were taken by wait-staff. All remaining meals were buffet style.
The food was neither bad nor good. It was not prepared with any imagination, although there was a good deal of variety from day to day. Fish and chicken were always available. Usually beef was also present, but this was replaced by goat or pork, on occasion. The regional food tended to be more interesting than, for example, the Chinese offerings. The restaurant would have benefitted from a chef with a bit of creativity. A coconut cake of some sort was a constant for dessert, and cheesecake nearly so. Chocolate desserts were rare and disappeared so quickly that it paid to get dessert first, if chocolate was the goal, then the main meal.
Diving. Sunset Divers is a separate business entity located on the resort property. We purchased a 12 boat dive package, doing 2 morning dives per day, plus 4 additional shore dives (1 night) which were available 24 hrs/day, if desired, at no extra charge. Nitrox ~32 was provided for free. The house reef was very good. We saw the resident seahorses, sharptail eel, numerous morays (green, goldentailed, chain, spotted), a big crab, fire worms, and many other fish species. Most of our dives were good to excellent. Radio City, Hell’s corner, Mushroom Forest and Mako Mountain were all excellent.Our favorite was Radio City and we were able to dive both it and Mushroom Forest twice each. Mushroom would have been much better had it not been for the overcast skies (the predominant coral is dark brown). Radio City has many of the same quality coral features as Mushroom Forest, but has a greater variety, as well. The two boat dives south of the causeway (Lost Anchor and Casa Bou) were considerably below the average quality, although it was on those dives that we saw one of two turtles and a close-up, prolonged view of a spotted eagle ray. We learned that, in general, the better dive sites most easily accessible to Sunset Divers are north of the causeway. One of the best (possibly, the best) is Watamula, an hour by boat at the north end of the island. The dive op tries to take up to 6 experienced divers every Tuesday (for an extra fee) to the site about 1 hr away. Watamula is treated as a drift dive, although the current (if any) is not known in advance. Dive sites for the daily 2-tank morning trip were only 5-20 min from the dock.
The dive masters were variable. We discovered that a particular DM was too much of an enthusiastic adolescent for our taste. He wanted to rush, rush hither and yon to see special things. We (and essentially everybody else) wanted to swim at a more leisurely pace, observing closely and enjoying the whole scene. There were two dives with this DM that one guest likened to “marathon training.” In each, we were hurried too much and covered to much distance. Let it be noted, however, that we could have gone off on our own and the dive op took pains to give every diver that choice for every dive. As could be expected, most declined. The other DMs were traditional in their pacing. All pointed out great things as they were found, including some fantastic squid that circled us, changing colors, at the Hell’s Corner site.
The boat was moored over 15-30 ft of water and the plan of each dive was for the DM to guide us through a circuit with the deepest portion first, then returning beneath the boat after about 45 min. At this point, the DM exited, leaving the rest of us on our own for the remainder of the hour or 500 lbs. The maximum depth averaged about 60 ft on the first dive; about 50 on the second. We did a 3 min safety stop on only about a quarter of the dives because the final 15 min on the others were above 20 FSW.
Boats. We were at Sunset Waters over Easter. Even so, crowding was not a problem. The Day Dreamer accommodated 24 divers and was used for 5 of our 6 trips. A group of divers arrived on Easter weekend and additional space was needed. The group filled the Day Dreamer and an outside boat was brought in for the rest of us (about 8 divers). The other boat belonging to Sunset Divers (the Day Tripper) was only used for special trips while we were there. Boats were stocked with water, lemonade and fruit. Space per diver was typical. Role was taken conscientiously before and after each dive.
Gear management. An unusual characteristic of Sunset Divers was the way they dealt with gear. Each diver was issued a plastic laundry basket and a numbered hanger. Each diver placed weights (dive op supplied), fins, mask, booties, etc. in the basket and hung his wetsuit in an area set aside for them. The number on the hanger identified the diver who signed up for boat space with the number (placing an ‘X’ next to the number if diving Nitrox). The numbered hanger was for the diver’s BCD and regulator. Before each boat trip, the DMs would make a list of who (name and number) would be on the boat, and whether they were to use Nitrox. The appropriate number of the air/Nitrox tanks were put on the boat along with the BCD, reg and hanger for the particular diver. If diving air, the DMs attached BCD and reg to the diver’s tank. If diving Nitrox, the BCD was placed on the tank, but the reg was not connected. Each Nitrox diver was expected to measure the concentration in his tank, using the available meter, then mount the reg. This caused a minor problem on our last day because so many divers were using Nitrox and there was only one meter. After the dives, each diver detached his BCD and reg, but left them looped (along with the numbered hanger) over the tank valve. DMs removed the tanks and the BCD/reg/hanger. The latter were rinsed, then hung to dry in the lockable dive shed.
Before each boat trip, the diver brought his basket to the boat and slid it under the bench section holding the diver’s tanks/BCD/reg. Afterward, each diver was responsible for rinsing and hanging his wetsuit and rinsing items in the basket. After shore dives, the diver was responsible for rinsing and hanging all equipment. There were 3 rinse barrels. Two contained water with Downy added; the other had only water. All were changed daily.
Each diver was given the combination to a simple lock on the always-accessible dive shed that contained the gear for all divers, plus tanks and extra weights. Shed to shore diving distance was about 40 yds and wheelbarrows were available to move gear, if desired.
The mix of responsibilities (DM vs diver) for gear took a bit of getting used to and created a few problems. For example, I got water in my reg because I made a mistake that I probably would have caught had I rinsed my own reg. Sometimes, it was unclear as to who expected to assemble what on the boat. We generally just did all our own, as much as possible, and double-checked everything that had been done by someone else.
Summary: Sunset Waters was a little disappointing as a resort and the food was not exciting. However, we did not go there because of the resort, but because of the diving. The diving was fully up to both hopes and expectations. We would go again in a jiffy to re-experience the diving.
These comments are made in the context of visits to the Plaza Resort and Toucan Diving, Bonaire, and to the Scuba Club, Cozumel, and dive trips to the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Florida Keys.
Hotel. The hotel was “worn.” Nothing seemed new. In our room, for example, the latch on the door to the balcony was missing, although the functionality was retained because there was a working manual lock. The bed sheets were very thin, having seen better days many months or years ago. One had holes in one corner. The mattress was comfortable enough, but had broad shallow troughs created by a long history of reclining bodies. The toilet seat perhaps epitomized the state of the entire establishment. The paint was worn away by repeated scrubbing and the two pressure pads on the underside were missing. Everything was clean, functional and simple. But clearly, there has been little money returned to the infrastructure in an attempt to stay current with some interpretation of “modern.” The same is true for the landscaping. Money, in the form of irrigation water, needs to be put into the planting just to make the general appearance fresher. The place could be lovely. The one exception to these comments is the presence of a modern lock on the room door opened with a plastic card.
Food. During our stay, most of the meals were buffet style. Our first lunch (on a Tuesday) was from a small menu. The next day, a different lunch menu was offered. This time, 30-45 min elapsed before any guest was served. Finally, everyone was served more or less at once. This was frustrating for some who had a early afternoon dive boat departure, although a complaint brought instant food to those people. We never did learn why things were so slow that day, but that was the last time menu orders were taken by wait-staff. All remaining meals were buffet style.
The food was neither bad nor good. It was not prepared with any imagination, although there was a good deal of variety from day to day. Fish and chicken were always available. Usually beef was also present, but this was replaced by goat or pork, on occasion. The regional food tended to be more interesting than, for example, the Chinese offerings. The restaurant would have benefitted from a chef with a bit of creativity. A coconut cake of some sort was a constant for dessert, and cheesecake nearly so. Chocolate desserts were rare and disappeared so quickly that it paid to get dessert first, if chocolate was the goal, then the main meal.
Diving. Sunset Divers is a separate business entity located on the resort property. We purchased a 12 boat dive package, doing 2 morning dives per day, plus 4 additional shore dives (1 night) which were available 24 hrs/day, if desired, at no extra charge. Nitrox ~32 was provided for free. The house reef was very good. We saw the resident seahorses, sharptail eel, numerous morays (green, goldentailed, chain, spotted), a big crab, fire worms, and many other fish species. Most of our dives were good to excellent. Radio City, Hell’s corner, Mushroom Forest and Mako Mountain were all excellent.Our favorite was Radio City and we were able to dive both it and Mushroom Forest twice each. Mushroom would have been much better had it not been for the overcast skies (the predominant coral is dark brown). Radio City has many of the same quality coral features as Mushroom Forest, but has a greater variety, as well. The two boat dives south of the causeway (Lost Anchor and Casa Bou) were considerably below the average quality, although it was on those dives that we saw one of two turtles and a close-up, prolonged view of a spotted eagle ray. We learned that, in general, the better dive sites most easily accessible to Sunset Divers are north of the causeway. One of the best (possibly, the best) is Watamula, an hour by boat at the north end of the island. The dive op tries to take up to 6 experienced divers every Tuesday (for an extra fee) to the site about 1 hr away. Watamula is treated as a drift dive, although the current (if any) is not known in advance. Dive sites for the daily 2-tank morning trip were only 5-20 min from the dock.
The dive masters were variable. We discovered that a particular DM was too much of an enthusiastic adolescent for our taste. He wanted to rush, rush hither and yon to see special things. We (and essentially everybody else) wanted to swim at a more leisurely pace, observing closely and enjoying the whole scene. There were two dives with this DM that one guest likened to “marathon training.” In each, we were hurried too much and covered to much distance. Let it be noted, however, that we could have gone off on our own and the dive op took pains to give every diver that choice for every dive. As could be expected, most declined. The other DMs were traditional in their pacing. All pointed out great things as they were found, including some fantastic squid that circled us, changing colors, at the Hell’s Corner site.
The boat was moored over 15-30 ft of water and the plan of each dive was for the DM to guide us through a circuit with the deepest portion first, then returning beneath the boat after about 45 min. At this point, the DM exited, leaving the rest of us on our own for the remainder of the hour or 500 lbs. The maximum depth averaged about 60 ft on the first dive; about 50 on the second. We did a 3 min safety stop on only about a quarter of the dives because the final 15 min on the others were above 20 FSW.
Boats. We were at Sunset Waters over Easter. Even so, crowding was not a problem. The Day Dreamer accommodated 24 divers and was used for 5 of our 6 trips. A group of divers arrived on Easter weekend and additional space was needed. The group filled the Day Dreamer and an outside boat was brought in for the rest of us (about 8 divers). The other boat belonging to Sunset Divers (the Day Tripper) was only used for special trips while we were there. Boats were stocked with water, lemonade and fruit. Space per diver was typical. Role was taken conscientiously before and after each dive.
Gear management. An unusual characteristic of Sunset Divers was the way they dealt with gear. Each diver was issued a plastic laundry basket and a numbered hanger. Each diver placed weights (dive op supplied), fins, mask, booties, etc. in the basket and hung his wetsuit in an area set aside for them. The number on the hanger identified the diver who signed up for boat space with the number (placing an ‘X’ next to the number if diving Nitrox). The numbered hanger was for the diver’s BCD and regulator. Before each boat trip, the DMs would make a list of who (name and number) would be on the boat, and whether they were to use Nitrox. The appropriate number of the air/Nitrox tanks were put on the boat along with the BCD, reg and hanger for the particular diver. If diving air, the DMs attached BCD and reg to the diver’s tank. If diving Nitrox, the BCD was placed on the tank, but the reg was not connected. Each Nitrox diver was expected to measure the concentration in his tank, using the available meter, then mount the reg. This caused a minor problem on our last day because so many divers were using Nitrox and there was only one meter. After the dives, each diver detached his BCD and reg, but left them looped (along with the numbered hanger) over the tank valve. DMs removed the tanks and the BCD/reg/hanger. The latter were rinsed, then hung to dry in the lockable dive shed.
Before each boat trip, the diver brought his basket to the boat and slid it under the bench section holding the diver’s tanks/BCD/reg. Afterward, each diver was responsible for rinsing and hanging his wetsuit and rinsing items in the basket. After shore dives, the diver was responsible for rinsing and hanging all equipment. There were 3 rinse barrels. Two contained water with Downy added; the other had only water. All were changed daily.
Each diver was given the combination to a simple lock on the always-accessible dive shed that contained the gear for all divers, plus tanks and extra weights. Shed to shore diving distance was about 40 yds and wheelbarrows were available to move gear, if desired.
The mix of responsibilities (DM vs diver) for gear took a bit of getting used to and created a few problems. For example, I got water in my reg because I made a mistake that I probably would have caught had I rinsed my own reg. Sometimes, it was unclear as to who expected to assemble what on the boat. We generally just did all our own, as much as possible, and double-checked everything that had been done by someone else.
Summary: Sunset Waters was a little disappointing as a resort and the food was not exciting. However, we did not go there because of the resort, but because of the diving. The diving was fully up to both hopes and expectations. We would go again in a jiffy to re-experience the diving.
These comments are made in the context of visits to the Plaza Resort and Toucan Diving, Bonaire, and to the Scuba Club, Cozumel, and dive trips to the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Florida Keys.
