Sunset waters reef in Curaco

[kwpw]

Hello,
I just spent a week diving in Curacao. We did some wonderful dives. We decided to dive the reef at the old sunset waters resort.
I am not sure what is going on there but the reef is almost totally sanded over. You could see that it used to be a fantastic wall dive not to long ago. My buddy said it was one of the best dives on the island a couple years ago.
You could literally see the sand blowing up form the depths! It was like a sand snow storm. most of the coral heads are coated with sand!!
I've never seen anything like it!!
Does anyone know anything about it??
Paul

 

[diversteve]

I think I read somewhere the beach was washed out to sea in a storm a few years back.

It was a really big beach behind the breakwater - is it still there? Used to look like this - plus it was even wider to the left of this shot: http://www.scubaone.com/images/tn4002.jpg

shame, I agree with your friend, that was a really good dive to the south. The Cessna wreck was over-rated though - still there? All you might've seen were the detached wings, a bare fuselage and a few misc. parts around 40' just through the breakwater and a little left.

 

[Jax]

I think I read somewhere the beach was washed out to sea in a storm a few years back.

It was a really big beach behind the breakwater - is it still there? Used to look like this - plus it was even wider to the left of this shot: http://www.scubaone.com/images/tn4002.jpg

shame, I agree with your friend, that was a really good dive to the south. The Cessna wreck was over-rated though - still there? All you might've seen were the detached wings, a bare fuselage and a few misc. parts around 40' just through the breakwater and a little left.

Pasting image:

 

[mbs]

Appreciate you not showing the beach further to the left... I still have nightmares about the view down to the nude beach first thing in the morning That was a really nice shore dive. We dove Curacao this past December and one DM said there are always rumors of someone reopening it. Trashed shore dive sure won't help that. We did a boat dive not too far from there, don't recall the name of the site.

 

[kwpw]

Hello,
Thanks for the pic!
Still looks pretty much like that.
It looked to us the sand was blowing in from off shore

 

[lmorin]

Sunset Waters was a great place. Shame it went under.

 

[scubadada]

My wife and I went to Curacao in 2010, a little less than a year and a half after closure of Sunset Waters, and dived with Go West (then, Ocean Encounters West). One afternoon, the seas really came up and we had to dock at the old Sunset Waters facility and get picked up by truck. Sunset Waters was utterly trashed, everything of value gone and everything else irretrievably damaged. If it looked like this in 2010, I can just imagine what it looks like now. The time since July, 2010 has not been kind. It would have to be razed and a new facility built, hard to believe this would ever happen. Sad to hear about the reef.

 

[veerishenry]

As a native I know Sunset Waters in and out for many years. It is a shame what happened to the resort hotel and beach facilities. With the wind change a few years ago, we got a very strong south-western wind with big waves and this took away the breakwaters, beach an everything on that lower section. A good friend of mine, last year bought the facilities and is planning to rebuild the resort again, but differently and bigger. Curacao needs more resort rooms and both the Dutch and Germans like the facilites on the western side of the island for long stays. (over 2 weeks). I have to take a ride down to the location on a weekend to see if they have started with the cleanup and new construction.When toe hotel was abandoned by teh former owner, no security was placed at the entrance, so whoever entered, abused of the property. I hope soon there will be a new facilty for everyone. Its still a great place.

 

[scubadada]

As a native I know Sunset Waters in and out for many years. It is a shame what happened to the resort hotel and beach facilities. With the wind change a few years ago, we got a very strong south-western wind with big waves and this took away the breakwaters, beach an everything on that lower section. A good friend of mine, last year bought the facilities and is planning to rebuild the resort again, but differently and bigger. Curacao needs more resort rooms and both the Dutch and Germans like the facilites on the western side of the island for long stays. (over 2 weeks). I have to take a ride down to the location on a weekend to see if they have started with the cleanup and new construction.When toe hotel was abandoned by teh former owner, no security was placed at the entrance, so whoever entered, abused of the property. I hope soon there will be a new facilty for everyone. Its still a great place.

I hope to visit the new Sunset Waters someday

 

[choiahoy]

I'm curious if anyone has tried to dive here recently. We're renting a house just down the road.