If you've been to Curacao

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

divecouple

Registered
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
If you've been to Curacao can you tell me about the diving there? We just got our C-Cards last month. We will be in Curacao in August and that will be our first real dive experience since certification. We have been told that the diving there is fantastic! Since we are new we are looking for nice easy dives that will build our confidence. I understand the numerous shore dives are marked, are there bouy lines on the shore dives to use for refrence ascending/decending? Is there much surface swimming to get to the shore dives? Is boat diving eaiser or more difficult ..deeper etc.....

We are staying at the Marroitt do you know if they have nice gear to rent or should we rent from LDC and take it with us?

Any other information about Curacao would be helpful :)
 
Curacao is a terrific place for new divers. Was there a couple years ago with a timid new diver friend myself. She was very fearful to go out, but after our first dive there, she was so happy and hasn't looked back since.

Marriott has an excellent dive operation. While I didn't use their equipment, judging from the rest of what I saw, I wouldn't hesitate to use theirs. That said, however, if you're already comfortable with your LDC's gear, by all means take it with you.

I only did boat dives, so can't comment on the shore diving. But work with Marriott (Caribbean Sea Sports as I recall is their shop) and they'll walk you through it all. Consider hiring a dive master at least the first day you try shore diving so he can walk you through the local customs, orient you, etc.

But do consider the boat diving as well, as it is easy and beautiful. CSS was good about not taking people beyond their comfort zones, but also didn't hold back more experienced divers.

You've made a good decision! It's a beautiful island, topside and underwater.
 
Curacao is very nice diving and a good place for a first dive trip, generally easy diving from shore or boat. Boat diving will be similar to shore diving and is more convienient in many ways, except for shore diving right from your hotel. I think I've heard the Marriott has an OK shore dive, a few other hotels (such as Habitat) have great shore dives.

Most shore sites are the same places there are moorings and you could swim to them and use the mooring line, but you probably don't want to (especially if there's a boat there!) For most shore dives you would just follow the gradually sloping bottom rather than doing a surface swim and straight descent/ascent. Most places it's not far to the drop off or whatever, and there's usually stuff to see most of the way out.
 
The shore diving is excellent. Almost all of the best dive spots on the island can be acessed from either shore or boat. In fact while I lived there I very rarely did boat dives, despite having a boat and crew I could use for free when ever I want. It was just easier and faster to load up the truck and make it a shore dive. I deffintly loved diving there and can not wait to return one day. I dont know much about the marriot hotel itself, but I did work with the dive shop that services them occasionaly and was nothing but impressed with them. You will have a great time, deffintly dive the Superior Producer while your there, its easiest as a boat dive, but a very manageable shore dive, with a slightly rocky entry and exit. Enjoy your trip.
 
I was in Curacao in February.

The boat diving is absolutely top notch. Shore diving I think would be good as well, but since I didn't do any...

The one thing I will recommend is be careful if you are off the resort at night. Espescially downtown. They don't have all the cops there for nothing. Daytime it's quite safe though.

Not as developed for tourists as Aruba, yet much more to do topside than BonAire. The reefs were much nicer than Aruba, and the wall diving there is just plain awesome.

Of course, I'm biased a bit. My father was born and grew up there. :p
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom