Curacao am I on the right track?

[dah466]

Here is what I am thinking regarding planning a trip to Curacao December 2015 for 8 days. This is based on some great feedback I received from previous posts and I thank you for those. Stay in the Lagun area. Sounds like 10 minutes to Westpunt and 30 to Willemstad. Probably stay at Lagoon Resort. Would like to stay on the water and away from town(Willemstad), also need a pool. We will need to rent regulators, BCD's and weights. My thought is to find the nearest dive shop in Lagun and rent these items for the week. We will rent tanks from each individual dive site and dive shop. This is so different from Bonaire but I think for our situation it makes sense. We will only do 2 dives a day. With that in mind I wont have to haul tanks around and we can rent a car no problem. So if I understand this correctly when we rent 2 tanks from whichever dive shop I am visiting that particular day this should allow me access to there rinse tanks, showers and lockers? How much is it on average for one tank? I am not sure who to rent a car from but my guess is it will be someone near the airport. Please let me know if there is anything you would tweak based on past experience.

 

[Diver OnLu]

Hi,

This is Andreas from Go West Diving at Playa Kalki in Westpunt.

Staying at Lagun you will have many options around to go shore diving. Just be aware that not all beaches have dive operators on site. So get some information from your closest dive shop regarding where you can rent tanks before you go.

We do offer tank rental for 9 US$ apiece, and yes, renting tanks you get access to all our facilities. We also offer boat dives to spectacular dive sites like Watamula or Elvin's Plane Wreck.

Best regards, and safe diving,

Andreas
GO WEST Diving - EN - Curacao Padi Scuba Dive Center - GO WEST Diving
Home - All West Apartments & Diving Curacao - All West - ENG

 

[diversteve]

We did something similar a few years ago at a different Lagun property. So a few things to know.

Discover Diving is at the entrance to Playa Lagun. Bahia Dive is at Bahia Apt's on the cliffs on the other side from Lagoon Blou. I like Go West's facilities in Westpunt. The Lodge Kura Hulanda location where they keep the boats and have the dive dock. Showers, lockers, small grill nearby. They have really nice rental gear also - I didn't see/don't remember what Discover offers.

Some western dive sites with options - not a complete list - been to all of them.

Porto Mari - Porto Marie Watersports
Varsenbaai - Trunk Divers
Cas Abou - Cas Abao Watersports
Rif Saint Marie - Diveversity - inside Coral Estates.

Playa Jeremi - north of Lagun - no facilities
Daibooi Beach - no facilities afaik
Santa Martha - Wetsuit City/Plane Wreck sites - no facilities.
The breakwater at north end of the property - near the boat channel - is the entry.
Not sure about Blue Bay - Diveversity was there but no longer lists it.

Relaxed Guided Dives on the road a little west of the airport is a drive-up rental/tank fill. Not at a dive site.

South of town

Pieebaai Beach - the Dive Bus is across the street.
Jan Thiel Beach - Scuba Do

We rented cars from Budget at the airport - best price on-line.

There's only one small store near Lagun so if you plan to cook, stop at Centrum Market before driving out. About 2 miles south of the airport rotary on the corner of an intersection. I'm reliably certain it was the 2nd street light. Centrum sells disposable styro boxes for $1 for perishables. Cost-U-Less is nearby also - IDK where exactly.

There's a small bar/grill at Bahia with bay views. And Landhuis Daniel is one of the nicer restaurants on the main road nearer to the airport. Landhuis Misje gets good reviews in Westpunt also. As does Sol Foods there - Fri-Sun only.

hth,

 

[mselenaous]

Hey dah,
You will love Curacao. Lovely & diverse.


Welcome Andreas! I loved my visit last year at All West & diving with Go West. Absolutely lovely.
Please give Your bossman, Louis, & his lovely wife Miranda, and of course Sunshine big hugs from me & Netdoc.

 

[rayaa3]

tanks are pretty universally about $9-$10 each. However, it doesn't include weights. We rented weights every place we went and I want to say it added a few $. Of course if you do 2 dives in the same location that day (we typically did) you get to use the same weights twice, and only pay rental on weights once.

Not every site includes the use of shower, or lockers with tanks. Most do. Every dive shop was willing to let me leave my dive related stuff in their shop while we dove, but not everyone had lockers for free, or necessarily available.

Gowest (who already commented on thread) has hands down the best setup for dive shops on the island, and is one of my favorite dives. They are also some of the friendliest people you will meet.

I just posted a trip report from back in October - it lists dive sites as well as other info...I think you are on the right track.