Curaçao Dive Shop

[rhwestfall]

Short walk across the street to their "house reef" that they use for night dives, and I like to use as a first day check out....

I've stayed at Lions (2x) and Bon Bini (1x), and was going to be at Bon Bini again until the pandemic cancelled it....

 

[drrich2]

Do you plan to stay in the Willemstad area (the city, more topside entertainments), or the rustic Westpunt region (which is said to have better diving)? You could stay out west and visit the city, or vice versa, but it is a fairly long drive.

Perhaps I should phrase it like this...how many dives/day do you wish to do, and what else besides diving to you want?

I enjoyed boat diving with Ocean Encounters while staying at Sunscape Curacao during a Scuba Board Surge; I've only dove the east region (10 dives).

 

[dmaziuk]

My husband and I are planning a 2022 trip to Curaçao and are looking for a recommendation for a dive shop. We understand that shore diving is very popular there, but prefer boat diving or if not, help getting gear in the water. We also like to have a guide since we will be unfamiliar with the dive sites. Any recommendations?

What @drrich2 said: where are you going to stay? It's a ~40 min drive between Westpunt and Willemstadt and you'd normally stay in one or the other.

The former is typically cook your own food and do nothing except dive and have drinks on the beach. If that's your thing, GoWest ran 3 boat dives/day: 2 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon, last time we were there. Getting gear in the water isn't the problem, getting it down the stairs could be: here's AllWest: ALL WEST APARTMENTS - Prices & Condominium Reviews (Sabana Westpunt, Curacao) - Tripadvisor, the cliff at GoWest shop is probably only half as high but still.

 

[Damselfish]

Curacao has plenty of easy shore diving, much of it is actually easier than Bonaire - but it’s not so biased towards it like Bonaire. If you prefer to boat dive on Curacao that is no problem. (Not really a problem on Bonaire either, except that people here will keep telling you you’re doing it wrong.

 

[BoltSnap]

Curacao has plenty of easy shore diving, much of it is actually easier than Bonaire

It is "easier entry" than Bonaire for sure but the swim out to the reef/wall is a little further out in Curacao IME. Most/almost all dive sites in Curacao have easy sandy shore entry with no climbs, except for the stairs at Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland (dive site no. 1). To get to some sites in Curacao, you have to drive on unpaved side roads for a while and some are in secluded areas. Some sites are shallow in the sandy area before you get to the reef and have "fish nurseries" you can spend a lot of time there watching/taking photos of the small fish on your way out at the end of the dive, 2 - 3 meters at the most. The driving distance between the sites in Curacao is a lot longer than in Bonaire so you are going to spend 45 - 60 minutes driving to get to the site (main road and possibly a side road). I usually plan to do two dives away from the resort in the morning and have lunch on the way back and do a late afternoon or night dive at the resort reef. If I am diving Porto Marie, I plan to do 3 dives there and have my lunch at the very nice restaurant they have there. It is so nice at Porto Marie usually don't leave until very late afternoon. I even take a a short nap after lunch before my third dive at Porto Marie

When I am in Curacao, I get a map and plan my week to dive as many of the sites from shore starting from dive site no. 1, Playa Kalki, and work my way down through the week. One week is actually not enough to dive all of the sites unless you do different sites in the morning and afternoon but that is too much work and driving. I go on a couple of boat dives to visit the sites that can't be reached from shore including Klein Curaçao.

Make sure that you visit Watamula Hole when you are there (not a dive site).

 

[lexvil]

I prefer shore diving because I don’t like being on other peoples schedule. Dive bus is a great shop, no pressure, great all the tanks you need pricing, I don’t rent gear so take Bob’s word on that.

have stayed in rental house near Willemstad through vrbo/airb&b. Lots of great food throughout town, much nicer than Bonaire for shore time.

like Bob last April’s trip was pandemic blocked, really looking forward to going back.

 

[rhwestfall]

I don’t rent gear so take Bob’s word on that.

Me neither, but I've seen that they do (as well as instruct)....

 

[drrich2]

I usually plan to do two dives away from the resort in the morning and have lunch on the way back and do a late afternoon or night dive at the resort reef. If I am diving Porto Marie, I plan to do 3 dives there and have my lunch at the very nice restaurant they have. It is so nice there I usually don't leave until very late afternoon after a short nap

When I dove in Curacao, I get a map and plan my week to dive as many of the sites from shore starting from dive site no. 1, Playa Kalki, and work my way down through the week. One week is actually not enough to dive all of the sites unless you do different sites in the morning and afternoon but that is too much work and driving.

Thank you for the 'playbook' for shore diving in Curacao! I've mulled over the possibility of a solo trip based out of Westpunt at All West Apartments or Nos Krusero Apartments with a focus on shore diving, but the logistics read as more complicated than a Bonaire trip. A 'workflow' explanation like yours helps.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

We are going to be there in Feb 2021. Not sure when you're there?

 

[BoltSnap]

Thank you for the 'playbook' for shore diving in Curacao! I've mulled over the possibility of a solo trip based out of Westpunt at All West Apartments or Nos Krusero Apartments with a focus on shore diving, but the logistics read as more complicated than a Bonaire trip. A 'workflow' explanation like yours helps.

Keep me updated on your plans, you never know, I may be able to go there (I doubt that I can any time soon however).