Curacao dive shops / operators / sites

[Murphy in NC]

Hey everyone, looking for dive operators and sites.

This will be my first visit. Looking for shallow, nothing below 70 feet, as little current as possible.

I have never been to Curacao will be staying at Oasis Parcs. - Oasis Coral Estate Beach, Dive & Wellness Resort

Any info would be appreciated

 

[tkaelin]

The better shore diving will be west of where you are staying. The house reef at Kura Hulanda where Gowest has its dive shop is one of the best shore diving sites on the island. The beach Cas Abou with Bdiving on site is very nice as well. Beautiful beach, easy diving.

 

[Damselfish]

Are you shore diving, boat diving, or both? Oasis is the former Habitat resort. I don't know anything about the current dive op there (Coral Divers) but it would make sense to try them for both. (And report back here If they're good it might not make sense to go elsewhere for boat diving at least, you'll be a bit out of the way. And the on-site shore diving was pretty good back then.

And true, if you are planning to go elsewhere for shore diving you will want to head west. Definitely worth heading out to Go West for a day of diving, it's a great shore dive and their boats will probably do sites they don't get to from Oasis, like I'm not sure if they would hit Watamula from Oasis. (Though Watamula or other sites near the tip of the island may involve some current.) I don't know what if anything Coral Divers has for a tank fill station, but lots of Curacao dive sites are on little beaches that have dive ops and facilities, so you may not want/need to haul around tanks (things work a little differently from Bonaire.)

The dive op that used to be at Oasis (Divers Republic) moved a few years ago to Daaibooi Beach nearby, never heard why they moved.

Not much need to go deep in Curacao, and usually not much for current. You may see the occasional "drift" dive that seems usually just a one way dive. (We did get caught in a strong current shore diving from Coral Estate once, but it was a real fluke and surprised everyone.)

 

[diversteve]

I really liked the Habitat (Oasis) dive. They improved the access some years ago by paving a road down to the water, b4 that it was a lot of stairs. IIRC going east was better than west.. Lots of eels, a few cuda etc.

Coral Divers guides onsite if interested. Also they dive Mushroom Forest nearby and I believe the Superior Producer farther east (seems like south) if it's re-open to diving now - was closed for cruise port expansion. Any cruise activity closes the site during the day.

Playa Lagun is a good dive a little north of there - easy entry, shallow. Playa Jeremi on the north side of Lagun also but we had a little current there. Porto Mari is close by also, we did it one afternoon using Habitat's tanks. Nice double reef dive. Watamula is one of the best - Go West dives it weekly from their Lodge Kura Hulanda location.

 

[Bas Harts]

If you are looking for a guide for the dive sites without dive ops on-site you can have a look at bashartsdiving.com. We do pick up at the resort your staying and like to dive the more remote dive sites on the west side of Curacao.

 

[drrich2]

We do pick up at the resort your staying and like to dive the more remote dive sites on the west side of Curacao.

You got me curious, especially in the context of how Curacao comes across in various threads; a good shore diving (and boat diving) destination that also appeals to non-divers, but the benefits of civilization are to the east with the capital, and the allegedly better diving to the west.

So let's say someone stays at Sunscape Resort or Lions Dive Resort, for example, and wants to dive with your operation, shore diving out west. In terms of pick-up time, and return time to the resort, very roughly what does that day look like? How many dives?

It would help people considering the option plan, especially if traveling with non-divers.

Richard.

 

[keesmon]

I can highly recommend the dive shop at Daaibooi Beach:
Divers Republic
Nice place to spend the day. Good dive site, and everything you need there (Tanks, gear etc.)

 

[Murphy in NC]

The better shore diving will be west of where you are staying. The house reef at Kura Hulanda where Gowest has its dive shop is one of the best shore diving sites on the island. The beach Cas Abou with Bdiving on site is very nice as well. Beautiful beach, easy diving.

Thank you, I will check out both !

 

[Murphy in NC]

Are you shore diving, boat diving, or both? Oasis is the former Habitat resort. I don't know anything about the current dive op there (Coral Divers) but it would make sense to try them for both. (And report back here If they're good it might not make sense to go elsewhere for boat diving at least, you'll be a bit out of the way. And the on-site shore diving was pretty good back then.

And true, if you are planning to go elsewhere for shore diving you will want to head west. Definitely worth heading out to Go West for a day of diving, it's a great shore dive and their boats will probably do sites they don't get to from Oasis, like I'm not sure if they would hit Watamula from Oasis. (Though Watamula or other sites near the tip of the island may involve some current.) I don't know what if anything Coral Divers has for a tank fill station, but lots of Curacao dive sites are on little beaches that have dive ops and facilities, so you may not want/need to haul around tanks (things work a little differently from Bonaire.)

The dive op that used to be at Oasis (Divers Republic) moved a few years ago to Daaibooi Beach nearby, never heard why they moved.

Not much need to go deep in Curacao, and usually not much for current. You may see the occasional "drift" dive that seems usually just a one way dive. (We did get caught in a strong current shore diving from Coral Estate once, but it was a real fluke and surprised everyone.)

We will be doing both shore and boat however more concerned about the most fishy spots or turtles/dolphins/sharks.Will definetly check out the house reef where go west is however their boats say 18 to 20 divers.
that may not be a good fit for me, we have never been on a boat with more than eight divers.

Looking forward to the shore dives and beaches

Are you shore diving, boat diving, or both? Oasis is the former Habitat resort. I don't know anything about the current dive op there (Coral Divers) but it would make sense to try them for both. (And report back here If they're good it might not make sense to go elsewhere for boat diving at least, you'll be a bit out of the way. And the on-site shore diving was pretty good back then.

And true, if you are planning to go elsewhere for shore diving you will want to head west. Definitely worth heading out to Go West for a day of diving, it's a great shore dive and their boats will probably do sites they don't get to from Oasis, like I'm not sure if they would hit Watamula from Oasis. (Though Watamula or other sites near the tip of the island may involve some current.) I don't know what if anything Coral Divers has for a tank fill station, but lots of Curacao dive sites are on little beaches that have dive ops and facilities, so you may not want/need to haul around tanks (things work a little differently from Bonaire.)

The dive op that used to be at Oasis (Divers Republic) moved a few years ago to Daaibooi Beach nearby, never heard why they moved.

Not much need to go deep in Curacao, and usually not much for current. You may see the occasional "drift" dive that seems usually just a one way dive. (We did get caught in a strong current shore diving from Coral Estate once, but it was a real fluke and surprised everyone.)

withreef

 

[Murphy in NC]

I really liked the Habitat (Oasis) dive. They improved the access some years ago by paving a road down to the water, b4 that it was a lot of stairs. IIRC going east was better than west.. Lots of eels, a few cuda etc.

Coral Divers guides onsite if interested. Also they dive Mushroom Forest nearby and I believe the Superior Producer farther east (seems like south) if it's re-open to diving now - was closed for cruise port expansion. Any cruise activity closes the site during the day.

Playa Lagun is a good dive a little north of there - easy entry, shallow. Playa Jeremi on the north side of Lagun also but we had a little current there. Porto Mari is close by also, we did it one afternoon using Habitat's tanks. Nice double reef dive. Watamula is one of the best - Go West dives it weekly from their Lodge Kura Hulanda location.

Steve, When you stated you liked the Habitat (Oasis) dive, are you referring to where I am staying? Oasis Coral Estate Beach, Dive & Wellness Resort ??

you mentioned IIRC, what is IIRC?