Curacao Trip Report - All West Apartments and Ocean Encounters West

[scubatexastony]

Dave:

My non-diving wife and I are going in March, staying at the Marriott. From what I've read, the good diving is on the west side of the island where the Marriott operator does not go.

You'll love the Marriott, nice place. If you'll be doing a bunch of shore dives and night dives, try to get a room on the west end of the complex, a lot closer to the dive shop. The diving is good all over the island, Kalki, Grote Knip, Kline Knip are great shore dives to the west, along with Mushroom and Watamula being great Boat dives.
Bluebay offers some good diving with excellent facilities closer to the Marriott, along with house reefs at Marriot, Holiday Beach, ect. There's some fishing lines and assorted trash (the two car piles are interesting), Peir Baai can be a shore dive to the pile. Superior can be dove from behind the ball feild, very rocky entry and you need a light or west current to end up back at your entry point or drift over to Holiday Beach.

The island is NOT that big that any where you stay makes for more than a 30 minute drive to a site. The folks at Sea Sports are good, yet they won't travel all the way to the West. You can drive and boat dive out of WestPunt or Sunset Waters for those, or just rent some tanks and get a map, Porta Marie, Habatit, ect. you can spend all day shore diving and never tire of any site.
Bring your sunblock and come on down!

tony

 

[DWJ]

Dave:

Can you tell us about your trip and the diving ?

My non-diving wife and I are going in March, staying at the Marriott. From what I've read, the good diving is on the west side of the island where the Marriott operator does not go. I haven't totally decided who I'm diving with yet. Diving with the hotel operator would definitely be more convenient, but I don't want to miss out on the good stuff either. I may split my dives, I don't know.

The trip was great. The Island itself is no where as nearly built up as Aruba, We stayed at the Marriott for the week and had a nice time. It was unfortunate that during our stay a Lebanese big wig was at the hotel for a few days and the security at the hotel was intimidating. Too many guns and security people all over the place watching you.

As for Diving. We did go out with the hotel dive op a few times and it was ok. They have a lot of resort divers with no skills so they were over protective. All dives were guided and that was a problem for me because I like to linger, look at the small stuff and shoot lots of pictures. I always felt rushed. But that’s not to say the diving was not good. It was. The visibility at times was a little restricted but I think that was from all the rain they had. Now when I say restricted it was still around 60 to 80 feet on a bad dive. A post of the Tugboat pic will give you an idea of this.

The wall dives were great. I have been on walls in Nassau, Grand Cayman and others and I think these were some of the best I’ve been on. Animal life was abundant. No big stuff though and no sharks which surprised me. My son did see a turtle ( I missed it) He said I was to busy shooting a Nudi. Water temp 84-86 degrees. Used a 3mm wet suit and found myself burping it to keep cool.

The BIG SURPRISE was the house reef. WOW. I did a number of shore dives and got some great pics. Wife and Daughter snorkeled and saw trumpets, a scorpion fish and a toad fish right on the house reef as well as the usual sergeant majors and butterflies. The wall there was spectacular. Eels and lobster hard and soft corals. I loved it. And because it was a shore dive, no guides. The only problem I had with shore diving was finding a buddy.

We did take a day and go up to Westpunt. Did some snorkeling at Grote Knip but no diving so I can’t tell you anything about that.

all the pics but tugboat and Wall were taken at the house reef.

I f you have anymore questions feel free to PM me of ask here on the thread.

Dave

 

[ronrosa]

Thanks Dave and Tony.

Right now, I'm leaning towards mixing it up. Sunset, Carribean Sea Sports, shore dive at the house reef. Suzy from the Dive Bus also has me considering a day with her. I may do 1 day with each and then repeat with which ever I liked most.

One of the members here is going in January, staying at Marriott and diving all week with Sunset. I'm looking forward to reading his trip report.

Dave, nice pictures. I shoot video. I have plenty of wide angle stuff. I plan on concentrating on closeup and macro in Curacao.

 

[scubatexastony]

are a hoot! We dive with them on Wednesday nights now, and do some local events with them. They have their shop (hut) set up at Surf and Turf. For a trouble free day of shore diving and eats, that wouldn't be a bad idea.... they even pick you up!

 

[Scubagal]

We'll be in Curacao in 39 days, can't come soon enough. Staying at Sunset Waters and diving with Sunset Divers. It's 1 degree here now, supposed to get down to -8 tonight. :ice: Wish we were leaving tomorrow!

 

[O'Malley]

We'll be in Curacao in 39 days, can't come soon enough. Staying at Sunset Waters and diving with Sunset Divers

Will just miss ya'...diving w/ Sunset Divers but departing the day of your arrival. Yeah, I know what you mean...-3 degrees here in Chicago today.

 

[Scubagal]

Will just miss ya'...diving w/ Sunset Divers but departing the day of your arrival. Yeah, I know what you mean...-3 degrees here in Chicago today.

Sorry we'll miss you! Have a great trip.

 

[CheddarChick]

I think Wiscnsin is trying to drive me out...I just looked at the thermometer and it was -1*. Without the wind chill...Curacao in 53 days yippee. I love reading about the place we are going and finding out about all the great places to go. Does anyone know if the Marriott has coffee makers in the rooms or free coffee in the morning? The only thing I truely need in the AM is coffee. If not, I am going to go and find a cheap one while I am there. Any help guys & gals?

 

[scubatexastony]

And if you plan on using the net, the DSL in the room is US 15/ day, better than buying minutes to use in the innernet room.

 

[CheddarChick]

Now if I spent 15 dollars a day to be on the internet...I would be in Wisconsin where it is currently a whopping 2*... I would not be in 80* Curacao. LOL
Now is that a yes to coffee makers in the room or a yes to morning coffee?