Ironborn
Contributor
Introduction
I chose Curaçao for my first trip in which diving was a primary consideration, given its reputation as a quality diving venue and certain topside attractions. I was newly certified, having completed my OW certification near Cartagena, Colombia, and two more dives in the nearby Rosario Islands two months earlier. Curaçao seemed like a good place to gain more experience at a basic level before my AOW certification. I had some initial reservations about the ubiquitousness of shore diving on Curaçao; all of my six previous dives were boat dives. I had been concerned that the swim from and to shore would consume too much of my energy or air. This concern turned out to be a non-issue, with the possible exception of one site with a long swim out to the descent point (Daaibooi).
Dive Operations
I used Trip Advisor to find two dive operations that struck me as the best fit for my needs: Bas Harts Diving (BHD) and Relaxed Guided Dives (RGD). They had the second and third highest ratings, respectively. I decided against the Dive Bus, the highest-rated operation, because it sounded like a higher-volume operation. As a relatively new diver, I recognized that I needed the closer and more personal attention of a smaller-scale operation, and in retrospect BHD and RGD suited me well in that regard. There were never more than four or five divers and usually fewer than that. BHD's trips were even smaller than those of RGD, typically with just one or two other divers. On my last BHD trip, it was just me and the divemaster.
Neither operation could take me for all six days that I wanted to dive, so I went with BHD for four days and RGD for the other two days. As it turned out, these operations cooperated with each other: BHD filled its tanks at RGD's compressor, and they shared information with each other. In retrospect, it would have been better to stick with one operation for the whole trip for the sake of continuity, but the exposure to two different operations had the benefit of exposing me to different ways of doing things and enabling me to decide which worked better for me.
I liked both operations and would recommend either one. If I had to choose between the two, I would chose BHD for the overall quality of diving guidance, the even smaller groups of divers, and their knowledge of where to find marine life. My diving improved more from BHD than it did from RGD for the first two reasons. RGD paired me with what appeared to be either a divemaster intern or a new(er) divemaster due to my initially high air consumption, allowing Rob or Patricia (the owners) to stick with the other, more experienced divers. I realize that they did that to maximize bottom time and otherwise enhance the experience for the more seasoned divers, but my further development as a diver would have benefited more from divemasters with more experience, as it did with BHD divemasters. BHD's groups were even smaller than those of RGD (there were BHD dives with a 1:1 diver/divemaster ratio). By the end of the week, I had reduced my air consumption to more typical levels and reached my goal of a full hour of bottom time with BHD on my last day.
BHD may be a better cultural fit for Americans or other Anglos. One of the BHD divemasters and co-owners was an American. Bas, who used to live in Australia, said that most of his customers were Americans. BHD asked for my preferences and gave me imperial gauges (they must be used to Americans asking for the imperial system), whereas I used RGD's metric gauges. I preferred the imperial system not only for its greater familiarity but because its smaller units faciltiate more precise measurement (e.g. 3000psi vs. 200 bar). BHD sets up your gear for you (perhaps in keeping with American ideas of customer service), whereas RGD has you set it up for yourself. The value-conscious consumer side of me preferred the former, whereas the avid learner side of me appreciated the latter, especially for a newer diver in need of the practice.
RGD's other advantages included a public shop, which BHD did not have. I tried on different pieces of gear at RGD's shop, whereas BHD brought gear for me when they picked me up, based on the sizes that I sent them when I booked (it all fit well). RGD had fuller tanks (250 bar), which helped me due to my high air consumption at the beginning of the trip. Both operations provide photos, which was significant for me, as I did not yet own a camera. I preferred RGD's photographic focus on marine life to BHD's focus on me and other divers. The best photos from my trip were RGD photos of a spotted eagle ray (attached). I saw two spotted eagle rays feeding on a BHD dive (one of the most impressive sights of the whole trip), but the divemaster did not have a camera that day.
Both operations provided gear at no extra charge. Both operations had weight-integrated BCDs that held all the weight that I needed; I never wore a weight belt. I had discovered the virtues of a weight-integrated BCD when a divemaster from Diving Planet suggested one as a solution to the problems that I had with proper trim during my trip to the Rosario Islands, right after my OW course. It greatly improved my trim, so I asked for one from both operations. BHD indicated a preference for weight-integrated BCDs.
Both operations went to less frequently visited dive sites off the beaten path of the more well-known sites. At almost all sites, the divers in our small groups were the only divers that I saw in the water.
Notable Dive Sites and Marine Life
All of the trips were on the western half of the leeward side of the island, except for one day that BHD took me and another diver to the eastern half of the leeward side of the island for contrast. The marine life was richer on the western half of the island, although the contrast in species on the eastern half of the island compensated for its lower concentrations of marine life. Out of the two sites on the eastern half of the island that we dove, Tugboat and Marie Pampoen, the former was more impressive. I had heard about Tugboat in the research for my trip and had been skeptical about the value of seeing a small wreck in 15 feet of water. As a new diver, I did not rappreciate the virtue of such a wall dive when I read about it at home, until I saw the unusually steep and vertical wall beyond the tugboat in person. The sight of benthic organisms extending horizontally from the wall was new for me, and the unusual angle enabled me to spot a well-camouflaged peacock flounder that I might have otherwise missed. The tugboat gives you something interesting to see during a safety stop and attracted enough marine life to fuel my interest in diving bigger, deeper wrecks in the future (I previously had no interest in wrecks).
I found Porto Marie to be the most impressive and distinctive dive site in terms of both topography and marine life, and it is big enough for two dives. Parts of the reef reminded me of an ampitheater, which created a perfect setting for the single most impressive sight of my trip: a pair of spotted eagle rays and their feeding behavior. They swam around in the ampitheater-like area and dug for food in the sandy patch at the bottom, almost as if they were performing for us. We also saw a large king crab, which I gather was an unusual sight in the daytime.The BHD divemaster knew where a local seahorse lived, but it was not there during our dives. Other notable marine life included two moray eels and an octopus whose location the divemaster knew from previous dives there.
Another distinctive dive site was the area behind the Aqualectra desalinization plant, where RGD took me, describing it as off the beaten path of the most frequented dive sites. It was interesting to see how the benthic organisms had grown up around the structures of the desalinization plant that extended into the water before the area transitioned into a more distinctive topography. The benthic organisms also struck me as different there, including an unusual abundance of soft coral and Christmas tree worms (photo attached), and in other ways that I cannot put my finger on. I wonder if or how the presence of the desalinization plant affected the species and concentration of marine life at that site. It did not appear to have harmed them; perhaps it just altered their lifestyles or gave some species an advantage over others.
Cas Abao is a straightforward site and probably a good place to start. The topography was easy to follow, the visibility and marine life were excellent, and it was big enough for two dives (go left or right on the first dive and then in the opposite direction on the second dive). The BHD divemaster showed me my first octopus, as he knew where to find it from previous dives there. It lived under a rock on the way out from shore. The first time he pointed it out to me, it was so well-camouflaged that I could not distinguish it and wondered why he was pointing so eagerly at what I thought was a pile of rocks underneath another rock. He explained what it was on shore and pointed it out again on the second dive in the other direction, enabling me to see through its effective camouflage.
Conclusion
I am glad that I went. Curaçao was a good choice, but I wish that I had been a more capable diver at the time, as I would have gotten more out of the experience with more bottom time and smoother diving. My diving had nonetheless improved significantly by the end of the trip, and I felt that I would be ready for my AOW certification on my next trip. I overcame my reservations about shore diving, and my first exposure to the ABCs led me to add Bonaire to my list of future destinations.
I chose Curaçao for my first trip in which diving was a primary consideration, given its reputation as a quality diving venue and certain topside attractions. I was newly certified, having completed my OW certification near Cartagena, Colombia, and two more dives in the nearby Rosario Islands two months earlier. Curaçao seemed like a good place to gain more experience at a basic level before my AOW certification. I had some initial reservations about the ubiquitousness of shore diving on Curaçao; all of my six previous dives were boat dives. I had been concerned that the swim from and to shore would consume too much of my energy or air. This concern turned out to be a non-issue, with the possible exception of one site with a long swim out to the descent point (Daaibooi).
Dive Operations
I used Trip Advisor to find two dive operations that struck me as the best fit for my needs: Bas Harts Diving (BHD) and Relaxed Guided Dives (RGD). They had the second and third highest ratings, respectively. I decided against the Dive Bus, the highest-rated operation, because it sounded like a higher-volume operation. As a relatively new diver, I recognized that I needed the closer and more personal attention of a smaller-scale operation, and in retrospect BHD and RGD suited me well in that regard. There were never more than four or five divers and usually fewer than that. BHD's trips were even smaller than those of RGD, typically with just one or two other divers. On my last BHD trip, it was just me and the divemaster.
Neither operation could take me for all six days that I wanted to dive, so I went with BHD for four days and RGD for the other two days. As it turned out, these operations cooperated with each other: BHD filled its tanks at RGD's compressor, and they shared information with each other. In retrospect, it would have been better to stick with one operation for the whole trip for the sake of continuity, but the exposure to two different operations had the benefit of exposing me to different ways of doing things and enabling me to decide which worked better for me.
I liked both operations and would recommend either one. If I had to choose between the two, I would chose BHD for the overall quality of diving guidance, the even smaller groups of divers, and their knowledge of where to find marine life. My diving improved more from BHD than it did from RGD for the first two reasons. RGD paired me with what appeared to be either a divemaster intern or a new(er) divemaster due to my initially high air consumption, allowing Rob or Patricia (the owners) to stick with the other, more experienced divers. I realize that they did that to maximize bottom time and otherwise enhance the experience for the more seasoned divers, but my further development as a diver would have benefited more from divemasters with more experience, as it did with BHD divemasters. BHD's groups were even smaller than those of RGD (there were BHD dives with a 1:1 diver/divemaster ratio). By the end of the week, I had reduced my air consumption to more typical levels and reached my goal of a full hour of bottom time with BHD on my last day.
BHD may be a better cultural fit for Americans or other Anglos. One of the BHD divemasters and co-owners was an American. Bas, who used to live in Australia, said that most of his customers were Americans. BHD asked for my preferences and gave me imperial gauges (they must be used to Americans asking for the imperial system), whereas I used RGD's metric gauges. I preferred the imperial system not only for its greater familiarity but because its smaller units faciltiate more precise measurement (e.g. 3000psi vs. 200 bar). BHD sets up your gear for you (perhaps in keeping with American ideas of customer service), whereas RGD has you set it up for yourself. The value-conscious consumer side of me preferred the former, whereas the avid learner side of me appreciated the latter, especially for a newer diver in need of the practice.
RGD's other advantages included a public shop, which BHD did not have. I tried on different pieces of gear at RGD's shop, whereas BHD brought gear for me when they picked me up, based on the sizes that I sent them when I booked (it all fit well). RGD had fuller tanks (250 bar), which helped me due to my high air consumption at the beginning of the trip. Both operations provide photos, which was significant for me, as I did not yet own a camera. I preferred RGD's photographic focus on marine life to BHD's focus on me and other divers. The best photos from my trip were RGD photos of a spotted eagle ray (attached). I saw two spotted eagle rays feeding on a BHD dive (one of the most impressive sights of the whole trip), but the divemaster did not have a camera that day.
Both operations provided gear at no extra charge. Both operations had weight-integrated BCDs that held all the weight that I needed; I never wore a weight belt. I had discovered the virtues of a weight-integrated BCD when a divemaster from Diving Planet suggested one as a solution to the problems that I had with proper trim during my trip to the Rosario Islands, right after my OW course. It greatly improved my trim, so I asked for one from both operations. BHD indicated a preference for weight-integrated BCDs.
Both operations went to less frequently visited dive sites off the beaten path of the more well-known sites. At almost all sites, the divers in our small groups were the only divers that I saw in the water.
Notable Dive Sites and Marine Life
All of the trips were on the western half of the leeward side of the island, except for one day that BHD took me and another diver to the eastern half of the leeward side of the island for contrast. The marine life was richer on the western half of the island, although the contrast in species on the eastern half of the island compensated for its lower concentrations of marine life. Out of the two sites on the eastern half of the island that we dove, Tugboat and Marie Pampoen, the former was more impressive. I had heard about Tugboat in the research for my trip and had been skeptical about the value of seeing a small wreck in 15 feet of water. As a new diver, I did not rappreciate the virtue of such a wall dive when I read about it at home, until I saw the unusually steep and vertical wall beyond the tugboat in person. The sight of benthic organisms extending horizontally from the wall was new for me, and the unusual angle enabled me to spot a well-camouflaged peacock flounder that I might have otherwise missed. The tugboat gives you something interesting to see during a safety stop and attracted enough marine life to fuel my interest in diving bigger, deeper wrecks in the future (I previously had no interest in wrecks).
I found Porto Marie to be the most impressive and distinctive dive site in terms of both topography and marine life, and it is big enough for two dives. Parts of the reef reminded me of an ampitheater, which created a perfect setting for the single most impressive sight of my trip: a pair of spotted eagle rays and their feeding behavior. They swam around in the ampitheater-like area and dug for food in the sandy patch at the bottom, almost as if they were performing for us. We also saw a large king crab, which I gather was an unusual sight in the daytime.The BHD divemaster knew where a local seahorse lived, but it was not there during our dives. Other notable marine life included two moray eels and an octopus whose location the divemaster knew from previous dives there.
Another distinctive dive site was the area behind the Aqualectra desalinization plant, where RGD took me, describing it as off the beaten path of the most frequented dive sites. It was interesting to see how the benthic organisms had grown up around the structures of the desalinization plant that extended into the water before the area transitioned into a more distinctive topography. The benthic organisms also struck me as different there, including an unusual abundance of soft coral and Christmas tree worms (photo attached), and in other ways that I cannot put my finger on. I wonder if or how the presence of the desalinization plant affected the species and concentration of marine life at that site. It did not appear to have harmed them; perhaps it just altered their lifestyles or gave some species an advantage over others.
Cas Abao is a straightforward site and probably a good place to start. The topography was easy to follow, the visibility and marine life were excellent, and it was big enough for two dives (go left or right on the first dive and then in the opposite direction on the second dive). The BHD divemaster showed me my first octopus, as he knew where to find it from previous dives there. It lived under a rock on the way out from shore. The first time he pointed it out to me, it was so well-camouflaged that I could not distinguish it and wondered why he was pointing so eagerly at what I thought was a pile of rocks underneath another rock. He explained what it was on shore and pointed it out again on the second dive in the other direction, enabling me to see through its effective camouflage.
Conclusion
I am glad that I went. Curaçao was a good choice, but I wish that I had been a more capable diver at the time, as I would have gotten more out of the experience with more bottom time and smoother diving. My diving had nonetheless improved significantly by the end of the trip, and I felt that I would be ready for my AOW certification on my next trip. I overcame my reservations about shore diving, and my first exposure to the ABCs led me to add Bonaire to my list of future destinations.
