Newbie Questions About Curacao

[gasweenie]

Hi everyone. I've found this to be a great board as I've learned a lot about the different Caribbean locations from all the helpful posters. I just got my Open Water Certification this past weekend in Tobago and was planning on making a trip to Curacao this weekend by myself. I read some of the old posts but still had some questions about Curacao, shore diving and the Habitat/Lion’s Den resort:

1) As a new diver (<15 dives) I haven't done much shore diving and definitely have never gone out by myself. I am a bit scared about being down there by myself and was wondering how difficult it is to navigate and get back to shore?

2) Are the shore dives around the Habitat or Lion’s Den resort enough to keep you occupied or do you recommend renting a car and going to other parts of the island (I only have 3 days on the island)?

3) Roughly how many dives did you do there per day?

4) Do I need special training to partake in night diving?

5) General thoughts on Habitat or Lion's Den?

Thanks in advanced for any feedback!

-Kevin

 

[ronrosa]

Solo diving with <15 dives of experience is not a good idea.

You should be able to find a dive buddy at Habitat and Lions Dive or hire a DM to go with you.

 

[scubabear]

Hey, diving at Habitat is a breeze. Go down to the dock follow the submerged line to a sloping wall, go right or left, come back at a shallower level, pick up the line and follow it back to the dock.
You can also set your compass for return ,and where ever you are on the wall follow it to shore. The house reef is about as nice as most we did on boat dives, with the exception of Mushroom Forest. We dove 2 boat dives and 3 shore dives,on the house reef, for 6 days. Water was calm and no current to speak of.
Can't comment on Lion's,other than to say the waters around their location were much choppier. Habitat is a good ways in from town, although there is a free shuttle you can sign up for.
Habitat house reef is a great night dive, depending on your comfort level you may want to buddy up with someone. There were divers coming and going from the dock both day and night.
Most divers are an amiable lot, and would have no problem with you tagging along. Whatever you decide, have a great time.

 

[Doc]

But possibly misplaced on this section, maybe better put in training, etc.

There is enough to keep anyone of your experience level busy even in a pond or big pool. This isn't meant to be as snide as it may sound. I took a friend on his first 30 dives and at about dive #15 he noticed a sea cucumber which is the rough equivelant to pointing downward and gurgling, "ROCK!".

There is more than enough to see at any Caribbean destination, even the most thrashed over, run off covered of them If you are truly interested in finding critters, tell your DM and follow his lead. When he finds a critter, just don't stare at it, but notice the micro niche it inhabits. They all like a particular geography, landscape or other critter.

If you can learn to spot Corkscrew Anemone, you can find a Pedersen Cleaning Shrimp (but you'll need a magnifying glass, a light and some luck to see the OTHER critter that lives inside underneath!).

Does shore dive navigation involve special skills. You bet it does, and they're not beginner level easy type skills. It's not to say you can't begin to learn them, but don't imagine that you can learn them just by reading a book. Learn with a qualified shoree diver who can explain... that sounds like an instructor?!?!?

My best shore dive tip is to take a 2 liter Pepsi bottle, 10' of line and a three pound weight out with you. Place the weight carefuly in 25fsw and go left or right on the reef. When you make your return, be sure to be in precisely 25fsw, and you'll know when to turn in shore to your ransacked car. The bottle only needs to be full of air enough to float it, about 1/4 full.

Night diving is a whole different ball game. Dive the site thoroughly in the daylight and get a good look around. Get some instruction. Maybe try a night snorkel first? I break skittish but determined people in by having them don all of their gear, but no weight belt. This becomes lioke a surface snorkel with all of the complications of SCUBA.

Get instructiuon, dive with firends who are willing and able to share knowledge. Read about it first so you'll know if they're clueless or b.s.'ing.

Night diving is a delight.

 

[TedJ]

scubabear once bubbled...
[Can't comment on Lion's,other than to say the waters around their location were much choppier.

Just spent two weeks in Curacao, one at Breezes down the street from Lion's. Visibility was not good out front as construction was going on next door. Boats were crowded with about 20 divers.

Don't know about Habitat but I did visit the property and it seemed very nice although quite a ways away from town.

Stayed at the Hilton for the second week and dove with SeaScape. They were great. Check out the photos at http://www.tedjanssen.com/pages/765995/index.htm

The top left photo is from our balcony at Breezes looking towards Lion's in the distance. BTW there is a great little restaurant between the two at the Toucan Divers shop. And on the other side of Breezes is an outdoor restaurant that we enjoyed for a good cheap meal. It's the one closest to Breezes, not the second one.
Hope this helps.
TEdJ

 

[Damselfish]

gasweenie once bubbled...
Hi everyone. I've found this to be a great board as I've learned a lot about the different Caribbean locations from all the helpful posters. I just got my Open Water Certification this past weekend in Tobago and was planning on making a trip to Curacao this weekend by myself. I read some of the old posts but still had some questions about Curacao, shore diving and the Habitat/Lion’s Den resort:

1) As a new diver (<15 dives) I haven't done much shore diving and definitely have never gone out by myself. I am a bit scared about being down there by myself and was wondering how difficult it is to navigate and get back to shore?

2) Are the shore dives around the Habitat or Lion’s Den resort enough to keep you occupied or do you recommend renting a car and going to other parts of the island (I only have 3 days on the island)?

3) Roughly how many dives did you do there per day?

4) Do I need special training to partake in night diving?

5) General thoughts on Habitat or Lion's Den?

Thanks in advanced for any feedback!

-Kevin

I've stayed at both Lion's Dive and Habitat. Lion's Dive was long ago (~8 yrs?) before Habitat opened, I've stuck to Habitat ever since.

Shore diving at Habitat is great and with the rope it's pretty hard to get lost. (But you still shouldn't be doing it by yourself.) There's plenty on the shore dives right there to keep you occupied for a few days. I'd suggest trying the boat too for something different. They post where they are planning to go on a board and you just sign up.

Shore diving at Lion's Dive was not as nice, partly because there was a longish swim through the harbor (never the most pleasant thing) to get out to the reef. I assume this has not changed. Once you were out there you could swim to the Tugboat and there was other stuff to see. I think the reef there (and that end of the island in general) is not as nice as to the west (where Habitat is.) This is true even though the eastern part has the marine park.

At Habitat it is pretty quiet and diving-centric. Lion's Dive has a ton more activity down by the water. I stopped by there a few months ago and was astonished at how much the area had built up.