Surface Marker in Curacao required?

[atagirl]

I decided to stop in Curacao to dive for a few days on my way to Bonaire this year. It will be my first time in Curacao after many trips to Bonaire. I had some questions about shore diving in Curacao.

1.I have been using Dive Curacao as one reference. Every shore site says: Special notes: Due to recreational and commercial boat traffic an inflated surface marker buoy is mandatory when shore diving. Do they mean you just have to have one in case you need to inflate on surfacing or do you have to use it with line and reel etc when coming up, swimming out, the whole time? I was just planning on a few days of unlimited tanks and weights. I never surface swim to sites in Bonaire, I realize it is further in Curacao but still would prefer not to surface swim. Would I have to use a marker if swimming out submerged? Not sure of depths and traffic.

2. I dive from tiny cars, both my own and rentals often and am not worried about the size and know how to keep it tidy. Will the car rental company care if they found out that I am diving in their sedan like they would on Bonaire?
3. How do you find the dive sites? As in literally find them? What is the best practice here do you print out directions ahead of time? Is there a solid paper map option when there? I will not be bringing a phone with me to a dive site. Basic shore dive map is sufficient in Bonaire but seems trickier to get to sites in Curacao. Are they signed and marked when you arrive?

4. Finally: favorite or must do shore dives? I will only be shore diving. We will be staying by Alice in Wonderland. I have the lists from the internet via various dive shops but would enjoy hearing personal opinions.

 

[tkaelin]

I decided to stop in Curacao to dive for a few days on my way to Bonaire this year. It will be my first time in Curacao after many trips to Bonaire. I had some questions about shore diving in Curacao.

1.I have been using Dive Curacao as one reference. Every shore site says: Special notes: Due to recreational and commercial boat traffic an inflated surface marker buoy is mandatory when shore diving. Do they mean you just have to have one in case you need to inflate on surfacing or do you have to use it with line and reel etc when coming up, swimming out, the whole time? I was just planning on a few days of unlimited tanks and weights. I never surface swim to sites in Bonaire, I realize it is further in Curacao but still would prefer not to surface swim. Would I have to use a marker if swimming out submerged? Not sure of depths and traffic.

2. I dive from tiny cars, both my own and rentals often and am not worried about the size and know how to keep it tidy. Will the car rental company care if they found out that I am diving in their sedan like they would on Bonaire?
3. How do you find the dive sites? As in literally find them? What is the best practice here do you print out directions ahead of time? Is there a solid paper map option when there? I will not be bringing a phone with me to a dive site. Basic shore dive map is sufficient in Bonaire but seems trickier to get to sites in Curacao. Are they signed and marked when you arrive?

4. Finally: favorite or must do shore dives? I will only be shore diving. We will be staying by Alice in Wonderland. I have the lists from the internet via various dive shops but would enjoy hearing personal opinions.

I have been to Cur a number of times with stays in Westpunt. I have dove Cas Abou, Lagun, Playa Grandi (piscado) and Playa Kalki (alice in wonderland). I have never used a surface float at any of these sites and only occasionally see one being used. I keep a SMB in my bc and have only deployed it once or twice at Playa Grandi when there was immediate boat jet ski traffic nearby. In my experience, of the sites I listesd, only Playa Grandi has any kind of regular boat traffic from the fishing boats and now tour operators bringing in snorkelers. If you dive early morning or later afternoon there will be reduced boat traffic.

On cars, I have used both pick ups (allwest) and small compacts. I have never had a issue with using a small compact for diving so long as it is returned clean and dry. If you return it wet with an inordinate amount of sand you may have an issue (whether dive related or not).

On dive sites and maps, you should be able to get a paper map from the rental company and figure it out from there using the internet in your room and make the plans on your map before heading out. I don't use the Bonaire mindset for diving CUR ie there is no need to try to hit a lot of sites. Honestly you can dive Playa Kalki everyday for a week and not get bored. Add a boat trip to Watamula and you will have a pretty darn good week. Playa Grandi and Kalki are 5 minutes apart. Lagun is maybe 15 minutes from Grandi/Kalki and Cas Abou 25 minutes. At Kalki there are lockers you can use so you can bring a lock and phone. At Cas Abou, dive with Bdiving and they will keep your phone and valuables for you. Tanks and dive shop on site at Kalki, Lagun and Cas Abou. You can bring your own tanks but you can also rent on site which we always do at Cas Abou as you get to use there set up area, rinse tanks, drying racks, they watch your stuff and will give you up to date dive tips.

Playa Kalki and Watamula are the top sites I would recommend. Try to get on a 1 tank PM boat dive to Watamula.

Enjoy.

 

[lexvil]

I certainly hope not, I’ve never used one there.

 

[Saturated and satisfied]

I decided to stop in Curacao to dive for a few days on my way to Bonaire this year. It will be my first time in Curacao after many trips to Bonaire. I had some questions about shore diving in Curacao.

1.I have been using Dive Curacao as one reference. Every shore site says: Special notes: Due to recreational and commercial boat traffic an inflated surface marker buoy is mandatory when shore diving. Do they mean you just have to have one in case you need to inflate on surfacing or do you have to use it with line and reel etc when coming up, swimming out, the whole time? I was just planning on a few days of unlimited tanks and weights. I never surface swim to sites in Bonaire, I realize it is further in Curacao but still would prefer not to surface swim. Would I have to use a marker if swimming out submerged? Not sure of depths and traffic.

2. I dive from tiny cars, both my own and rentals often and am not worried about the size and know how to keep it tidy. Will the car rental company care if they found out that I am diving in their sedan like they would on Bonaire?
3. How do you find the dive sites? As in literally find them? What is the best practice here do you print out directions ahead of time? Is there a solid paper map option when there? I will not be bringing a phone with me to a dive site. Basic shore dive map is sufficient in Bonaire but seems trickier to get to sites in Curacao. Are they signed and marked when you arrive?

4. Finally: favorite or must do shore dives? I will only be shore diving. We will be staying by Alice in Wonderland. I have the lists from the internet via various dive shops but would enjoy hearing personal opinions.

First of all, congratulations on choosing the better island for diving.

1) The law here in Curacao is that you are supposed to have a surface marker buoy on all dives but the enforcement of this law is nil. In twenty years of living and diving here I have been stopped the sum total of never. I would, however, recommend you have one attached to your gear should there be boat traffic like at Playa Piskado which is a very active fishing bay to let the boats know you're down there when you shoot it to the surface.

2) I have never heard of a rental company complaining or charging for extra cleaning but be nice and try and minimize the mess. We have buckets we give to independent divers to store their gear minimizing water and sand entering the vehicle.

3) There are paper maps if you don't want to take your phone. Most divers are taking thier phones these days as they are easy to hide away being of a slim design and using the offline map app Maps.me to navigate if you don't have connectivity.

4) My favorite shore dives for what it's worth are Car pile, Directors bay (Left) Porto Mari (Right) to name a few.

Enjoy

 

[arew+4]

Keep it clean, sit on a towel, the car should be fine.

Playa Porto Marie,
Playa Kaliki
Playa Grandini
Tug Boat and the adjacent pier.

 

[tarponchik]

Never used a floater in Curacao and never seen anyone using it. One tip I can give you is avoid car break-ins. Do not lock your car and do not leave anything in a car. They stole my cap, my shorts, and even my water bottle. If you lock your car chances are good they'll break its window to get in.

Re dive sites, also do 2 boat dives: Mushroom Forrest (via local dive shop) to see the large grotto they have and Watamula. The rest of the dive sites in the NW are about equal, but avoid diving closer to Willemstad than Playa Lagoon, it's not worth it.

 

[mje113]

One tip I can give you is avoid car break-ins. Do not lock your car and do not leave anything in a car.

Oh wow--I'd heard that about Bonaire--didn't know it was the same situation on Curacao. I'm going to be diving with Dive Bus, but probably getting around in my own rental. For anyone that has dove with them, do they leave someone topside to watch over vehicles and stuff?

 

[arew+4]

Honestly I think the rental car advice, "leave nothing in it, and leave it unlocked" applies on most all tourist Islands. They are usually so small, that a full stolen vehicle crime would be fairly easily solved, but a smash and grab because a tourist left a couple bottles of booze, or a watch or wallet in a locked car, not so much. Shore dive islands is even easier for them they can watch you go under and they know you won't be back for an hour or so.

 

[rhwestfall]

For anyone that has dove with them (Dive Bus), do they leave someone topside to watch over vehicles and stuff?

No. You leave your valuables back at Dive Bus HQ. Safe and sound....

 

[dmaziuk]

Never used a floater in Curacao and never seen anyone using it.

We have: on the first visit we were given one by GoWest, were told "it's the law", and I dutifully towed it. Next visit a couple of years later, also at GoWest, they looked at me funny when I asked about it, and we have never used one since.