Curacao in March - Habitat Divers

[Adrian_K]

Hi All,

Has anyone been diving at this resort, and if so how did you find it? I have checked on the tripadvisor website and the reviews are mixed (perhaps the most negative ones coming from the "more demanding" US/New Jersey divers wanting 5* accommodation?!).

We are planning to go in March. No idea what the divings like but assuming it's a lot warmer than most lakes in the UK! Any recommendations on dive sites / curacao in general would help..

Thanks

Adrian

[purple vonny]

I haven't dived at Habitat but it has a very good reputation. We dived with Lion's Dive a couple of years ago. I believe that Habitat does mostly shore diving - access by jeep? And I think the diving is unlimited, just trying to remember what I have read about them.

Curacao is brilliant, the diving is lovely, very little in the way of currents, the only ones we found were on the Superior Producer, which is the only deep-ish wreck (it is upright - the hull is about 30m). There are some pretty, shallow wrecks, mostly around Willemstaadt and not really diveable from the shore.

http://www.curacao.com/ActivitiesEve...Locations.aspx

The corals are in very good condition and there are impressive barrel sponges and I saw my first sea horse there!

Willemstaadt is great, very safe with a floating market and pretty pastel coloured architecture which looks a lot like Amsterdam.

If you get the chance to go on a day trip to Klein Curacao - it is well worth the early start and long journey on a crappy ship. The diving there is fantastic - it is pristine due to the isolation and the island is uninhabited but the crew do a nice BBQ.

This is the Barge (diver has no fins - I went with the Scuba Trust!)


and this is Willemstaadt with it's swinging bridge



I'm sure you'll love it.

[Adrian_K]

Hi Vonny,

Thanks for the info and pictures, it sounds promising for some winter sunshine.... we normally try to go to Grenada but couldn't get the flights on airmiles! So going a bit neared the equator can't be bad, and some gentle photo opportunites should be relaxing, we had better start practising our Dutch.....

Adrian

[PhuketRichard]

Hi Adrian K

It's been over 14 years since I lived and worked in Curacao and at that time the only Habitat Center was on Bonaire. I also spent a lot of my time off with Lions Dive and loved the deep dive just off the dive center. Limited wrecks as show in the photos thanks to "purple vonny" and if you get bored down South of the Island go up to the North to visit sites such as Mushroom Forest and do personal battle with the huge lobsters in the big mouthed caves. Keep in mind however that the biggies are a bit tought eating with age and although we have some fantastic photos I prefer the smaller ones on a plate.

No need to practice your Dutch and see if you can find a fraise book for "Papumento" which is the local language on the 3 Islands.

Happy Travels and Regards From Phuket

Richard & Megumi