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Dive Review of Go West Diving/Kura Hulanda in
Curaçao

Go West Diving/Kura Hulanda: "Worst dive ever", Nov, 2014,

by NEAL RAKOV, FL, US ( 2 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 8012 has 1 Helpful vote.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 2 stars
Dive Operation 1 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 1 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 1 stars
Comments My buddy and I decided to do a few dives with Go West Diving in Curacao after 8 days of diving with Captain Don's in Bonaire (I won't bother to review Captain Don's as I agree with the many reviews on this site in the past). What a mistake! In terms of freedom of diving, Go West Diving is the antithesis of Captain Don's. We had pre-purchased 4 boat dives. The dive master for the first dive was Dario. He insisted that the entire group stay at the surface until the whole group jumped off the boat and then we descended as a group to 60 feet. If we went deeper than 60 feet, he shook his annoying rattle at us. He insisted that the entire group stay together for the entire 55 minute dive. When my buddy and I lagged behind to take photos, the rattle was again deployed. He insisted that we all ascend together to the 3 minute safety stop. It was then mandated that we all surface together and wait until it was your turn to reenter the boat. In an attempt to avoid the obnoxious rattle, my buddy and I bagged the next 3 boat dives. Instead we did shore dives at the Kura Hulanda home reef. Their reef is only marginal. But the resort was quite nice and the staff very accommidating.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Atlantic/Caribbean, Pacific, Indian, Med
Closest Airport Hato Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, rainy Seas calm
Water Temp 83-83°F / 28-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 40-50 Ft/ 12-15 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions Please see review below. Absolutely no dive discretion or freedom
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 1 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 2 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities 4 stars
UW Photo Comments There were many divers, but few photographers and they did have enough rinse buckets and helped you in and out of the water with your camera.
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Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

Subscriber's Comments

By Craig A Wood in PA, US at Nov 22, 2014 06:30 EST  
Has 4 years made that much difference? My wife and I spent a week at Lodge Kura Hulanda in 2010 and stayed in a beautiful ocean front 1 bedroom. We dived with Go West Diving (was then known as Ocean Encounters West). We were allowed considerably more freedom and generally stayed very loosely with the group and were back on the boat at the end of the dive. Our dives averaged 65 minutes and some of them, like Watamula, are among our favorite Caribbean sites. We really liked the shore diving at Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland. It was as good as many of the sites off Bonaire, though I would take a dive at the house reef of Sand Dollar/Den Lamen, Bari Reef, any day. I was surprised at the very negative review, maybe things have changed, or maybe this was a personal experience strongly flavored by a single DM. I've thought I may get back to Curacao someday, I still might.
By Craig A Wood in PA, US at Nov 22, 2014 09:54 EST  
Could 4 years have made such a difference? My wife and I spent a week at Lodge Kura Hulanda in October 2010. We had a beautiful ocean front 1 bedroom. We dived with Go West Diving (then known as Ocean Encounters West). We had considerably more freedom in our diving. We stayed very loosely with the group and simply boarded the boat at the conclusion of our dive. Our average dives were 65 minutes. Watamula is one of our favorite Caribbean dive sites. We also enjoyed the house reef, Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland. It compared favorably with many of the dives in Bonaire. We found a couple of resident Frogfish and a seahorse. It was only a notch below the house reef of Sand Dollar and Den Lamen in Bonaire, Bari Reef. I was surprised to read such a negative review. Things may have changed and/or the reviewers had a bad experience shaped by their DM. I've been hoping to get back to Curacao someday, I may still.
By Craig A Wood in PA, US at Nov 22, 2014 09:58 EST  
Sorry for the duplicate comment, there was a significant delay before the 1st was posted. Good diving Craig
By Marshall Boswell in CO, US at Feb 28, 2015 20:17 EST  
My wife and I have been to Curaçao three different times spending over two weeks each time. We stayed at All west apartments that included a truck and unlimited tanks right at the apartments. We only dove one time on the boat and 50 plus dives were are shore dives. Besides having to be smart about petty theft that happens here and there, it is a great place to dive and relaxe. I belive that the original poster should maybe try and dive on his own and not rely on others if he ever goes back.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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