Dive Review of Ocean Encounters Diving/Lion's Dive in
Curaçao

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Ocean Encounters Diving/Lion's Dive: "Family Trip lots to see for the new divers", Aug, 2024, by David, MD, US ( 1 report with 3 Helpful votes). Report 13072 has 3 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Ocean Encounters Diving - Good updated boats, well run operation, most of the dive crew had been there for 2+ years which to me says something about how well they treat their staff. Every boat dive is guided, 50-60 min bottom time typically a multi-level profile - out at 60-70ft along the wall, back along the top of the wall at 20 ft or so. On a couple of occasions the current was really moving and the plan changed to a drift dive, DM used a float so the boat could track progress and then pick up divers. Experienced divers might resent that every dive was guided, but for me with two beginner divers (age 13 & 16) it was fine. Usually it was one DM to 8-10 divers in a group. DMs actively found and identified a variety of small and larger reef life. Three days there were two groups, the others one. Twenty divers on the boat felt a little crowded, but still manageable. Rental gear was maintained and in good condition. Even with 80 degree water temps the kids were more comfortable in 3mm shorties (available to rent) rather than without. Shore dive tanks were readily available - just need to ask. They preferred if you were back by 5 pm from any afternoon dives since the shop and dive gear storage area was locked up then. I didn't explore the opportunity for night shore dives. If you wanted a flag for your shore dives they did have some available to use at no charge. Some groups that I saw going out for shore dives didn't bother with a flag, but since the entry and exit points are in a boat channel I thought it was well worth using. Curacao Reefs - every site we dove had a good mix of fish and creatures to see. Lots of nice soft corals and big sponges. Very few lionfish, they have an very active removal program. Highlights were turtles, reef squid, octopus, and seahorses. At almost every site we found 2-3 types of eels, juvenile drums and juvenile trunkfish. Not many angelfish with only the occasional French Angel. Plenty of parrotfish, butterfly fish, grunts, chromis, trumpetfish, scorpionfish, spotted drums and other species. Additionally, there is an active coral reef renewal program. Saw evidence of nursery transplanted staghorn coral at several sites. Nursery area could be viewed on a shore dive from the resort. Rental Car - recommended if you want to get off the resort and see more of the island or shore dive elsewhere on the island. There is a National Rental Car office on site at Lion's Dive that accommodated a day of request to rent for a couple of days to tour the island. Miami airport layover on return - was barely long enough. Our flight left Curacao a little late, which meant getting into Miami about 20-30 min late and at the same time as many other international flights arrived. Immigration lines were long (even with MPC), then you had to clear TSA security (another wait) and walk to another terminal. We were not the last ones on the plane but among the last and didn't have time to grab anything to eat. Lion's Dive Beach Resort - Clean, well cared for hotel, pools, and beach area. The two bedroom apartment was very comfortable for the four of us. It could swing 6, but would be a little cozy especially for who ever was on the pull-out couch. There was good storage in the rooms. The kitchen was furnished with microwave oven, stove top, fridge, coffee maker, plates, bowls, pots & pans, etc. The shuttle to the grocery store from the resort went smoothly, but would not be available to anyone diving since it went while the dive boats were out (my non-diving wife used it a couple of times to explore the island grocery and pick up a few things...including beer/wine/liquor that is available in the grocery stores). We ate lunch in the room after diving but went out for dinner most nights. Through the Lion's Dive app/welcome link that they sent prior to arrival you can pre-order grocery items to have your fridge stocked when you get there. We placed a small order (came out to $20 US) for milk, apple juice, couple of loaves of bread, dozen eggs, and chocolate cookies and it was all there when we arrived in the room. Included Breakfast - was the same buffet every morning, but had enough variety that it didn't get too boring. Had a mix of American and European items to choose from: Pancakes, eggs to order, bacon, sausage, breads, muffins, croissants, pastries, yogurt, pineapple, melon, coffee, fruit juices, smoked salmon, chicken salad, lettuce, sliced meats & cheeses, tomatoes, granola, & fruit Loops. We ate two dinners in the resort - one at Chill Bar and the other at Hemingway's. Food was good...Hemingway's had a bigger selection of items and the service was better. The resort is easy walking distance (right next door and there is sidewalk access on the beach side of the resort) to a shopping and restaurant area associated with Mambo beach. There is an Italian food & pizza place upstairs at the end close to the resort which was good the night we went there.
Websites	Ocean Encounters Diving Lion's Dive
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Cayman, TCI, St. Vincent, Bonaire, Florida (Ft. Lauderdale, Keys), NC Coast Wrecks, Great Lakes
Closest Airport	Hato	Getting There	American Airlines BWI to Miami to Curacao, be prepared for long immigration lines in MIA
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	All boat dives were guided 25-30 min out against current at 60 ft could drop deeper if you wished but DM stayed around 60 ft, return at top of reef ~20ft
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	1-2 large rinse tanks on boats for camera storage on way to sites and after dives. At dock rinse tank for cameras was shared with regulators

Report currently has 3 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Ocean Encounters Diving/Lion's Dive in Curaçao

Ocean Encounters Diving/Lion's Dive: "Family Trip lots to see for the new divers", Aug, 2024,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Ocean Encounters Diving/Lion's Dive in
Curaçao