Dive Review of Sunset Waters in
Curaçao/Sta. Marta Bay and west...

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Sunset Waters, Jun, 2003, by Brant Shenkarow, CA, USA . Report 1153.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Curacao has been one of my favorite places to dive...I've visited 5 times now...I believe it's too often overlooked and underrated...but that's okay since it's the absence of divers which ranks this island's western half above Bonaire for desert isle Caribbean diving. Sunset Waters is the old Coral Cliffs...resort and dive operation both have beeen owned by separate concerns. While the new Sunset Waters Resort is way, way, way better than the old Coral Cliffs Resort, the new dive operation doesn't do as good a job as the old Coral Cliffs Divers. That's not to say the new operation doesn't do a good job, but just not as good as the old Coral Cliff Divers. Part of the reason is that CCD used to go more dive sites farther west. The new Sunset Divers could make it well worth the extra fuel cost by doing all day trips to the west end, charging for an afternoon dive and having lunch prepared by the resort for a $5 surcharge. So I believe the new operation just isn't as adventuresome as the island beckons. Kevin, Lynn, and Bernd are friendly, helpful, and professional; however Carlos seems to be concerned about only himself. Though he led about 1/3 of the dives, he is not a qualified PADI divemaster, so by rights he should not be leading dives through this qualified PADI dive operation. I was off diving and taking pictures on my own, so I didn't really see how any of the dive guides handled the group, but I didn't hear any complaints from any of the other dozen or so divers. Curacao's western half offers the u/w photographer great opportunities for macro life and wide angle reefscapes. I used my 12-24, 17-35, 60, and 105mm lenses with my Nikon D100 and twin Ike DS-125's, taking an average of 100 shots per dive. I fond that if I staked out a 50 foot square and stayed put in just a few spots, I had all the subjects I needed...octopus, peacock flounder, stonefish, turtle, all kinds of tropicals, seahorse, morays, spotted eagle ray, and some of the most beautiful and healthy hard and soft corals and sponges I've ever seen. The resort is very comfortable without being fancy. It provides everything the diver needs and most of what we want. The food is pretty good and there's lots of it with either buffet or menu choices for each meal. All drinks are included from morning to midnight including alcohol at the two bars. There's a clean, expansive private beach with a portion of it clothing optional. (For 2 weeks in September the entire resort is clothing optional). So I recommend visiting Curacao and diving the western half. Before I return I'd make it clear to the dive oprators that I expect to dive the coral-dense 4 mile Mushroom Forest, Jeremi, and Watahuli which are all spectacularly healthy and rich with reef life. If you decide on going to Bonaire again, please don't let me stop yoou. No offense, but Curacao remains special because you'll be going to Bonaire.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	All over Western and Eastern Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Mexico, California, Galapagos, Australia, South Pacific, Cental America.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	50-150 Ft/ 15-46 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	1 hour time limit. Begin safety stop with at least 500psi. No deco. If diver wished to follow dive guide, tell guide when air down to 1,500psi.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
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	I shoot strictly digital so I've no need for a film lab or support. The boat is very roomy, there's separate rinse barrels aboard for cameras and masks. Dive crew handled my big rig to me and from me very well. Ashore there's a large rinse barrel for cameras only...and there's a hose for final rinse before going to hotel room for equipment maintance and computer work. I fell into a smooth workflow, and I was happy.

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Dive Review of Sunset Waters in Curaçao/Sta. Marta Bay and west...

Sunset Waters, Jun, 2003,

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 Sunset Waters in
Curaçao/Sta. Marta Bay and west...