2000 Chapbook

A short hop from Bonaire, Curaçao's colorful, historic, cosmopolitan Dutch city of Willemstad offers something for the non-diver, making it popular with diver/non-diver couples and as an extension to a Bonaire sojourn.... There's good diving, international shopping for high-rollers, night life, hiking (bring boots), an orchid-filled forest, beautiful rural villages and country homes, windsurfing, half-naked Europeans, and horseback riding. Excellent Indonesian restaurants offer all-you-can-eat rijstafels (rice tables). Tours of the Amstel Brewery are also available.... Marine Park, southeast of the public aquarium ("Seaquarium"), offers rough boat rides in exchange for the best wall dives on the island. There's outstanding beach diving from protected coves on the northwestern side of the island, which is usually calmest and has easy access by car. The windward side is almost always too rough to dive, but the diving's good if the wind shifts from its prevailing pattern. Favorite boat dives include the towboat (tugboat) featured in posters, the wall at Piedra Pretu, and the wreck of the Superior Producer.Favorite shore dives include Blauwbaii, Vaersenbaii, Playa Lagun, and Playa Kalki.... Expect water temperatures in the low 80s most of the time....

All West/Kadushi Cliffs, June 1999, Laurie Cameron, Danvers, MA. Vis: 70-80 ft. Water: 78 degrees. Resort clean, modern, quiet; our kids in their 20's could have used more action. Town and tourists an hour away. Lunch fine but dinner was terrible. Everything over cooked and covered with "special sauce" that looked like ketchup. Dive operation well run. Lots of enthusiastic service and personal attention. Divemaster followed bubbles without getting in the water but was available to get wet on beach dives. Lots of freedom: come up in an hour the only instruction. No reason to go deep. I only went to 80' and I love deep diving. Not a dive destination but worth getting wet. Boats limited to 8 divers, better than Habitat's cattle boats with 20+. (All West Diving & Adventures Curaçao; West Point Beach; Telephone +5999-8640102; fax +5999-8640107; Hans & Bernardien v/d Eeden)

Habitat Curaçao, 1998, Nancy & Mike Marmesh, Miami, FL. Water: 84-87 degrees, Vis: 40-80 ft. Good Caribbean diving. Shore diving from resort good night and day. Dive whenever you felt like it. Rent a truck and take gear to distant shore sites. Most boat dives enjoyable. Good sites, healthy corals and fish. One day had 22 divers on one boat where dive was to be led by divemaster. They had 2 boats and could have split the group. Two times the drift dives back to the resort were into current, not my concept of drift and something simple enough for the divemaster to check. The mushroom forest/cave diving is one of the best 2 for 1 sites in the Caribbean. First half seems to be enchantingly populated with large coral mushrooms. The second half is a 25 ft deep cave with lobster. Glassy sweepers, orange cup corals and swim through. Curaçao diving as good as Bonaire with less diver pressure. Black coral as shallow as 40 ft. Accommodations comfortable in the oceanside rooms. Each has a kitchenette with a two-burner stove, refrigerator and sink. Hard to beat sitting on the balcony of our room sipping an Amstel and watching the sunset. Breakfast a large plentiful buffet. Lunch and dinner included the hamburgers, sandwiches, steak and chicken, and soup, island specialty and catch of the day. Resort staff courteous and helpful. Morning of our afternoon flight home we were treated to a pod of Dolphins while snorkeling at the edge of the drop off. (Ph: 800-327-6709 or 305-438-4220, Website: www.cuacao-tourism.com/habitat)

Habitat Curaçao, September 1998, Clarence & Madelyn Schnitzer, St. Louis, MO. Water: 85-87 degrees, Vis: 50-75 ft. Shore diving off the dock was excellent. Reefs as good if not better than boat dives. Night diving was good off dock. Numerous large eels, one had to be 7 feet. Daytime saw turtles and large spotted leopard rays, lots of colorful fish. The sponges were large, numerous and colorful. Resort was nice, people friendly and not crowded. Rooms clean, food okay.

Habitat Curaçao, October 1998, Robert & Louise Gould, NJ. Vis: 50-75 Ft. Water: 80-81 degrees. Well laid out with good maintenance and a friendly staff. Air low 90's, mostly sunny. Stay in the beachfront rooms not in the hillside cottages. Best rooms are 100, 660, 700. Excellent, well-organized dive operation. The divemasters are knowledgeable, safety conscious and concerned about the reef. There is a sign-up board for the boat dives. You can go for 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. dives. Beach diving excellent. Tanks are available 24 hrs a day with no time or depth restrictions. Nitrox is available, any mix you want, for an extra $8/tank. Excellent photo courses and services by Chris Richards. Evening slide shows great. Need more space on the boats for cameras. Reefs healthy with lots of small fish/critters, turtles, rays, morays. Most sites moored but did some drifts. Especially liked mushroom forest and St. Marie. Bar/restaurant atmosphere is nice with great bartenders. Food needs improvement. Breakfast OK with a buffet of eggs, bacon, pancakes, fruit. Nightly fish specials were excellent but other selections for lunch and dinner not up to standards. Regular coffee is what we would consider espresso. Service could be faster.

Habitat Curaçao, October 1998, Madelyn Schnitzer, St. Louis, MO. I agree with your newsletter about the great diving, the good and clean rooms and a beautiful pool. Food is OK and the service was not bad. They could improve their breakfast. Towels, soap and toilet paper were plentiful, unlike earlier reports. We asked for extra towels and they were in our room right away. I wish you could walk next door like in Bonaire for better restaurants but you can't. The diving made up for the food (almost).

Habitat Curaçao, January 1999, Dave Barnard, Menominee, WI. Vis: 50-75 ft. Water: 79-80 degrees. Sunny, dry. Water: calm. Recommended safe limits and times and left it to the diver to decide. Could follow the divemaster or do your own thing. Nice table by the beach for set up. Plenty of fresh water tanks. Chris, the photo pro willing to offer hints. Wife took an intro to photo. Learned a lot. E6 processing and camera repair on site. Nice run dive center. Staff went beyond the call of duty more than once to make sure we were well taken care of. On site restaurant has good food, friendly staff. Taxi from Habitat to town was $30-$35 US. Can rent car by the day at the Habitat. They also shuttle three times a day free if that schedule works for you.

Habitat Curaçao, February 1999, Lori & Grant Lovett, Brownsburg, IN. Water: 74-77 degrees, Vis: 50-60 ft. Restrictions: 120'. Easy travel, great accommodations and dive service. Easy diving.

Habitat Curaçao, March 1999, Hamp & Judy Hylton, Winchester, VA. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water: 78- 80 degrees. Weather: sunny. Water: calm, currents. Complete diving freedom. Competent and friendly front desk, accommodating dive staff. Genuine friendliness of all. Previous published criticism of the food service had apparently been corrected. Having a rental car was almost a necessity since we were staying in the cottages on the hill. The 85 steep steps several times a day would have been too strenuous. Diving was great and varied. The house reef is excellent, and easily accessible.

Habitat Curaçao, March 1999, Cy and Ginnie Yerkovich (Gindive@worldnet.alt.net), W. Seneca, NY. Vis: 50-75 ft. Water: 79-80 degrees. Sunny, windy, dry. Calm, no currents. Dive restrictions: none. Everything was wonderful, boat never crowded, the most we ever had was 11 (the boat holds 24), one day it was only us and another couple. Full service divemasters, lots of fun guys. Room nice, beds comfortable, nice patio with furniture for relaxing. Towns and other restaurants 45 minutes away. Though a free taxi to town and car rental were available, it seemed a hassle to make the taxi times after diving, so we ate all of our meals at the resort. The menu did get tedious, although everything was tasty.

Habitat Curaçao, April 1999, David Kupersmith, East Northport, NY. Water: 78-82 degrees, Vis: 100-150 ft. Second trip to Habitat. Diving is easy and fish plentiful but no big stuff. Divemaster Cecil is attentive but you can do your own thing. When he and "Dr. D" are on the boat it is a treat. Great senses of humor and delight in playing pranks on each other. Habitat Reef is spectacular and almost makes getting on the boat unnecessary.

Habitat Curaçao, April 1999, Dewey Kulkzer (dewey_kulzer@yahoo.com), Bedford, TX. Vis: 60-80 ft. Water: 80-81 degrees. Sunny, windy. Water: choppy. Dive Restrictions: Be safe. Resort new, clean, comfortable, enjoyable. Resort staff, bar staff, and restaurant staff were friendly and accommodating. Facility for shore diving is set up very nicely. Best diving on the wall in front of the resort. Boat dive poor. Boats are small, and crowded. No assistance from divemasters in getting gear on or off. You get gear and fins on where you sit and flop way to back of boat. We found rolling over side safer. Divemasters did not try to show you anything. On one dive, divemaster got out of water at exactly 60 minutes and left 10 divers in water. Another swam 10 foot off bottom 30 minutes one way, turned and 30 back. Forgot there was slight current and had to surface to find boat. Shore diving: saw spiny and Spanish lobster, turtle, school after school of fish, and great night dives too. Great city for out of water fun also. Resort will rent you a 4-door Toyota pickup by day or hour to run into town for dinner and playing. Also runs free bus to/from town. Bugs can be bad out of the wind.

Habitat Curaçao, July 1999, Glenn Huey, Pasadena, MD. Vis: 50-70 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Experienced divers don't bother. Diving is geared to the novice or older diver. Diving is easy. No sense bothering with the boat dives since the shore dives offer the same critters (maybe more). Sometimes boat was loaded with 20 divers (capacity 18). If it weren't for courteous divers, getting suited up would be a mess. Overall operation was well run. Dive package since the package offers little savings over the daily rate ($17 savings if you get the 6-day package). Tanks were always free and available 24 hr.

Habitat Curaçao, August 1999, Barber. Vis: 45-75 ft., Water: 75-80 degrees. Water cooler than expected. 3 mm suit. Diving lovely; we enjoyed the elusive seahorses. Divemasters helpful. Should be more strict about divers who insist on touching coral unnecessarily.

Habitat Curaçao, August 1999, Vance Barton, TX. Vis: 50-100 ft, Water: 82-84 degrees. Restrictions: 130'. Lots of dead, dying and damaged coral. Lots of anchor damage. Not diverse diving mushroom forest then everything else. No large animals. Lots of small animals. Shore activity expensive. Habitat runs a good operation. Diving freedom is right. Guides a little immature and didn't "guide" much. Wouldn't go back, too many better places.

Habitat Curaçao, August 1999, Jim Peter, Manchaca, TX. Water: 80-82 degrees, Vis: 60-100+ ft. Overcrowded boats 16 to 20. I could shore dive all sites boats went to except one. Shore diving very good.

Habitat Curaçao, August 1999, Kurt Wright. Water: 80-B4 degrees, Vis: 60-100 ft. Excellent accommodations. Food service poor and slow. I'd cook my own meals next time. Rent a truck at the airport to shore dive.

Habitat Curaçao, August 1999, Leon Loes, Corpus Christi, TX. Water; 81-83 degrees, vis: 56- l00 ft. Facilities comfortable, well designed and well maintained. Food good and service OK. Bar staff very helpful and friendly. Reefs excellent. Rich in small life and invertebrate. Dive staff competent, well trained, safe, without being constraining. One staff member a wizard at equipment repairs saved us a couple of dives.

Lions Dive/Celeste Hotel, May 1999, Doug Spartz (Hockley@ix.netcom.com), Cypress, TX. Vis: 80-120 ft. Water: 82 degrees. Sunny, windy. Water: currents. Restrictions: On the group dives; depth and time. Celeste Hotel: nice staff, accommodations with kitchen, and reasonable rates. Convenient to Lions Dive and Atlantis Diving. Lion's Groups of 10 or so. Atlantis provided guided shore diving for small groups. Don't miss the diving on the West, about 1 hour drive from the main part of the island. All West Diving uses a small boat to reach some very nice spots with great coral. Nice drift dive at Watamula and shore diving at Playa Kaik Unless you have a buddy for shore diving, it is difficult to get more then 2 dives in a day. The dives leave at 9/10 in the morning and 1/2 in the afternoon with the occasional night dive. (Lions Dive Hotel Curaçao, Bapor Kibra z/n, Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean; telephone 011-5999-461-8100; fax: 011-5999-461-8200; e-mail: info@lionsdive.com)

Peter Hughes Princess Divers/Princess Beach Resort, December 1998, Adrian & June Van Der Kroef (vanderkroef@svg.com), Newtown, CT. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 77-79 degrees. No restrictions enforced and no certification checked. Resort and accommodations 5 star. Excellent beautiful room and view, good food. Dive operation a big disappointment. Not a Peter Hughes operation by any means. Dives were delayed by boat repair, no camera rinse; even had constant diesel leak causing a slick to form around the boat when moored, made entry-exit messy. Had to argue with management to get night dive (prepaid). Worst part was being left behind by the boat while still diving a site. Diving and critters OK, but would not use this operation again. Peter Hughes needs to get his name off this one. (Ph: 800-223-9815, Fax: 011-599-9614131)

Peter Hughes Princess Divers/Princess Beach Resort, February 1999, Stanley Holz, Whitefield, NH. Resort nice, on premise restaurants were decent with several good restaurants within walking distance. Rooms good, service slow, good beach. Princess Divers totally disorganized. Our prepaid dive package was scheduled a day late, straightened out after two hours. Three advertised boats didn't exist, one boat in poor repair was available when it ran, outside boat had to be rented for three days. As 16 divers on the boat with only one divemaster. Sites announced as we got there, predive briefings discussed dive profiles and currents, took about 1 minute. Wouldn't go to Mushroom Forest, too far away, they said. People were allowed to smoke on the boat. Did the Superior Producerin 4-5 knot current, difficult dive, but worth it. Director's Bay a great site: sea horses. Walls and drop-offs excellent with prolific small fish life. Purple tube sponges all over, coral healthy. Purple sea fans were all brown. Boat rides very rough. Dramamine mandatory. Resort's raw sewage dumps into an open lagoon that flows right out into the ocean between the dive shop and the Sea Aquarium. Definitely not a photo op.

Peter Hughes Princess Divers/Princess Beach Resort, March 1999, Mike & Carol Kleppinger, Hastings, NE. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 75-77 degrees. Weather: sunny, rainy. Suggestions on time and remaining PSI, no enforcement. I use a standard Nikonos camera with strobe. On two mornings, the water provided was in a large garbage can and adequate. On three mornings, a small waste basket was used, so only the camera could be submerged. One morning, water was forgotten. Our group of 8 people/6 divers had a very enjoyable trip. Princess Beach is a beautiful, well-run resort. Dive staff friendly and outgoing. But combination of disorganization and lack of facility upkeep was detriment. None of the "Three Custom Dive Boats" in the advertising were in service. Dive boat was provided by another facility with its own boat driver. Boat driver, Robbie, was sporadically helpful at best. One divemaster was responsible for 15-19 divers, overseeing them as they set up their own gear, getting them on and off the boat, and supervising in the water. No help provided walking the length of a slippery rocking boat fully equipped. Only occasional help getting out of the water, usually by other divers. One morning we were notified 20 minutes before the dive that our dive was postponed until the afternoon due to a cruise ship, however we were the regular customers for the week and most of us had afternoon plans. The dive boat was late most of the time. One morning the divemaster planned the dives at the west end of Curaçao, but never told the divers it would be a long morning. Additionally, the boat was an hour late. Boat driver packed his lunch. No one else had food. A fruit snack or a cold beverage I find in most dive operations, but none was provided. Staff reluctant to have extra tanks on board. Occasionally a diver realized too late that he had a short tank and had to dive with it anyway. One morning there was a miscount, and two divers couldn't dive the 2nd dive. An extra regulator was only provided once on a planned 110-foot dive - and there was never a bar or rope. Dives were wall dives, so there was always potential through inattention or emergency. When surface waves were choppy the divemaster had us swim on the surface against the current to find the dive site line to follow down. Several aborted the dive altogether because they were shook up and out of energy. For several divers, this was the first dive of their vacation. Seven divers went on the night dive. Divemaster asked who was making their first night dive and 3 raised their hands, including my wife. She got in the water, had an equipment problem, and returned to the boat to fix it. Meanwhile, the divemaster led the rest of us to the wall, without surfacing to check on my wife. The boat driver pointed out the group to my wife, and she got back in the water, but missed the dive. Enjoyable trip. But I was disappointed with the Peter Hughes operation.

Underwater Curaçao/Lion's Dive Hotel, September 1998, Richard W. Stewart, Elburn, IL. Water: 82-85 degrees, Vis: 90-90 ft. Restrictions: return with 500 psi. Small wreck (Tugboat), deeper larger wreck (Superior Producer) is easily penetrable. Tropical fish life is good, larger fish nonexistent. Night dive during coral spawning; Underwater Curaçao staff enthusiastic about getting divers to see this event. Owners purchased the operation a month prior; friendly and accommodating. Divemasters relaxed and friendly. Lion's Dive Hotel has good accommodations and restaurant had good and affordable food. Next to Seaquarium. Beach is private, next to fantastic public beach with restaurants and shops. We were only Americans at the hotel. Rest were Dutch. (P.O. Box 4095, Bapor Kibra, Curaçao; Telephone 800-468-0023 or 11-599-9616)

Underwater Curaçao/Lion's Dive Curaçao, March 1998, Brad R. Cataldo, Milwaukee, WI. Vis: 100+ ft. Water: 78-80 degrees. Strong currents. Lots of drift diving from boat with dive platform. One Divemaster in water always. Could pretty much dive own profile. Divemaster gave thorough briefing, set maximum depth for dive, did not check or enforce it. Good with novices, let more experienced divers on their own. I was very comfortable in my 3mm suit, others in shorties complained of being cold. Most diving was drift, and several times divemaster aborted plan dive because of current and went to alternate site. Coral excellent with lots of marine life. Night dive excellent with both a novice and more challenging component. Boat left dock at hotel at 8am and we were back by 1 PM after two dives. Usually just in time to catch afternoon boat. Night life and restaurants within walking distance, Hotel had shuttle to Willemstad. Seaquarium adjacent to hotel had good shark encounter!

Wederfort Diving School/Sun Reef Village, February 1999, Susan Reiter, E. Haddam, CT. Vis: 50-60 ft. Water: 74-76 degrees. Shore diving comparable to Bonaire. Plenty of fish, hard and soft corals, abundance and variety of eels; 8' green Moray, a foot in diameter. Secluded coves are beautiful for surface time. Rented tanks from Wederfort Diving School, where owners Eric and Yolanda run a diver-friendly operation, including a large outdoor restaurant on the water, open for lunch and dinner. Stayed down the road at Sun-Reef Village, quiet, European style, well-run establishment with apartments overlooking the water and cheaper ones without view $70/night - but with large private patios to hang out gear. They arrange car rental and pick you up at airport. Lots more to see and do on the island than on Bonaire. (Dive School Wedwefoort; Canasterweg 27 St. Michiel Bay Curaçao, Curaçao; Telephone 11-599-9684 or +5999-8684414; Fax +5999-8692062; Eric & Yolander Wederfoort)