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Dive Review of Easy Divers/Habitat Curacao in
Curaçao

Easy Divers/Habitat Curacao, Jul, 2003,

by Dave Bridenbaugh, Ohio, USA . Report 1178.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 2 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments We booked a stay at Habitat Curacao way back in March. We are avid Bonaire divers and did a little diving in Aruba and I must say that there are many similarities between the three. The reef system on all three islands is in good shape and some reefs are “pristine Shortage of large fish and pelagics.. The Habitat food was fair, but the selection is not so hot.
Our room was great we had the Lania Villa and it had two large bedrooms with closet, TV, chest of drawers and writing table. The bathroom was adequate but not very roomy. The best part of the room arrangement was that the couple we came with had their room next to ours and we share a very nice patio with couches, table and chairs and a sort of hutch that opened up into a stove, sink, small refrigerator and pantry. This was in open air with a roof over it and it had a ceiling fan.
As for the diving, it was great. The reef system is very much like Bonaire surrounding the island with small walls and 45-degree hills dropping down to sand flats 100-150’ or more. They are is very good condition with abundant fish life. After a short orientation we dove right away. Lockers and tank room near the dive pier. There is a rope coming off the pier extending down to the reef which starts at about 75 yards or so and well down the reef about 90 feet or so making it a simple dive for non Daniel Boon divers to find the way back easily. I think this “house reef” is a little bit better than Captain Don’s in Bonaire. Some great diving especially for us gray haired types. There are a few wrecks, but, the one that draws the most attention is the Superior Producer and it can only be dived on when there are no cruise chips or supply ships in the harbor. We couldn’t dive there the entire time because of the ships in the harbor.

Our first dive was very good. We saw numerous reef fish, many Eels of all types, it’s loaded with Banded Coral Shrimp. Arrow Crabs, Cleaner Shrimp, Nudibranches, Anemones, Batwing Crabs, Lobsters, and all of the marine life that usually indicate a healthy reef system. On subsequent dives including boat and shore dives elsewhere we saw the same thing as well as Barracudas, Turtles, Frogfish, Sea Horses, and an occasional Ray. The boat diving was easy as well. There are two tank boat dives in the morning and most afternoons depending upon the demand. The sign-up board gives you a chance to see where the boat is going a day ahead of time. Tank fills were great the 10 days we spent there with fills of 3,200 being a norm including Nitrox for an extra 7 bucks. The dive staff is a mixed bag; a couple of them are extra friendly and go out of their way to help you. Ann Marie the dive shop manager is great as are Divemasters Karen, and Dennis. Tuki is a character that you won’t forget. A Divemaster goes in the water with the group and it’s optional if you want to follow or dive your own profile and back on board with 500 PSI The restaurant staff seemed rather reserved and not so friendly. You can grab tanks from a tank fill house near the parking lot and go. to the many other shore diving sights around the island but be aware of the fact that some are a far kick from the shore and often the surf makes it tough to get in and out. I would suggest that if you are not at least of average fitness be cautious about some of the dive sights from shore.

We dove Jeremi which was a beautiful reef but a long kick out, Kalki which is very popular and not an exceptionally long kick out. One I would recommend is Lagun which is a short kick and a nice reef, but if the surf’s up can be tough on new divers because of the rocks. Several of the dive sights can only be accessed through resort areas that charge you about 5 Guilders per car to get to. We tried one and found it worth the money. There are enough good easy to get to shore sights that make renting a pickup or small SUV worthwhile for at least a few days. Since the resort is located well out of walking distance to any grocery or restaurant you might want to think seriously about a rental vehicle. As for the town of Willemstad it is worth taking a look at with it’s Dutch looking buildings and decent shopping as well as some good eating-places. We flew to Miami on Delta and from there on Dutch Caribbean and be prepared to be patient with Dutch Caribbean because they routinely overbook and we had to spend an extra night in Miami because we couldn’t get back when we were scheduled and missed our connection. I would encourage travel by Jamaica Air or American but Dutch Caribbean needs to get their act together. We would give Curacao and Habitat Curacao our hearty recommendation. We’ll go back.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Bonaire, Aruba, St. Thomas, Barabdos, Florida Keys
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas surge
Water Temp 78-81°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Dive your own profile Boat dives back aboard 500 PSI
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

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

Subject Matter 3 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities 4 stars
UW Photo Comments Dive Shop has a resident Guru who seems to have some Photo sense, but film is sent out to a local developer and can be a little expensive for overnight service.
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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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