Dive Review of Scuba Lodge Dive Center in
Curaçao

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Scuba Lodge Dive Center: "Nice vacation spot, easy diving, few fish", Nov, 2017, by Ken New, MN, US ( Contributor 18 reports with 11 Helpful votes). Report 9979 has 2 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	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was our first trip to Curaçao. We dove in Bonaire in the early 2000's, pre-lionfish, and were hoping for a similar fish profile; we were quite disappointed. If this is the lion fish impact, it's huge. We saw: a good number of Morays -- Blackspotted, Chain, Green; a Sharptail Eel; French Angels on every dive but no Grays or Queens; one Scorpionfish; several huge lobster; typical tiny crabs & shrimp in anemones; some small reef fish but no large schools. And that was about it. On the plus side, on one dive we saw two Humpback Whales in the distance, and a large pod of Dolphins hung around the boat for about 10 minutes. The fact that I can remember most everything we saw is a good indication of the scarcity. Also telling was that the dive guides spoke a lot about "the structure" of the reef as the high point. On the positive side, this would be a wonderful place to certify to dive. Water is warm and calm, shore entries are easy, mostly off sandy beaches (there is boat diving as well), and for someone new to diving there is enough life to impress. It would also be a great place for a family or couples holiday that includes non-divers or children; there are lots of other things to do, English is universal, and most areas are very safe. The dive shop is a mixed bag. Positives: dive guides are very focused on safety, friendly and enthusiastic. They made sure we did not repeat dives. The shop hosts a weekly happy hour that is heavily attended by locals as well as visitors. We have our own equipment, but the rental gear we saw looked to be in great condition. The expectation is that you take care of all your gear, from set-up to clean-up, but guides are happy to help if needed. We were glad to have a "non-concierge" experience because the last few years all our diving has been truly pampering concierge style; it was good to make sure we still know how to do it all! Good setup for rinsing & hanging gear, & if you are doing multiple dive days with them, there is secure storage. Note: I can't find where to indicate it on this form, but Nitrox is available. There are really only two major negatives One is the strict one-hour dive policy. On two dives we surfaced at 50-some minutes, not even the whole hour. The second is that there was a major mix-up with our bill, to the tune of over 100% more than the charges should have been. They were agreeable about fixing it, but had no idea how it had happened, which does not build confidence! So look at your bill carefully. We really liked the connected hotel. Refurbished old historic building, charming ambiance. We had one of the smaller rooms but it was quite pleasant. Everything worked extremely well: lots of hot water from the rain shower, very efficient & quiet A/C, the quietest ceiling fan at low speeds I've ever experienced. Hair dryer, nice toiletries. The restaurant is not 5-star but is good and reasonably priced. They have several weekly special nights: BBQ, chef's tasting, Indonesian satay. Lots of locals eat there. The wait staff is young and friendly, but be prepared for inconsistency; they don't seem to know how to prioritize their tasks and are easily distracted and scattered. But it's a lovely setting right on the water, so go expecting a very leisurely evening and you'll be fine. We won't return any time soon, too much else to see. But we have just hit 70, and if we're looking for easy, safe places to dive when we're 80, we think this will fit the bill.
Websites	Scuba Lodge Dive Center [same]Scuba Lodge Boutique Hotel
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Most of the Caribbean, Galapagos, Hawaii, Micronesia, Indonesia
Closest Airport	Curaçao International	Getting There	Direct flights from Miami
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, cloudy	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	60-80 Ft/ 18-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Dive time pretty much exactly one hour; had to stay behind the guide; could be in charge of own depth but encouraged to stay above guide.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	1 or 2
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Nothing special but no complaints.

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Scuba Lodge Dive Center in Curaçao

Scuba Lodge Dive Center: "Nice vacation spot, easy diving, few fish", Nov, 2017,

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 Scuba Lodge Dive Center in
Curaçao