By Jeff Hirschman
Guest Writer, Dive News Network

Curaçao is a dive destination offering amazing tropical diving and I should know… I run trips there every year and go as often as I can! Curaçao offers clear, bath-water warm diving to divers of all levels. A new diver will discover reefs, with easy diving and abounding with marine life. Neophytes will find wrecks and
multi-level reefs to test their skills and speak to the adventurer in their souls. Our divers come back with stories on end about the ocean around Curaçao and about the island itself. This is the one tropical destination that always keeps them wanting more.
I own QC Scuba in Wantagh, New York. Having been in the Scuba business for more than two decades, I have seen numerous destinations come and go in terms of diver interest.  However, Curaçao keeps making the list of ‘most desired destination’ year after year. For cold water divers like we have in my neck of the woods, Curaçao offers a different type of diving altogether; water temps are in the mid to upper 80’s, no thermocline (until approx. 180 fsw) and 80+ foot visibility. It is a true underwater paradise.
Located in the southern Caribbean Sea, just off the Venezuelan coast, Curaçao is the largest of the three ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao). Divers come to swim with Whale sharks and manta’s, all while exploring the reefs. Just outside of the hurricane belt, 12 degrees north of the equator, Curaçao offers year round sun and easterly trade winds.

The reefs around Curaçao are pristine and divers will discover an abundance of soft and hard corals. The area is protected and is a mecca for underwater photographers. The abundance of marine life on the reefs is miraculous. We typically stay at Breezes Resort and even their house reef is an amazing dive. QC Scuba works with Ocean Encounters Curaçao whenever we travel to our tropical home-away-from-home. Our friends at Ocean Encounters make the trip seamless in terms of the diving experience. Ocean Encounters was recently named as “One of the World’s Best Dive Operators” in the 2011 Top 100 Gold List.
Ocean Encounters is known for its professionalism, safe boats, rental gear (they keep in great condition), and their helpful, friendly dive staff. While we opt for the all-inclusive family oriented Breezes Curaçao, there are many other great choices such as the Lions Dive and Beach Resort, the Hilton Curaçao and the Hyatt Regency Curaçao. Whenever my divers stay at one of these resorts, they come home raving about how the resort catered to them (and their families, even those with infants). Their boats are in great shape and the staff is attentive. The Ocean Encounters Breezes Resort also sits on a 1500 ft. long beach, where you can dive the house reef just outside the man-made breakwater. There are many dive sites in and around Curaçao. Beacon Point and The Lost Anchor are two popular dive sites. The currents at Beacon Point make this destination an intermediate to advanced dive site but is well worth the effort with its large pillar coral formation. The blue large jacks, grouper, and barracuda go to church here in a cathedral of beauty. The Lost Anchor dive site, located west of Sal Island, is a great dive for seeking out a variety of marine life. The goatfish, squid, as well as hundreds of tropical species make Lost Anchor their home.

Curaçao is also known for its wrecks such as the Airplane wreck and the Superior Producer. The Airplane Wreck is an effortless wreck to dive because it is easily accessed from the beach at Santa Martha. Straight out from the breakwaters is a marking buoy identifying the site of the remains of the airplane. It has become home to a lot of marine life. There are public restrooms, showers, restaurants and security nearby. If you are looking for a challenge, the Superior Producer is a fantastic wreck dive. Assuming no cruise ships or military vessels are in port, this is a dive not to be missed. At over 200 feet long, and at depths of 65-100 fsw, this wreck went down in 1977 and has a ton of life on it. The Car Pile reminds me of the Belt Parking Lot (oops – Belt Parkway, a very congested parkway here in NY) but underwater!  A barge carrying vehicles was sunk as an artificial reef, leaving cars and trucks (dating back to the 1940s) piled on the wall for divers to explore and photograph. While there are two Car Pile sites, QC Scuba dives the one attached to the Breezes House Reef quite frequently.
Ocean Encounters does a special trip to the Mushroom Forest. This is perhaps one of the most famous dive sites in Curaçao. Hard coral formations look like mushrooms that one would see in Alice in Wonderland. It is a great place for marine life to take cover and divers can spend hours just drifting through and searching between all the nooks and crannies.

QC Scuba Technical Divers are always amazed at how we can do 200+ fsw dives right from the beach! The nice slope lends to training and exploring for all levels of divers. Deep less explored areas are another reason I never get bored when returning to Curaçao.

At QC Scuba we don’t choose Curaçao just for its diving; there are a lot of land-based activities too. We often have families join us that have some non-divers as well.  Instead of leaving family behind, our friends at Ocean Encounters also cater to the non-diver. Curaçao has a beautiful landscape with many things to enjoy such as hiking, biking, and walking tours. The beaches, intimate and secluded, offer visitors a chance to bathe in the sun or play on the beach unencumbered by crowds of people. If your idea of a dream vacation includes a lot of shopping, then Willemstad, the city capital, is your answer. Willemstad is rich in culture, and like the rest of Curaçao, has something for everyone. Families can explore the retailers, restaurants, and nightlife spots. One can visit the small store bosting the ‘World’s Best Mojito’ sign, or perhaps visit Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, a Jewish synagogue established over 350 years ago! Walking across the Queen Emma pontoon bridge or taking in the landscape of pastel colored stores should not be missed. Divers should make it a point to visit Willemstad while still saving time to explore some of the more than 60 dive sites around the island.

If you are looking for a great dive destination catering to the entire family, my money is on Curaçao. Divers can explore over and over again and never experience the same dive twice while the family can take in the sights and sounds of a culture dating back hundreds of years. The culture is friendly and the diving is amazing…in fact, so amazing I take divers in groups of up to 32 as often as I can! Let’s be honest, after visiting a dive destination multiple times, anyone would think I would have found something wrong with Curaçao by now, unless there is nothing to find because it is perfect just the way it is.

For more info visit www.qcscuba.com - www.oceanencounters.com. ■