Scuba Diving in Curacao 2023
Last month I got certified for Scuba Diving in preparation for this trip. Our friends, Jon and Jerome who came with us to Curaçao were excited to shore dive to avoid any unsightly sickness from the swaying of the boat.
We did our first dive from the comfort of our condo beach where we were staying. Niko from Dive Center Pietermaai knew to go easy on us and let us dip our toes into diving. It was the perfect first dive for me and the perfect refresh dive for Jerome and Jon.
You don’t need to take a boat to dive in Curaçao. I’m sure you can, but the island is surrounded by a slope that allows you to walk off the shore and see pretty things. This is spectacular because we didn't need to worry about a boat, sea sickness, and the expense of that. We got ready minutes before and we were in the water in no time.
The first dive went well! And made us confident for our two dives with a bigger group the next day.
Full Day Dive to Westpunt
Dive Center Pietermaai
The next day we headed out for two different dives at the West side of the island. We opted to drive ourselves but we could have joined the group in the bus. I’m glad we did drive cause it gave me some freedom to get some drone flying in before the bus got to the destination.
Playa Kalki
This was our first stop. It was a lovely dive off the beach. I have to admit, I needed a bathroom before getting to my wet suit and no bathroom was available due to construction. Thanks Imodium for saving the day.
This is also where I learned about the Manchineel Tree, which is conveniently growing right above the stairs to the beach. Good thing we were out of the water and back up on the road before the rain that floated by just after our drive.
We went around 50 feet deep and all of us did quite well. This is a 360 video so you can drag around what you are looking at.
Playa Forti
We headed to a parking lot after the first dive where the dive center provided us with a sandwich, which was actually pretty damn good. Some opted to cliff dive (50ft.), I opted to save my back and just drone people jumping.
Playa Piskado
This was our second dive of the day and our final stop. This area is know for its turtle population, and it didn’t disappoint. Jon even got slapped by a turtle. No issues diving here.
People ask what did you see? Well a lot of fish. Lots of coral. A big moray eel and lots of bubbles. I really enjoyed the serenity of diving and found it quite relaxing. I do need a different mask though… I had to clear it way too many times. Also, you may note if you do scuba, that I used my hands a bit too much, it should be all feet. I’ll work on that.
A special thank you to Howard, you know who you are, for helping us organize this scuba trip!