Late at night around Christmas, I was sitting on my couch, laptop in hand and I got that itch to travel again. I mean, it had already been 2 weeks since I got home, so it was about damn time I got one! I was about to get worried for myself if it didn’t. But where to go this time?
I knew I wanted to go somewhere warm and thaw out from the -20c weather and 40mph winds of Everest. My first thought was the Caribbean, but which island? I went down the chain of islands, ignoring the ones I have already been too and Curacao caught my eye. It’s such a different country and you don’t hear about it very much. So it happened..
But how was the SCUBA??!! I had no idea but was determined to find out. Diving is like food to me; I’ll try anything once and give you my honest opinion. Even if it sucked, I’d probably still do it again because I like it that much! That and I’m a little nutty!
I chose to dive with Ocean Encounters based off reviews and word of mouth I’ve heard about them. The outfit is run by Jeremiah and his wife. They are incredible and will go above and beyond to accommodate your needs and make sure you have a fantastic time with them! I don’t think I’ve ever encountered (see what I did there?) a friendlier and better-run dive shop in the 13 countries I’ve SCUBA’d in.
Almost time for our night dive!
I did a total of 6 dives with them and was able to finish my MASTER SCUBA CERTIFICATION in the process! The boats were clean and well-maintained. Their dive gear was in great condition and they have personal lockers on site so you don’t have to worry about hauling your gear back and forth each day (super nice!). I also liked that the dives weren’t too far from shore. There are also a nice resort next door (Lions Dive), but I would stay elsewhere. The hotel is great, but I like to have a change in scenery from my daily activities.
The “Tugboat” dive is by far the most popular one in Curacao. It’s a nice and shallow dive, prefect for the beginner diver. I was personally underwhelmed by it though, but I am a bit biased. My last trip was to Socorro (as some of you might have seen). When you come off 10 days of seeing nothing but giant mantas, sharks and schools of tuna, it’s hard to follow that up. Yes, I have been spoiled and appreciate what I have been able to see.
My favorite dive was the night dive (sorry no pics!) and the deep dive I did as part of my certification. There were a bunch of old truck just sitting upside down at the bottom. Anyone need a new ride? I can probably get you a good deal!
The water temperature was great and according to my dive watch, was around 76-80 degrees the entire time. For me, I didn’t need a wetsuit, but many people would prefer one. I rarely ever use one though, so don’t let my stubbornness prevent you from doing so!
All in all, it was a great diving experience! It’s a perfect place to do some relaxing dives and even get certified if you want to! I highly recommend everyone at least get their Open Water Certification. It’s an entirely different world down there that needs to be seen.
I don’t do stupid ratings like 4.8546, it’s either “Hell Yes” or “Hell No!” Ocean Encounters gets a HELL YES from me! Great staff, location and safety standards. Ask for Jeremiah when you go and tell him that I sent you there.
Please visit my instagram for more pictures and ideas on where you should travel next!
