Aruba Beach Diving

[pdenton]

How easy is it to beach dive?
How hard to get tanks filled?
How much recent coral bleaching?
Likewise Curacao?
pdenton

[Paul L]

I know this doesn't directly answer your question, but Bonaire is top notch for diving. Dozens of beach dive spots all clearly marked. Rental pickups come with tank racks in back. Super easy tank fills at multiple dive shops. Great coral and fish. All levels of dives.

[jeffgauvin]

Second vote for Bonaire!

[TeddyDiver]

The problem in Aruba considering shore diving is the reef being quite far from the shore on the lee side of the island. Inside the reef there's not so much see in most places. Windward is just too much breakers and rip currents. If you want to do it anyway Baby beach in the SE might be the place.

BR Teddy

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Jeff.

[SFS]

Third vote for Bonaire. Amazing diving, shore entries for most every dive site. Some of the entries are easier than others. Bonaire rocks!

Haven't been to Aruba, but did a few dives in Curacao on our honeymoon 3 years ago. It was good diving, but it wasn't Bonaire.

No bleaching that I saw, but that was three years ago, and things can change. Pick a dive shop at random off the internet, and call and ask about bleaching.

[TeddyDiver]

Didn't see any poll in the beginning. If you are interested which place has the best dives or wanna vote your favourite why not start a new thread

[pdenton]

Hi guys.
The deal is that I am booked into Curacao and to Aruba. Bonaire as good as it sounds is no longer an option. So if anyone has information on those two I would like to have it.
pdenton

[transmitterdan]

Originally Posted by pdenton

Hi guys.
The deal is that I am booked into Curacao and to Aruba. Bonaire as good as it sounds is no longer an option. So if anyone has information on those two I would like to have it.
pdenton

Curaçao has decent diving but mostly by boat. I don't think there is a lot of good shore diving. But a few dive resorts on the island will rent tanks as long as they know where you stay.

I have used these guys in the past:

http://www.mantadiveshop.com/Curacao...onsHabitat.htm

[kona74]

I have dived both Bonaire and Curacao but not Aruba. I did shore diving in Curacao. As I remember, the dives to the south are easier to reach and as you move north the reefs are farther out and will require a longer swim or a boat. We enjoyed our dives there. We stayed at the Scuba Lodge. Great fun, good food, good dives. Bonaire is better.

[gamayun]

I stayed at a place in Westpunt, Curacao that allowed you to fill and take their tanks anywhere on the island, which has good shore diving, or dive as much as you'd want around their "house reef." They rented me a car and also had a boat that took you to farther dives. It was very nice and not touristy (my kinda place). The diving was pretty easy, but I was solo (diving, too), so didn't really push it that much though you can get pretty deep, pretty quickly. I think I still have my dive guide of Curacao along with some personal notes in my office so PM me if you'd like more specifics. It has been probably 9 or 10 years, so you'll want to get current conditions from the local shops/resorts.