GUIDED DIVES
A minimum age of 10 years applies to all dives and they are accessible to all levels of certified divers, unless otherwise specified. A signed liability form and proof of certification are required.
Nitrox is optional for an additional charge of US$9 per tank
If your last dive was over a year ago, we will do the first dive at our housereef. Here we can use our bay to go over some basic skills so you can refresh your knowledge and skills. Also we have our facilities nearby, so we have a comfortable spot to help you set up the gear and make sure you have the correct gear and weights. No extra costs will be charged for a refresher course.
Full day guided dives - You can choose to do 2 of these dives per day for a full day diving package for a combined rate of US$ 135 (incl. dive equipment) or US$ 95 (excl. dive equipment).
Half day guided dives – If you choose two sides close by the Dive Center Scuba Do (like Tugboat, Directors bay, La Palapa or Marie Pampoen), we can make two dives before lunch, for only US$ 119 (incl. dive equipment) or US 90$ (excl. dive equipment).
WRECK DIVES
WEST POINT DIVING (FULL DAY)
BOAT DIVES
GUIDED SHORE DIVES
La palapa is a newly discovered reef. The dive is different from the average shore dive on Curaçao, where you normally follow the drop-off. For this dive, start by swimming in the blue, away from the drop-off. Your guide will bring a compass to determine the direction. After about 5 minutes of 'flying' in the blue, you will see a pinnacle appear in front of you. This highlight is home to a dozen green turtles. You will see the turtles sleeping on sponges, swimming to the surface to breathe or searching for a tasty seaweed. Of course we only look at the turtles. Those turtles are not allowed to be fed and it is forbidden to touch them.
La Palapa is not an easy dive site. The entrance can be quite tricky if the sea is rough, due to rocks and holes in the water. Also, if you are afraid of heights/depths, you may want to skip the open water swimming. You can participate in this dive as an open water diver, but we want to make sure that you are comfortable in the water and that you are a good diver.
Double reef is a beautiful reef located just above Otrobanda in Willemstad. Double Reef has its name because during this dive you will see not one but two reefs. The first reef, along the shore, starts shallow at 4 meters. Next to the reef there is a sand strip. After that sandy stretch the second reef starts at about 15 meters depth. The second reef is home to turtles, who hide in the beautiful corals and rock formations. Sometimes you can see large tarpons sailing by and if you are very lucky you can spot rays on the sandy spot. If there is a current, your guide may decide to take a scenic drift dive all the way to Small Harbor.
Double reef is a favorite of divers. For the entrance you have to walk 200 meters with your stuff, but it is really worth it!
Directors Bay is located on the Caracas Bay Peninsula, passed the abandoned Monumental Quarantine Building. This secluded coral beach originally was a private beach for the directors of Shell and the Dutch Royal family. Some even belief that the pillars found in the water just off the beach were placed there by Shell, because the late Queen Juliana, was so afraid of fish that they caged in the water for her. Others believe it had something to do with World War II...
A cement stair leads the way to the coral beach. Diving shoes are highly recommended. Access to the water is fairly easy. The reef is very steep and the plateau is grown with many different kinds of soft and hard corals like branching vase sponge (Callyspongia vaginalis), basket sponges, alcyonacea and West Indian sea egg (white sea urchin). Furthermore, you may spot smooth trunkfish, barracuda, spotted scorpionfish, various kinds of moray and if lucky even green sea turtles!
Once upon a time, years ago, a mishap with an anchor sunk a 9 meter long Tugboat just off the cliffs at Caracas bay and the rest is history. Nowadays this wreck is known as the most popular diving and snorkeling spot in Curacao.
Just a few meters below surface, snorkelers can enjoy this site as much as scuba divers. Fish, eel, octopus, coral and other sea creatures have made this Tugboat their home and it’s a spectacle to behold. The reef is at a steep face with different kinds of soft and hard corals like branching vase sponge, basket sponge, alcyonacea (gorgonian fan) and sea anemone. Furthermore, you see many flamingo tongue, porcupinefish, balloon fish, (juvenile) spotted ribbonfish and big parrot fish all on and around the wreck. You also have the chance to see some green sea turtles and seahorses. And the possibility to dive under the pier, which is very colorful.
For scuba divers, we start our dive over the reef, along the steep walls to around 16 to 18 meters, or deeper if the group allows. When we turn around we will take the shallow part of the reef, where we’ll find the Tugboat at around 5 meters and do our safety stop, before heading to shore.
Popular Jan Thiel Beach offers restaurants, bars, a sandy beach but also a hidden gem just underneath the water surface…
The inlet has direct access to the Caribbean ocean, which provides freshwater supplies for a healthy growing house reef and an abundance of sea life. Right next to the dive center it’s very easy access to the water, where the house reef begins almost immediately. Inside the bay lies ‘Strea’, a wreck of a sailing boat. Very nice to end your dive with or for snorkeling. Outside of the Jan Thiel Bay, you will find a beautiful hilly reef which slopes down gently. The reef has a lot of hard and soft corals, donkey dung sea cucumbers, long spined black sea urchin, fishes, and very often you get the chance to swim with sea turtles. If you are lucky you can even spot dolphins or a passing whale!
Marie Pampoen is a small fishing harbor with a bar/restaurant and a sandy beach mostly used by locals and divers. You can get into the water very easily here, as the sandy inlet is sheltered by two breakwaters.
The reef of Marie Pampoen pleasantly slopes down and it is quite hilly. You find some elk horn corals along the pier and many finger corals. When you dive along the reef, you will be able to see different kinds of morays, swarms of yellowtail snappers, spotted scorpionfish, big parrotfish and if you are lucky big Tarpons and Southern Stingrays on the sandy spots.
A car pile is also to be explored here, but you will need an advanced certification as the car pile is located at a depth of approx. 30 meters. Just outside the breakwaters, at approx. 30 meters, dumped cars, cranes, more scrap and a boat make up the underwater landscape. This scrap was dumped here in an effort to create an artificial reef.
Snake Bay is located west of Boca Sami, a fishing village just past BlueBay. This quiet, beautiful, small beach with its crystal clear blue water, is a popular dive spot. The name Snake Bay, named Playa Wachi by the locals, is due to the many snakes that were regularly spotted in the water. Actually they’re not snakes, but moray eel…
The reef is hilly and you find mushroom shaped formations of stove pipe sponges, brown tube sponges, and one of the most important corals found within the Caribbean region: the boulder star coral. You can see swarms of creole wrasse and blue tangs, lettuce sea slug and various kind of cleaning shrimp. If you are lucky you can spot Tarpons and even green sea turtles.
Kokomo beach, formerly known as Vaersenbaai, is famous for their Full Moon parties. Yet during the day it is a pretty low key beach, with lounge chairs and cabanas to rent. For kids there is a wooden pirate ship to play with and a cool swing in the water, with a "Kokomo Beach" sign on top. Great for a vacation picture! The restaurant is quite nice, with a good snacks, lunch and dinner menu..
The sandy beach gives easy access to the water, and gradually decreases to about 5 meters. Here the colonies of hard coral such as mustard hill coral, brain coral, maze coral and boulder star coral increase in density and are being complemented by soft corals such as stove pipe sponges and brown tube sponges, as well as swarms of creole wrasses and blue tangs. If you are lucky you can see green sea turtles and eagle rays.
A car pile is also to be explored here, but you will need an advanced certification as the car pile is located up to a depth of approx. 45 meters. However, we dive up to 30 to 35 meters of depth. A long surface swim of about 20 minutes is required. Once at the wreck location, you can start to see the first car wrecks at about 18 meters, all the way down to approx. 45 meters deep.
Off the beaten path, there is a notable dive site behind the Curacao water desalination plant, Aqualectra. Small Harbor, just outside of Willemstad, is a humble fishing port, complete with very friendly locals, a fish restaurant and snèk.
You enter the water through the fishing port, within the breakwaters. After swimming outside of the breakwaters, the reef slopes and in the shallow part of the reef there is a plateau where you will find an unusual abundance of soft coral and Christmas tree worms, sponges, and lots of different kind of fish.
All those who have dived here are very enthusiastic about this beautiful dive site!
GUIDED DRIFT DIVES
Barracuda Point, also called Punt'i Piku, is located across the Santa Barbara Beach Resort, at the mouth of Spanish Water. After a short drive across the Caracas Bay Peninsula, we arrive at the cliff where we must descend by foot and walk a short distance through shallow water to the dive site. The dive itself is also in shallow water and takes us between 70 to 90 minutes, so low air consumption is a must.
Immediately after entering the water, you will see a lot of very healthy and beautiful coral, and in and around them ton of fish and other sea creatures. Good sized barracudas call this place their home and will sometimes follow you curiously from a distance because you have entered their home turf.
Following the shoulder of the reef, you will have a nice view of the drop-offs. When the sun is shining, the sunlight will have a nice effect on the corals and sand. After a while you will hit the famous polls of Directors Bay. This construction is a perfect spot for your safety stop, as this is where the drift dive will end. From here we will head back to our Dive Center at Jan Thiel beach.
Looking for the best of both worlds? Combine Directors Bay and Tugboat in one amazing drift dive!!
At the end of the Caracas Bay Peninsula, you’ll find a secluded coral / pebble beach named Directors Bay. This beach gets its name from the fact that it was once a private beach for the directors of the Shell. Nowadays it’s a very popular dive spot, also ideal for snorkelers.
Immediately in front of the beach, there is a steep drop-off that continues on to the right. Although the wall is almost vertical, there is still a lot of sand on which different kind of sponges, soft and hard corals grow. Smooth trunkfish, white sea urchin, barracuda, spotted scorpionfish, moray and even green sea turtles call this dive spot their home.
If the current is in our favor, we can easily drift towards Tugboat at Caracas Bay. Tons of fish, eel, octopus, coral and other sea creatures have made this Tugboat their home. You may also spot seahorses here! The Tugboat, at around 5 meters below the surface, is the perfect spot for our safety stop at the end of the dive.
GUIDED WRECK DIVES
The 400-ton cargo ship MV Superior Producer was built in 1957 in the Netherlands. It measures roughly 50 meters in length with a beam of approx. 8 meters and an 2.5 meters draft. On the morning of September 30, 1977, Superior Producer entered St. Anna Bay to load its cargo with destination Venezuela. The cargo ship was stuffed well beyond capacity with whiskey, perfume, clothing and bags. Complications began as soon as the cargo ship left. After a number of unsuccessful attempts to right the ship, it was clear: Superior Producer was going down.
Nowadays, Superior Producer is the wreck that is most considered a must to explore. And it's no wonder, because with over 40 years of growth, the MV Superior Producer is an amazing artificial reef site, home to numerous colonies and different species of corals, sponges, gorgonians and sea whips. Because of this, it is a natural attraction for schools of predatory fish such as tarpon, barracuda, snappers and jacks. With over 50 meters in length, it is definitely a sight to behold at the bottom of the sea. As you approach it, at a depth of 35 meters, you will begin to see its vast shadow taking shape….
*** Only possible to dive here if no cruise ships or other vessels are docked.
The most visited snorkeling spot in Curacao has to be the Tugboat, located just entering Caracas Bay island. The small upper level of the beach is sand, the lower level of rocks and coral pieces. On the right there is an industrial area, where a large ship is often anchored.
The wreck is located just around the cliff, some 100m from the beach on the left side. We start our dive over the reef, which are overgrown with colorful coral and sponges, to around 16 to 18 meters. We can even go deeper, if the group allows. Spot a variety of reef fish like banded butterflyfish, parrotfish, shoal of damselfish, grunt and look out for flamingo tongue, a specie of small but brightly colored sea snails.
Upon return we take the shallow part of the reef, where at a moderate depth of approx. 5 meters we’ll find the Tugboat. This vessel sank over 30 years ago after a mishap with an anchor, that was dropped through its deck. With the sunrays illuminating the 9 meter long Tugboat, the first sight of the coral covered Tugboat is an impressive moment.
WEST POINT GUIDED DIVES (FULL DAY)
For this full dive day to Curacao’s West Point, you can choose from:
- Dive 1: Playa Piskadó
- Dive 2: Playa Kalki, Playa Lagun or Cas Abao Beach
Upon arrival at Dive Center Scuba Do, your divemaster/guide for the day will welcome you and after a short introduction and filling out the waivers, gather all the required gear for the dives ahead. Our dive bus will take us to the first dive spot: Playa Piskadó, located in WestPoint.
Playa Piskadó (aka. Playa Grandi) is a working fishermen’s beach and home to an incredible amount of sea turtles. Sea Turtle Conservation Curacao has given a name to each sea turtle, which you can see on an information board at the beach entrance. When entering the water, you see sea turtles right away, guaranteed. Also, there is a chance of seeing a group of hundreds of horse mackerel, locally known as masbangu. The reef itself is a beautiful, vibrant reef, overflowing with life, colorful fish and incredible coral. A sponge encrusted statue of King Neptune watches over Playa Piskadó
Playa Kalki, also known as "Alice in Wonderland", is accessible via a fairly steep staircase of approx. 25 steps. The beach consists of a large amount of coral rocks, so we recommend you wear diving boots. The reef is hilly and you will find big mushroom shaped formations of boulder star coral, stove pipe sponges, brown tube sponges as well as swarms of creole wrasses and blue tangs. If you are lucky you can see green sea turtles and eagle rays
Playa Lagun is a unique inlet, to be found between two high rock walls. The reef itself is a beautiful reef that has a mixture of all kind of coral and an abundance of fish and other sea creatures, starting from the shoulder of the reef to the bottom of the reef. When turning around and getting close to the shallow part of the reef you have the chance to see turtles again.
For the descriptions of Cas Abao Beach, please scroll down.
GUIDED BOAT DIVES
Weekly Dive Center Scuba Do offers a guided 2-tank boat dive to Curacao’s very secluded East point. Here you’ll find the most beautiful and untouched underwater landscape Curacao has to offer!
We board next to the dive center at Jan Thiel Beach and head out to Curacao’s EastPoint. This location can only be accessed by boat, as the land on the east side is privately owned. This has resulted in untouched reefs and an abundance of sea creatures, like green morays, turtles, tarpons. Research has even shown that this is one of 3 locations in the whole Caribbean where coral density is still increasing!
In between dives we have some fruit and drinks at Fuik Bay, where you can also relax, catch some sunrays and reenergize for the second dive. A dive day to truly experience for yourself.
KLEIN CURACAO
Date: 7 days a week
Departure: 8:30 AM from Jan Thiel Beach
Duration: till approx 17:00
Dive time: approx 45 min. to 1 hour per dive
Included: Boat trip, air, weights, open bar, BBQ lunch
Optional: 2 tank dive
Price: US$ 109 – air, weights / US$ 155 – full dive equipment / US$ 200 – air, weights, divemaster/guide / US$ 245 – full dive equipment, divemaster/guide
Klein Curacao is a 1.7 square km, uninhabited island, about a 2-hour boat ride away from Curacao. The island offers an endless pearl white sandy beach, an abandoned lighthouse, ruins, graves, and a few shipwrecks washed ashore.
The island is surrounded by a diverse and unspoiled ecosystem, full of life! No wonder Klein Curacao is considered one of the best diving destinations in the Caribbean! The underwater landscape features everything from healthy reefs, nice coral formations, to vertical drop offs, from massive schools of fish, sea turtles, to exciting underwater caves to swim through. Klein Curacao is a suitable destination for scuba divers of all levels, snorkelers and non-divers.
We can head to Klein Curacao 7 days a week, in collaboration with BlueFinn Charters. We can go by catamaran or by dive boat. Their 23 meter long catamaran is the biggest, baddest catamaran the island has to offer! We board the boat next to the dive shop, at Jan Thiel Beach. Once on the Caribbean ocean, you can relax on the webbing, get wet, spot wild dolphins frolicking in the waves and take in the sun. The regular tour of Catamaran BlueFinn to Klein Curacao goes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday. On other days, we can go by dive boat, which is more private, as the group is much smaller and all divers.
WEST COAST BEACHES
Date: Sundays
Departure: 8:30 AM from Mood Beach (Mambo Blvd.)
Duration: till approx 17:00
Dive time: approx 45 min. to 1 hour per dive
Included: Boat trip, air, weights, open bar, BBQ lunch
Optional: 2 tank dive
Price: US$ 109 – air, weights / US$ 155 – full dive equipment / US$ 200 – air, weights, divemaster/guide / US$ 245 – full dive equipment, divemaster/guide
On Sundays we board Catamaran BlueFinn and cruise along the West Coast of Curacao to the most pristine beach the island has to offer. Cas Abao Beach has won “Best beach of the Caribbean” multiple times, even claiming a spot as one of the top 5 of most beautiful beaches in the world! As soon as you arrive, you will totally agree! A wide inlet, pearl white beach, palm trees for miles, tropical cabanas , and not to forget the crystal clear blue water! The Catamaran moors on a specially placed pin, so as not to damage the underwater landscape.
Once at Cas Abao we gear up and head into the water. We’ll make a short swim to the blue line, either to the right or left of the beach, depending on the currents. Eagle rays have been known to call this beach their home. Dolphins, stingrays and sea turtles have also been spotted. Cas Abao is part of the Project AWARE - Adopt A Dive Site Initiative by the Curacao Dive Task Force, reason why this dive spot is also a clean, healthy reef to explore, with different kind of coral, sponges, and sea life like frogfish, moray eel, squid, spotted trunkfish, sea turtles, mantis shrimp, and even the rare seahorses.
Upon return to the Catamaran, we enjoy a freshly prepared BBQ on board, visit Kokomo Beach for a quick swim, before heading back. A tour of the harbor finishes the tour.