Curacao is a small southern Caribbean island slightly north of Venezuela. It is found in close proximity to Aruba and Bonaire. The trio of islands are often referred to as the ABC islands where A=Aruba, B=Bonaire, and C= Curacao. Because the islands are so far south, they are generally considered to be out of the hurricane belt. As such they are frequented even during the fall months. This is in contrast to other Caribbean vacation destinations which are sometimes avoided due to hurricane season. Late summer to early winter is generally considered the time in which most hurricanes occur.
Lion's Dive Resort is a well known destination in Curacao. It is a moderate hotel, both in size and price, with decent accommodations, and a generally very friendly and helpful staff. The two main restaurants are Nemo's and Hemingway's. Hemingway's is open for all 3 meals, and is known for their wonderful cheeseburgers, pizzas, and sandwiches for lunch. Nemo's frequently serves dinner with a wide variety of island cuisine. The food here is quite a bit more expensive than Hemingway's, but every morsel was excellent. The food here was well worth the price if you have the money to spend. The Resort is Beachfront, and adjacent to many other shops and eateries. A beach side bar, and several other food shops are easily within walking distance for those who wish to wander away from the resort and experience other local cuisine. Also, if you're traveling on a budget, consider the local grocery store which is just a couple miles away. Store prices were more reasonable than expected on a small island. Each resort room has a small refrigerator to store your purchased items.
Lion's Dive is attached to the island's marine park. Although not large, you will see a wide variety of sea life here. You can experience up close and personal interactions with both dolphins and sea lions. Nurse sharks are another popular attraction. At certain times visitors may touch and even feed the animals with the assist of the park's staff. Upon entry the visitors are given a schedule of the park's daily events, and you can plan your day accordingly. One of the advantages to staying at Lion's dive is that admission to the marine park is free throughout your whole stay. All one needs is their key card to their hotel room, and unlimited access is allowed.
Lion's Dive has a reputable dive shop on site. The dive shop, Ocean Encounters, is a well equipped facility with spacious dive boats. The entire staff was very accommodating to the changing needs of our group. The divemasters were quite personable, and did a nice job of keeping all divers safe and with the group. The office staff were there to answer questions readily and politely. Be prepared to ask lots of questions upon your arrival, however, as there is no formal meeting or introduction to the facilities. This was in stark contrast to multiple previous experiences on the island of Bonaire. For seasoned divers, this may not be an issue. Novice divers, however, may find the lack of orientation a bit more disconcerting.Two dives highly recommended are the open ocean Dolphin Dive, and the Mushroom Forest dive. On the Dolphin Dive, divers are taken out to open ocean along the coastline to begin a dive. Ten minutes or so into the dive a dolphin or two from the marine park arrive with their trainer. There are only 8 divers allowed per experience and all are extensively briefed as to what to expect and how to behave during the dive. On the dive, you observe the dolphins in their natural habitat doing the things dolphins normally do. Also, the trainer frequently brings them in for a close and personal encounter with the divers. Each diver was able to touch or interact with the dolphin on four or five occasions. It was a fantastic experience, and no one seemed to complain about the $200 fee for the dive. The dive was captured by a videographer from the marine park, and the videos could be purchased as a trip souvenir.
The second dive no one should miss is the 'Mushroom Forest'. The beauty of that site cannot be underscored enough. It was pristine. The dive site was mushroom after mushroom of healthy coral reef with an abundance of marine life therein. This dive costs $40 extra to cover fuel and food costs. The site is about an hour's boat ride each way, with lunch being provided. The trip is worth every extra penny, and the extra travel time. It also had one of the most fun surface intervals one can have on a boat dive. During the interval, divers snorkeled to the edge of the rocky shore, dove down, and came up in a cave with an air pocket where they could see and breathe above the water. It is great for those who love to explore underwater caverns.
For those who prefer a land based trip, there were many fun things to do on the island, itself. One can rent a car right there at the resort. Walk outside the front desk, and there's your vehicle. The front desk provides island maps which are of some assistance. Beware, however. One of the most difficult things about navigating the island is that even though the map is full of street names, the actual street signs are often poorly marked or absent, making getting around somewhat challenging at first. With a little help from the front desk staff, however, the difficulties can be easily overcome. Give yourself a little extra time to explore and you will be rewarded.
Particular areas of interest include the Hato Caves. Although small in comparison to others, the Hato Caves are significant to the history of the island. The tour guides give a very thorough and entertaining rendition of this history. As with most facilities on the island, staff are multilingual, and English is frequently spoken. Language is never a barrier. One important thing to note regarding the caves are that there are many flights of stone steps up to the entrance. One must be physically able to ascend and descend sometimes uneven stairs without much difficulty. The price for entry is nominal, $6.50 for adults and $5 for children. Gratuity is appreciated. It's a nice way to spend an afternoon. For the avid hikers, not far from the caves are trails which allow you to enjoy a walk seaside where you can observe natural bridges and ocean views.
The Aloe Vera Farm also provides a brief but interesting visit. There you'll see row after row of Aloe Vera plant. Inside the facility is a store where Aloe Vera items are for purchase. Items here are 90% pure aloe Vera. Aloe Vera is known for its healing properties. A wide variety of products from palatable juice, to gels to soaps can be purchased here.
The Ostrich Farm is directly next door to the Aloe Vera Farm. Here for $10 you can take the tour, and learn everything you ever wanted to know about an ostrich! A large World War II vehicle has been refitted with benches for the guests. The vehicle takes you around the farm where you learn facts about the ostrich. There are a couple stops on the tour. On the first one, the visitors actually can feed the ostrich. With a big bowl of ostrich food in hand, everyone takes turns backing up to the fence, and multiple long ostrich necks stretch around and peck everything they can from the food bowl. It's quite entertaining (for the adventurous sort!). Later you exit the vehicle one more time where you learn about baby ostrich and the eggs from which they come. The tourists get to hold a 3 day old chick, and stand on an ostrich egg which can hold up to 400 pounds! There is also a souvenir shop and a restaurant on site. The restaurant serves ostrich meat, if one so desires.
Finally, the quaint little downtown provides much opportunity for shopping. The brightly colored buildings and architecture are reflective of the Dutch heritage. Even small alley ways exhibit artists' rendition of flowers, butterflies etc, to spruce up the environment. There is a beautiful church here that has only sand floors which is a site you shouldn't miss. There is a floating market where you can observe vendors selling their wares after they traverse the ocean from Venezuela. There is a bridge which allows you to cross the big downtown waterway by foot, or a ferry which will shuttle you across when the bridge is opened to allow large passenger ships to cruise through. Here you can find the uniqueness of Curacao, but some of the comforts of home, as well. Pizza Hut and Subway are easily accessible if you're missing a taste of home. An old fort is a point of interest, as well as the beautiful carvings which can be found in the trees along the city streets. The island also has good night life for those who enjoy a good party in the evenings. This is in stark contrast to Bonaire, where the evening activities are quite limited.
All in all, Curacao is a reasonably priced vacation with something for everyone. It's a beautiful island with much to see and do. Whether you choose to lay on the beach and read a book, explore the island, or spend your time under the water, the island will not disappoint. So grab your swimsuit, your sunscreen and your passport. Your island paradise awaits.
Are you a new or seasoned Scuba Diver looking for dive information or great deals on Scuba Equipment? If so check out the Scuba blog and Scuba store at http://www.FinForYourself.com to find Scuba information and the lowest prices on Scuba Equipment.
(ArticlesBase ID #1267034)
Michael is a Network Engineer by day and a SSI Dive Control Specialist by desire. He enjoys both warm and cold water diving. He and his wife maintains a scuba blog and store. He hopes to share his passion for scuba with others. In his spare time he can be found helping students learn scuba.
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Recreating E.T underwater was a long time dream of mine. On a hot, sunny Caribbean summer day back on August 2003 I've assembled with a few good friends and co-workers at Utila Dive Centre, Bay Islands, Honduras to give it a go.
Our goal was to recreate the famous E.T bicycle scene, riding a bicycle towards the surface. Sound easy isn’t it? Well, here's the story behind the making of Underwater E.T.
Dive Location
We've started by planning our dive. We wanted to find an area shallow enough to be safe and be able to dive as long as we can until we get everything right, yet deep enough to be able to ascend towards the surface for a long time, and to avoid water movement as little as possible. Bottom had to be sandy to avoid any disturbances and damage to the environment. We've figured loosing track of our ascent rate would be a very possible scenario, adding the fact we had to share air source between "Eliot" and E.T, we've asked a fellow Dive Instructor to be present and act as a handyman and a safety diver.
Setting the Costumes for the Dock Scene
We wanted to film one dock scene where E.T is taken away by Elliot and an F.B.I agent, just before Elliot and E.T make the run for it. We used a few Scuba Masks worn on different positions around E.T's head to shape E.T's head and make it look a bit more alien like.
Experiencing Buoyancy Problems Underwater
Once we've figured out where to dive, and the logistics around it, we started setting up our bicycle and customs: Bicycles had to be flat tired as air would lift them upside-down. We places a little weight on the rear tire to tilt the bike upwards, I was inhaling as long as I could to gain some positive buoyancy while "Elliot" inflated his BCD, and held the heavy bicycle. We also struggled hard with stabilizing the bicycle and elevating at the same time
Setting the Costumes Underwater
E.T (I) was wearing an old white blanket that had to be clipped to the wet suit and bicycle. As I couldn’t fit to the bicycles basket I had to share air with "Elliot" (Neil) that made it a bit awkward and harder to ascend to the surface head up.
A few tries made us realize we needed to allow air to vent out through our customs as E.T's blanket and Elliot's cape kept floating up. We had o clip the blanket and cape around the head so the Regulators second stages will be left out and air will bubble out without accumulating under the costumes and elevate them.
After about 35 minutes, and suffering foot and legs cramps from sitting on the bike for so long we finally managed to pull it off.
Followed by a Safety Diver and Dan our videographer we took of into the sun making a long time dream come true.
Years later, 2007, a group of us recreated the scene again, adding more scenes to the plot.
The Movie wouldn’t have been made without the generous help of Utila Dive Centers owners and stuff.
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There are 2 primary items to think of when going for certification. Number one is to pass a health exam by your doctor. You may wish to make sure that you are in good condition before taking up this demanding sport. You don't need to discover while you're hundreds of feet below the surface that there is a difficulty with your heart, lungs or consciousness. The next thing to understand is that you've got to be able to swim. It is not a priority to grasp a bunch of swimming strokes, however, be ready to swim about two hundred meters and tread water or float for approximately ten mins. There are around two thousand scuba diver training centers in North America, so you might find one fairly close to your home. Make sure that the diver center has a good reputation, you may find inventories of this scuba equipment on the web. 2 of the certification agencies, PADI and NAUI have lists on their Internet sites which will assist you.
When you've selected a dive training center, ensure that their instructors are allowed with one of the major scuba diver training agencies.
You will be receiving a large quantity of tech as well as functional information from them, be sure they're allowed to instruct it! When you've located your instructor, there are 2 items that you must be prepared for in the authentication process. There will be a massive period of time spent in the class room, mastering technical capabilities and being tested to be sure that you've got the mandatory information. You may then move on to a pool where they may teach you functional abilities for scuba certification.
Eventually, you can go on approximately 4 open water dives, this is often in a lake or ocean depending upon your area of study. This could all usually be completed in a weekend (though you will have to do some bookwork ahead of this) or over 2 weeks, depending upon your schedule. The open water dives can be another a couple of days. Lots of work goes into earning your scuba diving certificate. Nonetheless, it will be one of the best adventures of your life.
Scuba diving is a wonderful sport and with the right equipment it can prove to be one of the most fulfilling experiences. Here is what you need to know about your scuba equipment.
What gear will you need when diving?
When you first start out there are five items you will need for basic scuba diving and training.
Scuba Mask: Perhaps this is the most important of them all. This is the mask that will let you see the wonders of the under water world. When buying a scuba mask it is very important to try a wide variety on. Try different makes, different shapes and sizes, not every mask will fit every person so it's important to find the one that will fit you best as the mask also provides a seal against water entering your eyes.
Scuba Booties: These boot like shoes will be your best friend when walking along rough surfaces or slippery rocks. These boots are designed to protect the feet from rough surfaces. They have a non-slip grip on the bottom to assist with walking on slippery surfaces such as rocks.
Swim Fins: These shoes allow you to experience the water as other water creatures do. Fins allow you to propel yourself through the water in fluid movements with less effort. Scuba equipment can be heavy and awkward at times so having the fins allows you to move easier and more efficiently in that water. There are a variety of swim fins to choose from. There are fins that are webbed like a ducks' feet, there are fins that are shaped more like the fin of a dolphin. Make sure to try on a variety of fins to choose one that fits well and will suit your needs.
Scuba weights and belt: This is essential as the weights and belt are what allows you to stay underwater. These come in a variety of makes so trying a few out to get the one that feels best for you would be idea.
Snorkel: This will allow you to enjoy the view from the surface of the water without using your regulator. Using the snorkel while on the surface either before or after a dive will help to conserve the air in the tank and also as a safety mechanism. The rule of thumb is to always have one of the two in your mouth at all times. Either the snorkel or the regulator will help should be caught up in a wave. Either of these devices will allow you to breath.
Always remember when looking to buy your very first scuba equipment, this is one sport that buying second hand is not a good idea and can actually pose to be dangerous. Scuba diving is not cheap but the reward you will get on your first dive will make it worth every penny. The key to a successful dive is successful equipment. Shop at reputable stores where the owner or employees have a strong knowledge in scuba diving. Bring along a friend who may be a seasoned scuba diver or an instructor who may be willing to assist you in your shopping endeavour.
Never buy scuba equipment online as most of the equipment requires you to try ti on. It is essential that you feel completely comfortable in your gear as you will be descending many feet underwater and that is not the time to be uncomfortable.
Remember as you shop for your scuba equipment to be cautious and know what you need before you go. Having a clear understanding of the sport and what is needed will ensure that you have the best experience possible.
There are very few more frustrating occurrences in scuba diving as having to abort the dive due to lack of air, while everybody else is still having fun down there. Being able to save air as you dive is one of the most important steps to become a good diver. Here are some tips that can help us improve our diving skills
Proper Weighting
Carrying extra weight makes a huge difference on air consumption- you have to inflate your BCD more thus increase drag, and your body's lower part tends to sink down, while upper part rise up- which increases drag furthermoreSimple buoyancy check before diving with a new gear, at a new area, or after along time without diving should do the trick
Buoyancy
Try to achieve and maintain neutral buoyancy as soon as you reach your desired depth. Simple trick is to try hover – breath normally, add minimal amount of air to the BCD, inhale fully to elevate yourself off the bottom and return to normal breathing
Move Slowly
There's hardly ever a need to dive fast- you use up energy and air a lot quicker, and probably scare marine creatures as you do so
Avoid Using Your Arms
Arm muscles are weaker than those in our legs, plus, arms and hands don’t propel us as much as our legs and fins do. Use your hands for signaling, snapping photos rather than swimming
Streamline
Keep all hoses secured, arms tucked, and try to swim as horizontal as possible, thus minimize drag, keep yourself and the equipment off the bottom and avoid damaging the marine environment.
Breathing
Don’t skip a breath. Breathe at the same tempo, long inhalations and exhalations
It's recommended to inhale and exhale as if whistling or sucking air. You can also pick a nice tune to help you breath at the same rhythm
Use Familiar Equipment
To be more relaxed and feel in control, buy your own equipment. You'll also need to make very few changes on estimating weights as mentioned in paragraph 1
Relax
Easy to say, but some newbie diver have a natural fear when diving. The more you dive the more confidence you gain, and the more you realize there's nothing to it
Practice
It all comes down to it. The more you dive the better you get. Consider participating in a Pick Performance Buoyancy Course that fine tunes you buoyancy skills
Dive Shallow
If you still use up air a lot quicker than your buddies, dive slightly shallower, where the air you breathe is less dense and allows you to dive longer
PADI, SSI Staff Instructor, a biologist and an Underwater Photographer Find more valuable tips that can help you through picking the right scuba equipment , dive courses , dive destinations , snorkeling and more at http://knows-dive.com
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Choosing the right dive center can make a huge difference on your experience whether you plan on learning scuba diving or simply dive for fun
As veteran scuba diving instructors working in various places around the glove let us help you out a bit on your quest for a perfect dive vacation:
Dive center rating
Dive centers rating can tell you about the quality of its facility, safety standards, instructors rating and more. The rating status normally follows the dive operator's name.
Dive center location
Location makes a huge difference. Having to walk with equipment to the dive center or from it to the water/boat. Being able to chill and relax after the dive. A dive center is no longer just that, it can be the center of your vacation. Make the best of it.
Facilities
Showers, toilets, classrooms, dock, equipment storage, all are key elements that make a dive shop pleasant for its costumers.
Staff
Get to meet your stuff members, as you'll probably spend some time with them. Check their rating, knowledge and experience, make sure they are also familiar and experienced at the local dive sites as professional divers can be experienced elsewhere and lack vital knowledge when working in new places.
If choosing to take a course, see what else your instructors can offer after participating in it.
Boats
If you don’t intend on shore diving, have a quick look at the boats available, are they fast and stable enough to get to sites easily? Would you have enough space? Would you be protected from the sun? Are there any O2, 1st Aid, and Spare kits onboard?
Equipments
If using rental equipment, check it first. You don’t need to be an expert, or even a diver to know old or badly maintained equipment from a new or well maintained one. Insist on visiting the equipment room, and if there are special demands for sizes, exposure suits thickness or prescription masks, make sure you let the dive operator know about it in advance.
Packages Offered
Many operators offer various dive packages that may include accommodation, free dives, discounts, special offers on additional courses or deducted retail prices.
Atmosphere
A key part in any diver's routine is socializing, meeting people and having fun. Spend some time around the dive centre, meet the stuff and customers, and get the vibes, some dive centers offer much more than just diving, make use of that
Class or Group Size
A key element in diving is to dive in small groups. In courses you learn more and get more attention from your instructor. When diving, fewer divers mean more chances of seeing creatures up close. It doesn’t mean diving with small dive operators; just make sure your group size remains small….
Activities
Not all dive operators can offer everything, so check if your dive center offers anything extra, and a unique experience that makes a difference.
Environmental Awareness.
Please ask what the dive center offers to minimize the effects on the marine environment. Please report any misbehaving such as loitering, touching the reef and marine creatures, and disregarding diver's buoyancy problems. Help us keep the ocean clean and healthy.
p>Find more valuable tips that can help you through picking the right dive destinations, snorkeling scuba equipment , dive courses , and more at knows-dive.com
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