Waterside Dive (Curacao, Netherlands Antilles)
Over the past 25 years I have traveled and dived in dozens of countries around the world, including many world-class dive destinations (such as the Red Sea, Solomon Islands, Palau, Galapagos, Tahiti, and several countries in the Caribbean). In recent years the cost of many of these destinations has been prohibitive (at least to me). Over the past 10 years I have traveled to the island of Curacao and stayed at Waterside on 10 trips. Obviously I have been impressed! The accommodations and diving have been superb. Unlike most dive destinations I've been to in the past, this is not exclusively a "Dive" destination. It is a place I can go to that's free of stress. There are no expectations to do 5 dives per day, although it's certainly possible to do so. The nightly sunsets are spectacular! The accommodations are individual apartments (single, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom), each with private bathroom and kitchen (so it's certainly possible to prepare food rather than eat in restaurants every meal). They are impeccably clean. I have always been pleansantly surprised with how reasonable their rates are. Waterside (as the name states) is "at the water's side". It's at the beach. There's absolutely AWESOME diving RIGHT THERE (walk into the typically calm water - no transportation needed). I believe other dive operators typically refer to the dive site (immediately off-shore from Waterside) as Boca Sami or Snake Bay. This is one of the premier dive sites on the island of Curacao.......and when staying at Waterside, it's an absolutely no-hassle dive! I have seen sharks, eagle rays, squid, barracuda, sea turtles, frog fish, sea horses, and countless other marine life on my dives there. While Waterside is not actually a "Dive Operator", they will arrange for a regular supply of filled tanks for their guests......so (once you have your dive gear), you'll never need to leave the premises to fill tanks. There are also many other top-notch dive sites within a short drive, such as Blue Bay, Bullenbaai, The Superior Producer (wreck), etc. As for Waterside's amenities (besides the diving), the owners have always been exceptionally helpful in providing information as to where to eat, where else to dive & what to expect there, where to shop, etc. I have nothing but the highest compliments for them!
