OT: Scuba vacation recommendation

[mcliffy2]

Given unlimited resources I'd love to do Indonesia, check out the pics on this website:
http://www.kararu.com/gallery/index.html

I just booked a trip to Curacao - never been but it looks awesome. Lodge Hura Kulanda looks like a great spot (that is where I booked), not to sabatoge, but anyone ever been to this location?

 

[Pufferpunk]

I've been there 3x. Stay at Captain Don's Habitat. Free tanks for shore diving. Dive anytime you want. Jump in off the pier & the reef's right there. Follow a rope out, then go left or right. at 1500 psi, swim back to the rope & up to shore. Easiest diving I've ever done.

They offer 2 boat dives/day (2 sites each dive) & 1 boat night dive, as part of the package.

 

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10940982#post10940982 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
I've been there 3x. Stay at Captain Don's Habitat. Free tanks for shore diving. Dive anytime you want. Jump in off the pier & the reef's right there. Follow a rope out, then go left or right. at 1500 psi, swim back to the rope & up to shore. Easiest diving I've ever done.

They offer 2 boat dives/day (2 sites each dive) & 1 boat night dive, as part of the package.

Already booked at Lodge Hura Kulanda, but that sounds awesome! I read the lodge has the best diving off its beaches, but no free tanks, that is a deal! Did you dive the mushroom forest? I've never dived before and am thinking that will be my first.

Also, is the Sea Aquarium worth it? Hate to go to a "touristy" place, but it does look really cool, and I kinda want to feed the sharks

 

[Pufferpunk]

Mushroom forest is great. Can you cancell that reservation? Even if you lose some $$$, it's well worth the stay at CD w/free tanks & unlimited shore diving. Tanks can cost as much as $8/dive!. Do they even have shore diving?

You can't miss the Aquarium there! One of the best times ever! You dive in a 12' bay area, feeding stingrays, giant grouper/Jewfish, giant angelfish, tarpon, snappers, etc. Then you swim over to a thick plexiglass wall with holes in it & hand feed nurse & reeef sharks, over 5' long. Then swim over to another section & feed giant sea turtles & 3' puffers. If you have non-divers, they can snorkle it. They'll film the whole thing for you & I recommend getting that too. No one will believe you hand fed sharks! If you want, I can show you my film.

 

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10942783#post10942783 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
Mushroom forest is great. Can you cancell that reservation? Even if you lose some $$$, it's well worth the stay at CD w/free tanks & unlimited shore diving. Tanks can cost as much as $8/dive!. Do they even have shore diving?

You can't miss the Aquarium there! One of the best times ever! You dive in a 12' bay area, feeding stingrays, giant grouper/Jewfish, giant angelfish, tarpon, snappers, etc. Then you swim over to a thick plexiglass wall with holes in it & hand feed nurse & reeef sharks, over 5' long. Then swim over to another section & feed giant sea turtles & 3' puffers. If you have non-divers, they can snorkle it. They'll film the whole thing for you & I recommend getting that too. No one will believe you hand fed sharks! If you want, I can show you my film.

probably too late to cancel, and we got the ocean view suite, so my girlfriend would probably kill me if I did

I think we have really good diving right off shore at lodge kura hulanda, just no free tanks (since we'll be first time divers, we may do a fair amount of snorkeling too).

I will definitely check out the sea aquarium then, sounds like I should plan on spending one day there. Do you have the vid on youtube by chance?