The Caribbean · SCUBA DIVING IN CURACAO
The 14 scuba diving in Curacao below are ordered by how consistently travellers rate them. Price, duration and the one thing to check before you commit sit on every entry.
Spend about four hours learning scuba basics with CURious2DIVE in Curacao. You’ll practice in shallow water, then make a guided open-water descent to 40 feet at the Tugboat site. Hans, Daan, Barbara, Zoe, Ron, and other certified staff provide equipment, instruction, and pickup when arranged.
“This tour was great! Can't wait to dive with them again!”
At Sea Trek Curaçao, you follow a guide along a marked ocean-floor path while an air-fed helmet lets you breathe normally underwater. The experience suits ages eight and up, including non-swimmers. Guides such as Miguel and Chris are known for calm support, fish feeding, and keeping nervous participants at ease. Hotel pickup is available for an extra fee.
“The entire thing was excellent. The guys were super friendly and did well going over safety instructions and what to expect. They brought fish food so that we could see a lot of fish too! It was an awesome experience and I would recommend doing it and getting pictures from them! Glad I chose this excursion.”
Meet your instructor at Dive Center van de Ven at 8:15 am for a three-hour introduction to scuba. You’ll complete a health check, learn underwater signals, practice in the Livingstone Jan Thiel pool, and visit the Tugboat site with equipment, transport, and a one- or two-tank option included.
“Super fijne begeleiding gehad! Zeer behulpzaam. Zeker aan te raden als je voor het eerst wilt gaan duiken. Ik ben een ervaring rijker! Namens mijn familie willen we jullie nogmaals bedanken!”
Spend two focused days earning your PADI Open Water certification with Jan Thiel Diving. You will study theory, practise skills in a pool, and complete four reef sessions in a group limited to four people. Dennis and Princess Esmay are among the instructors, and hotel pickup is available.
“Amazing guides, instruction. Dennis is a great ambassador. Princess Esmay was a fantastic instructor, full of truth and grace while teaching. She is also amazing at finding things lost to the sea, likey wedding ring. Great experience, excellent diving equipment”
Meet Jan Thiel Diving at 2:00 pm for a three-hour private introduction to scuba. A PADI instructor such as Esmee, Dennis, or Cas explains the gear and safety rules, coaches you through three skills in protected shallow water, then guides you to a nearby reef. Equipment, water, transport, and reef tax are included, while pickup costs extra.
“Amazing intro dive for our family. Dennis and Cas were excellent instructors and we had a blast. We were comfortable from the time they picked us up near the port (couple minute walk) until they dropped us back off at the cruise ship. One Read more”
Join Scubaçao for a five-hour, two-tank shore outing around Curaçao. PADI-certified guests travel by pickup to two accessible sites, guided by staff such as Juan, Quincy, Carolina, or Chris. Expect reef life, possible turtles, rays, seahorses, wrecks, and underwater photos when conditions permit. Pickup and full scuba equipment are included.
“A great crew.....great scenery. The dive was very professionaly organized. I definately attend this duve center again.”
Learn basic scuba skills with an instructor such as JP, Carolina, or Chris before entering Curaçao’s clear coastal water for one guided underwater session. No certification or past experience is needed. Equipment, instruction, fees, cookies, and water are included. Choose a morning or afternoon start.
“felt well taken care of by talented instructors. They made sure we could do what we needed with the diving equipment. Can highly recommend Scubacao for a first dive. You can then continue if you wish with Open Water for a certificate.”
Meet The Dive Bus at 8:45 am for a small-group scuba outing to Pierbaai Reef and Car Pile, two shore sites across the road. You receive tanks and weights, but bring or rent the rest of your equipment. Recent scuba experience within 18 months is required, and the group is limited to eight people.
“Sadly, I was not able to dive with this provider because US Naval activity around Venezuela prevented my cruise ship from docking at Curaçao. It was not dive, buses fault in any way, but they still provided me with a full refund. I feel bad beRead more”
Learn scuba skills in Blue Bay’s protected bay, then complete four Open Water sessions at The Garden and The Wall. The two-day PADI course costs $525 and includes online study, classroom lessons, and instruction from a multilingual team. Instructors such as Lorenzo, Gwen, Shaneil, and Calvin are praised for calm, patient teaching.
“We did our Open water course with Lorenzo and it was incredible. Lorenzo was very patient with all the exercises and explained everything very clearly. My girlfriend has contact lenses and was a little bit unsure if this would become a problRead more”
At Blue Bay Beach, a PADI instructor from Blue Bay Dive & Watersports teaches you the basics, guides you through simple underwater exercises, then leads you along the calm bay’s house reef. This two-hour introduction costs $125 per person, with a maximum of four participants and a beach return at the end.
“That instructor was great very patient and informative , the best ever give him a raise immediately thank you .”
Learn basic scuba skills with Scuba Do in Jan Thiel Bay, then practice underwater before exploring the house reef with an instructor. Groups are limited to four, equipment and guide are included, and instructors such as MJ, Sam, and Bjorn are known for patient, safety-focused teaching. The session lasts about three hours and suits beginners age 10 and up.
“Lots of fun! Very professional team, very safe. It’s at a resort, so maybe grab a beer after and some food!”
Meet Scubaçao in Willemstad for a three-hour, one-tank shore scuba outing reserved for certified divers. Jillian and Julian may tailor the site to your interests, from the Tugboat reef and coral wall to western reefs or eastern drop-offs. Gear, transport, water, and cookies are included, with groups capped at seven.
“My partner and I had the best time going diving with Scubacao while our cruise ship was stopped in Willemstad's port. Their communication was great leading up to the dive and they were willing to do a general dive review with us since it hRead more”
Meet the Coral Divers team at Oasis Coral Estate Beach for a roughly two-hour guided shore scuba session on Rif St. Marie or Coral’s Habitat. Certified divers receive tanks and a multilingual PADI professional, while rental gear costs extra. Groups are capped at eight.
“The dive shop is in an excellent location with a beautiful beachfront view and convenient access to a house reef, making it ideal for beginner divers. The resort’s restaurant by the beach is a nice bonus. The shop offers complete dive rental geRead more”
Meet at Scuba Do Curacao at 8:30 am for two guided scuba outings at sites such as Jan Thiel, Director’s Bay, Tugboat, La Palapa, or Marie Pampoen. Guides including Kimberly and Seline lead small groups, with equipment, van transport, snacks, and Dutch or English instruction included.
“Sam picked me up at my cruise port at a local Starbucks. It was about a two minute walk from the port exit/entrance. We then traveled about 15 minutes to the dive shop. The dive shop was clean and well organized. It had clean bathroom Read more”
Pick a reef, a river or a rum shop.
