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Pierbaai Reef @ Marie Pampoen: The Dive Bus house reef
To say this is not your typical house reef, is something of an understatement. It's simply one of the best shore diving sites in Curacao. And it's The Dive Bus back-yard.
Until The Dive Bus discovered the amazing reef @ Pierbaai, Marie Pampoen (by accident!) and made it our house reef, very few folks knew of this secret treasure. Over the years, more and more dive ops travel miles to dive here. From The Dive Bus, it's literally just across the road.
It's also a perfect teaching location for all levels of PADI dive courses, and the more often you dive this site, the more you appreciate it.
Many years of diving here and thousands of dives later, this is still our favourite dive site in Curacao. Not only because we know it like our back yard, but because of its easy shore entry, pretty-much-always-awesome conditions, and always-awesome marine life and corals
Pierbaai Reef is the same reef system as Oswaldo's Drop-off BUT it's protected from the strong currents often present at Oswaldo's Drop Off by a break in the reef at Car Pile, providing an easier and altogether more beautiful diving experience... And it's dived a lot less than Oswaldo's Drop Off, so it's less crowded and less disturbed.
Pierbaai Reef is a massive dive area: think of it as an enormous underwater park. You can dive here every day for a week and not see the same things twice. Besides an incredible variety of corals and sponges and a host of vibrant fish-life, sea horses, frog fish and turtles can be spotted here by those with great eyes (or great luck) ...
*** PLEASE NOTE! ***
These days, random dive operators and independent instructors set up, hang out and close down on this beach. None of them are in any way affiliated with The Dive Bus.
Turn 180 degrees and you'll see The Dive Bus, right across the road. Come on in :o)
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Location:
Right across the road from Breezes / Sunscape hotel and Seaquarium beach, close to Avilla Beach, Kontiki / Cabana Beach and Lions Dive Hotel.
Facilities:
Bathroom, rinse tank, shower, private parking, dive retail shop, snacks and drinks and plenty of space to relax and chill out. Two local restaurants on the beach across the road for lunch and/or dinner and plenty more at Cabana / Mambo / Seaquarium beach just a couple of minutes walk away.
Beach:
Small, sandy, locals beach, lots of fishing boats, lots of character.
Shade:
Plenty at The Dive Bus plus palm trees and picnic benches on the beach.
Shore entry:
Couldn't be easier...just walk the few feet from the gearing up area. Booty fins are recommended but not essential.
Swim out:
1 minute if youre real slow
Dive:
A lively, healthy reef with lots of macro stuff to look out for. Gently sloping. Quite different to the Breezes / Princess Beach 'end' of the reef, Oswaldo's Drop-Off. Excellent night dive location also.
Non-divers:
GREAT snorkeling, hang out in the restaurants or chill out on the beach and watch the fishermen and locals at work and play... Or walk 2 minutes down to the road to Cabana Beach and Mambo / Seaquarium Beach.
Whats so special?:
Easy, pretty dive, great spot for your try out or refresher dive if it's been a while, as well as all level of dive courses. LOTS of marine life. Perfect for photographers, divers of all levels ...and a GREAT night dive location.
» Divers' opinions:
"Ive been on at least a half dozen dive sites on Curacao that the dive operator bragged had the best safety stop in town (meaning there was lots to see in just 15 of water) but they were wrong, all of them. Dive Bus Mark doesnt brag (much); he doesn't have to ...the reef [at Pierbaai] does all the talking for him.
Turn left just after exiting his swim area and youll find some of the most diverse marine life anywhere on the island and in just 15 of water. One of these weekends Ive promised myself to go back and spend an entire tank maybe two in that shallow area, in part to brush up on UW photo skills but just as much because I never run out of things to marvel over, even after what amounts to a 15-minute safety stop (the swim back along the sea wall when returning from Car Pile). ."
Tenesse Slim
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