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Dive Bus Guestbook 2006 Dive Bus Guestbook 2005
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 ... want to let you know you can add the entire Graham family to your list of most happily satisfied customers!!! We all had a blast & felt like we were treated like family. You know, the abuse, bickering, fighting over food.... :-) We were seeking a place where we could feel at home & you guys let us fit right in. Hope the new year brings joy & prosperity to the entire DB crew. Please pass along my best wishes to Mark, Ellie, & Crowley as well. Cheers, Jeff (USA)
Sent: 31 December 2008  Happy New Year All.
Thanks for the pictures you sent of Sidney. Sidney had a great time and loved her dives from The Dive Bus.
I would reccomend this dive shop to anybody and would never recommend the OTHER dive shop located at Breezes!
Clinton (Canada)
Sent: 23 November 08 Thank YOU for making two great weeks even better! The Dive Bus (ie you guys) rocks! Never thought I would enjoy diving that much again... who would have thought it was all about the company?!
The pictures are gonna come in handy to plaster all over my office when my knock-out tan fades (yes, my colleagues kind of hate me and I propably won't get a raise). But who cares, I'm thinking of setting up my own business here in Stockholm, the-snow-bus ;) I was thinking I could drive a bunch of people (well, 4 at least since I only have a mitsubishi colt) out in the woods and then let them sit and look at birds or something while drinking Polar. What do you think about that idea?!
Again, thanks for everything, it was so great to meet you!
See you next time! Lussi (Sweden)
Sent: 17 November 2008
Subject: Best dive experience EVER
I'm actually writing to rave over how much fun I had on my dive back in Jan/08.
I'm one of those casual divers who tends to take a refesher course every two years and then get in a few dives, so having a casual and relaxed atmosphere is crucial.
The day before landing in Curacao I had a fairly bad experience in Aruba. The dive masters were bored, and basically just swam beside us.
Imagine the joy I felt when Mark started briefing us on what his hand signals meant for all of the wildlife he was going to FIND for us. The difference was night and day. I can't wait to get back and spend a whole week diving with Mark.
Next to learning how to dive in Australia (and that's only up there because it was my first experinence) it was the best time I've had diving.
Jamie Harbinson
Ottawa, Canada
Sent: Sunday 19 October, 2008  I just came back from London -- great time working by day and enjoying the City by night and weekend. I had a super holiday in Curacao and diving with you. Hope to do it again soon. I also hope that the reefs and wrecks didn't sustain damage from the recent hurricane and that the island has a speedy recovery. Cheers, Ray (USA)
Sent: 16 October 2008  Thanks again for the great dive. We had a fantastic time and I for one can't wait to do it again!!! I hope the weather is beginning to improve for you guys and the next time we are down that way, I will get certified! All the best, Mark (USA)  Based in Barbados, my trip to Curacao gave me a chance to try diving on a different island. Mark and Suzy were very helpful setting up the day's diving. I had limited time so that was important. Very professional and laid back at the same time. Best type of diving experience. Dives were great lots of healthy coral and sea life. Mark's underwater signal for a seahorse is a sight not be be missed or easily forgotten ( I thought he was having a seizure).
Thanks for doing everything right and see you guys again. John
(Barbados) Check out John's stingray video from Pierbaai Reef here...
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008  Thank you for the email and for putting the putting the photos on the website so quickly - my family loved them! We both had a lot of fun diving though I still don't think David has managed to get all the water out of his ears!! Thank you for making a real highlight of our holiday! We both had so much fun and would love to come back and do it again! A brilliant instructor with lots of help from Suzy too - thank you very very much!! I hope you are both well, take care.
Kind Regards,
David & Sophie (UK)
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008
We all had a great time and thought the instruction was great. Would def recommend you guys to any one going out there to scuba. Sylvia
(USA)
Date: 3 September 2008  Just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful time below (and above) sea level! It really opened up a whole new world for me, and I'm eager to further explore it. Hilde is not convinced yet that fish aren't scary, but I'll keep trying.
I feel sad that I couldn't make it in time on Sunday to have a last drink with you all, but the good news is that because of that I'll have to come back once to do so. :-) In the mean time I will certainly miss you, you are such nice people!
Thanks again for everything! AYO DUSHI'S! Marijke (Back in cold, wet & gray Holland)
Sent: Wednesday, September 03
Thanks for everything. I'm very glad that I took the classes for diving with you. I had a lot of fun and hope to do it many more times. Maybe I the future I'll come some more. I hope I can continue my lessons and upgrade to the Open Water certification.
I like it very much to dive. So hopefully see you another time.
All the best
Janneke
(Netherlands)
Date of posting: Sep 1, 2008 Posted by: Belle3160 Subject: The Dive Bus - Consistently Awesome!!  We recently returned from our third diving trip with The Dive Bus and once again they delivered all that was promised and more...
On the first day we dove (led by Tim) at Pierbaai which is their home reef to get our fins "wet" again. This reef always has a variety of sea life as well as beautiful corals and juveniles to watch. While visiting on this trip we took several Dive Bus 2 tank trips including Vaersenbaai, Tugboat, Porto Marie and Director's Bay, and we also took a couple one tank dives at Double Reef and the Marriot.
The Dive Bus staff is always professional and knowledgeable about the dive sites and they are punctual and prepared for each dive site they visit. Oh yes and they also make the dive trip as relaxing and fun as possible.
If you are looking to continue your training, The Dive Bus is also great place to learn. This year my husband and I decided to complete our Rescue Diver course. We did this in the middle of our visit so we had time to adjust before hand and recoop afterwards:) We chose to do our PADI EFR at home and bring the card with us, but we could have done that at The Dive Bus too. The confined water training is done in the sheltered portion of Pierbaai (not in a pool), and the staff works with you to practice each skill until you are comfortable. The final scenarios were completed at Pierbaai also, and although they proved challenging, we felt like we had learned alot when we were through. We learned both about ourselves and about which skills were easy and more challenging for us, but we also learned about the nuances, both positive and negative of our equipment.
The Dive Bus does a great job of training their courses and takes great pride in certifying good divers. They will answer any questions you may have both before,during and after the visit. We will definitely use The Dive Bus for our next trip, and look forward to seeing all of the great people we have met both at and around The Dive Bus hut. Thank -you Mark, Suzy and Tim and the rest of the Dive Bus gang for another awesome dive trip.
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008
 Thanks for all the fun you brought to us, the things you've shown and all the things you teached us.
I will be back in Curaçao from 11-10-08 to 18-10-08 and I will take Ilona for several dives with you guys at The Dive Bus. I hope you haven't planned to going away in that week ;-) Today I recieved my Advanced Open Water diver card from the mailman. (I got the open water diver-card a week ago). I already showed my parrents and my sister all the pictures on the website, Hopefully I will be seeing you in Oktober!
All the best and more,
Casper (Netherlands)
Date: August 28 2008 Just wanted to say thanks to Mark, Suzy, Tim, Terri and Liz for a fantastic time during my trip (8/23/08 to 8/27/08). You guys ROCK!!! I haven't laughed so hard and had more fun both in and out of the water in a long while. I was very happy with both the quality and professionalism of your operation. Keep up the good work and I plan on being back as soon as I can! I'm going to recommend you to everyone I meet who asks about diving in Curacao.
Mike Kimbler (USA)
Date: August 15, 2008  Thanks for everything - you guys are the best and I can't imagine divingin Curacao without The Dive Bus! Here are a few photos that came out. The credit for finding that frogfish goes to Mark - you knew that. That's part of the charm of your organisation - you let the customers share in all your successes. I've already recommended your operation to several of my diving friends (I work on a 10% referral basis!) Hope to see you soon, Chris & Patti (USA)
Date: 15 August 08  Thank you so much for a wonderful vacation July 19-26 2008. We were considering going to Cozumel or Grand Cayman. We only came to Curacao after reading a review about you on line. The reviews were spot on. I am glad I found out about you. I was greeted like I was a longtime friend and it only got better from there. From the first e-mail asking about reservations to settling my account at the end of the week was a breeze. If people try you once, I can't understand why they would ever go with anyone else. Friendly staff, easy relaxed atmosphere, and a general all around good time are what sets good operations apart. You have all this and more. Mark, my daughter is hooked and we can't wait to come back next year and get her certified. Many thanks to Terri for taking my wife to get medicine for my son. We will be back next year and hopefully many years to come. Thanks again and God bless, Gary Smith
(USA)
Date: 4 August 08  After our experiences of last year, we gave The Dive Bus a second chance to improve (just kidding!). This time no Ed, no Holly, no Jan BUT there was Irena and Tim so a good team again. And yes, we passed our Advanced Open Water! Thanks for everything, we enjoyed your course again. And you guys know you will get a third chance to teach us more and more next year. We love you all! Arjan, Loes, Maarten, Pierter and Elly (Netherlands) Date: 30 July 08 We got home today. Our week in Curacao went very fast. Your operation is great. I can see why it is not necessary to go out on a boat there for much of the diving.
Thanks again and good luck to all of you. Ian (USA)
Date of posting: July 21, 2008 Posted by: luckymbt ... My husband went diving with the Dive Bus as recommended here and on cruise sites. He agrees they are great and he had a nice dive with only 4 other divers and the dive master....
Date: 28 July 08 Just wanted to say thank you again for learnin' me how to breathe bubbles! I'm super stoked. Next time I'm over your way I'm prolly gonna hit you guys up for some. Hopefully that will be soon.
Anyways, I'll be seeing you guys. You all really rock the Casbah and I feel fortunate to have learned and had my first diving experiences under your stellar guidance and sparkling personalities. All the best.
Bobbo
(USA)
Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2008  Just wanted to thank you for all I learned over the last couple of days. The EFR course last week was good, and I wished I had taken this before. Everyone should. Mark made the class fun, but got down to business teaching us the necessary steps and skills. Tim was an excellent instructor over the 2 days of the PADI Rescue Diver course and has made me "think" about what to do in various situations. He was very patient and helped us to get the skills "right", reviewing what we will do and how we performed afterwards. He was very clear and concise. I went home later in the afternoon and still thought about out final situation and again the morning.  Thanks to Suzy for being a great victim........again and again. Glad she "recovered" each and every time:) Also, thanks to my partner Irina. It really helped doing this with someone else, as you learn from each other.....the mistakes and things that went well, through observation and working together.
I'd recommend this course for anyone and everyone.
All the best
Cheers
Helen
(Curacao)
Date: 10 July 08  We just wanted to tell you how good it was to see you again and thank you for the guide to Superior Producer. The kids and us had a great time and Anna wants to grab you for a night dive on Superior Producer during our next visit to Curacao. Thanks again for your help and the fun. Richard and Grace Newton (USA)
Date: 8 July 08  Thanks again for a wonderful time while in Curacao. As usual the diving was exceptional and even better than last year!! I really enjoyed the dive at Director's and that will be on the list for next year as well. Also meeting up with Bob and his family made things that much more enjoyable. The wheels are turning to make a return on 09' (with the family - forget work). I would also send Tim a beer if I could, he was a great divemaster, guide and all round good chap, and very patient and a pleasure to dive with. More drinks in the cooler for next year!!!!! "Tim rocks the reef" See ya in a year, Michael Woltner (USA)
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008
We all wanted to say thank you for making our family vacation to Curacao wonderful. You were our first introduction to Curacao and it could not have been better. Thank you for the hospitality, friendship, and knowledge of snorkeling, diving, and the island in general. WHAT A GREAT FIND THE DIVE BUS IS! Tim, you are incredible-Cody wants to say "THANK YOU for the AMAZING experience". For a 13 year old, that in itself says so much! He loves diving, as you already know, and has done research on where to follow-up to get certified, learn more about the equipment and costs, and great dive locations. Guess he's hooked after only a few hours with you. We all enjoyed Caracasbaai and the Tugboat, well except Tony. He'll have to see it next time! I personally want to thank you for your patience and help in conquering a life-long fear of the water. I'm forever a snorkeler and hope to be a diver someday thanks to you.
Our family HIGHLY recommends The Dive Bus for a fantastic time while in Curacao!!! You provided
wonderful adventures for our family of 5. The knowledge, environmental awareness, friendliness and passion for the island and what you do is incredible. Donna Griner (USA)
Date: 3 July 08  We can't thank you enough for making our vacation a wonderful one once again for the third year in a row. You were able to fit everything we wanted to do into your schedule. Its a pleasure diving with such a great team! I wish that we could get together more than just once a year so I could try and get better with my photos and not make the same dumb mistakes. It was also nice getting together with Mike again. Thank you again for such a great time. Hope to see ya again next year -Chris and Tyler are already planning! Take care, Bob and family (USA) Check out Bob's underwater Curacao photos here...
Date: 27 June 08 Tim and Suzy - I had an incredible time diving with you. I have started to tell folks that I finally get what a coral reef is and what a big deal it is. I have been diving in California all my life – we like the kelp forests a lot, but even my time in Cozumel and Caymans looks nothing like the reef in your backyard. I very much enjoyed you both and your hospitality and would love to dive with you again. Thanks to the folks on the Rodale dive forum for helping me find you and having a great cruise ship dive with you. Daryl Gest
(USA)
Date: 17 June 08  Hello everybody, Just wanted to say thanks for everything. Our trip was excellent. I responded to a post in scubaboard forum Greater Caribbean and Bermuda/lesser antilles/abc islands/curacao diving, lodging and dining recommendations for early July/#13. If you plan a trip to S Florida, look us up. Thanks again, Jon & China (USA) Jon's review on Scubaboard.com: "Just got back from Curacao last week. The Sea Aquarium Resort was excellent, however it is a time share. Right next door was Lions Dive Resort, it looked great. If you enjoy shore diving, get hooked up with The Dive Bus. We rented equipment from them and had a great time, they provided us with information on all the dive locations, places to eat, night life, and the island in general. The shore diving that we did all had easy access, all had dive shops on site and snack bar/restaurant.
It was nice to dive, hang out for an hour or two, dive again and relax and have some food and drinks. By the way, you can easily eat for that price. They have McD's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut. But the local restaurants are affordable as well. We ate at the Rib Factory (recommended by the Dive Bus) and the food was great. Also for breakfast/lunch try DeliFrance, coffee, espresso, croissants etc.
If you are going to shore dive, get the drive and dive map, it's the best map of the island. Available at the Dive Bus.
Always ask if prices are in florins/guilders or US dollars, most of the time they are posted but sometimes not.
If you rent a car make sure it has a trunk, if you leave things in the car that are visible, we were told they might not be there when we got back. Storing extra tanks is a necessity. All of the shore dives we did had facilities, but some do not. If you dive tugboat, do not go before 10:00 AM. The site is a vertical wall and the sun does not shine on the wall before 10:00 or so.
Have a great time, Hook up with the Dive Bus, you won't be disapointed."
Date: May 28, 08  We've been back home for a month and we still think about our Curacao diving vacation every day. We especially have to rave about the treatment provided by The Dive Bus. As other people have posted, Mark, Suzy, and Tim immediately feel like old friends. They love what they're doing, they know their stuff, and they're genuinely friendly people who go to the limit to accommodate their guests' needs - just like old friends would do. We did five dives with them, and can honestly say they were some of the most pleasant and comfortable dives we've ever had (we've each logged about 150). As close to a "zen-like" experience as you're going to have while diving. The reefs are beautiful, the pace is leisurely from start to finish, and yet the briefings are thorough and professional.
It was exactly the dive experience we were looking for in Curacao. We can't recommend The Dive Bus more highly. Thanks so much! Steve and Terry-Lynne Overton
(Canada)
Date: May 25, 2008  My wife and I did 2 dives with Dive Bus as well as rented equipment for our own dives. Dive Bus is great! They make you feel very comfortable and like you're long lost friends the moment you show up. Mark took us to Tugboat and we did 2 dives there. Both were great. At the end of the 2nd dive we saw a huge Green Moray Eel trapped in fish line under a pole. Mark whipped out his knife and freed the eel. It was amazing. We had dived Tugboat before but not with Mark. He is great at finding sea life to show you. Back at the "office" Suzy took great care of us. She even called other dive shops for us when it turned out they couldn't do a night dive for us. She tried to find us one with another company! How many dive shops would do that? And when we showed up to dive at the house reef and mentioned how our 7-month old kept us awake half the night, she made us coffee!! (And Suzy is also a riot, by the way.) Terri booked everything for us and took our money at the end with a smile. I've done dives with about 5 different Curacao dive shops and Dive Bus is the best. We're even thinking of doing our advanced open water dives with them next year. Thank you Dive Bus! Can't wait to come back!!! Matthew Singer (USA)
Date of posting: May 19, 2008 Posted by: greymutt Subject: The Dive Bus I recommend you use The Dive Bus. I just got back from a trip to Curacao a few weeks ago and loved the diving with them. I originally was signed up to do 4 days of diving with Ocean Encounters (located at Lions Dive) and 2 days with The Dive Bus. After my first day of diving with The Dive Bus I changed that to 3 days each. (Honestly, if I could have totally cancelled with Ocean Encounters I would have) I was even staying at the Lions Dive which is where Ocean Encounters is located). I did not like the DM on the Ocean Encounters boat for 2 of the days of diving with them. He gave almost no safety briefing and the dive briefing was "we are going to go to the right for 25 minutes and then come back for 25 minutes". He also did not look back at the divers on the dive or point out almost anything. (The DM on the Friday dive to the Superior Producer was good and did full dive briefings). The Dive Bus however was GREAT. The diving at their house reef is beautiful, they did comprehensive dive briefings, pointed out lots of sealife on the dives, were excited about diving, and pleasant to be around on the surface. I actually did a total of 5 dives at their house reef (4 daytime and 1 night) and still didn't see the entire reef. (There is a lot of sealife there). The one day trip I did with them was amazing. I can't say enough about Mark, Suzy, and Tim at The Dive Bus. With regards to cost, my 3 days of diving with The Dive Bus were considerably cheaper than Ocean Encounters. Regardless of who you chose, enjoy Curacao!
Date of posting: May 12, 2008 Posted by: diverdanmcg Subject: Back to work I'm back home in Maryland after my first day back at work. I spent the day daydreaming. I got my open water cert with Dive Bus in Curacao, along with my advanced diver training. A great time, 2 tank dives 5 out of 6 days. I couldn't believe how beautiful everything was just steps from shore. On Saturday Dogenia was my dive buddy, a great photographer that posts on this site. He took some great pics at the Tugboat. I can't stop looking at them. Mark, Suzy and Tim at the Dive Bus were great instructors and DM. I'll have to make time and money to do it again. I didn't even get enough time on the reef right at the Dive Bus site. I saw a huge ray, barracuda, turtle, huge moray eel, seahorse, more than I can keep track of. Tough choice, go back to Curacao or look for other spots.
Date: Apr 17, 2008
Thank you for your photos as well as a great time my kids and I will never forget. As I said when we were there, you guys lived up to your reputation as a great dive shop. I'll be sure to write up my own review as soon as I get caught up in the real world and will pass along the link when I do.
Best regards,
Jim (USA) Review below: Date of posting: April 29, 2008 Posted by: jtonra Subject: Dive report: Curacao 4/23/08 (The Dive Bus)
EXCERPT FROM REVIEW: I just returned from a week on the Adventure of the Seas ... based on numerous good reports and reviews about "The Dive Bus", I arranged to dive with them on this stop. They did not fail to live up to their reputation! They are a very professional outfit run by very nice, friendly people (Suzy and Mark). The arrangements were all made in advance via email with Suzy.... ...One of the highlights of this stop was that my two daughters, ages 12 and 14, were going to dive for the first time doing a "Discover Scuba" course. The way I had arranged things was for me to do a guided shore dive on their "house reef" while my girls went through the land based portion of their course. Then, I would join them for the Discover dive... ...After gearing up and getting in the water we had a very short swim (10 kicks maybe) to the drop off point were we descended in about 10 feet of water. We made our way out to the further of the two sites on their house reef which is called "The Car Pile". This is just what it sounds like but since the cars have been down so long, all that's really left are the frames and bumpers. Very nice dive though with beautiful hard and soft corals on the way out and back as well as a huge number and variety of fish. The bottom time on this dive was about 42 minutes with a max depth of 101 fsw. As the entrance to the dive bus hut's cove is in shallow water, we were were able to do a long swimming safety stop on the way in.... ...Once everyone was ready to go, we headed back out to the reef. Mark was very attentive to the students while at the same time pointing out the interesting things to see on the reef. My kids did great and are now hooked... The Dive Bus has very nice rental equipment with weight integrated BCs which is a nice touch. They took a bunch of pictures for us with their camera and copied them to my memory card when we were done (for no charge). Mark also took some underwater pictures of us with my camera. Their prices were very reasonable. We'll definately be back.
Date: Apr 17, 2008 
Okay so I am a bit late in writing, but we got back from Spring Break and then I was off to Hawaii. I just got back in town and wanted to send you a quick note for the dive on April 2nd. The kids really liked the way you paid attention to them and made them feel comfortable.
Anyway thanks again for your time and guidance. Also, the Iguana Cafe was a good recommendation for lunch.
Take care .. Hope to see you again someday.
Todd (USA)
Date: 7 April, 2008  Back in Holland again! Brrrrr..... Thanks for the wonderful dive @ Tugboat. Definitely a dive to remember. Good luck with the Dive Bus. Maybe we'll see each other again in a couple of years. We'll definitely recommend you guys to all our friends and relatives who will visit Curacao.
Greetz
Claudia & Sander (Netherlands) Date: March 30, 2008 Thanks again to you, Mark and Tim for everything - you all are fantastic. We had a great time, learned a lot and the kids could not be happier with their success. We really want to thank you for your effort, flexibility and fun filled positive attitudes! Beth Hollister
(USA) Go here to check out Beth's photos
Date of posting: March 30th, 2008 Posted by: saiorse69  Subject: Two fins up for Dive Bus !!
I can't say enough good things about the Dive Bus!! My partner did her open water test with them and had a great experience. We also did some dives with them throughout our stay and had a good time. They were so accomdating in hearing what we were interseted in seeing/doing and merged that with our skill level and the weather conditions to showed us a fabulous time.They were on time picking us up from our hotel (Kura Hulanda). From there we were taken to our dive site, did our first dive, had a nice picnic lunch as part of our dive package and jump in after a nice rest for the second dive. After a quick stop back at the shop to rinse our gear off, we were dropped off at the hotel front door.
All that and we laughed our butts off too (see exhibit A - the cheese bra picture). One day we did rent a car and it was easy enough to drive around and jump in. I do have to say going out with the Dive Bus folks first was a good orientation to the marine life and they were really good about letting us know which beaches were safer and better than others. Have fun!!
Dee (& Patty)
Toronto, ON
Date: March 27 2008 Thanks for everything. We appreciate the wonderful attention and training that Gabriel had. You are all very professional. I hope one day to return to the beautiful Island and spend a week. If so we will get in touch with you. Again, thank you. Arlene Sanchez-Vinas
(USA)
Date: 25 March 08 Thanks again for the great time last week. While I enjoyed the dive at the Mushroom Forest with Caribbean Sea Sports, I would have preferred to be diving with the Dive Bus. If I make it back next year, I look forward to 3 days of diving with you. Best Regards.
Dave Sittler
(USA)
Date of posting: March 21st, 2008 Posted by: BigDiverChris ...I agree with others who said that Mark and Suzy at The Dive Bus are great to hang out with!
Date of posting: March 15th, 2008 Posted by: Cheddar Chick If you don't feel comfortable with a [rental] car, call the Dive Bus. This is a shop that picks you up, pampers you to death, feeds you and drops you off at your hotel after you have a beer with them at their shop at Pierbaai. Mark & Suzy are among the nicest people on the island. Just make sure you call in advance.... Go here to read the full thread...
Date of posting: March 14th, 2008 Posted by: Naga ...You should ONLY dive with 'the Dive Bus' in Curacao, which is virtually next door [to Breezes].
I went there alone and made new friends, had a ball diving and saw heaps of stuff; they have great DM's and their schedules are pretty flexible; in other words, they give a s**t, and are reasonably priced...and the house reef at night in front of the Dive Bus Hut is sensational... Go here to read the full thread...
Date: 13 March 08 ... Tim was a wonderful guide for Maria and myself. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. Roel was also most serviceable and he hit it off with Maria as they discussed ecosystems and the wonders of marine life while dad and Tim got down to some real diving. Thanks to his persuasiveness I was able to see Caribbean Squid, a first for me in 30 + years of diving!!! Curacao was wonderful and we certainly will return... Cheers and have a Happy Easter. Pierre and Maria-Rachelle
(Canada)
Date of posting: March 13, 2008 Posted by: Ed Hatfield Subject: Curacao Trip Report EXCERPT FROM REVIEW: I returned from Curacao last Sunday. I was able to do 17 dives in 6 days. Although I could have completed more dives had I stayed in one location I wanted to experience as much as I could in the short time available... ...Diving with The Dive Bus was an experience...we joined a group of 3 divers from a cruise ship. Dive Bus Tim took us to Vaersenbaai and then to Double Reef. Tim knows his stuff and realized we were not there to be babied. The Double Reef dive was an adventure combining a slimy, rocky, rough entry that turned into a surging, swirling, dive. The exit was a test to your balance and stamina - LOVED IT - LOVED IT - LOVED IT............
Date: 9 March 2008  Thanks so much for another great visit... awesome dives, cold beer, and the blackmail pictures are too funny. Love that one of me playing grabass with Keith. I will have to post that one in my office!
Cassie (the young one) says she is getting certified...we got her hooked! Please thank Mark for his patience with Bee...she did get it together for the other dives.
I decided to catch a cold just as we were leaving the ship, so I spent yesterday in bed, and am running around today like an idiot trying to get ready for work tomorrow, followed by a business trip. I wish I was back down there with you!
I'll let you know when I get the write-up posted.
Cheers and hugs to everyone!
Wendy (& Keith, and Craig & Bee) - AKA The Serial Cruise Shippers
(USA)
Date of posting: March 8th, 2008 Posted by: sbdecker ...We spent most of our time hanging out on the (Hilton) beach or hanging out with Mark and Suzy at The Dive Bus - if you're a diver, they are the only ones to considering in this great land!
Date of posting: March 7th, 2008 Posted by: naga
If you are staying at Breezes, you are better off going 'next door' and seeing the crew at the 'Dive Bus', they are one of the finest operators on the island (and reasonably priced for multiple packages); and have access to the entire island, they offer a far more personalised service as opposed to the operator at Breezes.
They also have all the kit for rent, so use them if it is less hassle. I did and all the equipment is fine.
Date: 5 March 2008 Lonnie and I were at your place for a dive on 2/14. Afterwards you filled us in on the best shore diving on the island - including the bird watching sites. Thanks so much. I had intended to stop in on our last day and buy you a beer but we simply ran out of time. We found Curacao diving a "10" with excellent fish populations and great coral formations. It's hard to pick favorites since all 23 dives that week were great but Director's Bay and Alice in Wonderland stand out. Thanks again, very best, Pete McMiller
(USA)
Date: 2 March 2008
To: The Editor, Undercurrent
cc: The Dive Bus, Curacao
Subject: Diving in Curacao We recently had a wonderful dive vacation on the island of Curacao. Unfortunately, in researching our trip there was very little current information about staying, eating and diving in Curacao. Articles on several SCUBA boards was sparse, and the most complete dive guide was last updated in 1997. As a result, many of the dive operators and restaurants are no longer in business, and there are several new resorts. I thought I'd send you a brief email about our experience there, and if you would like more information, please contact me. Rob Damico DIVING CURACAO 2008 We were really looking forward to our dive vacation in Curacao. Despite my recent attempts in Fiji, La Paz, Belize, Cayman, and several other destinations, I was never able to get my wife emerged in that mystical talisman; 80 degree water. We always seems to miss the mark by a degree or two. So, even though I finally hit my goal in Curacao, I was not expecting it to surpass even my wildest hopes in almost every category. But, since this is a dive publication, let's just deal with the diving. In Curacao, we suffered the yin and yang of diving. The experiences were so disparate, I want to take them separately. Let's start with the low end. Ocean Encounters is a PADI 5 star facility located at the Lions Dive resort, and it is everything I've come to expect in a major dive operation. They were very professional, somewhat friendly, and were everything PADI lauds in its selected resorts. However, since I've been a dealer for the Aggressor Live Aboard vessels for several years now, I've come to expect more. Perhaps I'm spoiled. First of all, Ocean Encounters runs a cattle boat. On our trip to the Mushroom Forrest there were 21 divers on the boat, plus the two dive guides. The slog out to the dive site was over an hour going, and close to two hours returning, so having that many divers cramped into this 40 foot plus vessel was a little tight. The dive guides on the boat were very nice and very professional, but I had the feeling that the moment I left the boat at the end of the day or week, they would never remember me. However, in all fairness, I'm sure it is impossible for them to get personally involved with each and every diver in their care; its just that my last several years of diving have not been in this type of environment, and as I said, I guess I'm spoiled. Entry from the boat was simple, safe and professional, but that is where the dive, for me, went south. The captain and crew decided that we would be doing a drift dive, despite the fact that once under water, there was not much current. The way the guides lead the dive is that one dive guide is in front with a dive flat extending to the surface to guide the ship, and the other guide following in back. All divers are to remain between the dive guides for the entire dive. Also, we were instructed that for the first dive we were to limit our depth to 60 feet, which is where the lead dive master would be. The problem was that at 60 feet, we were close to 20 feet above the ocean floor. They seemed to want us to just do a "hover dive" over the site as we drifted along. If you want to explore the reefs and coral heads, you had to drop down to about 70 to 80 feet. Also, this must have been the SLOOOOWWWESSSSTT drift dive in history. I literally had to constantly flare out to keep from getting ahead of the dive guide. Once quick flip of my fins, and I was yards ahead of him, and would then have to turn around and swim back behind him. Also, they had a maximum dive time of about 45 minutes. With this type of drift dive, I was exiting the water with over 1000 psi still in my tank. As a site, the Mushroom Forest is beautiful, but I don't feel like I really had a chance to explore it. Exiting the vessel was a challenge for several of the divers on the boat. By design, everyone surfaced at once with the dive guides, and then bobbed on the surface until the boat maneuvered to let us back on. On the first dive, there was no tow line extended, and with the noticeable surface chop, several divers had trouble getting aboard. I was usually one of the last divers to get out of the water, and on the first dive, the dive guide and I had to help an exhausted diver to the dive steps. I took off his fins for him so he could get aboard, and my wife was at the dive platform taking fins from divers and piling them up on deck. Not usually the job of the dive guests. The second dive was more of the same; a super slow drift dive over Hell Corner dive site. Again, the depth limits given to us the by the guides was 10 to 20 feet above the ocean floor. So, Ocean Encounters is a professionally run dive enterprise, and for those divers who dive once a year or two on their Caribbean dive vacations, they may be used to this type of operation. However, those of us that who have dived with smaller groups may be very unimpressed. My other dive experience was with The Dive Bus, and was the polar opposite. It is run by Suzy and Mark. There are probably two nicer people somewhere on Curacao, but if so I never met them. From the first moment I stepped up to their dive hut, I felt like I'd been diving with friends for several years. Suzy and Mark are excited about diving in Curacao, and their enthusiasm is infectious. Their operation is quite unique. First of all, their dive hut is located a the Car Pile dive site, which became one of my favorite dive sites on the island. If you want , you can pick up your tank and weights and swim out to the site, or you can go on a guided dive with one of their dive masters. Also, they have a dive bus that holds up to 8 divers, plus all equipment (they also have access to several other vehicles for larger groups). You can meet them at the hut, or they will pick you up at your hotel. The Bus takes you to one of the island's many shore dive sites, and during the drive they are telling you about the history of the island and pointing out sites you may want to see. You are usually diving with no more than 6 or 8 divers, so their attention to your needs is superb. If you want, you can sit back and let them do everything short of putting your fins on your feet, but they make you feel so at home with them, you want to jump in and help pull tanks out of the van and set up the "base camp". The dive briefing is very extensive, and our two tank dive at Tug Boat was led by Ed, who is equally as excited about diving as the owners. When Ed, or any of the guides, lead a dive, they are constantly looking out for the unique things to see. On my first dive at Tugboat, I found a brown Seahorse (my first), several Eels, a Stonefish, Spotted Drum, and too many others to mention. But it was the guiding of Ed that made it so worthwhile. Also, at many of the sites, the dive is scheduled so that the end of the dive is in 10 to 15 feet. So your safety stop is part of the actual dive instead of just hanging out in blue water. As a result, we were able to get close to an hour of serious diving in, and I was still exiting with just over 500 psi in the tank. Between dives there are sandwiches, chips, fruit and drinks. And all the time the Dive Bus gang is making you feel like one of the family. So, the diving experience in Curacao was very diverse. I've dived all over the Caribbean, and Curacao has some of the most beautiful and colorful coral I've seen. You might not get the big pelagics found elsewhere, but the beauty of the coral and the abundance of sea life more than make up for that. As a dive operation, I will only dive with the Dive Bus. The trips to and from the sites take no longer by Bus than they do by vessel (many times the land trip is shorter), and is much more comfortable. The cost savings is substantial too. A two tank dive with the Dive Bus was $75; and the two tank boat dive with Ocean Encounters was about $120. I don't want to give the impression that Ocean Encounters is bad; it is just not my cup of tea. I'm used to diving with smaller groups that take the time to use their local knowledge to enhance your dive. However, the main reason to dive with the Dive Bus is Suzy, Mark, and their cadre of dive guides. They went out of their way to make sure your diving experience was so great you could not wait to return. They give the same high qualify, personal service that I'm used to on the liveaboards. I can't wait to return and dive the many sites that this first trip did not allow me to visit.
Date: 27 Feb 08 Thank you for making the dive portion of our trip so memorable - you guys are freakin' awesome!!! Leaving high praises for you at our local dive shop (Tiedemanns) for future referrals. And we did pick up the timeshare week at seaquarium, so count on us becoming regulars!! Be well,
Donna and Tom Vedrin
(USA)
Date: 26 Feb 08 Hey, I wanted to write and tell you what a great time we had.You guys really made us first timers really comfortable in the water and on shore. I look forward to diving with you in the future. The pictures are great, we had so much fun. I'll be sure to tell everyone I know about you guys. (Good stuff I promise) Hey thanks again. Kevin Ingraham
(USA)
Date: 26 Feb 08 Thanks so much for everything. We had a great day. Yes, Kevin and George are compairing notes on next years cruise. A must is including you guys again! Will let you know if it fits in and when. PS........we are getting 5-6 inches of SNOW tonight.... stop laughing. :-D Talk to you later. Sarah Ingraham
(USA)
Date: 26 February 08 Hi Suzy and Mark, Thanks for letting me dive with you this year. I plan on being back next year but only if you promise to show me more disrespect. I am not paying you for the dives, I can pay anybody for that. I am paying you for the abuse that I get from you and Mark and I feel that I did not get my money's worth this year. Hopefully you will treat me worse next year. Hatefully yours,
Bad Bob
(USA)
Date: 25 February 08 Connor, Fiona, Jim and I had a blast with you guys. I came down with a bronchial “thing” later that evening so my inability to get myself comfortable was less anxiety and more physical! We did have a great week on Curacao, and undoubtedly will return. Connor and Fiona are all psyched to take a full course and get certified. If that isn’t the mark of a good teacher, I do not know what is. Best regards,
Jane S. Murphy
(USA)
Subject: Curacao Quick Trip Report
Posted by: MakingBubbles
On: February 24th, 2008 11:07 PM
Link to full report: scubaboard.com Well, I finally returned back home from Curacao kicking and screaming because I didn't want to leave!!!:D Seriously, my wife and I kept trying to figure out how we could move residence to the island. This was by far my family's favorite Caribbean dive destination yet. Mark and Suzy (from The Dive Bus) and Dave (from Sunset Divers) were some of the most genuine and nicest people I've ever met. The diving was phenomenal! We shore dived Porto Marie, Vaersenbaai, Playa Kalki, and Tugboat/Caracasbaai.... Go here for the full review.
Date: 24 February 08 ... It was really nice meeting both you and Mark on Thursday morning on the way to dive the Tugboat. I wish I would have had more time to talk, we were in a little bit of a hurry that morning because I had to dive Tugboat and get to the northwest end of the island for a boat dive. Tell Mark thanks for his mini-briefing on the Tugboat dive site. His directions were very helpful. This was my son's favorite shore dive while we were on the island. Swimming under the pier and near the cargo ship that was docked in the port for maintenance was very cool!
Curacao has become our new favorite diving destination, so I am sure that we'll be back. I look forward to seeing you two again and diving your house reef. Again, thanks so much for your help.
Sincerely,
Chris Bushong
(USA) Excerpt from Chris's trip report above...
Posted by: Pilot70D
Date: Feb 18 2008 We consider The Dive Bus to be the BEST dive operator anywhere. They certainly are one of the friendliest and the most fun bunch we have ever encountered. We spent the entire day diving with them. We did two dives in the morning and two in the afternoon. The small restaurant by the Dive Bus Hut makes an excellent lunch as well. Suzy called a cab for us. It took about five minutes for the cab to appear and we were back at the ship in time to drop our gear in the cabin and go do a little shopping. When I die if I have the good fortune of heading to heaven it will look a lot like the Dive Bus.
Go here for the full review.
Sent: 14 Feb 08
Thanks for the help to finish my course on such short notice. You were all great!
Thanks to whomever( i'm guessing Frank ) found and droped off my snorkel - it was a nice surprise..
Again many thanks ...I can't wait to hear from PADI .. to CONFIRM I made it ..
Regards
Amy O`Keefe (Canada) Sent: 9 Feb 08
...Paula and I had a great time diving with you last week. We're sorry we missed you when we stopped by before we left to get to t-shirts. Hopefully you got some of the beer that we left also. I don't think that I had that many beer fines but we didn't drink all we had, so we thought we'd share the wealth... ...Thanks. Jeff & Paula Eichholz
(USA)
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 I have been meaning to write for about a month now. I have wanted to once again thank you for the amazing scuba diving experience you took us on.  All of you made the full day of instruction and scuba adventure the true highlight of our vacation. We had a riot!
You are to be commended that you were able to instill confidence and instruction within a fun filled day with a tons of laughs. I think we had so much fun because we sensed that we could trust your experience and instruction – as you stated we were all attentive yet relaxed – that’s a testament to all of you! There were smiles from start to finish! There is absolutely no one that I would rather get certified with other than all of you. I have even thought that at some point we will come back to Curacao just to get certified by The Dive Bus! Now that sounds like a fun week!! We have now settled back into the grind at home and are truly missing the underwater sights and the laughs we had with all of you. Once again, thank you so much for what you did for us! I proudly wear my Dive Bus hat shoveling the snow here at home!! Hope all is well. Please stay in touch and we will visit the web site often.
You guys truly are the best!!
All the best! Cheers!
Peter McGill
(Canada)
Sent: 2 February 2008  To think 1 week ago I was concerned about all the sand between the toes! Hell of alot warmer than the friggin snow!!!!! I would like to give you my version of my birthday [in Curacao]. First off, I woke up to a beautiful sunny day. Went to Versanbaai to do a little diving. Mark, not feeling great, was a fantastic host / DM. I had 2 great dives!!!!! What happened on those dives you ask? I got a birthday serenade underwater led by Mark, joined in by J and Lori. You really had to hear the crazy buggers....best mumbling I have ever heard!!!!! Got underwater hugs...geez, Jamey even wanted to some underwater synro swimming!!!!! Then we sufaced to a sunny afternoon, Anita waiting for us to tell us of her adventure. The sprinkling from the Curacao gods just meant that Lori performed her patented rain dance that morning.(although I was not a witness to that, ask Jay for details.) Under the comfort of the tree we undressed, hubba, hubba... then loaded up and off to the hut for a rinse, a beer and sandwich....then to top it all off, I got a great big hug, (I really like big hugs) from a pretty smiling lady. All I could say is WOW!!!!!!!! I had a great and very memorable birthday. After my day, I went out for a wonderful dinner that evening and celebrated 3 birthdays...
...Thank you very much for all you did and I am already planning our return in 2009.
Here are some photos..some of which Mark requested. By the way, 2008 version of the Ice flow race is 15th
March. The Dive Bus will be there being represented by members of the undefeated x 2yrs EUC Slushpuppies freezing our **** off. You are welcome to join us...
All the best
Ron Seidl
(Canada)
Date: 31 January 08 Good to hear from you! I had a ball and will definitely be back - and that's as much of a threat as a promise... Thanks for a great time and pass on my regards to all the yobs...err...staff. Regards Chris (Australia)
Sent: Jan 31, 2008  Thanks for your very friendly mail. I really look forward to see you guys (and girl) again. I had a wonderful time in Curacao. We had a very bad day today over in Europe with a thunderstorm (some people were killed in the UK) Now I understand why you have chosen for Curacao ;) Thanks again for the unforgettable time and see you soon! Alex (Netherlands)
Subject: Curacao Quick Trip Report
Posted by: King NeptuneOn: January 31st, 2008Link to full report: cruisecritic.com The diving I did with "The Dive Bus" was shore diving ... I did two shore dives with Mark, the first was with one other person and the second was just the two of us. They were both approx 60 ft dives and Mark was very good at pointing out marine life that I had never had the opportuntity to see before like squid and flying gurards. He was very helpful with some diving tips and Suzy was a pleasure to work with in setting the trip up ahead of time and also at their location. There web site has a lot of information. I wouldn't hestitate to go diving with them again if I was ever in Curacao. They couldn't pick me up at the dock so I took a cab but it was only $14 just make sure you get an agreed price ahead of time.
Date: 30 January 08  I had a great time with you guys! Below is my plug for you on Cruise Critic. I'm still working on the pictures that, ahem, Mark took (not me!!!!).
Sure wish I were there now. It's 22 F here with 4-8" of snow expected tomorrow. Kim Fink (USA) Dive Bus--great diving/snorkeling! We just returned from a 14 night Celebrity Summit cruise that included a stop on Curacao. In Curacao, my sister and Mom went on a private tour with Cheraldine Osepa (www.coast2coastcuracao.com). We toured with Cheraldine last year on Curacao. She's a gem of a person. We love her and she is so knowledgeable of the island. You can't go wrong with Cheraldine! [Go here for more info on combining a dive and an island tour] I dove again while on Curacao. I always dive with Suzy and Mark, owners of the Dive Bus Hut (www.the-dive-bus.com ). The Dive Bus is top notch! I dove with only another woman and Mark, owner and Dive Master extraordinaire. They are very safety conscious, FUN and run a very personalized S.C.U.B.A shop. We saw flying Gurnard fish, eels (one with a chunk out of him--must have lost a battle with a meaner eel beautiful soft and hard corals, tons of beautiful fish, a Scorpion fish ( a new one for me), etc. It was just a wonderful dive! Try the Dive Bus, you'll like them!
Subject: Curacao is best
Sent: 29 January 2008 Just a quick note to let you know just how great you guys are. After our recent trip to Hawaii, we realize there’s no place like Curacao and The Dive Bus…for the following reasons: 1) water temperature
2) much nicer coral variety and color in Curacao
3) many, many more fish in Curacao
4) nice, easy diving in Curacao with big payoffs
5) very easy shore entries in Curacao
6) best dive shop/divemasters/guides/instructors ever at The Dive Bus. Sooooooo, the moral of the story is, we love you guys and your little island! Hope to see you sometime this year, Amy Parker (USA)
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 Subject: Thank you  I just want to express my appreciation again for your operation and for a great dive course with a wonderful instructor, Roel. Since I didn't do much research or asking around, I feel very lucky to have happened upon your dive shop. The casual/low-key atmosphere was perfect for me. I felt very safe the whole time and really appreciated that I was not rushed, especially since I had almost no knowledge and had done very little preparation going into the course. Please pass on my appreciation to Roel. Leah Hertzel
(USA) Sent: 22 January 08
Thanks for letting me know about the picture- I had intended to e-mail you and ask if you could send it, but you beat me to it! :) We had a great dive and will be sure to dive with you next time we are there! Kelli (USA)
Sent: 21 January 08
I have recommended you guys over the last three weeks to several divers wanting a good dive operator in Curacao.
We still consider The Dive Bus to be THE best dive operator we have ever dived with and the most fun operator as well. One of these days we'll get back to Curacao and will go diving with you again. Our itenerary for this year's cruise doesn't take us to Curacao unfortunately.
In the mean time here's wishing all of you a great year in 2008.
Don Bradley
(USA)
Date: 21 January 08 We made it back to Illinois OK. Back to the cold! Thanks again for your support and understanding. I would very much like to dive with you in the future when we get back to Curacao. You really made us feel welcomed and comfortable. Take care, Pat and Karina Bak
(USA)
| This is Kevin receiving his Advanced certification from Roel... | 
| This is the odd-looking fish the boys found. A pipefish? |
Date: 20 January 08 Subject: The Elusive Markfish Captured
Thanks again for all your help in getting me back into the sport. I can't wait to get to Hawaii. Attached is a cropped version of the photo of the fish Mark was excited to find. I don't know what it is, but this proves he found it! Best of luck to all! Cheers!
Kevin (Canada)
Date of posting: January 14th, 2008 Author: Naga Breezes is by all reports a decent resort, everybody who was staying there when i was in Curacao were happy with the place, but don't expect the Marriott; Ocean Encounters is the operator and does not have a good overall rep, mainly due to the way they run their dives (short dive times catering for large, cattle-esque holiday diving groups). I am not implying they conduct unsafe practices, just that they do not have any form of personalised service.
For diving, you are best served by getting in touch with Mark and Suzy who run 'The Dive Bus'. I just spent some time with them and their crew and had a total blast; their knowledge of the island is second to none and their DM's (Tim and Roel) were fantastic. They cater to smaller parties and have a flexible dive schedule, they are good people and will give a more than fair deal depending on the volume of diving you do.
If you insist, they will even drink beer with you after your day's diving (i hated that bit); forget hiring a car, the DB crew will pick you up and take you to all sites, nothing is more than 30 mins away from where you are staying (their op is 5 mins from Breezes and Lions).
The shore diving is fantastic in Curacao, the viz was considered bad when i was there (Jan '08), because it was 'only' 10-15 m on average; the reefs are magnificient and every dive should have some form of surprise ( i strongly recommend night dives off the Pierbaii reef).
You will not regret diving in Curacao.
Go here for the full review.
Date of posting: 11 Jan 08 Link to review: tripadvisor.comJust back from a week in Curacao. Did all shore dives with The Dive Bus. If you are looking for an awesome dive op that is professional, friendly and personable, GO WITH THE DIVE BUS.
Suzy, Mark and staff are hands down THE BEST. Small groups, front door pick up and return.
I cant say enough about how good this operation is. Top Notch, A+ You cant go wrong with the Dive Bus. Hands down the best dive op I have ever used.
Thanks for great memories!
Click here to visit Cindy's review
...I used The Dive Bus for all of my dives and the service, staff, dives were outstanding. This is a top dive op. They pick you up at your door, you dive and bring you back. I can't say enough good things about them!!! Suzy, Mark, Tim & crew are awesome!
Have fun - Curacao is a great place to dive.
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 Subject: Thank you  Thank you so much for taking care of our guys from Adventure Divers, Canada. Carolyn said everything went really well, the diving was great. Having your help and support was very important to the success of this trip, thank you, you guys are awesome. We are very proud of Carolyn she worked really hard with Rick and Cindy it is great to see them complete their training. Next time Pepe and I are coming apparently we have a lot of beers to drink!!!
Take care, all the best in 2008,
Cheers
Sherry
(Adventure Divers, Canada) Subject: Awesome Trip  Sent: 11 January 2008
Thanks for making our trip to Curacao absolutely awesome. The service, dives and all aspects of the operation are outstanding. A dive trip I will never forget! I cant begin to tell you what a great experience it was for me! Next trip to the island, will definitely be diving with the Dive Bus!
Thanks again!
Cindy Russell
(USA) Click here to visit Cindy's review and photos...
Date: 7 January 08
 I would like to take this opportunity to thank you guys and Tim for a great week of diving. I have dove with countless dive operators throughout United States and the Caribbean, and I can honestly say, diving with The Dive Bus was the most enjoyable. As you know, the day before I dove with you guys, I dove with another dive operator on Curacao. They provided a safe and nice dive experience for me, but I was just another customer to them. You guys went beyond treating me as a customer. All the dives I did was like a group of friends dong a dive together. Mark and Tim did excellent jobs with the dive briefings and were very entertaining as well. I learnt different ways of remembering, "Begin, With, Review, And, Friend", some about British Women......... Anyway, you have a very nice dive operation and I can without any reservation recommend you guys to my friends and my scuba students who get the chance to visit Curacao. Your customers are treated like friends. Your website demonstrates you care about your customers by all the pictures you post of them. No wonder you have so many repeat divers coming back to dive with The Dive Bus. Looking forward to diving with you on my next visit to Curacao. Bear Johnston
Master Scuba Diver Trainer- 181449 (USA)
From: Bear Johnston Subject: Curacao Review
I now have traveled to and dived all three of the ABC islands. Curacao is the largest of the three and the most populated. Being the most populated meant having the most variety in shopping, if that is important to you.
One of the interesting things, at least to me, was the history on the island. There are many historical and cultural places of interest to visit when you are not exploring the beautiful reefs that surrounds the island.
One of the most enjoyable parts of this trip was diving with The Dive Bus dive operator. They specialize in Curacao’s famous shore dives. They pick you up at your hotel and provided you with equipment, tanks, weights and snacks for between and after dives. The treat their customers as friends and provide very entertaining dive briefings. If you have some time, check out their website at www.THE-DIVE-BUS.com. If you go to their Photo Gallery here you will see pictures of yours truly as I celebrated the Holidays with them. Yes, that is me with Santa hat on. There's more than one page of photos so check them out.
Enjoy , Bear Go here to check out Bear's great photos... Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008
I wanted to thank you and Tim for such a great day while we were in Curacao. The diving was fantastic and you guys are all so cool.
I hope to be back in Curacao someday soon and I will be sure to book my diving with you guys.
Thanks for everything.
Laura Ortega
(Canada)
Posted by: Halsey, Camden, Maine Date: January 01, 2008
I want to second the double thumbs up for the Dive Bus (does that mean four thumbs up?). I have been diving for many years but my wife and traveling buddy is an avid non-diving snorkeler. We often have difficulty with dive operations not wanting snorkelers on dive trips and conversely with snorkel tour people panicking when I want to don a weight belt instead of their safety sausage to do some free diving on their snorkel trips.
The Dive Bus folks, Suzy and Mark co- owners, crazy Tim and others seem to have just the right chemistry in their operation to bring diversified water lovers together and have a great time doing it. Our first scheduled dive with the "Bus" team was on a Monday. A large group had apparently canceled out at the last moment leaving me as the only diver of the day.
No problem, Divemaster Tim and I did the house reef and had two great dives. My wife snorkeled the house reef and hung out with Suzy swapping malicious lies and untrue stories (apparently including the fact that I had been talking with Suzy before the dive with my dive hood propped on the top of my head at which point ,unheard by me and intended mainly for my wife,s ears, Suzy had said to Tim "Watch out for him, Tim, I think he might be slightly bonkers") .
The next diving day with the "Bus" there was a group of wonderful Canadian folks which included snorkelers, two novice teen divers, and several other divers of varying experience. In this setting Mark really shined. He handled the two teen divers in a respectful but funny, friendly and informative manner while at the same time not short changing anyone else. I don't know how he does it! Anyhow, the two dives (at Tugboat site) were great and once again divemaster Tim and I formed a duo and were able to dive our own profiles (no set time limits)spending some time with the larger group and some time off on our own.
Dive interval time was "shore time" and consisted of great comeraderie and friendly exchanges with everyone involved. After the second dive of the day delicious sandwiches and snacks, cold sodas, beer, etc., were provided and enjoyed. Next day's dives were more of the same, healthy reefs, abundent sea life, friendly banter and well planned and executed safe dives.
So, if your just a little bit "bonkers" or even if you're not, and if you're diving on Curacao ,give Mark and Suzy's Bus a try, I bet you will love it, and, Oh yeah, say hi to Tim and tell him that if he keeps crossing his eyes underwater they'll get stuck that way.
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008  Just a quick thank you to let you folks know how much we enjoyed the time we spent with you. I am including a photo montage of incriminating "Tim" photos (of him not by him) despite the fact that I notice that your last photo gallery contained sufficient images to get Tim (and perhaps the rest of us as well) into a very sheltered environment for a very long time! Hope the new year does well by you and maybe by the next time we see you I will even be able to hear something (perhaps even a comment about my nice dive hood or a discrete warning to Tim that someone might be slightly "Bonkers".) Anyway best wishes.
Dave and Cindy Hutchison
(USA)
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