Community Forum

aruba2613 · 08-19-2008, 11:58 AM

We are thinking of going with Unique Watersports. I am a beginner with only 10 dives under my belt (max depth 35 feet) while my husband is a little more advanced with like 30 dives under his belt (he has gone 100-120 some feet). Am I out of my league diving in Aruba? Will I be able to handle basic dives like the Antilla? What about the coral reefs in the South Coast, I really wanted to see some coral. Or are those way too difficult? Thanks for any info!

*Arubalisa* · 08-19-2008, 01:07 PM

Depending on when you last dove, I would probably do an easy dive such as the Pedernales first before diving the Antilla. With that said, the Antilla is in about 65' of water and imo, not that difficult of a dive. Diving it in the afternoon, the hardest part for some is getting into the water and making sure they get down to the bottom quickly to avoid the waves and current. Easy though, everyone usually meets at the bottom.

There are some reef dives in the area of the Antilla. Some two tanks afternoon dives will do the Antilla and say Malmok Reef.

If you want to dive sites like De Palm Slope, the Tug Boat, Harbor Reef, Kantil Reef etc, I would make sure you are confident and comfortable with your skills. AND, especially if you are prone to seasickeness, dive them only in the a.m. and the earlier the better. If you are referring to diving the far southern tip of the island such as where JADS dives in the area of Baby Beach, imo, I would save it for after your advanced certification.

Diving in Aruba is mostly known for it's wrecks. Visibility varies and is much better many other places in the Caribbean but diving is diving

and diving in Aruba is better than some other spots, such as in NJ.

arubamark · 08-28-2008, 02:13 PM

I dove most spots in Aruba and coming from a DiveMasters perspective with well over 500+ dives(most in NJ) most dives are fairly easy. Take into consideration as mentioned by Lisa the surface waves and current. Ask local dive places to advise on those conditions. Also, there is an easy dive off of the Sonesta Island.

Sonesta Airplanes (30-60')
Dive into these two airplanes, a Convair 400 and a Beech 18. The Convair sits in 40-60 feet of water and the Beech sits in 15 feet of water amist soft corals in a sloping reef down to 100 feet

08-19-2008, 11:58 AM	#1 (permalink)
aruba2613 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 11	Aruba Scuba Diving question? We are thinking of going with Unique Watersports. I am a beginner with only 10 dives under my belt (max depth 35 feet) while my husband is a little more advanced with like 30 dives under his belt (he has gone 100-120 some feet). Am I out of my league diving in Aruba? Will I be able to handle basic dives like the Antilla? What about the coral reefs in the South Coast, I really wanted to see some coral. Or are those way too difficult? Thanks for any info! Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook

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08-19-2008, 01:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
Arubalisa Moderator Join Date: May 2007 Location: Boca Catalina Posts: 10,108 Images: 167	Depending on when you last dove, I would probably do an easy dive such as the Pedernales first before diving the Antilla. With that said, the Antilla is in about 65' of water and imo, not that difficult of a dive. Diving it in the afternoon, the hardest part for some is getting into the water and making sure they get down to the bottom quickly to avoid the waves and current. Easy though, everyone usually meets at the bottom. There are some reef dives in the area of the Antilla. Some two tanks afternoon dives will do the Antilla and say Malmok Reef. If you want to dive sites like De Palm Slope, the Tug Boat, Harbor Reef, Kantil Reef etc, I would make sure you are confident and comfortable with your skills. AND, especially if you are prone to seasickeness, dive them only in the a.m. and the earlier the better. If you are referring to diving the far southern tip of the island such as where JADS dives in the area of Baby Beach, imo, I would save it for after your advanced certification. Diving in Aruba is mostly known for it's wrecks. Visibility varies and is much better many other places in the Caribbean but diving is diving and diving in Aruba is better than some other spots, such as in NJ. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook __________________ Aruba Bound! ~ Blogging to Aruba ~ Cat Resource Directory ~ Our-Cruises ~ Pictures of Aruba

08-28-2008, 02:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
arubamark Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Rennaissance Island & Bully's Taxi Posts: 1,293 Images: 47	I dove most spots in Aruba and coming from a DiveMasters perspective with well over 500+ dives(most in NJ) most dives are fairly easy. Take into consideration as mentioned by Lisa the surface waves and current. Ask local dive places to advise on those conditions. Also, there is an easy dive off of the Sonesta Island. Sonesta Airplanes (30-60') Dive into these two airplanes, a Convair 400 and a Beech 18. The Convair sits in 40-60 feet of water and the Beech sits in 15 feet of water amist soft corals in a sloping reef down to 100 feet Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook