Diving in Curaçao

Curaçao, nestled in the Caribbean Sea, is a diver's paradise offering an abundance of underwater experiences. Known for its vibrant coral reefs, the island boasts a diverse array of marine life, including sea turtles, eagle rays, and colorful tropical fish. The clear waters around Curaçao provide excellent visibility, typically ranging from 16 to 30 meters (60–100 feet), making every dive an opportunity to witness the stunning underwater landscape. Divers can explore dramatic drop-offs, intricate walls, and intriguing shipwrecks, all conveniently accessible from shore, thanks to the island's favorable conditions.

Curaçao's dive sites, primarily located on the southwest coast, cater to divers of all skill levels. The island is renowned for its calm waters and minimal currents, making it an ideal spot for beginners and those seeking a relaxed diving experience. Shore diving is particularly popular, allowing easy access to the vibrant marine world right from the beach. For those interested in boat diving, numerous operators offer trips to explore further afield. The warm waters and agreeable conditions also make Curaçao a perfect place for advanced courses and certifications, ensuring a fulfilling diving adventure no matter when you visit.

Adding to the allure of Curaçao is its unique position outside the hurricane belt, providing a safe and stable climate year-round. Beyond diving, visitors can enjoy the island's rich cultural offerings in the capital, Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, colorful Dutch colonial architecture and iconic landmarks like the Queen Emma Bridge add to the island's charm. Curaçao truly stands out as a diving destination that offers both extraordinary underwater adventures and captivating onshore experiences.

Upcoming Events

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Unique Diving

Advanced Open Water Diver

Contact the Center for more information.

If you cannot decide which specialty programs are the best choice for you, join the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program! You will try Deep Diving and Navigation plus a variety of 3 more specialty areas of choice before committing to full specialty training. It is a great way to experience what advanced diver training is all about and how valuable it can be to your diving adventures. During the Advanced Open Water Diver Program, you will experience 5 different specialties by completing one open water training dive per specialty after a comprehensive briefing with your SSI Instructor. By taking this program you will have total freedom to explore. You can complete the full Specialty trainings any time in the future and credit your Advanced Open Water Diver training towards them.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Duikschool Fred

Open Water Diver

15 Nov 2025 + 6 more

This globally recognized certification program is the best way to begin your lifelong adventures as a certified scuba diver. Personalized training is combined with in-water practice sessions to ensure you have the skills and experience required to become truly comfortable underwater. You will earn the SSI Open Water Diver certification.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

THE DIVESHOP

Deep Diving

15 Nov 2025

The SSI Deep Diving Specialty will teach you all you need to dive to depths between 18 and 40 meters, through a mixture of academic sessions and open water dives. You will learn to plan and safely complete your deep diving adventures and use computers and gas consumption calculations to get the most from your deep dives. Upon completion, you will earn your SSI Deep Diving Specialty certification and be able to explore beautiful deep dive sites wherever you choose. This SSI Specialty is also a prerequisite for some advanced training, making it the next logical step to take in your dive education.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

THE DIVESHOP

Deep Diving

15 Nov 2025

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Porto Mari Sports

Deep Diving

16 Nov 2025

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Bahia Diving

Open Water Diver

16 Nov 2025

Diver Level Programs / Courses

All About Scuba

Open Water Diver

16 Nov 2025

Diver Level Programs / Courses

All About Scuba

Advanced Open Water Diver

18 Nov 2025

Professional Level Programs / Courses

Porto Mari Sports

Open Water Instructor (Instructor Training Course ITC)

23 Nov 2025 + 2 more

Start today - You need to be a Divemaster or equivalent to join SSI´s 3-Step Instructor Training Approach. The training process starts with joining the Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training Course combination accompanied with Digital Learning. After successful completion of the Instructor Training Course (ITC) you will enroll in an Instructor Evaluation (IE) to qualify as an SSI Open Water Instructor. This 10 day training program entitles you to teach various key SSI programs independently like Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue and Dive Guide. For those who want to take more time to learn and to gain valuable teaching experience between the training programs the 3 parts can also be taken as single steps - Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) and Instructor Evaluation (IE) one after the other at own pace and with a flexible schedule.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Porto Mari Sports

Diver Stress & Rescue

24 Nov 2025

The SSI Diver Stress and Rescue specialty program teaches you the skills you need to protect yourself and other divers. You will learn how to identify stress, how to prevent accidents and be taught practical techniques to conduct rescues and provide emergency care. With a combination of pool and open water practice sessions, you will become well prepared and confident at handling emergency and rescue situations. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Diver Stress and Rescue Specialty certification.

Professional Level Programs / Courses

Unique Diving

Open Water Instructor (Instructor Training Course ITC)

12 Jan 2026

Beginne noch heute - Du musst Divemaster oder gleichwertig sein, um an der 3-stufigen Instructor Ausbildung von SSI teilzunehmen. Die Ausbildung beginnt mit der Teilnahme an der Kombination Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training Course, begleitet von Digital Learning. Nach erfolgreichem Abschluss des Instructor Training Kurses (ITC) nimmst du an einer Instructor Evaluation (IE) teil, um dich als SSI Open Water Instructor zu qualifizieren. Diese 10-tägige Ausbildung berechtigt dich dazu, verschiedene SSI Schlüsselprogramme wie Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue und Dive Guide selbstständig zu unterrichten. Wer sich zwischen den Ausbildungen mehr Zeit zum Lernen und Sammeln wertvoller Unterrichtserfahrung nehmen möchte, kann die 3 Teile auch in Einzelschritten absolvieren - Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) und Instructor Evaluation (IE) nacheinander im eigenen Tempo und mit flexiblem Zeitplan.

Top Dive Sites Map

★★★★☆ Tugboat

Tugboat is Curacao’s most famous dive and snorkel spot due to its shallow depth. It was wrecked just off the shore of Caracasbaai and sits in only 15 feet of water. The tugboat is crawling with marine life and is now covered in sponges and coral growth.

★★★★★ Superior Producer (Wreck)

Superior Producer is rated as one of the best wreck dives in the Caribbean, located between Double Reef and the entrance to St. Annabaai, this cargo ship sits upright on a sandy bottom at 30 m / 100 ft. The ship sank in 1977 and is covered with coral and sponges and has an openly accessible cargo bay.

★★★★☆ Playa Kalki / Alice in Wonderland

Playa Kalki with the dive site “Alice in Wonderland“ is the most north-western dive site which is possible from shore. A beautiful reef runs parallel to the beach with large coral formations. The best diving depth is between 5-20m.Parking, restaurant, toilets and diving school are on site.

★★★★★ Punt Canon

This pristine and unspoiled reef accessible only by boat is arguably one of the best dive sites of Curaçao. Tarpon bridge, a natural underwater bridge, is found at the most eastern end.

★★★★☆ Porto Mari

A beautiful house reef great for snorkelers to advanced divers. This site is technically a double reef with the first reef starting close to the beach and the second reef running out into the deep with a valley of sand running in between them. Easily accessible from shore.

Diving in Curaçao

Curaçao offers a diverse range of dive sites, perfect for both beginners and experienced divers. The island is renowned for its vibrant coral reefs, many of which are easily accessible from the shore along the southern coast. Playa Kalki is a must-visit for its stunning wall dive, where the reef drops to 18 meters/60 feet and teems with colorful reef fish. For those interested in wreck diving, the Tugboat at Caracasbaai provides a captivating combination of a wreck and a wall dive. At just 5 meters/16 feet deep, this site is ideal for exploring tube sponges, moray eels, and swarms of reef fish.

Curaçao's balance between shore dives and boat-accessible sites ensures that divers can experience a variety of underwater landscapes, from untouched reefs to more secluded spots only reachable by boat. The healthy coral reefs and abundant marine life make every dive unique, with excellent visibility and warm waters welcoming divers year-round. Whether opting for a night dive or observing special marine life behaviors, Curaçao promises unforgettable underwater adventures.

The best Months to dive in Curacao

Diving in Curaçao is great all year thanks to good weather and a warm ocean averaging around 25°C (78°F) in winter and 27°C (82°F) in summer. Marine life is mostly unaffected by the slight seasonal changes, so divers can benefit from fantastic dives no matter the season.

April to November is the dry season, during which April to June experiences the calmest weather. Island has minimal rain and enjoys plenty of sun during this season. Ocean conditions are normally calm, with water temperatures resting around 29°C (85°F) and air temperatures lingering around 31°C (89°F).

December to March is the rainy season, when the island experiences a slight drop in temperature, with air temperatures lowering to 29°C (85°F) and water temperatures dropping to 26°C (79°F). Rain occurs more, however showers are only brief and quite refreshing. Furthermore, this period is also the low season, when great deals on diving and hotels can be found.

There’s a brief windy period in Curaçao due to trade winds, which occur from January to April, which isn’t too much of a disadvantage for those that enjoy a cooling breeze in tropical heat