5 awesome ways to treat your Dad this Fathers Day, Curacao-style...

1. Take him golfing

You may be surprised to learn that Curacao is an awesome, popular golfing location, because:

Or treat him to some new funky golf balls...

• it's almost always sunny
• there's almost always an ocean breeze to keep things cool
• you can play virtually 365 days a year, from 6.00 in the morning until 7.00 at night
• there are three golf courses: Curacao Golf & Squash Club, Santa Or treat him to some new funky golf balls...Barbara and Blue Bay.
  

2. Take him climbing, pottering, wandering, exploring, discovering...

You may be surprised to learn that Curacao has a mountain.

Christoffel Park is Curacao's largest national park, and home to Curacao's highest point - Mount Christoffel - and a rich variety of flora and fauna. 

At only 372 metres / 1,220 ft high, climbing Mount Christoffel doesn't sound like much of a challenge.

But trust us: it's no walk in the park (arf, arf).

Starting from the visitor’s center, the hike to, and the climb up and down Mount Christoffel, takes approximately three hours. Or save an hour and park at the foot of the mountain. Beautiful vegetation, wildlife and geological formations will motivate you on the uphill climb, and spectacular views are your reward for reaching the top.

If an easy stroll is more your thing, choose from one of the seven other hiking trails.

You'll still get to enjoy bird and plant species you may not see elsewhere on the island, like wild orchids (Palabrua), the rare native barn owl and the Curacao White Tailed deer (of which there are only about 250 left).

Curacao also has plenty more hiking and walking options - start here...

 

3. Take him diving...

 
You may be surprised to learn that Curacao is one of the top diving destinations in the Caribbean and one of the top shore diving destinations in the world. 

And The Dive Bus is Curacao's #1 PADI 5 Star Dive Center on tripadvisor, thanks to folks like you - and your Dad.

Whether your Dad is an expert diver or has never tried it before in his life, he'll have an awesome dive experience he'll remember forever. And you can have it captured forever in his own personal dive movie, by our pro-video partners.

Here are just some of his cool, fun and memorable diving options:

If he's never dived before,
he's GOT to try this...

If he wants to become a certified diver,
he can start TODAY...

If he's already a certified diver,
he's GOT to try this...

And if he's an Advanced Open Water diver,
he's seriously got to try this...

4. Take him out

If you get bored in Curacao, you're doing something wrong.

There's heaps of things to do, see, discover and enjoy - especially if you get a rental car (highly recommended):

• More restaurants than you can eat at in one vacation, with all kinds of cuisine and price level choices.
  
• Awesome beaches - many quite different to what you might expect on a Caribbean island
  
• Heaps of bars and night life . There's even a brewery well worth checking out (tried and tested several times by your faithful Dive Bus Crew) - the Curacao Brewing Company.
  
• Plenty of "dry" things to do and discover, including a rich and fascinating history, climbing, walking, cycling, ATV-ing, exploring, shopping ...
• Huge range of accommodations to suit all budgets and preferences

Check out the Curacao Tourist Board website for even more info:

5. Go shop

If none of these other ideas are going to work for your Dad, remember: there's TONS of fun Dive Bus stuff in the online store that your Dad will wonder how he ever managed to do without, delivered to his door.

 

So there's 5 awesome ways to treat your Dad this Fathers Day.  But don't just take our word for it - come and see for yourself :)

And if you're a Dad, you may want to forward or share this Blog to your kids - and there's always next Fathers Day, too...;)

#santabarbarabeachresort #fathersday #christoffelpark #divecuracao #divingcuracao #PADI #openwatercourse #discoverscubadiving #curacaogolf #thedivebus #curacaotouristboard #curacaobrewingcompany

Hurry - and save $150 on your Curacao dive vacation!

Your Curacao dive vacation just got cheaper!

Now, JetBlue's made it even more attractive AND easy for you to book your Curacao vacation - by saving you $150!

Book before 11 June 17 (11:59 PM ET) and save $150 off your JetBlue Vacations package to Curacao, for travel from now until 13 Nov 17. More info on their website here.

According to JetBlue:

"Curaçao is considered a hidden gem amongst all Caribbean island destinations, renowned for its diving, beaches and unique architecture. The historic island is already a popular destination for European travelers and its capital, Willemstad, is a UNESCO World Heritage City."

“This well preserved island is a favorite among diving enthusiasts for its healthy coral reefs, considered one of the nicest Caribbean escapes for discerning travelers thanks to its pristine beaches and clear water.”

We couldn't agree more!

And you can save MORE money when you book your Dive Package with us at The Dive Bus - rated Curacao's #1 dive shop on tripadvisor by people just like you:

So what are you waiting for..? 

 

See you in sunny Curacao soon!

You know you want to... ;)

#divecuracao #jetbluecuracao #divebuscuracao 

Clean Up divers: "It's time to say 'No' to plastic in Curacao"...

“During the first 4 months of 2017, over 220kg / 450lb of trash was removed from Curacao’s reefs on the Dive Bus monthly Dive Against Debris Clean Ups," says Mark Pinnell, owner of The Dive Bus and Curacao's first PADI Ambassadiver.

"Volunteer divers cleared 32kg / 70lb of trash from the reef on our Earth Day Clean Up alone. It's time to take action to prevent trash entering our oceans in the first place. Now.”

More than 20 divers from the Netherlands, Curacao, UK, Panama, USA, Canada and Germany took part in the Earth Day Clean Up, and several attended the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris course beforehand.

After sorting, weighing and logging the trash from the clean up, some of the divers explain why it's time to make some changes.

Joseph

“We, as an island, are focusing on bringing tourists to Curacao and I would like to see a sustainable Curacao," says Joseph.

"I'm from Curacao and we need to start taking better care of our island. Start by taking your trash home and throwing it away properly or recycling it. Don’t let it end up in the ocean – it pollutes the water we drink and the fish that we eat. Be smart: take care of your island, take care of yourselves.”

Fitz

“I think that the planet is worth saving," added Fitz, also from Curacao. "Not only for me or my kids but for all the people who live here in Curacao. We have-to do something. It’s easy to start: don’t buy plastic, don’t throw it out of the window and recycle stuff."

"Next time you’re at a beach bar or a shop, say ‘No Thanks’ to plastic bags, straws, drink stirrers or a plastic glass… Why do we need them? We don’t need them."

John and Trish

American divers, John and Trish, living in Panama, vacationing in Curacao, share their simple philosophy for keeping plastic and other trash out of the ocean:

"If you brought it to the beach, take it back home with you, don’t leave it there to end up in the ocean."

" 'Refuse, Reduce, Recycle' isn't a suggestion or a lifestyle choice.
It's a necessity."

Mark added:

"It's great that so many divers join in our efforts to clean up our ocean. But it's time for everyone to shift focus onto stopping it getting there in the first place."

Check out the interviews and the
Project AWARE Earth Day Clean Up, Curacao, 2017

courtesy of our buddies at Turtle & Ray Productions

Find out what all the fuss  is about:

• Why keeping trash out of the ocean is such a big deal to people, not only marine life
• Discover the extent to which plastic already in our food chain
  

 See how easy it is to make a difference to your world:

• Take the ProjectAWARE Dive Against Debris Specialty Course. You don't need to be a diver, just a human being.
• Find how The Dive Bus tries to take care of our underwater world 
• Join in a Dive Bus Clean Up if you're heading to sunny Curacao...

#oceancleanup #earthday #100%AWARE #projectAWARE #PADI #Ambassadiver  #oceancleanup  #divecuracao #Curacao #CHATA #sustainabletourism #sustainability #turtleandray #thedivebus

The Dive Bus Mark becomes Curacao's first PADI Ambassadiver!

In 2016, PADI, the world's largest dive training organization, launched the PADI AmbassaDiver Program. Its purpose: to introduce more people to, and engage more divers with, the magic of the aquatic realm, through a team of PADI AmbassaDivers.

AmbassaDivers are passionate divers and dive educators, committed to elevating diving in their communities and across the planet, and making people's worlds - and ours - a little bit better. Each AmbassaDiver carries the emblematic torch, lighting the way for more people to pursue their passion, discover their purpose or follow their dreams to explore, experience and protect the underwater world.

Meet Mark Pinnell: Curacao's first PADI Ambassadiver! Managing Director of The Dive Bus, Curacao, he optimizes this statement in every way, by “Livin’ the dream and keepin’ it clean”.

"When PADI told me that I'd been selected to be an Ambassadiver, I thought they were kidding", laughed Mark. "I was seriously surprised and totally shocked and confused! Why me?? I just do what I do and have a laugh. Apparently, that's why they chose me.

Now I've got a bit more used to the idea, I think it's brilliant and will hopefully draw more attention to Curacao as the awesome shore diving destination that it is - and the importance of sustainable tourism".  

Anyone who knows or has dived with Mark knows how passionate he is about diving and the ocean. Exploring, discovering, sharing and protecting the underwater realm. Making it fun and engaging at the same time. 

His passion is as engaging as his sense of fun, so here's Mark's story, and why PADI chose him as Curacao's first PADI AmbassaDiver.

Livin’ the dream and keepin’ it clean

A Korean adoptee brought up in Japan, Sudan and “tropical” Braintree, England, Mark had no clue what he wanted to do when he grew up. Except, possibly, be a Pirate. 

The 9-5 work thing as an Insurance Broker in London didn’t really do it for him, so he set off on an adventure to lands far, far away, in search of a dream. Whatever it would turn out to be.

Teaching English to business professionals for two very cool, fun years in Chile was when he discovered that he was good at - and enjoyed - teaching. A short time later, freezing his butt off in a glacial lake in New Zealand during his PADI Open Water Dive course, he discovered he had found something he loved to be doing. And once certified, he explored some of the most amazing dive locations in the world including the Great Barrier reef, Bali and the Gili Islands.

By then Mark finally knew what he wanted to do when he “grew up”: Dive fun people in beautiful places. Become a dive instructor. Be livin’ the dream.

“A week after becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, I was wearing a bright pink t-shirt and boardies, trying to get my head around the never-ending duties of a Dive Instructor at Stuart Coves, in Nassau, Bahamas. A busy, popular and well-respected dive center, where everyone but me seemed to know exactly what they were doing. But I loved it. I was livin’ the dream."

"After meeting and marrying a fellow Dive Instructor, Suzy, on a Bahamian beach, we set off on more diving adventures, together. These eventually took us to Curacao, where we soon discovered an amazing, un-dived and un-loved reef, off the shore of a small, tatty fishermen’s beach, Pierbaai. Who knew Curacao had such awesome shore diving - and so close to shore? With no boat engines to fix and clean!"

Within a few months, Mark's first “Dive Bus” hit the road, the little Dive Bus "Hut" opened on Pierbaai and they set about cleaning the reef and the beach.

Project AWARE supported Mark's clean-up efforts right from the get-go, using one of his photos for their annual Clean Up ad campaign.

“The Dive Bus Clean Up dives became regular events, with more and more divers and dive shops joining each time. It was awesome!" recalls Mark.

Now, more than 15 years after freezing his butt off in that glacial lake, Mark is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, owns and runs one of Curacao's most popular dive shops and is dedicated to having fun protecting our oceans and its reefs, in partnership with Project AWARE.

"Don't ask me where the time has gone to, but it's been an amazing adventure. What started out as a tiny little dive shop became a PADI dive center, then a PADI 5 Star center - and all of a sudden it was 2015 and The Dive Bus's 10th Birthday!

Although we've always focused on ocean protection, last year we decided to take a more "visible" stance on stance on the issue and sustainable tourism. The idea was to encourage more awareness of and participation with, among our divers and other Curacao dive centers.

So we became a 100% Project AWARE dive center, adopted our house reef  and earned PADI Green Star status by reducing and recycling waste and encouraging divers to do the same.

It's very cool that these initiatives are really popular and I think our divers appreciate what we're trying to achieve and encourage. The clean up dives in particular, but I reckon the poor guy who empties our recycling bins gets tired of having to come by so often!"

Why does Mark love what he's doing so much?

"I’ve met and dived surgeons, rocket scientists, secret service agents, professional lock pickers, Hollywood set builders, rock stars, windmill engineers, graffiti artists, long distance truck drivers, mums, dads, kids, grandparents, wealthy and not-so-wealthy, people with Doctorates and folks without a high school diploma.

Regardless of who or what they are above the surface, underwater, diving, they’re all folks in rubber suits with looks of wonder and amazement in their eyes - and, often, snot on their faces! And I love seeing their reactions when they discover 'my world'.

My personal mission?

Keep on doing what I'm doing: helping people fall in love with diving, on beautiful reefs that we all help keep beautiful. Livin' the dream and keepin' it clean."

"Scuba diving may not be most people’s first thought as a career, but it certainly turned out to be mine.
And I wouldn’t change any of it, even if I could."

Meet the other PADI Ambassadivers

Follow PADI Ambassadiver Mark and his daily life at The Dive Bus, Curacao:

#PADI #ambassadiver #projectaware #sustainabletourism #underwatercleanup #thedivebus   #divebuscuracao #divecuracao #projectaware #100%AWARE  #rightnowincuracao

+Dive Curacao +The Dive Bus Curacao  +PADI #diveagainstdebris  #AdoptADiveSite