The 2019 Curacao International Dive Festival: why you won't want to miss it ...

The Curacao International Dive Festival
29 September - 5 October 2019

If you’ve been waiting for the right time and/ or the right reason to make your first trip to Curacao OR return for a(nother) awesome dive vacation? 

The Curacao International Dive Festival may be just what you’ve been waiting for. 

Because it’s going to be GREAT!

According to Bryan Horne of Dive Curacao, the man behind the Curacao International Dive Festival, the objective of the week-long event is to put Curacao on every diver’s must-dive list – and keep it there.

“Curacao is truly an amazing dive vacation destination, but it’s been a well-kept secret for way too long. The Curacao International Dive Festival will showcase Curacao as an amazing dive vacation destination to the international dive community.”

An impressive and ever-increasing number of major international dive and ocean protection organizations, across the USA, Canada and Europe, have thrown their full support behind the Dive Festival, including Dive Bus buddies from PADI and Project AWARE.

Joining them is an impressive and ever-increasing number of Curacao businesses - ocean-related organizations, dive centers, hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and many others - offering special Programs, activities, Packages and offers specifically for the Curacao Dive Festival.

Including The Dive Bus 😊:

"The whole Dive Bus Crew is really excited about Curacao Dive Festival", says Mark. "We're working on a bunch of ideas to make the Festival as fun and memorable as possible for our divers. It's going to be great, we're all really looking forward to it!"

Here’s what’s currently in the works at The Dive Bus for the Curacao Dive Festival:

• a seriously fun Dive Program for the week, built around cool Festival events and activities so you don’t miss out on anything
• great Dive Bus Curacao Dive Festival Packages and Specials, including NEW, hot off the press DRIVE, DIVE + STAY Packages
• with ocean protection initiatives "built-in" (because that's how we roll everyday)

Watch this space and our social media channels for more info coming soon... But if you can't wait and want to get going on your Curacao vacation planning right now? Get in touch!

How to "Dive Right In"to find out more about the 2019 Curacao International Dive Festival:

1. Check out the Festival website

2. Check out the latest version of the events schedule (more being added all the time, so keep checking it).

3. Add these dates to your calendars:
Sunday 29 September – Saturday 5 October, 2019

4. Start being really nice to your boss.

5. Start looking for flight deals.

6. Submit your vacation dates request to your boss. You may want to include the fact that, by approving your vacation request, they're enabling you to contribute to, participate in and support vital ocean protection initiatives.

(Which makes them a hero, too - right? It's worth a try at least, but you may want to leave out the part about it being a lot of fun...)

7. Repeat points 4 to 6 above until your boss submits to your request.

8. Thank your boss profusely to keep them happy for your next Curacao dive vacation request...

9. Register for the Curacao Dive Festival asap to claim your VERY cool, limited availability Sustainable Gift Package (worth $70!), courtesy of Stream2Sea, Caribbean Organic Beauty, Flavors of Curaçao, Lionfish Caribbean and Plastic Free Curaçao:

10. Share this post with your dive buddies and your favourite dive shops so they can join in too and tell more divers (because the more, the merrier!) And keep watching this space and The Dive Bus social media channels for more info...

(If your dive buddies need more convincing about what's so great about diving Curacao, check out what Bryan had to say in his Toronto Caribbean News radio interview during  The Dive Bus “Seriously Fun” Chilled Out Tour"* and their recent article.)

*Watch this space for more about our fun debut at the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show on The Dive Bus "Seriously Fun” Chilled Out Tour.
(The show was so great, we’re heading back for next year's show, too!)

More about the Curacao International Dive Festival coming soon, so watch this space as well as the Dive Bus social media channels:

       

Ready to get going on your Curacao dive vacation planning?
Drop us an email and let's get this party started ...

 

  #Curacao #divecuracao #curacaodiving #thedivebus #curacaodivefestival #projectaware #PADI #sustainability #oceanprotection#DEMA #OAS #beneaththesea #curacaodivespecials #seriouslyfundiving

Major airlines offering additional flights and seats to Curacao!

With non-stop flights from 17 cities,
it's easier than ever to dive into Curacao on your next vacation.

According to DIVE magazine, Curacao is the hot Caribbean dive and vacation destination, all year round. 

 

And the great news is that more airlines are offering more seats on more flights to our awesome Caribbean island. 

 

With year round average air temperatures of around 82F / 28C, and ocean temperatures averaging a balmy 80F / 27C, if you're looking to warm up and chill out, get yourself on a flight to Curacao.

 

According to Bryan Horne, founder of Dive Curacao:

"Although Curacao is surrounded by more than 40 square miles of some of the best coral reefs in the Caribbean, the island has remained relatively 'off radar' for divers. But that's changing a lot. And quickly.

Curacao's healthy coral reefs, the vast variety of marine life and an ever widening choice of places to stay, eat, discover and do, are attracting increasingly more human visitors to our Caribbean island, too."

With non-stop flights from 17 cities, maybe now's a great time to start planning your (next) Curacao dive vacation, too...

Now's most defniitely a great time to be in Curacao if you live anywhere even vaguely near Toronto or Montreal, and prefer warmth, sunshine and diving to negative air temperatures and snow-shoveling. (Ask one of the 21,000 Canadians who visited Curacao last year if you don't believe us.)

There are 566 seats a week ready and waiting to carry you and your dive buddies away from cold, cold Canada to toasty-warm Curacao...

 

 

Speaking of Winter and Spring getaways to the Caribbean sun, American Airlines have 2 flights per week out of Charlotte, NC. and 3 daily flights out of Miami, FL.

You could be here in less than 3 hours: that's less time than it takes to order and eat dinner at a Curacao beach-side restaurant...

  

Jet Blue has four daily flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Curaçao’s Hato International Airport. 

So you can breakfast at home and Happy Hour on the beach well before sunset. 

It's rude not to, really.

  

With 11 flights from Bogota, Columbia to Curacao every week, and 150 seats per flight, Curacao dive vacations are super-easy for divers from Latin American countries including Brazil, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina, to name just a few...
 

Vamonos!


The only direct, year-round escape route from Europe to Curacao is via Amsterdam, in the tropical Kingdom of the Netherlands (or Holland as some of us call it, even though that's incorrect - who knew!

At just over 10 hours, it's quite a flight - but last year, more than 177,000 people figured it was worth it.

Top Tips:

1. According to google, you can fly non-stop to Curacao from 10 MORE cities around the world.

2. If your budget is a bigger constraint than your time, check out flights to these nearby locations and "puddle jump" to Curacao:

• Aruba: 30 mins
• Bonaire: 20 mins
• St Martin: just over 2 hours

3. If you have the option, it's well worth flying in and out of St Martin to experience the amazing / terrifying / thrilling take-off and landing of your life (so far) ...

😲😲😲

(With personal experience of being on that plane and that beach, we can tell you it's a hell of a lot more quiet on the plane!)

What’s so great about Curacao:

According to Travel Agent Central, Curacao is a popular destination for Millennials and other savvy Caribbean travelers, looking for amazing travel experiences and something a bit off-the-beaten path.

It's also one of the most LGBT-welcoming islands in the region - find out for yourself at this year's Curacao Pride event:

 2019 Pride info coming soon, keep watching this space!

Curacao has a huge range of accommodation, food and drink choices to suit all budgets and tastes, fascinating history (especially if you love Pirates - and which diver doesn't?), stunning architecture, beautiful beaches, tons of fun activities and experiences - and plenty more cool things. All in incredible year-round climate. 

(AND it's a unique shore diving haven, one of the top diving destinations in the world. Just so you know,)
 

And here's your invitation from the Curacao Tourist Board:

You're going to love it.

#aircanada #divecuracao #flightstocuracao #jetblue #americanairlines #avianca #curacao #thedivebus #feelitforyourself #feelit

#aircanada #divecuracao #flightstocuracao #jetblue #americanairlines #avianca #curacao #thedivebus #feelitforyourself #feelit #curacaoflights #flightstocuracao

8 reasons to share the love in Curacao

Just some of the reasons why
Valentines Day is better in Curacao

1. It won't be cold and raining

So your romantic day, evening or both won't get washed out.

And if it does rain, it won't be cold and will be over in less than 10 minutes (ish), like it never happened.  

2. It's cheaper than you might think
According to this Huffington Post survey, Curacao is one of the most affordable getaways in the Caribbean...

3. There are HEAPS of culinary delights to experience - affordably
Enjoy Curaçao's huge range culinary delights with the brand new Curacao Dine Around Plan. Click below to find out how you can enjoy romantic 3 course meals and great service on your Curacao Valentines vacation:

4. Choose from a HUGE range of accommodations
Curacao offers accommodations for every budget. Check out the quality accommodations, committed to safety, quality and eco standards through CHATA, here.

Our current pick is Avila Beach Hotel, just down the road from The Dive Bus.  They're committed to sustainability like us, and have an all-inclusive option...

5. Check out heaps of awesome beaches
Many of Curacao's beaches are quite different to what you might expect on a Caribbean island. Like the lovely Pierbaai Beach at Marie Pampoen, right across the road from The Dive Bus, and the access to our gorgeous house reef.

Click here for more stunning videos of Curacao's beaches, courtesy of Nature Pics.
.

6. There's heaps of evening entertainment

Eat, drink, party, relax ... it's your choice, and there's plenty of it.

Chill's a great place for romantic sun-downers and pretty good food overlooking the ocean, and  one of The Dive Bus Crew's favourites.

2 top tips for wherever you go for dinner:

• make a reservation
• go before you're hungry (think "island time")

7. There's heaps to do in the daytime, too
There's plenty of things to do and discover together. Like discovering the island's rich and fascinating history, sailing, climbing, parasailing, wake-boarding, walking, cycling, exploring, surfing, shopping, scuba diving ... or just relaxing on the beach.

 

8. The scuba diving is world class ... 
As divers already know, diving's a great way to meet and make new friends. Some of us are even lucky enough to meet their true-love through diving, too. Which makes a Curacao dive vacation a great way to celebrate Valentines Day for at least a week...

The new Dive Bus DRIVE and DIVE Packages are a great, fun way for you and your favourite buddy to discover and explore some of Curacao's best shore dive sites,  on your own Curacao adventures.


How romantic is that!

All in all, some pretty good reasons to celebrate Valentines Day in Curacao for a week or 2 - wouldn't you say?

#avilabeachhotel #love #scuba #dive #diving #duiken #tauchen #vacation #holiday #curacao #dutchcaribbean #rightnowincuracao #caribbean  #padi #travel  #adventure  #divepackages #divecuracao #valentines #thedivebus

5 Tips for Ocean-Friendly Holidays from Project AWARE

Follow these tips to keep your holiday season green – and blue!
Courtesy of our buddies at Project AWARE.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. 

Unfortunately, it's also the most wasteful.

And whether you’re jet-setting to visit friends and family afar, attending parties or exchanging gifts galore, you’re bound to encounter and generate a lot more trash these next few weeks, compared to the rest of the year.

25% more trash!

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, American household waste increases 25% between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day. During the same period, food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons add up to an additional 1 million tons of trash per week. 

Whilst that's a big problem for large countries with systems and processes and facilities in place, imagine how huge a problem it is for those small tropical islands which you love dive. Like Curacao, for example, where most household waste goes to landfill.

As divers know all too well, a lot of trash doesn't make its way into proper waste management systems. Instead, it's carried down storm drains, rivers and streams to our oceans, polluting marine environments and endangering wildlife. The Ugly Journey of our Trash, as Project AWARE calls it:



5 Tips for Ocean-Friendly Holidays

The holiday season provides a perfect opportunity to practice mindfulness and reduce our consumption and interaction with debris-related items. So check out these “ocean friendly” tips from Project AWARE to help keep your holiday celebrations debris-free and altogether more fun :)

1) Gift Mindfully

Instead of giving Uncle Stan another sweater to add to his sizeable collection this Christmas, you could gift him a meaningful experience or donate to causes that he, you, or his friends and family care about.

For more mindful Christmas gifts, check out our 10 Gifts for Divers blog post - perfect if you've left things to the last minute...

2) Minimize Gift Wrap Waste

Get creative and try alternative gift wrapping methods. Upcycle newspaper or colourful magazines, reuse ribbons, or try the Japanese Furoshiki technique with reusable fabric instead of disposable wrapping paper.

Or go completely zero-waste with your gift wrapping and use the old “hide it behind your back” method. It’s fun and completely trash-free, and could be highly entertaining, depending on just how much Uncle Stan has had to drink..!


3) Practice Ocean-Friendly Travel - be an Eco-tourist

Heading overseas for Christmas? Lucky you!

Research eco-conscious tourism providers and book your trip with eco-responsible vendors, like 100% AWARE Partners and PADI Green Star dive operators who focus on waste and energy reduction management.

Pack thoughtfully - take reusable items like a stainless steel water bottle, cloth napkin and bamboo eating utensils so you can say “No thanks” to single-use plastic items that may well end up in the ocean. Check out The Dive Bus Packing Pointers for more ways you can reduce your impact on vacation - besides ocean friendly sunscreen, of course.


4) Dive Against Debris

Make every dive you make this holiday season -  and year-round - count for conservation. Join in your local dive shop's Dive Against Debris clean ups, or if you're lucky enough to be diving overseas, check out 100% AWARE dive operators or PADI Green Star operators, or join in a monthly Project AWARE Adopt a Dive Site clean up.

(More info about The Dive Bus / Project AWARE Adopt a Dive Site here.)

Whenever you remove trash from a dive site, log and report it. With your help, Project AWARE and its army of dive shops and troops of divers who care about the ocean, are working to keep trash out of underwater environments for a clean, healthy ocean planet.


5) Share the True Meaning of the Season – Give Back


Share your love for the ocean with friends and family by inviting them to join you, in taking action for conservation on a land or ocean Clean Up event.


Or by making a donation to ocean protection with the latest super-cool, limited edition Project AWARE merchandise -  which Uncle Stan may even  prefer to that sweater...






If anything in this post has given you food for thought, or you'd prefer any of the above as your Christmas gifts, please share it!

For more holiday gift ideas for divers, check out on our earlier Blog post and facebook page for helpful gift ideas from our very own Dive Bus Santa ...

Happy Holidays from all of us
at The Dive Bus!

#curacaochristmas #caribbeanchristmas #christmasdivevacation #divebus #divecuracao #divebuscuracao #@newyeardivevacation #divepackagecuracao #scubagifts #divegifts #giftsfordivers #learntodive  #love #scubadive #duiken #tauchen #vacation #holiday #curacao #dutchcaribbean #caribbean #rightnowincuracao #padi  #travel #wanderlust #100%projectaware #PADIgreenstar #adventure #scubadivergiftideas #oceanfriendly #projectaware #journeyoftrash #adoptadivesite

10 great Christmas gift ideas for your favourite divers OR ...

... how to win friends, influence people and take care of our oceans,
this Holiday Season

1. Pimp your dive buddies, friends and family - and protect the ocean

Project AWARE® is an international registered non-profit organization and a global movement for ocean protection powered by a community of adventurers (that would be you as well as us). Connecting our passion for ocean adventure with the purpose of marine conservation.

And, since it's a fact universally acknowledged that it's simply not possible to have "too many" t-shirts, check out their awesome range, printed using low-waste ink technology on 100% organic cotton that's sustainably made in a wind-powered factory.

 2. Give the gift of diving - and turn your family and friends into something useful

Gift a PADI eLearning course or a Discover Scuba Dive at your favourite dive shop, and you'll have a dive buddy for life. How useful is that!

Whether you choose a local dive shop or one in an awesome year-round dive destination like Curacao, choose a 100% AWARE dive center wherever possible. They make a donation to Project AWARE for every every PADI dive course certification issued.

So you're taking care of the ocean, as well as your family and friends, with this awesome gift.

3. Change the picture...

If you, your dive buddies, friends and family actually do have too many t-shirts, or if you'd like to give or receive a meaningful gift:

• donate to Project AWARE's ocean protection actions on their behalf 

• ask them to donate to Project AWARE's ocean protection actions on your behalf, as their gift to you this year

A non-profit organisation, Project AWARE spends 75% of your donations on marine protection:

• 32% Shark & Ray Conservation

• 29% Marine Debris Solutions

• 14% Ocean Protection

• 25% Global Operations

4. Ditch the single-use plastic

Avoiding single-use plastic, particularly over the festive period, makes a massive difference to our oceans. With an estimated 16 billion pounds of plastic entering the ocean each year

And because diving makes you thirsty, ditching the single use plastic bottles of water by gifting re-usable metal water bottles from your local dive center, saves your friends and family money, too.

Or pick up this fun one online (bikini-clad model not included):

 

5. Give the coolest warmest gift EVER

Stay warm this Winter: treat your buddies AND yourself to a Curacao Winter Dive vacation with these limited time Dive into Winter Specials... including a great DRIVE and DIVE offer.../div>

 6. Pimp your dive buddy - with socks that protect sharks

Not only are these these awesome Fair Tradewinds holiday favorites the coolest socks ever, they protect sharks, plant trees, fight breast cancer, give water, protect dogs, provide relief kits, keep feet warm and stylish - and give people a reason to talk about your feet...

7. Remove a pound of trash from our oceans and coastlines with these awesome bracelets

Support 4Ocean’s mission to cleaning our ocean and coastlines, one pound at a time, by gifting these cool and highly meaningful bracelets this Christmas.

With an estimated 16 billion pounds of plastic entering the ocean each year, each bracelet sold goes towards funding their massive clean up operations. It's a great way to "end the plastic pollution crisis together."

  8.  A super-funky skateboard - made from recycled marine debris!

Meet "The Minnow" the first skateboard deck made from recycled marine debris! 25" long. Its 30% veggie oil wheels and premium marine grade hardware guarantee a quality ride, apparently - we'd be a bit more concerned about a quality fall.

The coolest part besides just how funky the Minnow looks, is that it prevents more than 30 square feet of harmful plastic fishnets entering our oceans  - and provides support to local Chilean fishing communities.

You've GOT to know someone who'd love one of these:

9. Really useful dive stuff ...

Keep an eye on The Dive Bus facebook and instagram channels for fun, ridiculousness and more Christmas gift inspiration - and our annual Team Christmas photo(s), as you wouldn't want to miss that, would you...?

#seriouslyfundiving

10. Still can't decide what to get for your buddy? Let them decide instead.

Whether you want to gift any of the above ideas or let your buddy decide on their own gift from you, the Dive Bus gift voucher is the way to go.

Drop us an email, Skype us, whatsapp us or swing by and tell us what you'd like, who it's for, the gift and your cr card info.

We'll make and send you a personalised e-gift-certificate for you to give or send to your favorite people. Job done. 👌

It's not too late to book your Curacao Christmas vacation and open your gifts in 80+C / 27+F temperatures. And it's easier than ever to get to Curacao, with major airlines offering even more flights.

If you're planning on diving with us at The Dive Bus this Christmas or New Years check out our Holiday opening schedule and get in touch. Hurry, hurry!

Ho, Ho, Ho and happy gift shopping :)

#curacaochristmas #caribbeanchristmas #christmasdivevacation #divebus #divecuracao #divebuscuracao #newyeardivevacation #divepackagecuracao #scubagifts #divegifts #giftsfordivers #learntodive #pegasusthruster #flythereef  #scuba #dive #duiken #tauchen #vacation #holiday #curacao #dutchcaribbean #caribbean #rightnowincuracao #padi #travel #wanderlust #adventure #diveequipment #scubadivergiftideas