 |
Aruba Scuba Diving -
|
This is a great destination if you go with someone that is not a diver. It is one of the most cosmopolitan Caribbean islands with lots of restaurants, casinos, high rises, etc. Of course, for some people (like me) this can be a drawback. But as you'll see below, it does have alot going for it and the hundreds of thousands of tourists that come each year can't be all wrong.
Lay of the Land
Aruba is easy to explore at just 20 miles long and 6 miles wide. It's not a particularly beautiful island, with a desolate and scrubby interior. Like it's sister island, Curacao, its landscape is dotted with divi divi trees and cacti. You can check out my maps of Aruba here.
The highest elevation on the island is Yamanota Hill at just 617 feet. It's located near the center of the island and you can visit it by car. The northeast coast is rugged with cliffs and pounding surf. Not exactly a great place for Aruba scuba diving.
The real draw here is the southwest coast and its beautiful beaches. Of the 3 ABC islands, Aruba has the best beaches. The most famous is arguably Palm Beach and Eagle Beach, which together stretch for seven miles. It's home to the majority of hotels on the island. When you see its beautiful powdery white sand, you'll know why. It's also where you'll leave from for most of your Aruba scuba diving.
Location
Aruba, along with Bonaire and Curacao, form the ABC islands. It is situated 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela and is about a 2 1/2 hour flight from Miami. Given its popularity with tourists, this is an easy island to get to with many direct flights from the US.
Weather
Weather is a big draw here. Temperatures don't vary much between winter and summer with only a 4 degree (F) difference. Average temperature is a balmy 82F year round and there are constant tradewinds to keep you cool. The island has little humidity and only receives about 20 inches of rain per year. The rainiest months, such as they are, are November and December, but it usually rains in spurts, not a deluge like you can receive on some other Caribbean islands.
Water Temperature
Water temperature ranges from 78-80F in the winter and about 80-82F in the summer. If you usually don't get that cold, a skin or 3mm shorty should suffice. We just wore a dive skin and were fine but most people wore at least a shorty.
Reefs and Rides
Most of the dive sites in Aruba are best accessed by boat. While a few spots are close enough to swim to, it's easy to get lost trying to find the cuts and channels without a local guide.
The vast majority of Aruba scuba diving sites are along the southwest coast of the island. The reef is located on the south end with many of the wrecks on the north end. Boat rides from shore to the sites are normally less than 15 minutes.
If you are staying toward the middle of the island and want to dive the north end, you may want to (have to) take a short van ride to the boat. This is what we did when we were staying at the Tarmarijn and dove the Antilla and Pedernales.
Diving
The best Aruba diving is wreck diving. While there are walls and reefs, they are generally not as good as those on its sister islands of Bonaire and Curacao. On many of the dives you can check out both a wreck and a reef for the best of both worlds.
Aruba is currently working to preserve its reefs and to maintain the quality of Aruba diving. Preservation and educational programs have been started, including a reef clean-up program. Dozens of mooring buoys have been installed to protect the reefs and a marine park has also been established.
Topside
Aruba attracts the most tourists of the ABC islands. In fact you sometimes feel like you're in Miami with all the North Americans and chain stores/restaurants they have here. This is one reason why it is not one of my favorite Caribbean islands.
Traveling to Aruba scuba diving is a good bet if you are with a non-diver that loves the beach and gambling. Maybe they'll get lucky and hit the jackpot to help pay for the scuba dive vacation!
One of our favorite things to do after some Aruba scuba diving is, of course, to hang out on the beach. Trying our luck at the casinos is a close second. Unfortunately, Aruba's most famous attraction, the natural bridge, 
collapsed in 2005 from the same wave action that caused it. There are other natural arches on the island you can visit, though they are not as large.
So go and have some fun exploring the wrecks galore. Depending on what you look for on an island, you may fall in love with Aruba. I know many people that have. I guess I'll have to go again and see if my opinion changes. That's one job I can handle!
Here's to good Aruba scuba diving!
(For a great site on all the details of planning your trip to Aruba and other things to do while you are there, check out this Aruba Guide.)
Top of Aruba Scuba Diving
Return to Scuba Diving
