Ontdekkingsduik

WOW.
This place is the real deal. Exploring wrecks in "the twilight zone" in an actual submersible, with a crew that's helped the Smithsonian and other institutions discover dozens of new species in the waters off of Curacao.

My tour, to the wreck of the scuttled drug smuggling ship Stella Maris, was pretty routine for the crew, but a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I'm a pretty cool customer, travelled a lot of places, done a lot of tours and rides, but this was something I never knew was on my bucket list until I did it.

On top of that, the crew was extremely friendly and knowledgable, even giving my toddler a tour of the sub and thrilling him by letting him watch while they launched it by crane. He couldn't do the trip - you have to be at least 8 years old, but that's probably for the best. They were also helpful and flexible in getting me on board and out at the times I needed to go. Being in the "tube" of the sub for the first time is psychologically intense. It's a very small, confined space, but the view out of the porthole is literally out of this world. If you're thinking about it, absolutely worth doing.

Substation Curacao is an absolute must for anyone visiting this beautiful Caribbean island. Their submarine excursions offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the mesmerizing underwater world of Curacao with ease and comfort.

Tico and Brice are AMAZING! From the moment I met them, I was impressed by the professionalism and expertise of the crew. They’re both so friendly and make you feel at home.

Bruce was our captain and he provided insightful commentary throughout the journey, enhancing the experience by sharing their extensive knowledge of the marine life and coral reefs we encountered along the way.

Descending into the depths of the ocean in the Substation's spacious and air-conditioned submarine was an adventure like no other. The large viewing windows offered breathtaking panoramic views of colorful coral formations, exotic fish, and even a shipwreck resting on the ocean floor. It's a truly immersive and educational experience.

This was a unique and unforgettable underwater adventure.

This was an absolute amazing experience! We did the exploration dive of 200 meters (600ft) and loved every moment. Substation Curaçao is a true gem and you will be thrilled with any tour you go on and I highly recommend booking this excursion. Their submarines are up to date, comfortable (each of us are all over 6ft tall in the sub) and you can tell the company takes wonderful care of their equipment. Every seat inside the sub has great window views all around and this can easily be an amazing experience for a family, with friends or as a couple. Tico was our submarine driver and was excellent with knowledge about everything we saw. You will not be disappointed with booking a dive here!

This was excellent. It is all very professional, yet in a relaxed, casual manner. I felt safe at all times. We were on the 4 passenger sub. The pre-dive session is thorough and well done. During the dive our pilot was very good to describe and explain things to us. This was done in English and Dutch; as the other couple were Dutch. We went down to 161 meters depth and visited the large shipwreck. The whole experience is truly enjoyable. It is pricey, but something that should be experienced at least once in your lifetime. The sub trip was one of the hi-lights of my month long stay on Curacao.

Overall, I loved this. The staff is very pleasant and accommodating.

I'll update this a bit later with a detailed blog post.

In brief, it's pricey but a unique experience,making it worth the value.

Lindsey and I did the exploration dive, which was $1000 total, and added the photo package for another $100. So all in was $1100. I then saw on Facebook there was a Valentines Day special, after we left, which was 10% off. I messaged them, and they applied the discount immediately, with no questions asked. This was a good experience.

On thing I would think to consider as a guest is the size of the sub and number of people in it. Know what you want, and ask questions. I was a bit taken back when another group was with us. By all the photos on the site, it looks like it's a private tour, but it's was not. Given we were there as a travel company creating content, I would have preferred to purchase an private option, but I didn't know better and used the available pictures as guidance.