Travelers consistently praise the Explorer Dive as a unique and unforgettable experience. The crew is described as professional, knowledgeable, and friendly, with special mention of the pilot's informative commentary. The submarine is modern, comfortable, and offers great views from every seat. While the tour is pricey, reviewers agree it's worth the cost for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Some note that the tour may not be private, and the confined space can be intense, but overall, it's highly recommended.
Based on recent traveler reviews.
Are you ready to explore Curacao’s beautiful reefs at a depth of 200 meters?
What can you expect?
Substation Curacao offers an unparalleled experience with its certified mini-submarine designed for tourists. Embarking from Bapor Kibra, the CuraSub ventures into uncharted depths, providing passengers with a unique journey to remote destinations seldom explored. En route, travelers are treated to captivating sights of vibrant fish, intricate corals, and ancient shipwrecks, all illuminated by the pristine waters encircling Curacao. Within the confines of the CuraSub, passengers enjoy unparalleled visibility, extending over 30 m (60 ft), ensuring a remarkable underwater viewing experience.
Where will this tour take you?
Substation’s most popular dive is the Explorer's Dive. Also called the 'Beauty Run'. During this dive the guides will take you to their favorite part of the reef, where sunlight still reaches, with beautiful sponges and sea fans. Along the way, you will pass two small wrecks full of corals and fish. During this dive, you’ll descend to 200 meters (650 ft). The duration of the dive is approximately 1.5 hours.
This is a once in a lifetime experience, don’t miss out and book your tour now!
Itinerary
A 1.5-hour mini-submarine descent to 200 meters, past reefs, wrecks and sea fans.
1
check meeting instructions
Meet at Substation, Bapor Kibra
Arrive at Substation, Bapor Kibra, no pickup service offered.
2
approx. 10 min
Board the CuraSub
Step into the certified mini-submarine with your pilot.
3
approx. 30 min
Descend to 200 meters
Descend to the Beauty Run, a reef of sponges and sea fans lit by sunlight.
4
approx. 20 min
Pass two small wrecks
See two small wrecks covered in corals and fish along the way.
Unlike SCUBA-diving, submarine-diving has no effects of pressure change on the body. For people with special medical conditions please contact Substation directly.
All systems have been certified by Germanischer Lloyd’s, meeting and exceeding the highest international safety standards.
Curaçao Sea Aquarium (CSA) has also made extensive use of the CuraSub to bring the deepwater world into public view. CSA aquarists bring fishes up from depths of up to 1000 ft. They successfully allow them to decompress and acclimate to shallower conditions. They also discover rarely seen crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates.
Cancel up to 24 hours before your tour for a full refund. For cancellations made within 24 hours, no shows, or late arrivals, no refund will be issued.
✓2 persons per sub, for families up to 4 please contact substation, visit tugboats full corals, dive depth is 200 m (650 ft.), topside photos included, underwater photos available as add-on cost
✓2 persons per sub, for families up to 4 please contact substation, visit tugboats full corals, dive depth is 450 ft. / 135 m, topside photos included, underwater photos available as add-on cost
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✓2 persons per sub, for families up to 4 please contact substation, topside and underwater photos are included, discover rare fish & organisms, dive depth is 300 m (1000 ft)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Substation Curaçao – A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience!
What an absolutely incredible and unique experience! The team at Substation Curaçao is truly exceptional - professional, passionate, and so dedicated to making sure every moment feels special. From the warm welcome to the precise explanations and the smoothness of the entire journey, you can really feel their expertise and love for what they do.
Descending into the deep blue in a real submersible is something I’ll never forget. It’s surreal, peaceful, and unlike anything else you can do in the Caribbean… or anywhere in the world, really! If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind adventure in Curaçao, this is it.
Highly recommend!
Zachary Griesbach
3 years ago
Google
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.
Marilyn Lund
3 years ago
Google
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!
Sam D-G
2 years ago
Google
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.
L H
3 years ago
Google
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.
Questions before you book?
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