Bonaire newbie questions for June/July trip

[patgrayjr]

I’m heading to Bonaire for the first time with my family in late June for a week of diving. I’ve read tons of threads and watched several videos. I’m feeling g pretty informed with a few questions:

1) What exposure suit would you recommend in June/July? Should we bring a 3mm, Rashguard+boardshorts, something else?

2) I’ve done a bit of shore diving but not a ton. Any concerns with currents, navigation, etc? I’m excited to do some night diving but plan to do so after hitting a site at least once to get the lay of the land. Do I need to review site reports or maps before a dive or is it take as simple as “find yellow rock, take bearing, have fun?”

3) I understand the potential for petty crime related to trucks at dive sites but does this extent to rental houses being robbed while away? We’ll have the typical tourist laptops, passports, etc and not sure if all this needs to be in a safe or similar or if B&E doesn’t extend to residences.

Thanks and we’re looking forward to checking out the island!

 

[RIHappyDiver]

First off, plan on having a great time. To answer your questions as best as possible:

1) I’m going to be of no help as I’ve never been there that time of the year. From what I have seen, the temps usually average 82 degrees. For me, this would mean upper limits of 5mm, maybe into 3mm. I know folks who would be in rash guard and board shorts at 75 degrees. This just varies too much from person to person.

2) Most sites will have a slight current at best. When you get to the wall you’ll need to determine which way that current is going, not always that easy, then start the dive by going against it. Find yourself a good marker to look for on the way back as it’s very easy to go past your entry. Also, take a look at that marker as you head away from it. It’s going to look different on that side than it will when you approach it from shore. If there is a mooring, you can take a heading on it from your entry and reverse on your way back. Otherwise, you’re swimming out to the wall and back to shore. So, yea, “find yellow rock, take bearing, have fun“. If you don’t have them yet pick up copies of Susan Porter’s Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy and Reef Smart Guides Bonaire guide book. I also recommend watching the videos by @USC8791. You’ll find them in this forum. Sorry so long, lol.

3) You’re going to get all kinds of different answers to this one. We’ve going once a year for the last three years and have never had a problem in either of the rigs we rent each year (group of 5-6 people). We never leave anything of importance in the trucks, windows are left down, nothing has ever gone missing. That being said, it could happen. It’s happened to me in Cincinnati and Seattle, why not there. As far as rental units, we stay in condos, so a bit more secure than a house, just due to all of the people. I would take a bit mmore precaution than I would at home. We keep passports and extra cash in the safe. Always better safe than sorry.

Again, the main thing is go and have a great time. Lots of trip reviews on here to help with planning which dives and which restaurants. Looking forward to reading yours!

Erik

 

[Chrisk919]

1) What exposure suit would you recommend in June/July? Should we bring a 3mm, Rashguard+boardshorts, something else?

As always, this depends on your tolerance to cold: at 83 deg average surface temp I dove one day in a Sharkskin, and the rest in shorts and a rash-guard for the other 5 days... and some days I dove 2 tanks on a boat and 2 tanks shore diving and didn't feel cold - YMMV

2) I’ve done a bit of shore diving but not a ton. Any concerns with currents, navigation, etc? I’m excited to do some night diving but plan to do so after hitting a site at least once to get the lay of the land. Do I need to review site reports or maps before a dive or is it take as simple as “find yellow rock, take bearing, have fun?”

Currents: generally stronger to the south, may be stronger on some other sites. Determine if there is one and swim into it..

Navigation: I had my compass "lost" during my air travel, but even as a greenwater compass-centric person still managed well. Swim down, keep "uphill" on one side and swim back. Make note of landmarks back to the marker buoy/entry point.

I will say the Reef Safe Guides to Bonaire and a few YouTube videos were great preparation (Kevin and Liz Grogan)

3) I understand the potential for petty crime related to trucks at dive sites but does this extent to rental houses being robbed while away? We’ll have the typical tourist laptops, passports, etc and not sure if all this needs to be in a safe or similar or if B&E doesn’t extend to residences.

Can't answer to rental houses, as we stayed on a resort.

 

[Diver-6873]

As a resident … first and foremost - welcome to you and your family ahead of time. Late June is an excellent time to visit the island and hopefully you and your family will have a great time.

Personally, I hate wetsuits and while I’m currently still wearing my 2.5mm shorty, I’ll ditch that for just a rash guard in the next week or two. I generally only wear a full suit 2/3mm for certain dives such as shore dives on the east coast ~(only recommended for those who know the area) and sometimes at night of planning to be down for a long time.

Navigating dives on the West coast (95% of the sites) can honestly not be easier. You will get that without a problem- while I personally choose to use a compass, it’s more just a personal preference but not necessary during the day. At night a compass is not a bad idea to avoid getting disoriented and heading in … but actually out to curaçao .

Ok, petty theft does happen. Leave nothing of value in your truck, do not lock the truck, and that will be fine. Use the safe in your accommodations for passports, wallets, valuables, etc. keep tablets and laptops out of plain sight. Accommodation B&Es do occur but are rare and the thiefs want to get in and out quickly. Always lock windows, sliders, doors when out and in the evening.

My DW and I have lived here for 8 years and dive 3-4 days a week on average, our younger son is a OWSI at a resort. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask here or via DM and we will be glad to help in any way possible.

 

[Soloist]

I highly recommend dropping down and swimming along the sand upon entering the water and return in the same fashion. If you do surface swims to and from the reef you will miss out on some of the most interesting and fun aspects of shore diving Bonaire.

Read #9 on Bonaire - the questions not asked or thought about?

 

[arew+4]

All the replies so far are spot on. I just got back from a one week trip, our sixth or seventh since 1992. The resources recommended are great, even on the dives I've done a bunch of times in look at them again to refresh my memory on certain landmarks. Last week water temp was 80 all week, I dove in shorts and a long sleeve rash guard. I would likely have been happier in a 2-3 shorty but mines a bit snug right now so I left it home.(stubbornly insisting I will shed the pounds). Currents are generally mild but can change during a dive, I've gone 30 minutes out, turned and been back to the entry in 15 because it picked up a bit. Navigation is brick simple, the double reef sites being the exception to the "out on left, back on the right" once you cross the sand channel its reversed. It's not a labyrinth but they require a little more attention than the standard sites.

Crime, I think it gets more attention than it really deserves. That said I never take anything of value on vacation, aside from dive and camera gear. Ideally we are underwater, out and about, or just hanging in reconnecting. If you must have cell phone with you consider picking up a older used, or cheaper model, and swap your sim.

 

[patgrayjr]

Thanks, all. This really helps and we're really excited to get down there! My first dives were shore dives on the rocky coast of Maine so I'm returning to my shore diving roots although I expect viz, temp, and just about everything else will be "just a bit" better.

Bonaire has been on my radar for a while, and finally school calendars, AA miles, and the sun and moon aligned to get us down there. Now to find a rental and we're set! I'll be sure to do a trip report post trip.

 

[hilljo88]

My buddies and I are frequent visitors to BON. Never had a theft from hotel or VRBO or from truck. Shore entries and navigation are pretty straightforward, although some of the entries and exits require you to pay attention to submerged rocks. (Salt Pier exit is gentle, but you need to be careful.) Fun morning is to take two tanks each, pack a lunch and head north for one of the less frequented dive sights.

 

[mbs]

We go in May and are happy with 3mm full. I like the protection of a full suit when flailing about like a turtle on its back in the surf . One of our favorite sites is Vista Blue in the far south. Sandy beach access! But it can get wavy and it yes, we have both been knocked down getting in. Current can kick up a little down there, generally not that bad. We take a mark to the mooring, drop down and nav out to it, like 5-6 mins. Note where the the mooring is and drop over the wall, head into the current, go for a while turn back and head back to the mooring and nav back to the entry point. Basically west is out to the wall and east back to shore! We stay at a resort, but I have a fairly small laptop which I keep in the safe along with passports and other valuables. And of course nothing of value left in the truck when diving.

 

[bcaderunr]

For what it's worth. If you've never shore dived before -- or if you have and haven't yet had a mishap -- be aware that before you enter the water you should be configured like this:

1) Both fins hanging by their straps from one of your wrists,
2) Your mask on your face,
3) Your reg in your mouth.

In this manner BOTH hands are free -- allowing you (and your buddy) to help each other if necessary. Should you stumble you can safely fall face forward into the water and crab duck walk face down into the deep with eyes on the bottom and your reg already in place.

Conversely, exit the water in the same fashion with both hands free to help each other.

If you're holding your mask in one hand and have a dangling reg, nothing ruins the rest of your vacation than a broken mask and/or a crushed reg should you happen to "kiss" the bottom upon exit -- or entry.