Bonaire Advice

[Thook]

Yes... I'm board and already planning my 2015 trip and since I've been wanting to do Bonaire for years I'm looking at
doing it before I get too old to enjoy lugging my equipment around because after all ... I'm spoiled with boat diving.
Anyway... one thing on my mind my research has uncovered a tip that says never lock your truck because it will get broken into and stuff stolen. So my question is.... Do you drag EVERTHING down to the entry point including your lunch and such? Do you have to actually have worry about your things disappearing while you're under? Is this a common thing? I'll take any advice you can give a newbie to the island....

 

[Kharon]

Leave unlocked with windows down at dives sites that are not at a dive shop. Do not leave anything in your truck that you don't want to lose. Things you can leave: old t-shirt, lunch, perscription glasses, cheap sunglasses, old sneakers, old towel. You can lock your equipment in the truck in town, at the grocery, places like that with tons of regular people around. All this will be explained to you in detail when you pick up your vehicle and possibly again during your orientation.

 

[mbs]

What Kharon said... Also note that dragging everything down to the entry point is not going to help. I use a little waterproof pouch I wear around my neck to hold keys, some cash, cc and drivers license. Lunch, water bottles, towels and tanks remain in the truck, everything else goes swimming.

 

[Mike]

It's common enough that rental companies won't cover damage to you vehicle from theft if you lock it! If you lock it and somebody breaks the window to get in you're not covered for the damage to the vehicle. You will see signs in the rental office telling you this, with big letters do not lock your vehicle.

Will somebody steal something from your car if you leave it? The odds increase with the temptations you would create. Leaving a camera on the seat will greatly increase the temptation versus leaving a crumpled up paper bag. Some dive sites are more remote and more tempting to thieves then the busier ones.

That said, leave anything you want in your rental that you don't mind losing, leave nothing in your rental that you can't bear losing. Some people hide their keys under a rock, many people buy a little dry box/bag on a lanyard that goes around your neck and under your wet suit that you can stash your keys, an ID and some cash. Other than that, if you can't take it with you underwater, most people simply don't bring it with them.

If you leave your lunch in the truck you might come back to find nothing disturbed or you might find the bag rustled through with nothing missing or rustled through with something good missing or the whole lunch gone.

 

[greenliger]

You can also hide things like your wallet and glasses behind a bush or something.

 

[redacted]

You can also hide things like your wallet and glasses behind a bush or something.

You could try, but you never know who is watching. If observed, that is a big invitation.

 

[herman]

Odds are in your favor but why chance it? What you have to understand about the shore diving on Bonaire is the sites are never (park is the exception) more than a few miles from town or your resort. Stores and the like are use to divers and wet money does not bother them. There is simply no need to take anything you are not going to take under with you along except a towel, a bottle of water, some old shoes and a tshirt. I leave everything else in the room. Keys for the truck and room go in a container....I don't bother with waterproof ones, they rarely are..and into a secure BC pocket during the dive. The crime thing gets blown way out of preportion but it does on occasion happen, just follow the simple rules and the odds of you having any issues are slim.....that advise comes from experience gained on 26 trips since 99 including 2 last year and never a problem.

 

[hroark2112]

There's no need to carry a wallet. Put a few bucks in your pocket and clip the truck keys to your BC. I'll bet all the truck keys on Bonaire have logged many more dives than most of us on the board

One of the best ideas I've gotten from the board here is to get a pair of Seasoft Sunray boots. They're great for the shore diving entrances and you can drive with them on too, if you're worried about losing flip flops in the truck. I put mine on after breakfast and then they stayed on until I was done diving for the day. Best investment ever!! All we left in the trucks were towels, water bottles and tanks.

 

[Kharon]

.. and clip the truck keys to your BC.

Might not want to do that. Some of the keys have electronic chips and would fry in salt water.

Also, my inexpensive Otterbox has never leaked - lots of dives to 130' and tons of dives over lot's of years. Never leaked once. Of course I take care of the O-ring the same way I would on a camera case. Most leaks are because the seal isn't kept clean, the silicone wasn't applied when needed, or someone missed a hair across the seal - in other words neglect. I put it in the pocket of my BC when diving and use it as my wallet on island. I keep money, credit card, drivers license, and keys in it - one small container about the size of a pack of cigarettes for everything. I agree that the other brands are mostly sieves (except for Pelican - but who got that kind of bucks?).

 

[wwguy]

Some of the keys have electronic chips and would fry in salt water.

Have you encountered this type of key in Bonaire? While I've seen this type of key elsewhere, I've never seen them on Bonaire dive truck rentals. In 11 trips to the island we've never had a rental company ask us to keep their keys dry. However we have had several request that we rinse them after diving. I continue to clip my keys inside my BC pocket.

When my wife is diving with me she carries the truck keys and some cash in a small Otter box like you described, also clipped inside her BC pocket. These little boxes are great. We use the OtterBox Drybox 1000. It's rated to 100' and only costs about $12.