Bonaire Night Dive - Advice/Suggestions for First Timers?

[DiveProKoko]

The advice here among this crowd has been pretty solid, so I pose this question to the resident "experts". What site/area would be a good introduction to night diving in Bonaire? We leave on our trip in about 2 weeks. We are lucky enough to be there at the right time (right after a full moon), so we have signed up for a guided ostracod dive! Problem is, me and my wife have never done a night dive, but the ostracod thing looked too amazing to pass up! LOL! We have a few days there before the scheduled dive and the operator has indicated they prefer if you have at least "some" night experience. We are planning on doing at least one good night dive before we go on the guided trip. I have told the operator all of this and they're good with it. I wanted to be fair to them so they know our experience level (or lack of).

I have a Reef Smart Guide book for Bonaire and have some ideas on where we should do our dives. But having never dove in Bonaire, I thought I'd ask to see what site(s) might be best to do our initial self-guided night dive(s) on. I was thinking Salt Pier or a place like Buddy's, etc. They look straight forward and seem to be very basic/easy dives with easy entries and all that. For what it's worth we both have 1200 lumen primary lights and 500 lumen backups. We also have tank markers. This isn't necessarily an equipment thread but if you think of something we absolutely need that we may have not thought of, that'd be great too! Would love to hear what some of you think who have done this. Thanks in advance!

 

[scubadada]

Where are you staying? Do you have a house reef?

Night dives at Bari Reef are very good. If staying at Den Laman or Sand Dollar, it is particularly easy off the pier. The parking area just south of Den Laman is also easy. Navigation is simple, north at your deeper depth, turn and return shallower. At 30 feet there are several landmarks near the exit, large cogs/gears, barrel with rope, then a large cement block. Bari Reef never fails to deliver a good dive

Best of luck on your visit to Bonaire

 

[gbf]

Cliff is an easy one, and a good dive. Picnic tables to use to gear up. Some lights around.

The pipe ("They" said it was the internet connection for the island) running from shore down the wall takes the navigation stress out of the equation.

Swim south until you get to the cliff - lots of orange cup coral. Then swim back until you get to the pipe and follow it to shore.

 

[The Chairman]

12 palms is the best/easiest night dive. Lots of tarpon to scare the crap out of you, lots to see and protected. Relax and have fun.

 

[tkaelin]

A house reef would be a good start. Buddies or Capt Dons would be ideal. Easy entry and exit and lights all over the resort to guide you back. There are others.

PS If Buddys or Capt Don, you will see tarpon, very active and maybe trying to feed in the beam of your lights. Harmless but a bit disconcerting if not expecting it or having experienced it before.

 

[DiveProKoko]

Where are you staying? Do you have a house reef?

Night dives at Bari Reef are very good. If staying at Den Laman or Sand Dollar, it is particularly easy off the pier. The parking area just south of Den Laman is also easy. Navigation is simple, north at your deeper depth, turn and return shallower. At 30 feet there are several landmarks near the exit, large cogs/gears, barrel with rope, then a large cement block. Bari Reef never fails to deliver a good dive

Best of luck on your visit to Bonaire

We rented a house north of Kralendjik, so no "house reef", but thanks for the suggestions!

 

[DiveProKoko]

A house reef would be a good start. Buddies or Capt Dons would be ideal. Easy entry and exit and lights all over the resort to guide you back. There are others.

PS If Buddys or Capt Don, you will see tarpon, very active and maybe trying to feed in the beam of your lights. Harmless but a bit disconcerting if not expecting it or having experienced it before.

Thanks for the suggestions! I have been "warned" about the tarpon but thanks for the heads up. I'm sure it'll still scare the crap out of me at least once! LOL!

 

[DiveProKoko]

Cliff is an easy one, and a good dive. Picnic tables to use to gear up. Some lights around.

The pipe ("They" said it was the internet connection for the island) running from shore down the wall takes the navigation stress out of the equation.

Swim south until you get to the cliff - lots of orange cup coral. Then swim back until you get to the pipe and follow it to shore.

Thank you! Someone else at my LDS suggested Cliff as well! May have to look more into that!

 

[nippurmagnum]

Just be aware that on pretty much every night dive in Bonaire, you WILL have tarpon hunting by your lights. Tarpon show up within 5-10 mins of you turning on your lights, and they stay with you pretty much through the end of the dive. They look menacing, and they scare the crap out of you when the suddenly appear next to or under you, but they are utterly indifferent to you, they just want you pointing your bright LEDs at their prey.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/N7sYbWpgR5csTnXM8

There are four ways to approach this:

(1) Learn to enjoy the sight of tarpon actively hunting, and to feel good about knowing that you helped a really big fish eat some smaller fish.

(2) Carry two lights — one with a broad beam, one with a narrow beam. Point the broad beam away from you and the narrow beam ahead of you (yes, this requires two hands). The tarpon will go to the broad beam, and will generally stay out of your field of view. Out of sight, out of mind, sort of — this only works as long as you remember to keep the lights pointed correctly.

(3). If you have a sick sense of humor, deliberately aim your light at a medium size fish, wait for the tarpon to start lunging after them, and then jerk the light away. Theoretically fun for about two minutes.

(4). Just mentally block the tarpon’s presence, and pretend it’s not there. Good luck with that.

 

[flyboy08]

Dont let the Tarpon scare the bejeezus out of you.... AMHIK...