Question ISO “Best” All-Inclusive Dive Resort Options in the Caribbean

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We do some boat dives every time we go to Bonaire. There are many very good dive sites off Klein Bonaire. There are 8 or 9 northern sites that are not available from shore. Those that only do shore dives are the ones that are missing out here. Variety is the spice...
When we were somewhat younger and a group of 4-5 (for whom dad was picking up the tab) shore diving was largely a financial decision. Now, older, and maybe wiser, I will probably do some boats.
 
Plenty of luxury places on Bon, just not resorts.

Think "Piet Boon" houses on the south side. Al$o think $$$$.

I agree about the boat vs shore thing. Been to Bon many times, never a boat dive. But I AM getting older so...

Boat/shore/both is personal preference.
Yeah, the shore diving thing in Bonaire is the absolute opposite of what I love about Little Cayman. I can put my gear in a bag outside my door, set it up once on a boat, and I don’t have to think about it again for a week other than to inspect it before each dive. I don’t have to schlep tanks around, I don’t have to rinse gear every day. I can have a cold drink and snacks in a cooler waiting for me at the end of a dive. I can carry spare batteries for my camera and strobes, a first aid kit, and have oxygen and an AED on the boat in case something happens to me. None of which can be done in a truck on Bonaire because it would all get stolen in short order because Bonaire turns a blind eye to crime against divers. after the dives I can lay in a hammock or the pool until it is dinner time and know I will have a great meal for dinner, instead of having to get cleaned up, get in a car, and go find a restaurant somewhere else.

Yeah, it is a personal preference, and everything about shore diving in Bonaire is the opposite of what I want out of a vacation. But I am glad there are those who love it, because it keeps them from overcrowding Little Cayman :wink:
 
I love shore diving in Bonaire, but you’re absolutely right about the crime. I ignored the recommendations and rolled up the windows on the rental truck. I figure if the resort starts complaining about their windows getting busted out, maybe someone will do something.​
 
Yeah, it is a personal preference, and everything about shore diving in Bonaire is the opposite of what I want out of a vacation.
One of the great things about ScubaBoard is how it helps people tease out just such things. I would add that leaving your rental truck doors unlocked, windows down and nothing of value (except tanks) in the truck largely bypasses the petty theft from rental trucks during diving. Sure, nobody wishes it were necessary, but it's fairly easy to practice.

Bonaire is definitely more work - setting up your rig, swapping tanks, loading and unloading the pickup bed, heading out to eat or buy groceries (unless you're at one of the few A.I.s - the Plaza or an option at Divi Flamingo), etc...

But you can dive any time of day or night, most any dive site, and most likely nobody is going to stand there and tell you that you can't dive solo, or otherwise criticize what you do.

I appreciate Bonaire for what it offers (independence and freedom!) and liveaboards for what they offer (ease of everything - set gear up once, break it down once, no driving, good food multiple times per day right there, capable guides, etc...
 
One of the great things about ScubaBoard is how it helps people tease out just such things. I would add that leaving your rental truck doors unlocked, windows down and nothing of value (except tanks) in the truck largely bypasses the petty theft from rental trucks during diving. Sure, nobody wishes it were necessary, but it's fairly easy to practice.

Bonaire is definitely more work - setting up your rig, swapping tanks, loading and unloading the pickup bed, heading out to eat or buy groceries (unless you're at one of the few A.I.s - the Plaza or an option at Divi Flamingo), etc...

But you can dive any time of day or night, most any dive site, and most likely nobody is going to stand there and tell you that you can't dive solo, or otherwise criticize what you do.

I appreciate Bonaire for what it offers (independence and freedom!) and liveaboards for what they offer (ease of everything - set gear up once, break it down once, no driving, good food multiple times per day right there, capable guides, etc...
Yeah, that has always been the rub for me though. I know you can go out and dive with absolutely nothing left in the truck and not have to worry about theft, But then even a minor issue (medical, mechanical, or otherwise) can become a major problem because you can’t have tools, first aid supplies, or any means of communicating the need for help with you. That just really bugs the safety guy inside of me. Not to mention being annoyed at the idea of having to go back to the hotel after every 2 dives to get fresh batteries for the strobes.
 
because you can’t have tools
Depends on what you're willing to take a chance with. I stick a scuba tool under the seat (about $20) and have a little o-ring kit in the truck somewhere. I also have a little adapter that attaches to a regulator's low pressure inflator hose to let it air up flat tires - that goes in the glove box.

If you really want to take more stuff, it is possible to rig some sort of dry box (e.g.: an old dive light emptied of batteries).

It's also worth mentioning that this is a shore diving issue, not just a Bonaire issue. Anywhere you have shore divers in bulky gear they can't run in, reliably abandoning their easily recognizable rental vehicles in clear view of the public for 45 minutes to an hour at a time, in rustic areas accessible to youth (and others) from poorer areas, this is likely to become an issue.

And you point to a number of issues that raises, the trade-offs involved. Many people would much rather dive a liveaboard - where on a given liveaboard dive times and number of dives may be set, solo diving forbidden (hello, instabuddy!), max. depth recommended to not exceed 110 feet, side mount might not be supported (saw this come up), etc... Not all liveaboards have the same rules.
 
Yeah, the shore diving thing in Bonaire is the absolute opposite of what I love about Little Cayman...
I've been to Little Cayman Beach Resort twice, Cayman Brac Beach Resort once, Cobalt Coast twice. I've dived off 9 liveaboards. I've used countless traditional dive operations of all descriptions. And, I've been to Bonaire 8 times, the 9th time coming up in less than two weeks.

There is tremendous diversity in the dive experiences I have had. They have been complimentary and have given me a few more than 2.200 wonderful dives over the last 26 years. Sometimes the diving is very easy, sometimes you work a little harder to get what you want.
 
Plenty of luxury places on Bon, just not resorts.

Think "Piet Boon" houses on the south side. Al$o think $$$$.

I agree about the boat vs shore thing. Been to Bon many times, never a boat dive. But I AM getting older so...

Boat/shore/both is personal preference.
I’ve always been intrigued with Bonaire, but shore diving is hard on me because I’ve had my left foot rebuilt, which inhibits my range of motion and ability to bear the weight of my gear without paying for it later. So, I’m glad to know there’s an opportunity to do both shore and boat dives there.

I can do a shore dive if I have help or take each piece of gear down to / back from the shoreline piece by piece.

Re: luxury - I’m not a luxury kinda girl. If I'm following a eat-dive-eat-dive-rest-dive routine... I can guarantee you I'm not really thinking about the resort or accommodations. I'm probably thinking about my next dive, stories to tell about it, and how my photos turned out. ;-)
 
I've been to Little Cayman Beach Resort twice, Cayman Brac Beach Resort once, Cobalt Coast twice. I've dived off 9 liveaboards. I've used countless traditional dive operations of all descriptions. And, I've been to Bonaire 8 times, the 9th time coming up in less than two weeks.

There is tremendous diversity in the dive experiences I have had. They have been complimentary and have given me a few more than 2.200 wonderful dives over the last 26 years. Sometimes the diving is very easy, sometimes you work a little harder to get what you want.
2,200 dives. What an incredible experience! The stories you have to tell must be amazing.
 
I love shore diving in Bonaire, but you’re absolutely right about the crime. I ignored the recommendations and rolled up the windows on the rental truck. I figure if the resort starts complaining about their windows getting busted out, maybe someone will do something.​
What you wrote wasn't confusing as the emoticon says. It was sad re: the crime. Such is life. One more always be aware of their surroundings.
 
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