So, just a week away until we leave for Bonaire......looking for the top 10 sites and why. Hoping to get in about 20 dives or so. Thanks for the recommendations!
Top 10 Bonaire dive sites
- Thread starter decompression
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Scottsfire
Registered
I will be there in two weeks myself. We are staying at Belmar. I asked this question on several websites and presto I have your answers on a spreadsheet based on popularity. I have added some of my own notes based on conversation I had but feel free to ignore them. Hope this helps. 
Scott
Scott
DeepSeaExplorer
Contributor
It’s been a while, but Oil Slick Leap should be higher on the list.
Scottsfire
Registered
Yep....spoke with a friend who LOVED Oil Slick.....so we will be diving this. This is just a starting point for me and I'm gonna play it by ear.
Mike Walker
Contributor
My first visit was a couple weeks ago and I only made it to a small portion of sites but a few thoughts:
Hilma is very neat (and photogenic) - particularly at dusk->night with no one else there.
Salt Pier - interesting once... but didn't really grab me as much as I thought it should.
Karpata - very nice - only got up North once. Enter at La Dania's leap and swim North.
The Lake - my 'favorite' in an odd way - lots of different paths to take. Interesting critter behavior.
There was nothing that could be considered 'bad' although I think I'm the only one that actually dove at Bachelor's Beach... I was getting some strange looks from the locals and snorklers and didn't see anyone else with gear in the many times I drove by...
I quite enjoyed the 1/2 day i spent driving through the park at the North end as well. If it was a bit cooler it would definitely have be good for a full day.
Hilma is very neat (and photogenic) - particularly at dusk->night with no one else there.
Salt Pier - interesting once... but didn't really grab me as much as I thought it should.
Karpata - very nice - only got up North once. Enter at La Dania's leap and swim North.
The Lake - my 'favorite' in an odd way - lots of different paths to take. Interesting critter behavior.
There was nothing that could be considered 'bad' although I think I'm the only one that actually dove at Bachelor's Beach... I was getting some strange looks from the locals and snorklers and didn't see anyone else with gear in the many times I drove by...
I quite enjoyed the 1/2 day i spent driving through the park at the North end as well. If it was a bit cooler it would definitely have be good for a full day.
diveallthetime
Contributor
Will be there in 2 weeks staying at Belmar as well. 12th time to Bonaire and 2 full weeks. Cannot get there soon enough.I will be there in two weeks myself. We are staying at Belmar. I asked this question on several websites and presto I have your answers on a spreadsheet based on popularity. I have added some of my own notes based on conversation I had but feel free to ignore them. Hope this helps.
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Some not to miss -
Forest - off Klein Bonaire- Black Coral at depth
Bari Reef - arguably the best shallow dive
Cliff is about the only vertical wall shore dive.
Invisibles south of town
The Hooker if you wreck dive
Salt Pier
Vista Blue - my buddy thought it best of the week
Forest - off Klein Bonaire- Black Coral at depth
Bari Reef - arguably the best shallow dive
Cliff is about the only vertical wall shore dive.
Invisibles south of town
The Hooker if you wreck dive
Salt Pier
Vista Blue - my buddy thought it best of the week
boat sju
Contributor
decompression,
Try to get up to the Candyland, Nukove area. The trip is like a mini adventure and the sites are really nice. Also, I've not done it, but everyone seems to love the east side dives.
With your background I doubt the Hooker will do much for you. If you dive the salt pier there's a concrete slab right under the right side of the conveyor. Get in there, just like a pool deck.
Try to get up to the Candyland, Nukove area. The trip is like a mini adventure and the sites are really nice. Also, I've not done it, but everyone seems to love the east side dives.
With your background I doubt the Hooker will do much for you. If you dive the salt pier there's a concrete slab right under the right side of the conveyor. Get in there, just like a pool deck.
Just came back from Bonaire. We did 14 days of diving and saw a lot of the popular places.
I can agree with most places on your list.
If you want to do some nice night diving, consider LA machaca/the cliff. The tarpons over there learned to hunt with the flashlights. And there are a LOT of tarpon at these sites.
Also you might consider UV diving if you never did it before.
I liked the double reef very much. Alice in wonderland and angel city (sand between reef is at about 90ft). At Invisible the sand of the double reef is at only about 60ft. If you like to see eagle rays, go to angel city and wait for them before the first drop off starts, they eat at the small sand patches between the corals.
If you are lucky enough to be in Bonaire about 5 dives after fullmoon. You have to do an ostracod night dive. Multiple persons told me, that it's the best dive they ever did. Sadly we left before fullmoon.
If you have more questions about other divesites feel free to ask.
And have a nice diving
I can agree with most places on your list.
If you want to do some nice night diving, consider LA machaca/the cliff. The tarpons over there learned to hunt with the flashlights. And there are a LOT of tarpon at these sites.
Also you might consider UV diving if you never did it before.
I liked the double reef very much. Alice in wonderland and angel city (sand between reef is at about 90ft). At Invisible the sand of the double reef is at only about 60ft. If you like to see eagle rays, go to angel city and wait for them before the first drop off starts, they eat at the small sand patches between the corals.
If you are lucky enough to be in Bonaire about 5 dives after fullmoon. You have to do an ostracod night dive. Multiple persons told me, that it's the best dive they ever did. Sadly we left before fullmoon.
If you have more questions about other divesites feel free to ask.
And have a nice diving
Kharon
Contributor
For me, Hilma was a total yawn, but that's just me. My two favorite dives are the fuel pier (unmarked) by the airport (enter on the north side and use the columns for support while you put your fins on) swimming either north or south and a night dive with the tarpon at Cliff.
I also always dive Tolo (north) and the southern sites from Red Beryl north to Angel CIty.
I also always dive Tolo (north) and the southern sites from Red Beryl north to Angel CIty.
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