Going to Bonaire for spring break - east coast diving question

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

homerdoc

Contributor
Messages
308
Reaction score
279
Location
South Carolina
# of dives
100 - 199
Was looking at their operation out of Soroban.

When are you back after a morning dive?

Any tips? Thinking of taking my wife and daughter. The daughter has quite a few dives, wife not that many.

Is this a dive you should bring a snorkel and SMB? I was thinking so.

Any thoughts on how this dive works - where you go, etc would be appreciated.

Or would it be better to contact Bas Tol? Do a dive like that off of shore on the east side.
 
If by east coast you mean taking the boat dive op out of lac bay, IMHO these are dives best taken by strong confident experienced divers. Ocean and boat conditions can be challenging. Yes a snorkel and SMB a must. When I went with my daughter the dive was drift and fast, surface conditions were such that you could not see the boat between swells/rollers and when we got back in the boat to our seats we did not take off our masks and regs until just about back in the bay as there was that much water and spray hitting us. The dive op is excellent and was impressed by the crew.
 
Thanks for the update, it looks like I might ruin a trip if I book this for my wife and daughter! I might find someone who wants to go with me when I am down there. They did so good last time, we'll just do a bunch of normal boat dives.
 
Description is accurate from the first responder. A great outfit, fantastic dives when we went. It was not as nasty as the description, but you should definitely be comfortable boarding a ladder on a bobbing boat. Always get on the ladder as it's going down. :) The dive itself was a swift drift, but really, you're just scuba diving without kicking. Super captain/guide. Maybe just don't take the wife....
 
Diving inside the Bay can be pretty interesting. Take off from the conch pile right by the Bay exit and go pretty much straight away from shore, NOT out into open water which is a very advanced dive. You have to go a ways before it starts getting interesting. The first couple hundred feet seems like a bust. Then you start finding fish.
The Bay is shallow, has cloudy viz for Bonaire, 30' maybe, not much coral (none for the first part of the dive) but does have a lot of fish life and some interesting species. Being comfortable with lower viz and a compass are pretty much required, but there is no current or wave action inside the bay. Mostly it's a pretty easy dive.
 
I don't remember where we went, I think we went outside the bay area a bit. I remember I've never seen more turtles on one dive than I saw that day. I don't know if I've ever seen more turtles in a week as we did on that one dive.
 
If by east coast you mean taking the boat dive op out of lac bay, IMHO these are dives best taken by strong confident experienced divers. Ocean and boat conditions can be challenging. Yes a snorkel and SMB a must. When I went with my daughter the dive was drift and fast, surface conditions were such that you could not see the boat between swells/rollers and when we got back in the boat to our seats we did not take off our masks and regs until just about back in the bay as there was that much water and spray hitting us. The dive op is excellent and was impressed by the crew.

I didn’t bring or need a snorkel at the east coast. Keep your regulator in your mouth. That will be much better to prevent inhalation smoke of the rib engine(s).
 
If you want an amazing dive, reach out to Bas. He's the best dive guide I've ever had the pleasure of diving with.
 
Why not do Normal Bonaire with Wife and Daughter?

West side has some great dives gor ALL levels of experience.
 
East side is for very advanced divers. You need to be able to rescue yourself and dive buddy. The best time to go is Sept - Nov when winds are light and even switch direction.

Spring the winds could be 20+ from the East.

I carry a flashlight, SMB, Signal mirror and emergency locator beacon when I adventure dive.

Don't even think about taking someone with just a few dives.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom