10 Days to Bonaire!

[DiverVince]

[*]The island is tiny; a lot smaller than you think. You can get from pretty much any one dive site to any other dive site in much less time than your surface interval. (with caveats below)
[

I really don't think that describing the island as "tiny" is really accurate. It's over 110 sq miles, so I'd say it's really a lot larger than it appears to be because of the EZ diving on the west side.

 

[RJP]

I really don't think that describing the island as "tiny" is really accurate. It's over 110 sq miles, so I'd say it's really a lot larger than it appears to be because of the EZ diving on the west side.

C'mon! Bergen County, at 247 sq miles, is more than TWICE the size of Bonaire.

Though on most days it would take more that 10 times as long to get from one end of Bergen County to the other, than it would to from one end of Bonaire to the other.

:shocked2:

 

[Togalive]

Thank you all for the awesome informational replies! Both my father and I are pretty newbie divers, so we arent 100% sure about how we might get cold over the course of a day of diving (I wear a 7 mil in our lake where the thermocline goes from 82F to 60F and I'm perfectly toasty at depth), but I'll be sure to keep an eye on it during our trip and adjust what we're wearing appropriately Also, that bit about some of the roads up north taking quite awhile to travel was something we were unaware of, so knowing that is a lifesaver!

5 days now until we'll be on the plane, so I'll be sure to post up a full review once I get back!

Happy Diving and Stay Safe!

 

[Rather-B-Diving]

Well, its been a bit in the making, but now theres only 10 days until I'll be in Bonaire! My father and I will be staying at the GRI until the 5th for anyone who's looking for some dive buddies by the way So, right now im planning on packing all of my dive gear (minus tank and weights) into my carry on (Dads renting), and I'll be diving in a 3 mil. Besides leaving nothing in our rental truck, and keeping the windows down, does anyone have any additional suggestions for the trip? It is all shore diving at the moment with tanks supplied by Wannadive, but we are hoping to do atleast one or maybe two boat dives. Mainly I'm just excited to be diving in a location with more than 15 ft of vis I'll be sure to post up plenty of photos and a full trip write up as soon as I get back!

Happy Diving!

Have a great trip! I just returned from Bonaire and Curacao August 16th. It was wonderful. The diving is great! You'll really enjoy it! There is also some good windsurfing and kiteboarding!


Note: Definitely recommend strap fins with booties. I had a pair of full foot fins with me and it was a royal pain to get in some of the locations without putting my feet in jeopardy or looking like a moron flopping around in my fins......LOL (I know this is a no brainier, but I thought why buy another pair if I already have fins)!

 

[dvrliz1]

Togalive,

We just had some guests leave today that took the "short cut" back from Karpata. It has been raining a lot here lately (mostly at night or early morning). The road is unpaved. They said it was a mess. It might be better just to go through Rincon. We will talk when you guys get here! Looking forward to seeing you on the 28th!

Liz

 

[jcroy66]

Liz,
Good point. After the storm on Friday the 13th, I definitely wouldn't have wanted to take the dirt road back from Karpata for at least a few days. If it's continued to rain since then, I imagine it's a mess.

Maybe that also explains why when we visited in November (it rained every night), the road to Nukove was extremely treacherous and pothole-filled, but when we visited 2 weeks ago (before the rain), it was practically a highway.

 

[dvrliz1]

Yep, the dirt roads can be bad after it rains, especially when it is a heavy downpour, even for 15-20 minutes. The ground cannot absorb the rain that fast, so the loose dirt and rocks head downhill, and the water creates potholes. We have had a few major downpours in the last week or so. I have not been up that way, but would assume that it is a mess right now.

On the positive side, when they do see a lot of rain, and then the forecast is for clear weather for a while, they will grade the dirt roads used often. I would think they will grade that dirt road from Karpata soon, as the construction vehicles, etc for the new electric plant use this road often. I think they grade the road to Nukove a few times a year.

 

[GlassBender]

I've never stayed at GRI, but I learned the hard way to lock every single lock on the doors and windows in your room. We omitted a single deadbolt (on a door with multiple locks) , and had an unwelcome visitor - who stole our camera from inside the waterproof case.

 

[Herk_Man]

Anyone going should visit Bonaire Talk - The place to discuss everything and anything about Bonaire! A great resource with tons of trip reports. And ditto on the dirt shortcut back from the north. Goes up on the hill past the radio antennas. But if it has been raining, it might be better to stay on the paved roads.

And you will hear about crime on Bonaire. Just take normal precautions. The crime is non-violent (mainly) petty theft. When at dive sites, leave NOTHING of value in your car (tanks are not a problem as they cannot be shipped off the island) and leave your windows down.

Absolutely the most awesome diving in the world. Very laid back. No 5 start resorts. Lots of great places to eat.

 

[KaliforniaDiver]

And you will hear about crime on Bonaire. Just take normal precautions. The crime is non-violent (mainly) petty theft. When at dive sites, leave NOTHING of value in your car (tanks are not a problem as they cannot be shipped off the island) and leave your windows down.

Would it be safe to assume that towels and a sack lunch would be fine to leave in the car? Is it conceivable to hide spare camera batteries under the floor mat?