1st time to Bonaire question

[Antietam]

My wife and I are planning our first trip to Bonaire in August. We are new divers (50 dives a piece) and can't compare many places yet. We have been to Roatan and stayed at CoCo view twice in the past year. We were looking for a place in Bonaire that offered the same kind of diving "freedom" found at CCV with boat dives and shore diving at the resort. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[reefdiva]

Bonaire is a great place for new divers because navigation is so easy. You should be sure to purchase a copy of Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy (www.bsdme.info) for great information on entries and exits as well as great info on each site. If you are looking for a resort on the water with both boat and shore diving there is Plaza, Divi, Carib Inn, Eden Beach, Sand Dollar, Buddy Dive, Habitat, Black Durgon ... among lots of other options. Have you looked at www.infobonaire.com to help narrow down your choices??

 

[Walter]

That will be just about any place. Skip the boats and rent a truck.

 

[chauncy19]

black durgon does not have boat dives per se. they have an affiliation with Capt Don's. You can make other boat arrangements. just got back from the black durgon and did one boat dive with wanna dive to klein bonaire. highly recommend them. they are located at eden beach.

 

[flatwood]

I'm with Walter, skip the boat. CoCo View was my first dive trip and I'm returning to Bonaire in a couple of weeks. You may want a boat for 1000 steps but the rest, just take the truck. Hope you enjoy Bonaire as much as I do!

 

[txdano]

We did a boat dive to Klein on our first trip to check it out, but IMO the shore diving is so fantastic and convenient it does not seem to be worth the extra money and time for boat dives, unless that is what you prefer. As mentioned above, get a copy of BSDME online or when you get there and try a variety of sites. Everyone has their favorites, but our personal "don't miss" sites are Oil Slick, Ol' Blue, Karpata, and Witch's Hut up North, and Red Slave, Invisibles, and The Lake down South. Salt Pier and Town Pier (night) were also really great dives for us, for those two you will need to set up through your dive shop.

 

[CLEAR BLUE]

Bonaire is great! We did one boat dive with Wannadive. They were great but you don't see anything different than on the shore dives. Stick to the shore diving.....total freedom. Many of the resorts have a drive and dive plan where you get a truck and do all the shore diving you want. There is easy access to as many tanks of air as you need. Safe and happy diving!

 

[NDH]

Hi Antictam
We are making our first trip to Bonaire in May. We have been going to Cocoview for the last three years but I have had a dream to make it to Boanire. Since we have a direct flight out of Houston now, I have decided to go. I will let your know how it compares to Cocoview when we get back. We both love Cocoview and if it can compare to there without the no-see-ums that would be fantastic.
I want to think the others on this board for giving me some must dives for I am planning to dive at least 25 to 30 dives. Would anyone recommend getting with the dive shop to dive the other side of the inland? Thanks

 

[Walter]

You may want a boat for 1000 steps

Why? It's an easy shore dive.

 

[diversteve]

Why? It's an easy shore dive.

Yeah but that walk back up...