1st trip Bonaire - luggage/gear/etc questions

[jpassov]

It's a $9 solar shower, I don't think there is any more interest in stealing that than there is in taking the old t-shirt, hat and sandals I also leave in the truck.

I have read posts that say that nothing is safe, no matter what the value.
I know this subject has been beat to death, but since I will be a first timer to Bonaire, what are everyone's thoughts?
What can be left in the truck?

 

[keithdiver]

I have read posts that say that nothing is safe, no matter what the value.
I know this subject has been beat to death, but since I will be a first timer to Bonaire, what are everyone's thoughts?
What can be left in the truck?

Leave nothing in truck but your towels you get from resort. Waterbottles are ok. Raggedy tshirt, that is it. Money put in your shorts the island will except wet $. Leave windows down. If you are going to the other resorts to dive, the truck will be ok.Some sites that are off the beaten path is what u have to pay attention to. be smart use good judgement. Most of all enjoy trip.

 

[RJP]

What can be left in the truck?

Anything you don't mind losing.

 

[mbs]

It's real simple - don't leave anything you can't afford to lose or would be difficult to replace on island. Sucks, but that's the way it is...

 

[diverrex]

I wouldn't leave anything in the truck that I wouldn't mind losing. Having said that during two trips last year we would leave towels, shorts, t shirts, flip flops, suntan lotion, my wife's hairbrush and a few other odds and ends in the truck and they were always there when we returned. We also "hid" $100 sunglasses somewhere in the truck I assume most thieves knew where to look and they were also always there, so crime is obvioulsy an issue but it's not as some people make it sound that you will with 100% certainty get ripped off if you leave anything in the truck. I suspect there are a number of variables at play, for instance diving Windsock during the middle of the day is probably safer than a remote far north or far south site dived very early morning or at night. While we didn't have any theft against us or even hear of any we did see recent broken auto glass at the small 1000 Steps parking area. But don't blame me if you follow what we did and something gets stolen, my advice is still don't leave anything in the truck you are not willing to lose.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Don't obsess over the fact that some small thing may be taken from your car. Leave your valuables in the safe and have a great time in Bonaire. I have a couple on my March trip that, like me, were stationed in Guam. Thirty years ago the rule was windows down doors unlocked. In Curacao if you rent a car you sign a statement that if you park in certain areas you are not covered by insurance. In short - you don't need a lot at the dive site and if you would not leave it on the car seat back home don't do it in Bonaire. The benefits of some wonderful care free diving far outweigh the risk assumed with the loss of some baubles. Have a great time. I'll be following you there in March.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Instead of obsessing about the little bit of bad stuff get stuck on the good. Oil slick, Ol Blue, Karpata, Taylor Maid, an ice cold beer in Rincon, a picnic in Slaagbai, flamingos up close, sitting atop Seru Largu at night, the Hilma Hooker, lunch at Jibe City with all the titties. Dinner at It Rains Fishes, BBQ at Bobby Jans, a fresh water dive in the secret place. Amstel Bright at the Wannadive Hut. There's just too much to sweat the small stuff. Take your own dive gear and some shorts and tee shirts. A tube of 20 oz drinking cups, some zip lock bags, and those snap caps on water bottles. Buy a 1.5 liter drink and pour out the drink. Fill the bottle with water add the cap and you have a shower. Don't forget sunset at Pink Beach and a late afternoon dive at Tori's Reef. Dinner at Cactus Blue. Say hey to Kurt for me as you enjoy a Lion's Dive Burger. Do a dive with Buddy's and ask for Murphy as your guide. Get Jeff at Wannadive or Walter Stark to take you to the Windjammer. Explore the outer reef at Alice in Wonderland. If I keep on I'll get PBD (pre bonaire depression) Have a great time! March won't you never come?? This will be my 21st time in 19 years.........

 

[Jersey]

...Don't forget sundown eating boka stoba at Capt Don's and watching the tarpon feed under the lights off the dock; Lovers Ice Cream; anywhere you can find Moogie playing; the smell of salt air; finding Nukove for the first time; a Saturday night dive at 2300 ~ most folks have long retired and the reef and resort are absolutely quiet. The 'don't leave anything in the truck' restrictions actually makes life easier - less stuff to load up and unload at the end of the day! A towel, a water bottle or 2 and done. Do throw some tank o-rings in a zip lock to keep on hand. Nothing worse then getting geared up and find bad rings at some remote dive site. Sadly just had to delay our 2 week jaunt due to a health crisis. With temps of 6 degrees F, snow on the ground and more predicted I need something to look forward to.

 

[Tom Smedley]

If I close my eyes I can feel being on the steps atop Seru Largu. I hear a donkey braying in the distance and every once in a while the blink of a light at Wilhamstoren breaks through. I have a large bowl of Cabritu Stoba and a bottle of Cabernet. The warm wind blows against my face as I try to count the lights. An airplane appears to the right slowly making its way to the airport. The beacon on Kline Bonaire blinks. Suddenly there's a meteor shower. I reach up and feel that I have touched the sky! And then I awaken - my body is drenched in sweat - I have an acute exacerbation of Pre Bonaire Depression....... I fall asleep once more and dream that it is already March..........

 

[DonnaC]

Some thoughts for you....Just got back from Bonaire.

Take your gear - you want to get familiar with it. Didn't need scissors or safety sausage. Do need light and should have a knife if you dive Hilma Hooker (deeper than 60' but you may change your mind about that). I'm with everyone else on the camera issue, having been an U/W photog for 30 years. Having said that, diving Buddy's Reef and the boat dives would be a great time to have the camera and are VERY easy dives.

We were there for 7 dive days and did 16 dives, I would suggest that you dump the boat dives and do shore diving. That is the best way to improve your diving skills. You plan your multilevel dive, do your own navigation, plan your entry and exit. Most tropical locations, you don't get to do that.

Didn't take much clothes, didn't need 'em. Swimsuit and wetsuit all day shore diving and then relaxing by the pool when we got back. Only bring clothes if you want to go to fancy restaurants in the evenings. As for luggage, we took a pelican case with U/W photo gear, dive bag with 2 sets of gear and 2 small bags for clothes. American Air checks 2 bags, no charge, Divi Divi from Curacao is 44# per person, cost us an extra $28 for overweight - way, way less than renting dive gear.
I use a full suit and my husband uses a shorty. He got cold on night dives. Buddy only rents shorty suits or he would have rented one. You won't get hot in a full suit. There was always a breeze.
Other issues-
This forum had me worried about mosquitos and it wasn't a problem. I brought a citronella candle for our deck and evenings was the only time that we saw mosquitos. Didn't use the (3) containers of bug spray that I brought.
I LOVED having a sun shower for after beach dives, rinsed me and my camera off and all was good with my world. We also brought a soft collapsible cooler (Boys and Girls Club logo to deter theft)! We packed our lunch in it every day.
Followed instructions about leaving items in the truck. We hid our nice sunglasses, etc in the bushes/under rocks and just left flip flops, cooler, towels, sunshower in/on the truck.
3rd day, as we were arriving at "The Lake" a large group had just been hit by thieves. Every truck with anything in it was hit - sunglasses, clothing, cooler, batteries, memory card. This may have been a unique circumstance in that they had so many vehicles that no one else could park at that site, every other site that we dove had trucks coming and going the whole time.
Have a great time, sooo jealous and can't wait to go back.
Donna