Another Bonaire question

[scoobajay]

Hi again all,

As I mentioned before, I'll be traveling to Bonaire this May. From what I understand, the island is know for great shore diving, healthy reefs and lots of small fish. I chose Bonaire for a dive trip this year strictly because my dive buddy gets so horribly sea sick that he can't do boat dives. Bonaire seems like the perfect solution, although, it sounds like it may be lacking the things that really appeal to me. Of course, I'm happy enough blowing bubbles in a rock quarry , but what I'm searching for are dive sites on Bonaire that will be the most appealing to my taste. I love swim throughs (think Cozumel), caves, big fish (ie. ANY shark), wall dives, large coral reef structures.

Are there any shore diving sites on Bonaire that offer anything of this sort or something close? I've heard the East side is best for this, but again, no boat dives unless I ditch my buddy

 

[drrich2]

Sloping walls (think 45 degree hillside) with hard corals and gorgonians are easy to find on Bonaire. Some sites are lusher than others (e.g.: Karpata up north, Sweet Dreams down south).

I haven't seen a swim through there yet.

Big stuff is harder to get. Over a week, I might see tiger grouper, cuber snapper, midnight & sometimes rainbow parrotfish, tarpon, a big green moray eel, a few barracuda and maybe a big one. There are stingrays, whether southern (I think) or eagle, but seeing one is hit or miss. Night dives you can have all the tarpon you want most likely.

I've probably had over 150 dives in Bonaire & haven't seen a shark there yet.

Northern sites often have shorter swim outs, so if he gets sea sick at the surface heading out, he'll either want to duck underwater quickly, or do northern sites & hit southern when things look really calm.

Richard.

 

[lmorin]

To the OP: Bonaire is definitely not a good place for things it does not have. You listed your preferences, but as you realize, for the most part they are not available on Bonaire. If you are going, I suggest you change your wish list to include opportunities that Bonaire can provide. Those tend to be pretty good.

 

[KathyV]

The East side can be rough; I am prone to seasickness and I got very ill the one time that we tried it. I don't advise it for those who suffer from seasickness.

I think that you will find great shore diving on Bonaire and have a lot of fun even if you never step on a boat - but probably not quite the type of diving you prefer. Depending on where you are staying/diving, the boat trips to Klein Bonaire are usually short and easy, so your buddy may wish to get that a try. As far as large fish, we often see tarpon on night dives in Bonaire, and they are impressive! I don't remember ever getting seasick on a boat dive in Bonaire - but everyone is different. Your buddy might want to give it a try and see how it feels. At least they are one-tank dives so you don't have to feel sick for too long.

Although I suffer (acutely) from seasickness, I have been on more than a dozen liveaboard trips. I have had some easy liveaboard trips and also some truly some miserable deep-water crossings, like I thought I was going to die and I was okay with the idea; but within a day I become acclimated and comfortable and the diving/living is easy. I've been okay even when we've encounter storms and heavy seas. In some ways, a liveaboard is ultimately easier because after you "get your sea legs" you stay comfortable - unlike traveling back and forth all the time on day boats. If you and your buddy ever decide to try a liveaboard trip, I suggest looking for one that doesn't include a deep-water crossing, like the Kona Aggressor.

One of these liveaboard trips was in the Turks and Caicos and the diving was exactly what you are looking for, deep walls, large coral formations, big and small animals and sharks on every dive, and I know that there were some swim-throughs (but I don't care for them and try to swim over them.) I don't remember if there were caves but I would have avoided them.

I didn't get seasick at all on that trip. My "anti-sickness techniques" include: eating very lightly on the day of boarding, taking the seasick medicine before boarding, unpacking while we are still at the dock so I can be up in the air when we get underway, trying to stay hydrated if I can tolerate drinking water, staying topside - facing into the wind and staring at the horizon. Sometimes these tricks work and sometimes they don't. I have been known to sleep in a lounge chair on the upper deck during my first night on a liveaboard.

Life can be tough for seasickness-prone divers (and their buddies) but here's another thought for a possible future trip. I am thinking of visiting Grand Turk because they advertise that the reefs are "only a five-minute boat ride from shore". Maybe that would work for your buddy and still give you the diving that you are looking for? I've found that the Cozumel boat trips to the reef could be long and sometimes difficult.

No matter what, I am sure that you will find good diving and have fun in Bonaire. In fact, you may learn to prefer Bonaire diving!

 

[hroark2112]

If you do any boat diving on the west side, no one will get seasick. It's very calm and the boat diving is easy.

The biggest coral you'll see will be on the sites that get less divers. Nukove, Willemstorem Lighthouse, east side diving.

If you want to potentially see bigger stuff, contact Bas Tol at BAS Diving. He is the bee's knees when it comes to guided dives on the east side. Get the biggest tank you can get. Bas is awesome in the water, I've never had less than 2 hours per dive with him.

 

[diversteve]

Haven't ever seen a shark - not even a nurse shark. Either from shore or via boat. Dolphins from the boat a couple times - in the channel between the north side dive resorts and Klein Bonaire. We stayed south at BelMar and a couple times we saw dolphins in an area we'd dove previously off the dock. Years ago though so that may've changed. I saw in another post you're staying at Bellefonte so if you're renting from Buddy's south location - that's your BMP orientation reef.

Bonaire East Coast Diving is the only specialized diving operation on the famous East Coast of Bonaire and we're happy to take you there for a different - better! - diving experience. Expect to see all the exciting creatures you will not see on the other divesites, like Spotted Eagle Rays, Sharks, Green Moray Eels and lots of turtles.

Cliff is about the only vertical wall easily accessible from shore. North off Habitat's dock or straight out from the Dive Friends Dive shop at Hamlet Oasis. Maybe contact the owners of Black Durgon Inn and ask permission to dive Small Wall in front of their property - it potentially has 3 of the things on your list:

SMALL WALL
Marked site BNMP #25

Located in front of the Black Durgon Inn, this is generally a boat dive, as shore divers need permission to cross private property in order to access this site. A vertical wall beginning at 20 feet will lead divers to a cave at 60 feet, which sometimes shelters a sleeping nurse shark. Small Wall has probably the calmest surface anywhere on Bonaire. Depth 20-60 feet (6-18 meters).

There's one small swim thru at Angel City. Around 2:20 on this video - don't blink or you'll miss it. Watch the entry there - in addition to the usual ironshore ledges in the surf line, it has holes in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbxV6bi3BZU

 

[Tunaman68]

I'm a certified Cozoholic, but I really enjoyed my trip to Bonaire! If you are truly happy blowing bubbles in a quarry, then you will most certainly enjoy the freedom, and seemingly endless reefs of Bonaire.

I did miss the size and variety of the structure in Coz and after a week, some of Bonaire kind of ran together. Now however when I look back, I would return in a heartbeat! Change up the area you are diving and there is a lot of different kinds of things to see!

I think there was something cool about.....pick a dive site (after a few days, even one other group felt too crowded). Back the truck up to the shore (watch out for that squishy sand and rental trucks) suit up, watch your step as you get in, swim out to the buoy. Drop down and see which way the soft corals are bent, then go over the wall to your preferred depth. Swim into the current until 1/2 a tank then cruise the current back home at the upper edge of the wall until you find the buoy again (sometimes). Work the shallow sand back to shore to burn up the end of your tank and have a nice 10 minute safety stop at the same time (the shallows are mostly 20' or less). Pop up and find your truck and if you miss, you can get out and walk, or just drop back down to the sand and swim a bit. Get out and rinse off with the warm water bottle that you left full in the cab of the truck. Use your surface interval to find the next dive site and warm up. Repeat!! When hungry, eat, when tired, sleep!!

Some highlights for us were...

Night diving at Captn Don's with the tarpon hunting in your lights is a show unto itself

Being way down south at night able to see so many stars

Up north is more vertical overall and I found better vis because of no sand, but down south there are the double reef systems which were cool!

Soft coral everywhere!!

So many little fish!!

The Hilma is a fairly big wreck off shore and can be approached/dove in many different ways.

Salt pier is interesting and cool and totally different from day to night.

We saw LOTS of turtles (smaller than coz, but they were plentiful during our trip).

There were several Eagle rays on our dives on the East side, but the boat ride will kick your ass once you are outside of the bay so a no go for your buddy.

Take a dry day and go to the donkey sanctuary and make a nice donation. 8 donkey heads in your rental truck is hilarious!

Do a night shore dive on the East side with Bas Tol! You will thank me later!

Gio gelato!

Have Fun!

 

[tursiops]

I've got 652 logged dives in Bonaire and have seen a shark twice at Klein, one manta ray in front of Buddy Dive, and endless tarpon.
I'm going back this year twice, for trips number 28 and 29.
Bonaire does not offer everything, but what it does offer it excels at.

 

[scoobajay]

Thank you all so much for your input! This truly helps.

I wasn't expecting Bonaire to be Cozumel, but just looking for the best spots to go for my taste. It sounds like I will have a totally different experience, but will really enjoy it Thanks!

 

[Kharon]

I've got 652 logged dives in Bonaire and have seen a shark twice at Klein, one manta ray in front of Buddy Dive, and endless tarpon.
I'm going back this year twice, for trips number 28 and 29.
Bonaire does not offer everything, but what it does offer it excels at.

Additionally they don't nickle & dime you to death (charge for weights? - this ain't Cayman), air is cheap (about $160 for unlimited shore diving for a week - nitrox upgrade free), didn't run into a single grouchy resident (not sure about the turistas), they don't even blink at a solo diver (nor do they bother to ask for a solo card).

I've seen sharks elsewhere (Bahamas & Cayman) and they are cute but I'll easily trade them for the lush coral, ton's of diverse fish, and the freedom to dive the way I want, as much as I want. I go for 2 weeks at a time and on my last non-diving day I'm snorkeling.

A trick I learned on Bonaire (after flubbing around on several shore entries). Watch the waves and count. Usually there will be a pattern of increasing wave height with several much smaller waves following the largest. Once you figure out the pattern you wait for the largest and then enter as it's receeding. Quickly go out far enough to float (chest high) and put your fins on.

For the best sandwich ever try Between Two Buns. Other than that I can't recommend places to eat. I stay at Coco Palm Garden (apartment with full kitchen) and cook for myself.

Soon as you get there buy a couple of 1 or 2 liter bottles of water. Remove the top drink a little and put the rest in the freezer. Bring it along and you will have ice water to drink after each dive. A 2 liter usually lasts me for 3-4 dives.

One final tip. Get Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy (Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, BSDME, Author Susan Porter) and look it over to decide what sites you most want to dive. I would recommend Yellow Submarine and Tori's Reef as having the easiest entry/exit and Angel City for the double reef. Invisibles was the site I most enjoyed to the south (BTW dive south early before the wind picks up - makes entries much easier). Mid island I loved Cliff (use the stone wall for entry and the pipe to navigate - the mini-wall is to the left). To the north Tolo was my favorite.