Anyone ever heard of this place? Surf Hostel Bonaire

[drrich2]

Has anyone ever stayed here? If I could hear about peoples direct experiences as well as suggestions it will really help my cause. Thanks.

Can't tell you about the place; do have direct experience with driving across the middle, or around the southern half, of the island to get to Lac Bay, though, and that's a long trip!

Nearly all or all of your diving will be west coast. That's a pretty long drive back and forth to where people wind surf. I suspect the travel time/hassle will cut into your diving.

Assuming you might keep a dive computer, iPad or whatever with you, I assume you're looking at the apartment to secure your possessions. $52/night, plus $5.50/night tax, so $57.50/night. Figure 7 day stay; let's call it $400. And they do throw in breakfast; looks like dinner buffet?

But a dive package elsewhere will likely be $150 or so, a rental truck will cost a lot more (especially since you're solo, and rates are based on dual occupancy at most places, and I hope you drive manual because you could clear $200 extra to get an automatic). Ah, and at the end of the week a tank of gas for that truck could run you close to $80.

You'll have to run the numbers, but compare to Dive Hut:

DIVING PACKAGES
Divehut's unbeatable packages include all you need for a week of unforgettable diving on Bonaire:
- 7 nights accomodation DiveHut incl room tax (2 pers. occ.)
- 7 days rental truck incl CDW insurance and tax
- 6 days unlim. air / nitrox incl. weight and tanks


Rates are:

USD 571 per person in hotelroom

There will be a single supplement; been awhile since I stayed there, but I'm thinking it'll come closer to $900. Not water front but a lot closer to your diving. When I stayed at Dive Hut they did require cash, unless I wanted to pay an extra fee (credit card companies take their cut, after all).

My last trip to Bonaire was solo. I was torn between Dive Hut and Buddy Dive, and opted for the latter because I knew I'd get at least a few more dives having a handy house reef with easy pier access and tanks close-by, especially night dives after supper at the on-site restaurant. Cost me hundreds extra, but I banged out more dives, and that's what I was there for.

Here's a link to my old Dive Hut trip report from 2012. In it I ran the numbers on costs and what not. If I were looking to hit Bonaire on the cheap, it would be on a my short list.

Richard.

 

[Aruba Bobs]

I have stayed at the Yacht club several times. Its like right across the road from Something Special and really close to Bari reef. You can e-mail Dana for a price but she always gives me a great deal because you are not smackdab on the water but you are right in the middle of the north dives and the South dives. If you have a truck, that's the best but I even rent my truck from her. Here is her e-mail: Dana Bosman <info@yachtclubbonaire.com>
Tell her Kent Gerber sent you. When you park yur truck in the back, there is a wash tank and a room to lock your gear so you don't have to haul it around. We LOVE to eat dinner at that place. Chef and Madrian are the BEST!!!! Good luck.

 

[KeithG]

Fellows: As a single dive traveler going to Bonaire, I thought I should be looking for a place to SLEEP instead of a place to STAY! If diving is on all the time then I will be staying underwater and only coming out to sleep. Surf Hostel Bonaire advertises hostel style accommodation but since I will be traveling with expensive electronics (camera gear) I was wondering if safety would be compromised?

Has anyone ever stayed here? If I could hear about peoples direct experiences as well as suggestions it will really help my cause. Thanks.


Surf Hostel Bonaire - Affordable Accomodation on Bonaire - Welcome

No. No experience with this "off the beach crap". We have only stayed at several of the mainstream "beachfront dive resorts" (Divi lately, Sand Dollar, Captn Dons,... ) . We have always felt totally safe.

From a safety perspective we walk into town from the Divi every night after dark. No concerns.

My divebuddy takes no jewelery, and we leave several cameras, cash and computers spread about the room with no issues. Over 10 years at the Divi. My perspective is that the "resorts" make sure that their staff understand who pays the bills and act accordingly.

 

[Doctorfish]

Giffenk, I agree. That has always been my experience at Divi and Buddy Dive.
Never had anything taken from the room and camera equipment too big to lock up.
I would not leave cash or passports lying around, however.
We routinely walk from Divi into town after dark and have never had a problem. I feel safer on Bonaire then at home.
Recent posts about crime on Bonaire are, IMO, blown way out of proportion.

 

[wwguy]

Recent posts about crime on Bonaire are, IMO, blown way out of proportion.

Ah jeez... here we go again. I'm pretty sure the people who work at or patronize the KFC restaurant, two grocery stores, and gas station that were held up this summer would disagree with you. So would the two tourists who were robbed of their phone, camera, and cash yesterday while visiting the Indian caves at Boca Onima.

This is public information. How in the world can you say reports of crime are being blown out of proportion?

Sorry for hijacking the thread topic, but it rankles me when I read statements like this that fly in the face of reality. The crime reports are what they are.

 

[Doctorfish]

I'm comparing to Toronto where there were 2 murders yesterday.
It's all relative.

 

[wwguy]

I'm comparing to Toronto where there were 2 murders yesterday.
It's all relative.

Your logic is lost on me. Bonaire has had 2 homicides year-to-date among a population of 16,000 vs. 35 homicides among Toronto's 2.6 million residents. That's 1 homicide per 8000 Bonaireans vs. 1 homicide per 75,000 Toronto residents. The difference is almost tenfold and it's not in your favor.

But your previous post implied that crime reports are out of proportion to reality, rather than out of proportion to your home city. In both cases I respectfully disagree.

All I ask is that you, and others who persist in similarly dismissing reports of rising crime on Bonaire, consider that repeatedly saying "it isn't so bad" doesn't make it not so bad. Not seeing something for yourself doesn't mean it isn't there. Like I said, it is what it is. That's why the police are calling in reinforcements and implementing more aggressive tactics.

 

[djtimmy77]

the sky is falling! the sky is falling!

 

[wwguy]

the sky is falling! the sky is falling!

Hardly. But way to keep padding your post count.

 

[djtimmy77]

clever.