Anyone recently back from Bonaire?

[PeaceDog]

I'm curious about weather and what the water temp is gonna be.

Weather services online are saying 80-degree water and partly cloudy all next week.....does it actually rain?

 

[Tom Smedley]

I was in Bonaire three weeks ago and I was there in December. Yes it does rain. In December we got into a rainstorm where I had to stop the car because I couldn't see. There was an unusual rainy season this year. In December it rained almost every day. In the spring trip it rained once in the daytime and once or twice during the night.

This means that you should take some insect repellent with you. Usually things are dried up in March but this year they were still green. The donkeys were not out so much begging on the roadside because they had plenty to eat.

You can see real-time water temperature and visually check out the clouds at the web cam. http://bonairewebcams.com With the ever changing political and airline conditions it is wise to get an online subscription to the Reporter at http://bonairereporter.com It is a small investment for the information you gain.

Have a great trip.

 

[H2Andy]

yeah, it rains in Bonaire, though not a whole lot. the rainy season is October
through January, and Tom is right... December is on average the rainiest month

by the way, you'll love Bonaire. the shore diving is amazing. just load your pickup with
tanks, go dive at one of a few dozen excellent sites, and come back for more
when you're ready.

gotta love it

 

[PeaceDog]

I was in Bonaire three weeks ago

Hey Tom, what did you get for an average water temp?

thanks much for the info. big, big help.

 

[Tom Smedley]

In December it was 83 to 84 but in March it was pretty consistently 79 F. I usually don't bother to wear a suit at all but in March I got a little sunburned and my 3 mil came in really handy. I usually average 26 dives during the week but only did 20 in March. When you are in the water that much you lose some core temp too.

Go directly to a dive shop or bookstore and buy the little yellow book Bonaire Diving Made Easy by Jessie Armacost - Make this your Bible and mark off the sites as you dive them.

ScubaPro makes a nice boot that has a sole much like a pair of running shoes. Also there is a company called National River Supply http://www.nrsweb.com that makes a boot called the NRS Workboot Wetshoe Item 2338 that is the combat boot that Navy Seals wear. For a small investment your feet will say thanks.

You should also check out Larry's Wildside Adventures. His signs are all over the island. He has an inflatable and carries divers to the windward side. Gosh how beautiful! Well worth the money and time.

On Saturday night check out Bobbyjon's BBQ - deelicious for not much money.

Take your sweetie up to Seru Largu at night and see the stars and island lights while listening to Donkeys braying in the distance. If you don't have a sweetie along go to Pachy's Bar.

When you go north take some money and stop by Rose Inn in Rincon for a delicious meal and some Polar. Ian and Malfina accept wet money.

Do lunch at Jibe City and discretely checkout the fauna au naturale.

Stop at the Bonaire Great Escape where an honest to Gosh Cuban chef will make you some Black Bean Soup.

Do a dive at Eden Beach Resort - go left along the barren reef until you find My Confidence - come back at about 40 feet until you see another wreck with a large concrete block near it. Pose for the underwater web cam.

Go all the way to the gate at BOPEC and turn right. Follow the unpaved road to the fishing village at Playa Frans and see the fresh catch. Take a lunch and stop at Taylor Maid for a fantastic dive.

Go to Rincon on Saturday morning and take in the handicrafts and local dances. Visit the museum at the entrance to the National Park and stop at the Indian Inscriptions.

Turn right at the intersecton at Karpata and right onto the unpaved road marked with a bicycle on the stone. Follow Mai Mai (In the middle) Road back to the hotel road.

Wear some sturdy shoes and take a flashlight - go to Club Caribbean and look across the street to find an oblisk. Go down the steps and do a fresh water snorkel on Bonaire.

There's all kind of stuff - just do it!!

Gas is a dollar a liter - the trucks hold 40 liters. Add that to your budget.

Hey Tom, what did you get for an average water temp?

thanks much for the info. big, big help.

 

[D_O_H]

Thanks Tom - I've just added like 8 more things to my "to do" list.

In December it was 83 to 84 but in March it was pretty consistently 79 F. I usually don't bother to wear a suit at all but in March I got a little sunburned and my 3 mil came in really handy. I usually average 26 dives during the week but only did 20 in March. When you are in the water that much you lose some core temp too.

Go directly to a dive shop or bookstore and buy the little yellow book Bonaire Diving Made Easy by Jessie Armacost - Make this your Bible and mark off the sites as you dive them.

ScubaPro makes a nice boot that has a sole much like a pair of running shoes. Also there is a company called National River Supply http://www.nrsweb.com that makes a boot called the NRS Workboot Wetshoe Item 2338 that is the combat boot that Navy Seals wear. For a small investment your feet will say thanks.

You should also check out Larry's Wildside Adventures. His signs are all over the island. He has an inflatable and carries divers to the windward side. Gosh how beautiful! Well worth the money and time.

On Saturday night check out Bobbyjon's BBQ - deelicious for not much money.

Take your sweetie up to Seru Largu at night and see the stars and island lights while listening to Donkeys braying in the distance. If you don't have a sweetie along go to Pachy's Bar.

When you go north take some money and stop by Rose Inn in Rincon for a delicious meal and some Polar. Ian and Malfina accept wet money.

Do lunch at Jibe City and discretely checkout the fauna au naturale.

Stop at the Bonaire Great Escape where an honest to Gosh Cuban chef will make you some Black Bean Soup.

Do a dive at Eden Beach Resort - go left along the barren reef until you find My Confidence - come back at about 40 feet until you see another wreck with a large concrete block near it. Pose for the underwater web cam.

Go all the way to the gate at BOPEC and turn right. Follow the unpaved road to the fishing village at Playa Frans and see the fresh catch. Take a lunch and stop at Taylor Maid for a fantastic dive.

Go to Rincon on Saturday morning and take in the handicrafts and local dances. Visit the museum at the entrance to the National Park and stop at the Indian Inscriptions.

Turn right at the intersecton at Karpata and right onto the unpaved road marked with a bicycle on the stone. Follow Mai Mai (In the middle) Road back to the hotel road.

Wear some sturdy shoes and take a flashlight - go to Club Caribbean and look across the street to find an oblisk. Go down the steps and do a fresh water snorkel on Bonaire.

There's all kind of stuff - just do it!!

Gas is a dollar a liter - the trucks hold 40 liters. Add that to your budget.

 

[dvrliz1]

Thanks Tom - I've just added like 8 more things to my "to do" list.

You also may want to look into horseback riding if your partner does not dive or if you want to take a morning off (yeah..right!). Also, mangrove kayaking, Sunday afternoon at Lac Bay, anytime over at Sorobon to watch the windsurfers, have a bit to eat and a cool drink on a sandy white beach, para sailing, the other museums on the island

Regarding the weather. Right now they are out of rainy season. They haven't had any significant rain for almost a month. Rainy season is usually Nov-Mar. Bonaire averages about 22" a year of rain total. Last year was a freakish, once every 80 years or so wild rain. Regarding a diving, I usually wear an insulated skin in the winter months and for summer (especially Jul/Aug), just a t-shirt over my bathing suit. Our average bottom time is between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes. If I do get cold it is usually between these times so it works out well. Any other questions, please feel free to email us! Thanks.

Liz

 

[Scuba65]

I'll be in Bonaire on Sunday 4/24 and I can't wait.....the countdown is on

 

[PeaceDog]

In December it was 83 to 84 but in March it was pretty consistently 79 F.

Aw, jeez....79? Frigid. And I was planning on doing about 5 dives a day. Oh well.

 

[diversteve]

http://www.caribinn.com/weatherreport.html