Best Bonaire Boat DIves

[Doctorfish]

I'm not discounting East Coast Divers, in fact love going out with them. I was assuming the OP was on some sort of boat package which would only include west side and Klein diving. As far as I know, Bruce Bowker is the only west side op who occasionally goes around the other side.

 

[nippurmagnum]

Hi all, I will be in Bonaire for a week in early Nov, and my buddies want to include 6 boat dives. I have been to Bonaire many times, and have never done a boat dive. Does anyone have suggestions on boat dives that cannot be done from shore, or are better as boat dives? Obviously Klein Bonaire, but are there specific sites there that are better than others? Thanks!
PS I'll be going back in January for 2 weeks, shore diving only.

In my opinion, buddies don't let buddies do boat dives in Bonaire.

 

[scubadada]

In my opinion, buddies don't let buddies do boat dives in Bonaire.

You're missing out, your loss.

 

[homerdoc]

To answer the OP's question - I liked the rockpile and just a nice dive on Klein

Just a nice dive always makes me laugh, when we got out the divemaster lost his tooth in his regulator (not sure how that happens, but he did something and dug it out)

The comment about not boat diving. For me, if it is my brother and I, we would 100% shore dive.

When I have my girls with me, it is a REALLY nice break not to have to haul three sets of tanks around and all the gear that goes with it. They help, but truth be told, its better I haul the empties back and the fulls to the truck.

 

[scubadada]

My wife and I dived Bon Bini Na Cas, and La Dania's Leap for the first time on our last visit. These were both fantastic dives, glad we were able to do them. I understand the exclusive shore diver philosophy, but it is wrong

 

[rmorgan]

I'm not discounting East Coast Divers, in fact love going out with them. I was assuming the OP was on some sort of boat package which would only include west side and Klein diving. As far as I know, Bruce Bowker is the only west side op who occasionally goes around the other side.

I knew you weren't discounting them, Doc. And as to the no-boat-dive folks, well, one of the wonderful things about diving is that even folks like my bride, with two titanium knees, can rack up 25 or 50 dives a year. I'm impressed that nippurmagnum can fin out to Klein and White Hole, though!

 

[nippurmagnum]

I knew you weren't discounting them, Doc. And as to the no-boat-dive folks, well, one of the wonderful things about diving is that even folks like my bride, with two titanium knees, can rack up 25 or 50 dives a year. I'm impressed that nippurmagnum can fin out to Klein and White Hole, though!

I am cheap and crazy enough to fin out to Klein, but on my first trip to Bonaire I actually did one two-tank boat trip to Klein ... and that was enough for me. Checking in for the boat dive at Captain Don’s was a waste of an hour, the divers on the boat were mostly newbies, the two indifferent divemasters had 8-10 divers each and spent the whole time checking everyone’s air, and the dive sites themselves, while certainly nice, where not particularly memorable. Oh, and my wife and I spent something like $150 for that outing. We both agreed afterwards that we should have just dived 1,000 Steps and Karpata (or Captain Don’s house reef, for that matter) and spent the $150 on a fabulous dinner.

Mind you, my 53-year-old knees are pre-titanium. Knock on wood.

 

[scubadada]

I am cheap and crazy enough to fin out to Klein, but on my first trip to Bonaire I actually did one two-tank boat trip to Klein ... and that was enough for me. Checking in for the boat dive at Captain Don’s was a waste of an hour, the divers on the boat were mostly newbies, the two indifferent divemasters had 8-10 divers each and spent the whole time checking everyone’s air, and the dive sites themselves, while certainly nice, where not particularly memorable. Oh, and my wife and I spent something like $150 for that outing. We both agreed afterwards that we should have just dived 1,000 Steps and Karpata (or Captain Don’s house reef, for that matter) and spent the $150 on a fabulous dinner.

Mind you, my 53-year-old knees are pre-titanium. Knock on wood.

I've had a much better experience boat diving with Dive Friends from the pier at Sand Dollar/Den Laman. We stay at Den Laman. I've dived a bunch of really great sites that you will never see.

 

[tkaelin]

I am cheap and crazy enough to fin out to Klein, but on my first trip to Bonaire I actually did one two-tank boat trip to Klein ... and that was enough for me. Checking in for the boat dive at Captain Don’s was a waste of an hour, the divers on the boat were mostly newbies, the two indifferent divemasters had 8-10 divers each and spent the whole time checking everyone’s air, and the dive sites themselves, while certainly nice, where not particularly memorable. Oh, and my wife and I spent something like $150 for that outing. We both agreed afterwards that we should have just dived 1,000 Steps and Karpata (or Captain Don’s house reef, for that matter) and spent the $150 on a fabulous dinner.

Mind you, my 53-year-old knees are pre-titanium. Knock on wood.

Sounds terrible but that has not been our experience boat diving Klein with Capt Dons. On our four trips to Bon, we stayed at Coral Paradise and did our diving through Capt. Dons. Boat dives ended up being about $30 per dive and they did not do two tanks. Only one tanks three different times of day: early morning mid morning and early afternoon. Most often they did Klein as the afternoon boat dive. The boats were typically empty as all the group divers did there two am dives. The boat trip was a couple minutes and the diving by and large was very good. Your experience sounds terrible and don't blame you for having not enjoyed it. We enjoyed our Capt Don 1 tank PM boat dives to Klein. The price was right, we had the boat to ourselves mostly and the diving was very good.

 

[bethie]

Thanks for all the suggestions and amusing discussions!
My buddies had planned this trip for themselves and I joined much later. It is rare that the three of us get to dive together. They were hesitant about only shore diving so are staying at Buddy Dive with the 6 boat dive package. At first I figured I would not do the boat dives, as I am one of those who thinks boat diving is ridiculous in Bonaire, but I figured, why not have a totally different Bonaire experience than usual. I only hope the captain will be open to suggestions, and we don't wind up doing boat diving at shore dive sites.
My partner (non diver, but shore support extraordinaire) and I will be back for 2 weeks in January, at our usual rental house and shore dive/snorkel-only lifestyle.