Best Bonaire Dive Sites?

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A couple other favorite dive locations of mine, not yet mentioned are The Lake and Pink Beach (southern sites) and Weber's Joy, Oil Slick Leap and 1,000 Steps (northern sites).

Came here to mention The Lake - a couple selling shave ice at the cruise ship market told us about it - really nice site and the 2nd reef is quite close compared to some of the more southern sites.

Karpata was fantastic and I really need to go back to dive it in the afternoon
 
Darook is right. Just get in, keep diving and go slow. You can see anything anywhere.
 
Headed to Bonaire soon and was wondering about dives sites around the island. Either must dive wreak or deep dives? And definitely the drive own truck shore dives around the island...any other info,, places to eat,, what else to do would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

Tana ..Feel free to ping me offline. My wife and I have lived on the island for a year now and will certainly share our thoughts.

No bad sites, which sites are best for you and your partner(s) depending on skill and interest. The best wreck is the Hilma Hooker, a basic rocky shore entry, short(er) swim and max depth of only about 100’. There are a couple others for tech/deco divers in the 150+ range. Of the other south sites, we love Salt City, Tori’s, Jeanie’s Glory, Pink Beach, Margate Bay, and many others. In the central area, we enjoy Something Special, Bari’s, and The Cliff. To the North, Witches Hut and definitely Tolo.

Our regular spots for dinner include The Beach (@ Windsock), The Brewery, and Divers Diner. For a little more special evening, At Sea, Ingredients (try the Alfredo Truffle Pasta made tabelside inside a wheel of parmasian), and Patagonia are very nice. Of course don’t miss Gio’s for the best gelato in the Caribbean.

Have a great trip . . . And ask away with any questions.
 
@Tana

Where are you staying? As @Kharon said, a good house reef is really great. We used to stay at Sand Dollar, now stay next door at Den Laman. We also cook most of our own meals. Bari Reef is a fantastic house dive, Dive Friends has a location there and their boats leave from the pier if you are so inclined. We really like some of the sites off Klein Bonaire and some of the northern sites not reachable from shore
Staying at buddy's dive center
 
Headed to Bonaire soon and was wondering about dives sites around the island. Either must dive wreak or deep dives? And definitely the drive own truck shore dives around the island...any other info,, places to eat,, what else to do would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

Hilma Hooker is my favorite site by far, and I also like the salt pier. Both easy to do with a truck from the shore. No need for a boat as far as I can tell. All the other ones seem pretty much the same to me, reefs with small fish. I suppose any place can have pelagics if you look out into the blue, but I have been there a number of times and never saw anything bigger than the Tarpon that hang around at night. Very easy diving, though!

Not sure what you mean by "deep", but another fun wreck dive that I did (right off the Buddy Dive dock) is the Hesper, it's at around 150 feet, and deco along the wall is much better than just hanging on an ascent line. There are a couple of other deeper wrecks that I haven't done, but Mr. G at Buddy Dive can set those up for you if that's what you mean. Here's my video of the Hesper.

[vimeo]
 
My favorite site is Vista Blue which is south of the kite surfer guys.

your info indicates 200+ dives so you should be fine to venture out to the double reef system that is at many of the southern sites. I personally would not recommend to a new diver.

Since its your first trip - I suggest that you not dive close to the ends of the island due to unexpected current that can push you out to sea.
 
Staying at buddy's dive center

Oh hell you nailed it! You're staying at two of the best shore dives on Bonaire. Either jump off the pier and go right or jump off the pier and go left.
 
I'm 72 and I find I'm usually not too tired most days going for 2 shore dives in the morning and coming back to the apartment for lunch and a nap. Then an easy afternoon dive on the house reef (I now stay at Hamlet Oasis - dive shop on site and the HR is Cliff). Maybe another nap, dinner and finally a night dive on the house reef to swim with the tarpon. Early in the trip I might even get five dives a day in, but that's really pushing it.

I tend to stick with 2 morning dives a day that I drive to but having a walk-in dive site makes it easy for impromptu dives. I mix in some snorkling (much less tiring without tanks) and tend to pick easier entries. Sometimes I'll drive to an afternoon dive.

For making entries easier when there is surge: 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. Note: fairly hard soled boots are a must.

For the best sandwich ever try Between Two Buns. Other than that I can't recommend places to eat. I used to stay at Coco Palm Garden and now stay at Hamlet Oasis (inexpensive apartments 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 the day.

Get Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy (http://www.infobonaire.com/bsdme/) or Dive Guide Boanire (Dive Friends Bonaire shops on island) 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 and angel fish. 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. For the easiest entry/exit ever, park at the fuel pier (Windsock across from the airport you will see the iron pier - park just to the north). Sand entry and pier colums for support when putting fins on.It's the only place where I regularly see a bluespotted coronetfish.

One final tip. Unless you are a total wreckhead I'd skip Hilma Hooker. It was a total yawn for me. I want to see fish, more fish, and more fish and watch them interact.

Here are some links to give you an idea what it's like:




I don't think you have to get up at the crack of dawn for the southern dives. It's just better to head there for your morning dives rather than waiting till late noonish or the afternoon.

One thing I forgot. If you want to dive Red Slave or Red Beryl it's best to do them when there is little wind. Here's a link to an excellent source of wind forcast:

Windguru - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba - Lac Cai

The line to look at is Wind Speed (knots).

It's true that it's best to leave the windows down and nothing valuable inside the truck while diving. But I think that can be said for pretty much anywhere these days. I've had stuff stolen at Lake George, NY while diving.

Finally (boy I'm long winded) it's a good habit when entering a shop or before asking a question to greet with Bon Dia (good morning) Bon Tarde (good afternoon) or Bon Noche (good evening/night). It's curteous and people react favorably. In the USVI shopowners often won't even acknowledge you if you don't first say hello, how are you or good morning. By greeting Bonairians in their own manner it tells them you are trying to meet them half way.
That was informative thank you.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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