Best House Reef?

[PARADISE HUNTER]

Just curious which hotel the Bonaire fans thought had the best reef? We are kooking at going for the first time and would like to stay someplace that had a nice reef right there.

Thanks,

PH

 

[diversteve]

Some general comments as I haven't dove them all.

Sand Dollar/Den Laman are on Bari Reef - it has the highest diversity (fish species) of any reef in the Caribbean. There's some man-made rubble in the shallows but the dive is good all the way out to the drop. At Bonaire Dive/Adventure there you can do a REEF fishcount with/without a naturalist accompanying you. My buddy counted about 100 species on his dive.

At Capt' Don's Habitat, you can dive both Cliff and LaMachaca from their dock. Both are named dive sites. I really liked Cliff - one area is one of few vertical walls near town.

I've heard the best house reef is Small Wall off the Black Durgon Inn. Never dove it.

I understand that Divi's reef is pretty good however being closer to the port it might not be so clear. And Buddy's is dove often but that may be more due to location - I don't think it's a named site.

We stayed at BelMar - their house reef while decent, wouldn't make a top 10 list. It's a continuation of Bachelor's Beach. It doesn't get much easier though, tanks are on the divedock 50' from your patio.

Plaza Resort is on the 18Palms site - never dove it either. It's on the far north end of the property and the diveshop is on the lagoon at the far south end so logistics is an issue. I've read they stage tanks there now and you may be able to get someone from the resort to give you a ride with their golf-cart - otherwise it's a hike with gear.

There's a thread discussing this somewhere - maybe Bonairetalk?

 

[robint]

we stayed at Buddy Dive, which is right between SandDollar (Bari reef) and Capt Don's. We did the whole area every day at least once. We found the best coral and fish to be between Buddy's and Capt Don's, and all around the Machaca wreck (upside down boat).

my video of the whole area, taken over several days and dives:
[vimeo]3207050[/vimeo]


robin

 

[DiveMaven]

We stay at Den Laman and dive Bari Reef as our last dive every afternoon. We always see different things on every dive, and we're on island for 2 weeks at a time, so typically do in the neighborhood of 14 dives of Bari in a trip. One thing we enjoy doing sometimes is finning slowly all the way in front of Buddy and drifting slowly back to Bari. There isn't always enough current to do a "real" drift dive, but there's always enough to make the trip back easy and relaxing.

I'm not sure there's such a thing as "best" house reef on Bonaire. It seems to come down to personal opinion/experience more than anything.

 

[RJP]

Diving any House reef in Bonaire is like having sex:

When it's good, it's great. When it's not great... it's still really good.

 

[keithdiver]

Just curious which hotel the Bonaire fans thought had the best reef? We are kooking at going for the first time and would like to stay someplace that had a nice reef right there.

Thanks,

PH

Every house reef in Bonaire is awesome We usually stay at the Den laman and dive bari reef over and over. There are 160 different species of life on that reef. Hang out in the shallows at night and see what you find. Awesome life enjoy:cool2:

 

[Adaveke]

Pff, tough question. Everything is good in Bonaire. I know, hard to believe, but believe me!
Even at Front porch where there is nothing much to see as a reef, we had some fantastic dives as we got to see a wreck, a turtle, a frogfish, an eagle ray, a squid and a mini octopus in a time frame of about 40 mins.
(just got home... expect a full trip report in a few days when the blues wear off)

 

[scubadada]

Bari reef at Sand Dollar/Ben Lamen is fantatic day or night. I never get tired of diving it.

Good diving, Craig

 

[lmorin]

...................
Plaza Resort is on the 18Palms site - never dove it either. It's on the far north end of the property and the diveshop is on the lagoon at the far south end so logistics is an issue. I've read they stage tanks there now and you may be able to get someone from the resort to give you a ride with their golf-cart - otherwise it's a hike with gear.
..............

1Palms extends the entire length of the Plaza waterfront. If things are still as they were a few years ago, there are two entrances and, effectively, 3 different dives one can do. The entry nearest the Dive Op is at the north end and there is another entrance at the south end, next to a on-site restaurant. This means you can swim to the north and return, swim to the south and return or, from the south entry, to the south and return. Three different dives. The Dive Op will move your gear for you, if you plan ahead. Used tanks are left in racks where you emerge