Bonaire Advice

[Boat Chick]

Rainer, where are you staying? It is sort of customary (and more importantly extremely convenient) to use the dive op at the resort you are staying at. Most of the smaller hotels that are not on the water have some sort of arrangenment with a dive op. I've used Buddy's, Wannadive, Bonaire Dive and Adventure, Buddy's at Belmar, Yellow Sub, and Photo Tours over the years and all of them are top rate, as are the others mentioned in this thread. You rarely hear a negative report about a shop...few and far in between.

For your first trip, if you can afford it, go for a couple of boat dives just for the experience. Like others have said, it's a very short boat ride to Klein. There is some different topography, and heck, doing a backroll off a boat is just plain fun!

I've done Town Pier and Salt Pier (Salt several times), and Salt is one of my favorite dives...tons of stuff to see, and it's just amazing looking up at the columns. Reminds me of the kelp forests at home Town is interesting, I like it best during the day...but the hum of the generators from the boats in port can be a little "unnerving" at first!

Enjoy your trip, and I'd also recommend buying the latest edition Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. You can order it directly at, www.bsdme.info.

 

[mlkco]

The Hilma Hooker is a shore dive.
Rent a truck and you can do as many as you have time

 

[miesemer]

You didn't ask but I figured I pass a tip along from my visits to Bonaire...

Consider bringing heavy sole booties if you're going to do shore diving (don't even consider full foot fins). Many of the shore entries can be tough on tender feet in the standard vulcanized rubber booties.

We did the Hilma Hooker by shore. It makes a nice pre-dawn dive, bring bug spray if you consider the early morning (no wind) dives.

 

[akscuba]

Rainer, where are you staying? It is sort of customary (and more importantly extremely convenient) to use the dive op at the resort you are staying at. QUOTE]

We're staying at the Golden Reef Inn, which is not on the water. I'll check with them to see which dive op (if any) they are affiliated with. Thanks!

 

[Boat Chick]

Rainer, where are you staying? It is sort of customary (and more importantly extremely convenient) to use the dive op at the resort you are staying at. QUOTE]

We're staying at the Golden Reef Inn, which is not on the water. I'll check with them to see which dive op (if any) they are affiliated with. Thanks!

They use Wannadive You will LOVE the folks at Wannadive!

Also, if you want to do Salt Pier or Town Pier, and have the dive on DVD, with great music and remember it forever, contact Roger Burnham, at www.blennylips.com. I've done a few dives with Roger at Salt and Town, and I pop the DVD in at work when I need to "chill." He has his prices listed on his website.

 

[WallDiver77]

You didn't ask but I figured I pass a tip along from my visits to Bonaire...

Consider bringing heavy sole booties if you're going to do shore diving (don't even consider full foot fins). Many of the shore entries can be tough on tender feet in the standard vulcanized rubber booties.

We did the Hilma Hooker by shore. It makes a nice pre-dawn dive, bring bug spray if you consider the early morning (no wind) dives.

Regarding the tip of no full foot fins: I just hate to wear my open-heel clunkers with boots when diving in warm water!!!! For me, they have never been as efficient as full foot fins. I plan to bring along a pair of "water shoes" that are flexibile enough to fold up and tuck away in my BC pockets. I'll use these to get me from the "beach" into the water and then make the swap.

See any problem with this idea? It seems that this idea might work for people like me that prefer leaving their cold-water gear behind.

 

[H2Andy]

just seems like overcomplicating things, but if you think it'll work for you, sure...

(you'll have to remove the booties, put on fins, stow away booties, go diving, remove fins, remove booties from storage, put on booties ... as opposed to: get to shore, put on fins, go diving, remove fins)

i wore "regular" booties and had no problems in Bonaire

 

[diversteve]

See any problem with this idea? It seems that this idea might work for people like me that prefer leaving their cold-water gear behind.

I have a 4x1" scar on my leg because I used surf-shoes instead of treaded boots. That stuff is slick when wet.

Although some sites do have a little beach area that you can walk out from. Salt Pier, Vista Blue, Witches Hut and Pink Beach(doh) come to mind. But sometimes there's still shallow ironshore 15-20' offshore to climb over.

 

[Bosun]

If you want to see certain critters such as Sea Horses, Frog Fish etc. then a boat dive or two maybe worthwhile as the DMs know were to look.

Open heel fins and booties are my preference as well.

2 days and we will be back in Bonaire

 

[El Orans]

Regarding the tip of no full foot fins: I just hate to wear my open-heel clunkers with boots when diving in warm water!!!! For me, they have never been as efficient as full foot fins. I plan to bring along a pair of "water shoes" that are flexibile enough to fold up and tuck away in my BC pockets. I'll use these to get me from the "beach" into the water and then make the swap.

See any problem with this idea? It seems that this idea might work for people like me that prefer leaving their cold-water gear behind.

I've used the same boots on Bonaire as I use for local diving. No problem whatsoever.