Bonaire boat diving necessary? advised ?

[nhawrylyshyn]

Hi,

Am headed to Bonaire January 8-15th for first time. I've ordered the shore diving book off the web in anticipation for shore dive planning but was wondering:

- Are there any boat dives which are really worth doing ? If so what would you recommend ?

Apart from not being able to get to a location, is there any major difference between the shore and boat dives in Bonaire ?

Regards,

Nick.

 

[drrich2]

Well, you avoid having to gear up, walk in & swim out, then walk back out. But you have to comply with the boat's schedule. No major reason you can't try both. And as you alluded to, you could take some boat dives to places you can't reach from shore (e.g.: Klein Bonaire) or where you want to avoid a swim out & maximize your air supply on a dive expected to be deep (e.g.: Hilma Hooker).

Shore diving gives you the freedom to dive wherever & whenever you can, conditions & ability allowing, without syncing your schedule with the operator's. Boat diving may be somewhat less laborious.

Richard.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

There are good arguments for both. Our group generally charters our own boat so the schedule is ours, and we head out and do our boat dives in one direction, meaning we don't come back to an anchored boat; rather the boat comes to chase us. Finally we add a third tank on board the boat and have them drop us off north or south of our resort and we dive back home rather tan ride the boat in.

It's all in the negotiation, but that is an even greater reason to dive on an organized trip rather than alone.

 

[vladimir]

I book a package that includes 11 boat dives and unlimited tanks. If I'm in the mood to go when the boat is leaving, I go; because the lack of a schedule, to me, is what differentiates Bonaire from diving in most other places. Rappel and Thousand Steps, for example, are easier by boat, and Klein, obviously, is a lot easier by boat. I think the east coast of Klein is overrated, but I like the rest of it.

 

[diversteve]

Rappel is all but inaccessible (unless you rappel with gear...lol) I thought it was one of the best dives we did all week. Small Wall is off private property so easier by boat (you may be able to get permission to dive it from Black Durgon's property)

Hands Off off Klein was a good drift dive. And Forest was one of the best also.

 

[driftwood]

Karpata is another site that is easier by boat. If memory serves, the coast road becomes one way after Thousand Steps. Kali and Something Special are also easier by boat. Klein Bonaire is exclusively by boat, but we were not impressed. Good diving but not equal to the rest of the island.

 

[gbf]

Different strokes...

I dive with 3 females (wife, 2 daughters). We almost exclusively shore dive, with a few boat trips to Klein.

We don't think either is much "easier" than the other. The shore dives just aren't that strenuous absent health problems, e.g. bum knees, bad back. We usually surface-swim out on our backs and drop on the buoy unless it is too rough (very infrequent in our experience).

There are some dives that can only be done by boat, or with planning (Klein, rappell, la dania's, park). We dove karpata from shore once, and then once by boat to avoid the drive. After that we decided it wasn't worth the trouble of either (driving or boating) so haven't been back. But, mostly, the boat- and shore-divers are diving the same/similar sites.

Besides, bride is subject to mal de mer, so really doesn't enjoy the boats - which is part of what makes bon so very attractive to us.

 

[Walter]

When I dive from a boat off Bonaire, I don't get in as much bottom time as when I stick with the shore dives. Boat dives include a great deal more wasted time. I no longer include boat dives when I go to Bonaire.

 

[Mossman]

It's all in the negotiation, but that is an even greater reason to dive on an organized trip rather than alone.

Organized "dive freedom"? My greater reason to go it alone in Bonaire rather than as part of an organized trip is exactly to enjoy the "dive freedom" of going where I want to go, when I want to go, and not dive on someone else's schedule.

YMMV

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

I apologize I did not mean to infer a rigid "schedule" but again, deciding when and where a group may wish to dive, who wants to be in that group, and the ability to direct the boat to do as you wish, is all part of that negotiation. Some groups are too much fun to NOT be part of, and then again, I am sure there are groups that aren't that way too.

No argument intended here, just enjoy your diving as you see fit!