Bonaire/Buddy Dive Review

[wwguy]

It's really arrogant of anyone to tell another diver how much weight they need. Worse if they refuse to give you what you ask for untill you prove them wrong.

I'll take arrogance over this any day... I've lost count of how many times I've observed this around Bonaire over the past 21 years and I'm sure Bonaire's dive pros have seen it way more often than me. Freedom for divers isn't always best for the reef.

 

[scuba127]

I want to look away but I can't....absolutely unbelievable...get some buoyancy training or give it up...

 

[EireDiver606]

Just got back from Bonaire. What an amazing island and trip!

Bonaire:

There are so many threads on travel here I'll try to keep it short and answer some of the questions I had before I went.

I had no issues with crime at all, although I didn't see a strong police presence there. I think staying at a resort helped because I talked with some of the people I met there who are staying all summer in various houses, and they said they have had problems with break ins. I never felt unsafe walking around a night on the island. I followed the recommendations of not keeping anything in truck and keeping windows down/unlocked and never had an issue.

For food, I had breakfast included every day and I would essentially gorge myself on the breakfast buffet which would carry me throughout my day of diving and then I'd just have to fend for dinner. I did not buy groceries because food on the island was actually very very good. I couldn't resist trying a different restaurant every night. some of the freshest seafood I've ever had. In general on the island eating out costs about $25 a meal no matter where you eat. Everywhere seemed to have very similar prices.

I traveled alone. It was really easy to meet people on the island and I met multiple people I dove with all week as dive buddies.


Buddy Dive:

Loved it and would absolutely stay there again.

Tanks on their pier which was like 10 feet from my room were available 24/7 to dive their house reef. Their house reef was one of the best reefs I dove all week and is awesome to have it right there outside of your room. The drive through for tanks if you want to shore dive outside the resort was also very convenient. I never had an issue getting tanks or waiting on tanks. They have hundreds always filled, both nitrox and air.

Signing up for boat dives was very easy and they tend to have 3 going out a day, again leaving from the pier right outside your room. Crew is willing to take you anywhere you want to dive and people on the boat don't tend to have an opinion on where to go, so if there's somewhere specific you want to go you'll get to go there.

Divemasters were friendly and GUE trained. They have essentially all passed fundies and the shop on the resort is a GUE shop/training site. Technical dives and gear are readily available.

Room was better than I expected with a separate room functioning as a kitchen with fridge, stove, and all cooking utensils/pots/pans/plates/etc you would need.


Essentially Bonaire is the live aboard of shore diving. What a great experience and can't wait to go back.

Sounds great, where exactly were you staying/ diving? Name is shop?

 

[Kharon]

That's why I dive solo at sites with no other divers. Makes me crazy.

 

[tursiops]

Sounds great, where exactly were you staying/ diving? Name is shop?

Read his post, and the thread title!

 

[Scott]

I'll take arrogance over this any day... I've lost count of how many times I've observed this around Bonaire over the past 21 years and I'm sure Bonaire's dive pros have seen it way more often than me. Freedom for divers isn't always best for the reef.

View attachment 482839

Looks like something I ran into a couple weeks ago while there. Maddening!
I'll give kudo to Buddy Dive in being aware of divers and the impact the have on the reefs, at least on their boat dives. They keep a watchful eye and cover it well on boat briefings, "stay off the bottom." I would hope other operators are relaying the same message. Of course no resort can control what happens on unsupervised dives.

 

[EireDiver606]

Read his post, and the thread title!

Read my post

Where exactly?

 

[Dogbowl]

Read my post

Where exactly?

Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire, exactly as the title of this thread says

 

[EireDiver606]

Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire, exactly as the title of this thread says

Haha thought the buddy part was reviews of your buddies underwater seen as you were talking about the good buddies you made

 

[Dogbowl]

Haha thought the buddy part was reviews of your buddies underwater seen as you were talking about the good buddies you made

I kinda thought you were thinking that because you kept asking where this place was