DiveMaven
Contributor
Agree with all of the above! If you're an experienced diver, when you do your house reef "check out" dive, you'll realize quickly that a guide is not necessary at all.
Bonaire - Can anyone recommend a guide/divemaster
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Funny how a lot of people think a guide is useless. A few local guides can really show you different things that you would have never known about if you wouldn't be diving with them. it's definitely worth doing one or two special dives with a guide.
"Not necessary" is not always related to getting the most out of a new dive destination, and knowing what to look out for, and where.
chauncy19
Contributor
Not necessary--I not sure that's really the question.
I did dive with Bas Noij and besides taking me someplace a bit off the normal path (tailor maid) he know a tremendous amount about Bonaire both underwater and above. Highly recommend him but its certainly not necessary. Have been to Bonaire over a dozen times and I certainly remember that day and am planning another with him soon I hope. I am back in March.
I did dive with Bas Noij and besides taking me someplace a bit off the normal path (tailor maid) he know a tremendous amount about Bonaire both underwater and above. Highly recommend him but its certainly not necessary. Have been to Bonaire over a dozen times and I certainly remember that day and am planning another with him soon I hope. I am back in March.
drrich2
Contributor
If you hire a guide, and you guys are experienced divers up for 'less than ideal' conditions, you might inquire about a shore dive on the east coast at Cai or Blue Hole. A guide is recommended for those.
By the way, about the driving around - unless you make special arrangements and pay another $150 or so, your truck will be manual transmission. Just so you know.
Richard.
By the way, about the driving around - unless you make special arrangements and pay another $150 or so, your truck will be manual transmission. Just so you know.
Richard.
I was actually looking into some guided east coast dives for a big trip coming up in march, but all the guides I found charge a rate per person, per dive. For our group that would have been way too expensive per-dive. Just doesn't add up. If anyone knows of a guide that will work a group price for some guided east coast dives let me know.
All guides/boats/airpackages are per person per dive. Maybe it's worth the money. Some of those guides have spend years of time and effort in finding out what they know. If it's not worth it you know not to come back to that guide. check out www.basdiving.com for some eastcoast shore dives!
DeputyDan
Contributor
Jerry's class and dive is well worth the cost
DiveMaven
Contributor
vladimir
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Useless was perhaps too strong. Any time spent with a naturalist would be interesting (I spent two weeks with Neville Coleman in PNG and learned a lot), but that's a different conversation.
What function does a dive guide serve in Bonaire? If it's to show me where the seahorse and the frogfish are, I'd rather find them myself—or not find them at all. Otherwise my dive feels like a trip to the aquarium, and for that I could have stayed in New York, Chicago (good one there), etc. But, as I said, preferences vary, and other divers might like that.
As far as the logistics of finding dive sites and planning dives (current, navigation, depth, time, entry, exit, etc.), experienced divers will have no need for a guide.
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