Bonaire Crime - Our experience - Looking for input to share

[Kharon]

Where and with whom did you dive?

I didn't. After extensive emailing back and forth with every op I could find on-line and getting nowhere, I went back to Bonaire again instead.

I did travel through Curacao and stayed overnight. It was far too built up for my taste. It reminded me of "city" to Bonaire's "rural". Just me.

 

[JohnN]

I didn't. After extensive emailing back and forth with every op I could find on-line and getting nowhere, I went back to Bonaire again instead.

I did travel through Curacao and stayed overnight. It was far too built up for my taste. It reminded me of "city" to Bonaire's "rural". Just me.

Pitty you didn't get out of Willemstad Once you leave the city, it gets very rural very quickly. Close to your 'hood', judging all of NY by going through Manhattan isn't very accurate, is it?

 

[drrich2]

"Bonaire is the only place I've been to where the car rental company makes the renter responsible for damage to the vehicle if you use the vehicles security features."

On Bonaire, practically speaking, they're liability features, not security features, strange as it sounds. They cause property damage rather than protect it.

In another thread, the issue of solo diving in Curacao got brought up. Someone elsewhere in a thread claimed solo diving wasn't allowed there, I repeated it & got called on it, and in a nutshell, there's no blanket prohibition against solo diving on Curacao, but some op.s forbid it.

On Bonaire, I think it's more that buddy diving isn't enforced. Buddy Dive was cool with solo diving, as I had an SDI Solo cert., plus I rented a pony tank from them. I saw a web page from Dive Friends basically claiming they required some sort of solo cert. to solo dive. I believe WannaDive teaches one of the solo courses (either SDI Solo or Padi Self-Reliant, don't recall which), so I doubt they'd have an issue with it. It's been quite awhile since I checked into this, so anyone needing current info. should follow Reagan's old adage, 'Trust but verify.'

On Bonaire, a single individual grabbing tanks is very common so if you don't announced what you're doing, I don't think anyone is likely to bother you. If you boat dive there, official company policy might matter more. And those liability release documents you sign may contain wording that you agree to buddy dive (how many people read those, or care about that, I don't know).

I would be curious as to how many solo travelers who stay in Curacao (if any) have trouble renting a few tanks & hitting the road to go shore dive, either from tank renters or those who 'own' access to a site.

 

[wwguy]

In another thread, the issue of solo diving in Curacao got brought up. Someone elsewhere in a thread claimed solo diving wasn't allowed there, I repeated it & got called on it, and in a nutshell, there's no blanket prohibition against solo diving on Curacao, but some op.s forbid it.

On Bonaire, I think it's more that buddy diving isn't enforced. Buddy Dive was cool with solo diving, as I had an SDI Solo cert., plus I rented a pony tank from them. I saw a web page from Dive Friends basically claiming they required some sort of solo cert. to solo dive. I believe WannaDive teaches one of the solo courses (either SDI Solo or Padi Self-Reliant, don't recall which), so I doubt they'd have an issue with it. It's been quite awhile since I checked into this, so anyone needing current info. should follow Reagan's old adage, 'Trust but verify.'

Why would there be a blanket prohibition against solo diving anywhere? As far as I know there are no local laws or regulations on Bonaire or elsewhere in the western hemisphere that mandate diving with a buddy. When I get air from my LDS at home I certainly don't have to report whether I'm diving with a buddy. Most dive operators requiring divers to dive in buddy teams do so to lessen their liability and responsibility for divers under their supervision during paid guided dives or when diving from their property such as resort docks etc.

There's a reason that we read and sign the Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk document presented to us by the dive operators. Assuming the inherent risks of solo diving is one of those reasons. Here's a link to Dive Friends Bonaire's check-in and liability release form, which is similar to those used elsewhere. Note that the word "buddy" does not appear anywhere in this document.

Sorry if my response seems a little strong. I'm not implying you're for or against solo diving. I'd respect your opinion either way. I just take issue with the ubiquitous assumption that solo diving is forbidden unless expressly and clearly permitted. That and I'm a little tired of getting the stink eye from other (mostly less experienced) divers when I enter or exit the water alone. My training, ability, experience, and assumption of risk are my own to be responsible for when diving unsupervised.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program discussing crime on Bonaire...

 

[scubadada]

I've had absolutely no problem solo diving in Bonaire or Curacao

 

[scubadada]

I love diving in Bonaire, but I'm sorry, it's not OK to allow petty and more serious crimes against visitors, and locals, to continue unabated. Come on, I can't lock my car with anything of value in it without risk of someone breaking my window to steal it? How frequent is this type of prohibition present, Bonaire is the only island in the Caribbean I am sure about. This is certainly not the case on Grand Cayman or in Turks and Caicos. I don't rent a car in Cozumel but it would surprise me. Do you lock your car anywhere in the US and believe it is relatively secure? Bonaire needs to fix this or be at risk for loss of dive tourism. I don't think the deniers are playing a positive roll. Will I visit again in the next few years, probably yes, I love the diving and have, so far, escaped crime free. I take no extraordinary risks

 

[Lorenzoid]

Why would there be a blanket prohibition against solo diving anywhere? As far as I know there are no local laws or regulations on Bonaire or elsewhere in the western hemisphere that mandate diving with a buddy. When I get air from my LDS at home I certainly don't have to report whether I'm diving with a buddy. Most dive operators requiring divers to dive in buddy teams do so to lessen their liability and responsibility for divers under their supervision during paid guided dives or when diving from their property such as resort docks etc.

There's a reason that we read and sign the Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk document presented to us by the dive operators. Assuming the inherent risks of solo diving is one of those reasons. Here's a link to Dive Friends Bonaire's check-in and liability release form, which is similar to those used elsewhere. Note that the word "buddy" does not appear anywhere in this document.

Sorry if my response seems a little strong. I'm not implying you're for or against solo diving. I'd respect your opinion either way. I just take issue with the ubiquitous assumption that solo diving is forbidden unless expressly and clearly permitted. That and I'm a little tired of getting the stink eye from other (mostly less experienced) divers when I enter or exit the water alone. My training, ability, experience, and assumption of risk are my own to be responsible for when diving unsupervised.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program discussing crime on Bonaire...

My take on it is that a dive op's release is based on a presumption that you will dive within the parameters of your training--whatever training that might be. Most releases at least ask you to affirm you are trained. They don't rely on just a blanket "assumption of risk" to cover themselves. If a diver who was trained only in the buddy system decided to dive without a buddy and hurt himself, and (his insurance company) sued the dive op, I can envision a clever dive op lawyer arguing that, among other things, the diver falsely affirmed he was trained to do that dive. If it's the norm to get solo training these days--and I have no idea because it's not my thing--then consider getting solo training. Does that mean one needs a solo card?--maybe not.

 

[JohnN]

I would be curious as to how many solo travelers who stay in Curacao (if any) have trouble renting a few tanks & hitting the road to go shore dive, either from tank renters or those who 'own' access to a site.

Only Blauw Baai (Blue Bay) Otherwise no trouble at all, I rented my tanks from Wederfoort, Sint Michiel

 

[drrich2]

"Sorry if my response seems a little strong. I'm not implying you're for or against solo diving. I'd respect your opinion either way. I just take issue with the ubiquitous assumption that solo diving is forbidden unless expressly and clearly permitted."

No sweat. I posted in response to another post, which included this piece - "My understanding from trying very unsuccessfully to buy an unlimited air shore diving package and dive solo (I have the card) is that Curacao does not allow solo diving. Bonaire doesn't even bother to ask if you have a buddy or want to see a solo card."

These ideas about soloing get out and generalized. I recently sent an e-mail to a dive op. on Grand Cayman, trying to get to the bottom of an assumption that the Cayman's didn't allow solo diving, and was notified there was no law against it and the op. allowed solo diving (with proper cert. and equipment; they can provide the pony bottle) from their boat (not shore, but they're not in an area where shore diving's a big deal), and they teach the PADI Self-Reliant Diver course.

Richard.

 

[scubadada]

"Sorry if my response seems a little strong. I'm not implying you're for or against solo diving. I'd respect your opinion either way. I just take issue with the ubiquitous assumption that solo diving is forbidden unless expressly and clearly permitted."

No sweat. I posted in response to another post, which included this piece - "My understanding from trying very unsuccessfully to buy an unlimited air shore diving package and dive solo (I have the card) is that Curacao does not allow solo diving. Bonaire doesn't even bother to ask if you have a buddy or want to see a solo card."

These ideas about soloing get out and generalized. I recently sent an e-mail to a dive op. on Grand Cayman, trying to get to the bottom of an assumption that the Cayman's didn't allow solo diving, and was notified there was no law against it and the op. allowed solo diving (with proper cert. and equipment; they can provide the pony bottle) from their boat (not shore, but they're not in an area where shore diving's a big deal), and they teach the PADI Self-Reliant Diver course.

Richard.

Hi Richard,

That's the real problem with surfing on the sidelines isn't it, you don't really know. I have had no problem solo diving on Grand Cayman, Curacao, or Bonaire. I have taken the time to make sure that the operators know my experience and training and/or just have gone with the flow.

Good diving, Craig