mmmbelows:
I'm pointing out there are multiple considerations that go into selecting a dive trip destination. Nobody wants to get robbed. One of the reasons is nobody likes losing wealth, whether money or possessions. Especially due to theft, granted. But if you want shore diving and skip Bonaire out of concern for petty theft, & instead head to shore dive Maui, I'm guessing you're going to be out a lot more money. As for 'apples to oranges,' I'm talking about wide divergence in destinations; Hawaii's got it all over Bonaire in topside scenery, but the water's cooler, the 'reef' a lot different looking though you get to see endemic species, etc...
With a little Googling just now, I found a site called Living in Hawaii, which has
a page on Trips to Avoid Rental Car Crime in Hawaii, so here are some highlights from that:
"One of the major downers about taking a vacation to, or living in Hawaii, is that the rate of car theft, petty theft, and vandalism to vehicles is very high. Always has been, and maybe always will be – who knows? Take some precautions."
"
1.
Park, jump out and go. When you arrive at a beach or another attraction in Hawaii there are often thieves hanging around the parking lot watching people exit their vehicles. Why? They can learn a lot by your body language about whether you might be leaving something of value in your vehicle or not. If you’re standing around the car and talking with your partner about leaving your camera in the trunk, or under the seat, you’re giving off body language that can tell a thief there is something you’re leaving in the car. People leaving something valuable in the car might take too much time to store it away under things. They might spend time looking around to see if anyone is watching. When you pull up to park, be ready to go right away. Don’t hesitate at your car about what to take, know what you’re taking, grab it, and go. Never leave anything at all of value in your vehicle – it isn’t worth the risk. Even just fixing a broken window is a major pain the
okole¹!
2.
Leave windows open, doors unlocked². Most of you who don’t live on the islands will laugh at this. Your rental car contract might not cover if you leave the windows down or the doors unlocked. If you don’t have an excellent alarm system, this is highly recommended. Every time we parked in a public place, or even at night in front of our home, we left the windows down slightly and the doors open. What this does is basically tell the thieves, you’re a local and you don’t have anything to steal except the car itself. Most thieves are not out to steal the car, it’s too big a liability to be caught for grand-theft. They just want your phone, camera, spare change in the cup holder, etc. They’re looking for money for drugs for their next high.
"
Hmmm...sounds like you might want to leave your doors unlocked, windows open and nothing of much value in the car while you're off diving in...Hawaii?
TripAdvisor has a discussion thread on car break-ins; look at post #4, by KamaainaK:
"Common doesnʻt mean most of the cars. It means it happens enough that you should be pro-active in preventing loss.
The Big Island is one of the LEAST for break-ins.
Oahu is really bad,
Mauihas been well known for the problem for many years, and it happens on Kauaʻi too -- certain parking areas get hit over and over.
We give a special caution to people who are transiting between lodgings and sightseeing at trailheads. Akaka Falls used to be really sketchy, but now there is a parking attendant. If you have checked out and everything you brought on your trip is in your car, except for what you personally carry -- naturally if you got hit the loss would be especially tough to deal with.
Also, because of the distances on the Big Island, people tend to make the same plans all the time of sightseeing the north and south while in transit, with all their stuff. To believe that thieves donʻt know that would be naive.
As for who the thieves are, they are primarily meth addicts looking to supply their habit for the day. Hawaiʻi has had one of the biggest meth problems in the US for a while now. We used to be the worst state for it. We do have high poverty, unemployment, and other social problems in plenty here. Also our position relevant to
Asia has made us vulnerable to the drug trade coming from there.
Just be smart, and donʻt have illusions that it is paradise here."
Richard.
