Bonaire Crime - Our experience - Looking for input to share

[The Chairman]

It would be a real shame to just do boat dives and miss the unique shore diving experience Bonaire offers.

Not really. I did just that the last time I was there: The house reef and boats.

 

[Lorenzoid]

It would be a real shame to just do boat dives and miss the unique shore diving experience Bonaire offers.

Yeah. Were it not for the unique experience of driving around an island with a truck full of tanks, stopping when and where I choose to dive sites that are well documented on various maps and in guidebooks, exchanging tanks at drive-through stations (!), etc., etc., I would take my dive vacations somewhere other than Bonaire. You can dive from a boat all over the Caribbean, but what I described is unique to Bonaire.

 

[DustyC]

Yeah. Were it not for the unique experience of driving around an island with a truck full of tanks, stopping when and where I choose to dive sites that are well documented on various maps and in guidebooks, exchanging tanks at drive-through stations (!), etc., etc., I would take my dive vacations somewhere other than Bonaire. You can dive from a boat all over the Caribbean, but what I described is unique to Bonaire.

That, and I pick the dive site. Heading towards one, we'd often say "lots of trucks, keep going". And do just that. We had some great dives just because we were able to go to empty places.
And don't generally have to dive with a boat full of cattle. And end the dive when the first cow moos.

 

[oldschoolto]

To me, That is the most appealing thing about Bonaire... I dive where and when and as little or as much as I like... Want to get up at 6 am.... Want to sleep in till 10 am... Sunset dive or maybe a night dive.... Anything is possable on Bonaire..

Jim...

 

[mmmbelows]

Yeah. Were it not for the unique experience of driving around an island with a truck full of tanks, stopping when and where I choose to dive sites that are well documented on various maps and in guidebooks, exchanging tanks at drive-through stations (!), etc., etc., I would take my dive vacations somewhere other than Bonaire. You can dive from a boat all over the Caribbean, but what I described is unique to Bonaire.

^^^Ditto (above is why I've never moved on to Curacao in all these years, even though the dive bus does intrigue me)

This is the concern to me, if the shore diving experience deteriorates for any reason to the point I'm not shore diving there (such as crime) I'd never go to Bonaire again, there would be no reason for me to go. I'm not enamored with their boat dives, nor the island experience there, it's the unique shore diving thing, and they would have to change their license plates.

 

[DustyC]

To me, That is the most appealing thing about Bonaire... I dive where and when and as little or as much as I like... Want to get up at 6 am.... Want to sleep in till 10 am... Sunset dive or maybe a night dive.... Anything is possable on Bonaire..

Jim...

That's probably the biggest draw for me. The owner of the dive shop I work for has been there almost 40 times, he's the only person I've ever heard (until this thread) that was bored with the diving. But he still goes as a trip leader every year when he could have us do it lol

 

[Lorenzoid]

This is the concern to me, if the shore diving experience deteriorates for any reason to the point I'm not shore diving there (such as crime) I'd never go to Bonaire again, there would be no reason for me to go. I'm not enamored with their boat dives, nor the island experience there, it's the unique shore diving thing, and they would have to change their license plates.

To bring this thread full circle, the authorities don't seem to realize that the shore diving thing with the trucks should be protected like the tourism gold it is.

 

[The Chairman]

To bring this thread full circle, the authorities don't seem to realize that the shore diving thing with the trucks should be protected like the tourism gold it is.

It's the sole reason I didn't do it the last time I was there. It wasn't worth the hassle. I had a truck, but I didn't dive out of it. It just wasn't worth the hassle. I certainly had my share of Amstel Bright, though!

 

[jimw]

Not really. I did just that the last time I was there: The house reef and boats.

That's my preference as well now after 30 trips---dive the house reef and do some boats over to Klein Bonaire--you are missing some of the BEST sites doing only truck diving! But then, most of my dives at home are truck shore dives!

 

[boat sju]

. . . I had a truck, but I didn't dive out of it. It just wasn't worth the hassle. . .

Something we do but haven't noticed anybody else doing - we will set up our bc/reg/tank in the shade back at the resort whenever possible. Makes gearing up at the site (in the sun) quicker. Still a hassle, yes, but a little better.