Just wanted to chime in.
My husband and I were also at Buddy's last week. We did 10 shore dives at 10 different sites without seeing any evidence of theft or vandalism. My husband even left his brand new Tilly hat in the truck when we were diving Andrea II and it was still there when we got back. I left several masks in the trucks too at various sites- since I still haven't found one that fits!
Visibility seemed fine and we noticed healthier reefs than last year (generally more fish and less algae). It was much windier this time and that may have affected visibility slightly. I don't agree that a significant portion of the reef was dead, at least no more than is common in the Caribbean and certainly less so than a lot of places. Also, all that dead coral you see nearer to the shore is the stuff that has been washed up my storms over the years- that's not actually part of the existing reef system. I was actually very impressed by the large, healthy purple tube sponges!
Aside from diving, we had a great time driving around Washington Slaagbai NP. We met a very confrontational iguana and caught a glimpse of Bonaire's only bird of prey, the Caracara. The geology in the park is pretty cool as well. Driving around one day, we stumbled upon Lake Gotomeer up by BOPEC- this inland lake is amazing! We also saw a wild pig while tooling around the area. A visit to Bonaire's butterfly garden was well worth it. The owner, George, personally introduced us to the butterflies and even released some that had just been born.
Of course we enjoyed some wonderful food around the island- I had incredible mahi and sate at City Cafe, scrumptious pizza at Captain Don's (Rum Runners) next door to Buddy's, and Gio's gelato- my favorite! Oh and absolutely delicious wahoo at Wil's. My husband had his favorite stacked steak at Paradise Moon. None of it was any more expensive than we pay to eat out in downtown Annapolis (and most of it tasted better!).
This was our second time in Bonaire and we loved it just as much as the first. Bonaire is a wonderful place- the people are nice, the food is good, the diving is great, and it's just a fun place to be. I'd recommend a second visit and greater learning and exploration of the island, it's history, nature, and culture.