Bonaire Exit/reentry

[AdivingBel]

Yes, there are STINAPA rules and there is the STINAPA practice.

I tend to be a rule follower when it comes to boats & marine parks (their boat/marine park, their rules). I looked for a STINAPA rule forbidding entry/exit use of canes a few years ago when I thought about making them and didn't find anything. I'm only privy to the rules posted in dive shops, orientations, and online. I still haven't found anything forbidding their use and I also haven't experienced any push back on the ground for using them (once it's clear they are not spears). If you have documentation, please site it. I'm not arguing with you . I would genuinely like to know. Given my wide use of them to date unless it's documented they are forbidden or I'm cited onsite by marine park personnel, I'll continue their use. The canes are just too valuable to me for entry/exits. I'm not naive about certain don't ask, don't tell aspects of Bonaire diving and if this is one of them, so be it. All IMHO, YMMV.

 

[BDSC]

I just downloaded and read all the rules of STINAPA. No where does it address the use of canes so I'm guessing if they told you it's OK, then it's OK.

 

[tursiops]

I tend to be a rule follower when it comes to boats & marine parks (their boat/marine park, their rules). I looked for a STINAPA rule forbidding entry/exit use of canes a few years ago when I thought about making them and didn't find anything. I'm only privy to the rules posted in dive shops, orientations, and online. I still haven't found anything forbidding their use and I also haven't experienced any push back on the ground for using them (once it's clear they are not spears). If you have documentation, please site it. I'm not arguing with you . I would genuinely like to know. Given my wide use of them to date unless it's documented they are forbidden or I'm cited onsite by marine park personnel, I'll continue their use. The canes are just too valuable to me for entry/exits. I'm not naive about certain don't ask, don't tell aspects of Bonaire diving and if this is one of them, so be it. All IMHO, YMMV.

I don't know the history of "no canes" on Bonaire. It may be an urban myth born from over-zealous park rangers interpretation of "no gloves, no touching the reef" or even a misinterpretation of the "no spears" rule. It could well be derived from visiting divers who did whatever they wanted and pissed off some park rangers, not that would ever happen, of course. My oldest copy of the STINAPA/BMP rules is 2010; there is nothing in there. I just spent about an hour looking on the Wayback machine for old STINAPA web pages that might have had something. Nothing found. I do have a solid memory of some kind of warning posted on the wall at Buddy Dive many years ago, but that is not much evidence! You saw my 2018 question on Bonaire Talk, which received no input from the small number of people on that site. So the only think we have is what you quoted, the email from STINAPA saying just don't use the cane while diving. Perfectly reasonable. But that doesn't mean one of the rangers might not see you entering/leaving the water with it and raise some questions about the "no touching the reef" or even "that is just a long glove" or even "can you spear with that?" kind of nonsense.

 

[scuba127]

I recently took a look at the rules recently and couldn't find anything that specifically mentioned canes. However, the rules do state that all corals on Bonaire "dead or alive" are protected by law. Therefore, imo, it would follow that the canes touching any coral dead or alive would be a violation of the rules.

 

[BDSC]

I recently took a look at the rules recently and couldn't find anything that specifically mentioned canes. However, the rules do state that all corals on Bonaire "dead or alive" are protected by law. Therefore, imo, it would follow that the canes touching any coral dead or alive would be a violation of the rules.

Why would a cane be touching coral? As far as I know folks just use them as balance to get from the shore to the water.

 

[scuba127]

I don't know....in 20 years of shore diving Bonaire I've never used a cane nor have I ever seen one used. Its not much of a stretch though to imagine someone using one to steady themselves in shallow water upon entry and exit. It seems to me, in this case, shallow water corals would be vulnerable to damage.

 

[AdivingBel]

However, the rules do state that all corals on Bonaire "dead or alive" are protected by law.

It would be tough to shore dive without "walking" in & out of the site thereby possibly touching dead or alive corals with your feet. As long as care is taken as you would with your feet a dive cane used for that purpose should be a logical extension. My personal experience (albeit anecdotal ) is the "boots on the ground" seem to be able to make that distinction. YMMV

 

[AdivingBel]

It seems to me, in this case, shallow water corals would be vulnerable to damage.

Same as with your feet.

 

[scuba127]

Thats a good point.

 

[scuba127]

I supposed it could be argued that cane's are not an absolute requirement while walking in and out is an absolute requirement. Utilizing a cane could be construed as adding unnecessary risk.