Bonaire Final Trip Planning - double check and advice on dive sites?

[Kharon]

East Coast Diving uses a very custom deep-v military grade zodiac-like boat. Back roll entries and ladder exits, they actually deflate an inflatable section for diver retrieval. Boat ride from the dock is fast (~10mins) such that you actually come back to unload empty bottles and pick up full ones for a second dive.

Ride and surface swells can be bouncy for about a minute or two but they use this boat and it’s engines to the max and know how to get through it like champs.

Thanks. Makes me feel better. Probably best to do it early in the trip before I get worn out from many dives a day.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Interesting list, @drrich2 , and I agree with most of them. However, I tend to think of Windsock as one of those generic sites that I do when I want to exert little effort thinking, driving, and diving--it's close to town, it's easy entry/exit, etc. Well, I suppose in that way it's "distinctive." Distinctive in its ordinariness. And we do Windsock pretty much every trip.

It was only on my most recent trip that I finally tried Bari Reef. It, too, felt generic to me, like if you could somehow average together many Bonaire dive sites you'd get Bari Reef. But again, it's so convenient, etc. Buddy Dive's site, with its massive dock/stairs, surely ranks up there as one of the most convenient and easy sites. Great for night dives, though it can be crowded for that reason.

 

[drrich2]

I liked Buddy's Reef for night dives, too, but one potential complication. Some number of nights after the full moon, Caribbean sea wasp jelly fish may come in shallow and are attracted to lights. To me they look like a cube-shaped version of a ziplock sandwich bag with 4 tentacles (dangling from the 4 corners of the cube), easy to miss if you're not looking for them at night. I got nailed on the hand and leg entering from Buddy's pier, and it was painful. Buddy Dive Resort lit up the pier area at night, which is great most of the time, but can draw in the jelly fish.

Only happened to me once and I've done a number of night dives there, but something to be aware of.

Richard.

 

[Diver-6873]

Sadly, with these May dates you will jut miss the “peak” night for ostracod diving but you should still see them at the end of your stay. The full moon is 20-Mar-2019. The best day is 5 days after (25th) but if you can do a night dive on the 23rd you should still see them. 45 minutes after sunset is the best time.

Anyone not familiar with Ostracods, check out google, you are literally diving in Avatar.

Night dives do not need to be deep 10-20ft, even snorkelers can and do witness these amazing sights. There are only a few places on the planet where this is common, Bonaire is one of them.

 

[tursiops]

Sadly, with these May dates you will jut miss the “peak” night for ostracod diving but you should still see them at the end of your stay. The full moon is 20-Mar-2019. The best day is 5 days after (25th) but if you can do a night dive on the 23rd you should still see them. 45 minutes after sunset is the best time.

Anyone not familiar with Ostracods, check out google, you are literally diving in Avatar.

Night dives do not need to be deep 10-20ft, even snorkelers can and do witness these amazing sights. There are only a few places on the planet where this is common, Bonaire is one of them.

The ostracod display actually starts right after the full moon, so even 21 March should be ok. Yes, it gets a little better over the next few days, but it is definitely there and definitely spectacular. Just chose a sight without a lot of shore lighting and without a lot of night divers with bright lights.

 

[bethie]

We had an amazing ostracod dive last night at Witches Hut, they seem very concentrated in the soft corals. We just hung out at about 20 feet and the 2 snorkelers above us also saw the show.
Unfortunately they got stung by, perhaps, the sea wasps, that drrich mentioned.
Great show the previous night as well, at The Lake.

 

[tkaelin]

We would like to do 2-4 dives a day and plan on renting a dive computer

Won't find a good basic one cheaper. Holiday Daily Deal

Of all the things discussed so far about your trip, having a dive computer and knowing how to use it especially when diving multi times per day is essential and should rise to the top of your list.

 

[PStrangerX]

Won't find a good basic one cheaper. Holiday Daily Deal

Of all the things discussed so far about your trip, having a dive computer and knowing how to you it, especially when diving multi times per day is essential and should rise to the top of your list.

Just ordered - what a steal - thanks for the heads up!

 

[Paleo]

If you have good air consumption and want a unique dive, the double reef at Angel City and Alice in Wonderland is well worth the effort. It is a true multi-level dive. We swim on the surface until we are at the outer edge of the inner reef then descend as we head to the outer reef. We'll burn half our air on the outer reef, then ascend as we swim over the sand channel to the inner reef and explore as we head to our entry spot. Sometimes that deep sand channel is worth exploring with its garden eels and Donkey Dung sea cucumbers, but you will burn a bit of air at that depth. Have seen some great Green Morays, Eagle Rays, and Spotted Drum, there. Got a nice pic of a Spotfin Butterflyfish peering into a Barrel Sponge, too. Once our group watched a baitball over the outer reef being harassed by Barracuda.

Another spot I've always been pleasantly surprised at is Oil Slick. Great giant-stride entry, though I don't know if anybody has fixed the exit ladder. Lots of great critters and on early morning dives enjoy watching the Pedersons Cleaner Shrimp in the Corkscrew Anemone swaying back and forth advertising their services. Once saw a huge school of Big Eye Scad stretching for quite a distance along the reef edge with Barracuda above them. Don't foget to check behind the ladder before coming out of the water.

ENJOY!

I'll be there December 8 through 14.

 

[Diver-6873]

If you have good air consumption and want a unique dive, the double reef at Angel City and Alice in Wonderland is well worth the effort. It is a true multi-level dive. We swim on the surface until we are at the outer edge of the inner reef then descend as we head to the outer reef. We'll burn half our air on the outer reef, then ascend as we swim over the sand channel to the inner reef and explore as we head to our entry spot. Sometimes that deep sand channel is worth exploring with its garden eels and Donkey Dung sea cucumbers, but you will burn a bit of air at that depth. Have seen some great Green Morays, Eagle Rays, and Spotted Drum, there. Got a nice pic of a Spotfin Butterflyfish peering into a Barrel Sponge, too. Once our group watched a baitball over the outer reef being harassed by Barracuda.

Another spot I've always been pleasantly surprised at is Oil Slick. Great giant-stride entry, though I don't know if anybody has fixed the exit ladder. Lots of great critters and on early morning dives enjoy watching the Pedersons Cleaner Shrimp in the Corkscrew Anemone swaying back and forth advertising their services. Once saw a huge school of Big Eye Scad stretching for quite a distance along the reef edge with Barracuda above them. Don't foget to check behind the ladder before coming out of the water.

ENJOY!

I'll be there December 8 through 14.

The bottom step of the ladder is still pretty bad, or worse at this point, but the ladder is still usable. Hoping a fix to this is on STINAPAs list since they are right around the corner from the site. It is a great dive.

You are right about the double reefs at the northern end of the southern sites, even the Hooker has a double reef, as well as The Lake. All fun dives for the conservative breather. We can do 80-90 mins on an aluminum 80, your profile for the dive is perfect and exactly what we enjoy ... as a matter of fact, I think we need that double reef soon, it’s been awhile.