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

[wwguy]

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.

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.

For reference for those not familiar, Angel City is just south of the Hilma Hooker and The Lake is just north of it. The Hilma Hooker lays at 100' in the deep sand channel between the inner and outer reefs in this unique double-reef area.

I like to enter at The Lake or Angel City and dive perpendicular to shore over the inner reef, across the sand channel at 60' or so, and out to the outer reef where I turn 90 degrees and explore the outer reef towards the Hilma Hooker. When I'm near the Hooker I turn 90 degrees back towards shore, crossing the sand channel again and passing over or around the Hilma Hooker. Then I turn 90 degrees again and dive back along the inner reef to the point where I dropped over, then turn back towards shore and dive back to my entry point. So basically a big square from the inner reef, with a little bonus diving in the shallows between shore and the inner reef. The feeling of "discovering" the Hilma Hooker when it appears out of the blue never gets old. That's also a fun way to introduce the Hilma Hooker to divers new to Bonaire!