Bonaire handrails

[tarponchik]

all the ones from red slaves to town are easy access. south.

I disagree. Been there twice, july and december, and the only site we ever got messed up was Invisibles, which was our southmost dive. This was during our July trip, when both Slaves were so rough we did not even dare to try them, though I am not particular known for cautiousness (yesss! I spelled it!!!). Alice and Angel City were prety rough too. December was much calmer and we did everything from Slagbaai in the North to Red Slave in the South.

The easiest sites are in North-center, starting with Bari Reef and to maybe 1000 Steps (though if you have knee problems, maybe you should avoid this last one: the entrance is OK but the stairs are long and steep). Some of these sites even have stairways with handrails.

 

[ptyx]

I, too, had some trouble with some of the entries and exits. My husband, who is much bigger and stronger than I, had little to no difficulty. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that my difficulty could be diminished if I were to become stronger and more agile with weight on my back.

Or you could let your husband know that a perfect gentleman would get out, drop his gear in the truck while you wait, come back in, pick up your gear, and let you climb the dead coral without the burden of tank and weights. Don't abuse it though, or you'll have to do massage duty later

That helps as well.

 

[jl_va_21]

all the ones from red slaves to town are easy access. south.

I heard another tip this week I wanted to verify too. I was told that the southern sites should be done in the morning as the tides/current gets stronger in the afternoon. Is that right?

I think its starting to look like mornings in the south and afternoons on boats or some of the easier spots in the north.

I actually went shore diving this week locally and the knees felt good, so hopefully it won't even be an issue.

 

[DiverVince]

I heard another tip this week I wanted to verify too. I was told that the southern sites should be done in the morning as the tides/current gets stronger in the afternoon. Is that right?

I think its starting to look like mornings in the south and afternoons on boats or some of the easier spots in the north.

Well it's really not quite that simple. In fact many times we will dive the northern sites in the morning & the southern sites in the afternoon. In actuality, wind speed and direction will be the things you can most closely monitor which will have a bearing on the conditions at a particular dive site. Generally speaking, wind speeds do tend to increase in the afternoon but their direction is an important factor in choosing a dive site.
As far as current under the water, there is absolutely no way that I can gauge by an independent surface observation (with the possible exception of seeing moored boats and how they lie with the wind) what you will encounter at depth. If anyone else tells you they can do this, I'd seriously question their veracity. Check out the local wind guru site to assist you..

WindGURU: Netherlands Antilles - Bonaire

 

[diverbart]

This might have started as a little poke, however............ at Wannadive we often get this question: isn't there a way to create facilities at the divesites for easier access, such as small ramps and the like. While they may, but not necessarily, be ugly, they may be useful.

While I agree that the shore diving on Bonaire is so easy that there really shouldn't be a need to create such facilities and, dare I say such, should these entries be too hard then maybe the sport of diving itself might be too hard for the persons involved, there is another reason to actually contemplate small access ramps.

The reason to actually consider putting small access ways is that these would protect and even assist the reefs. If easy access is provided by such small ramps, just about everybody would use these, rather than negociating the iron, sharp and rocky natural alternative, above and just below the waterline. These ramps would most likely be made of concrete and thus even serve as artificial reef. Never mind that it might save the users from brooses and scratches. Regardless, these accessways would to a large degree avoid divers from stumbling all over the shallowes part of the reef,thus saving a vital habitat for the most small and juvenile of the reef population.

These considerations are serious enough to be discussed during meetings between CURO (Bonaire's dive association) and STINAPA (Bonaire's Park management) regularly.

So far the consensus is that the access ways are considered too much of an "alteration" of the environment, which is a valid a point obviously.


My2 bubbles.

Bart

Now what was that about hostesses and beer????

 

[tarponchik]

Divebart,
This may be true for the shallow parts, but for the deeper reef wall results can be the opposite. Easier access will bring more people meaning more clumsy people meaning corals touched and broken more often. The difficulties of access works as de facto wildlife protection.

 

[diverbart]

Personally, during my twenty years working on Bonaire I have not seen proof, that easy shore access, natural or artificial, is detrimental to deeper sections of the reef, as compared to harder entries. But I agree that more diver pressure in general might. This would mean that those dive sites with easy access now, are overburdened as compared to harder access. More easy access points would therefore spread the load, while at the same time protect the shallows better. Like with the mooring system, STINAPA might be able to close sites so as to offer reprieve, for example by making ramps impassable for a given time.

The only real ways to stop damage to the reef by diver pressure are education and training, limiting the number of divers in general, and/or limit the amount of dives they make. For example, only thirty thousand divers per year who are allowed to make twelve dives per week per person. Simple quota's; very undesired!

Like I said, for now the consensus is to not install anything........but every once in a while it is discussed in earnest.There is much to be said in favor and many arguments against them. Always good to have proper discussion, what?

Personally I have no need for them, I always dive barefoot, east, west, north and south coast........