Bonaire Nitrox Information.

[overandover]

It would be nice to hear from anyone who has stayed at the Bonaire dive resorts, what they thought of the way that Nitrox divers are accomodated.

Does Buddy dive, Captain Don's, Sand Dollar, Golden Reef, etc...have plenty of Nitrox tanks. Is everyone filling tanks with 32EAN and 36EAN?
I notice that some liveaboards use 28EAN, are any of the land based businesses there doing the same? (I suppose this is to allow divers to maximize the recreational depth limit and still keep a PPO of 1.4 or less and also makes for faster refills?)

 

[RICHinNC]

I stayed at the Golden Reef Inn before it had its own dive ops and they used Buddy Dive at a friend's special request. We could get nitrox bottles 24 hours a day no problem. If my memory serves me right....they had both 32 and 36.....
Herman...you remember the mixes???

 

[diverdenise]

Stayed at Buddy's last Nov. lots of nitrox to go around and our group had mainly nitrox divers. Seems mostly 36%, no problem for the week. Could get fills at the drive in or the dock either one.

 

[El Orans]

Tucan Divers (Plaza Resort) has more than enough Nitrox tanks.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Buddy Dive has a membrane and gas is readily available in 32 or 36. Their total tank count is over a thousand now so there is plenty of normoxic and nitrox to go around.

Nitrox is a blessing for dives like the Hooker and Alice, however, the depth limitation at sites such as Karpata make air more desirable. Most all multi-level dives spend lots of time at shallower depths for loooong bottom times regardless of gas.

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.

Most all the shops have nitrox availible. Not sure about other shops but Buddy does have 32 & 36. Access at Buddy is very good, 24-7 and rarely have I seen the tank selection get low. I would suspect access is good at the other shops as well.
I have not seen 28% on Bonaire, why a liveaboard would use it I don't know. It may be needed for the depth they dive or it could just be a way to reduce the amount of O2 they have to keep on board and still claim they "have nitrox".

 

[D_O_H]

As El Orans mentioned, the Plaza (Toucan) has plenty of nitrox tanks filled and ready to go. Mix seemed to vary pretty randomly between 32 and 36 while I was there.