Bonaire planning help....

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I love Divi Flamingo. They're usually happy to add extra divers to their boats the day before. If this is your first trip to Bonaire, you'll just find it easier logistically to extend your stay with Divi.l Not to say that renting a truck and just shore diving isn't great, or that a park tour isn't worth a day, but since your extra days are at the beginning, before you know Bonaire, make it easy on yourself.
There are about eight restaurants withing walking distance right out the little sidewalk gate at the north end of the resort.
 
We are up at Buddy Dive for our 18th straight year. Annual birthday bash. Keep an eye out for 'JustUs Divers' tee-shirts (spoof, people used to ask if we were with a group, 'yes - a group of Just Us') and squid hats (you'll know squid hats if you see them). Usually 4 of us - 2 couples. The weather is the weather, we booked East side dive this trip, have done it before in March from shore and boat and we shall see how it goes. Last March was warm and wet, rain almost every day and a couple days the West was pretty blown up > waves, strong currents (Bonaire standards), poor viz. Other years it's a glass lake and not a drop of rain. It is true late summer - early fall is more predictably flat & calm. But also hotter. I love October, my travel/dive buddies not so much, too hot.
 
David, you are going to love it. Go for the truck, suss out the sites, and dive your butt off. Bonaire ruined us for for cold water and group dives but we don't regret a bit of it. We'll be there (Please God, please) at the end of your stay for our 17th trip in 25 years. Never done the East Coast, never been to the park, planned to almost every year then bailed for some more "comfort diving". Maybe this year. Look for us, I'm the old guy schlepping the pretty girl's BC to her in waist deep water with big smiles on our faces.
 
It's a good idea to download a google map of bonaire to your phone. Then you can explore and use your gps while in airplane mode.
 
If you are doing shore dives, get heavy boots so you have support and grip. You wont be sorry. I bought militaria boots so I had to go up 1 size in my flippers.
Also East Coast is by boat or with a guide.
I would do Red Slave south and Karpata North. It doesn't get much better than that,
 
I would do Red Slave south
Be careful of currents down there in the south.
and Karpata North
Immediately North of Karpaa is a no-diving reserve. You've got to go WAY north up to at least Tailor Made and Candyland (not Stinapa sites) to start diving again.
 
Be careful of currents down there in the south.

Immediately North of Karpaa is a no-diving reserve. You've got to go WAY north up to at least Tailor Made and Candyland (not Stinapa sites) to start diving again.
My guess is that the area North of Karpata has some awesome cavern, and maybe even some cave, options.
 

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