Bonaire Poll, treacherous shore diving??

[CountessP]

Hi Everyone,

I'm curious to hear what everyone thinks. Both myself and hubby were surprised at how tricky the shore diving was. We expected easier, more sandy entrances, rather than the rocks, ledges and boulders that we usually had to make our way over. Hubby fell twice, and I've heard that there have been a lot of injuries.

#1, Why don't more of us talk about how tricky and even dangerous the shore diving can be, especially if there is a bit of a surge, or waves, or current? Was it only us? We watched a lot of divers and it seems that most were having problems, moreso exiting the dive.

#2, Should Bonaire go through the trouble of making these dive sites more user friendly, or would this only lead to too many non-experienced divers invading their beaches, and perhaps causing damage.

Again, just curious to hear your thoughts.

 

[reefdiva]

My husband and I are long time visitors to Bonaire and love the ease of shore diving. However, we always check out the site before gearing up because what can be an easy entrance on one day can be a tricky one just a day later based on surge or wind conditions. If the bottom is so stirred up that I can't see where to safely place my feet among the ridges, holes, etc then we move on to a different site. When things are "stirred up" at some of the southern sites we take advantage of the easy entries "in town" or closer such as Windsock. And yes, even when the water is clear and calm you still have to be careful where to step so as not to turn an ankle; that is where a steading hand from your dive buddy comes in handy. All of this does not mean I have never been "rolled" -- we have had experiences where surge has come up during the dive and made for tricky exits!

As to your second question, the shoreline is protected and if to make it "user friendly" you mean changing the natural environment in any way then that will not (and in my opinion should not) happen under the current laws.

I hope that you were able to enjoy the shore dives that you did!

 

[DiveMaven]

I feel like it is super common here for people to talk about the ironshore entries and lack of sand, usually in conjunction with recommendations for stiff soled boots.

We didn't find most of the entries a problem, but we had proper footwear and always checked out where we would enter prior to gearing up.

 

[diverrex]

Entries can range from super easy to somewhat difficult depending on the site and the day. I don't think my wife nor I ever fell or had any problems on our recent trip so I'd consider it any easy time. I shore dive in So Cal where we consider waves crashing around you under 2-3 feet high a fairly easy day, plus you are in much heavier gear including steel tanks from 100 - 130 cu ft, so comparitively speaking Bonaire is a breeze. At least many of our entries in So Cal are pure sand though.

Some easy Bonaire sites:

Windsock
Bari Reef
1000 Steps
Hilma Hooker

No Bonaire should not change the sites one bit to accomodate divers, except for maybe a few more benches away from the water.


Do you shore dive in Ft. Lauderdale? How is it?

 

[drrich2]

For rather easy shore diving, I recall Windsock in particular, and also the Invisibles, Oil Slick Leap (if a giant stride with over a 6' or so drop doesn't bother you - fun for me) and dropping off the pier at Eden's Rubble.

When I was there in October I saw that the Hilma Hooker now has yellow rocks to the entry/exit site. I like that. They didn't go in and tear to the bottom making a 'boat ramp' sort of thing, but helped people find the best entry.

1,000 Steps is fairly easy if memory serves, if you ignore the 60 something steps up & down with gear.

I'm thinking either Andrea I or II was fairly easy? Maybe both?

Richard.

P.S.: Yes, shore diving Bonaire in many places can be a little tricky. There is some risk of turning your ankle. Very important to walk in & reach about waist depth before donning fins, & do the reverse coming out. Do not put fins on on-shore and 'duck walk' in.

 

[diversteve]

I fell at least twice - probably more like 4-5 times - south of town. I also stepped in a hole at Angel City and have a permanent 4" souvenir on my shin. One thing I learned was to look for the sand channels that are at some sites and follow them out instead of trying to climb over the off-beach ironshore.

Leave the entries intact - it keeps the diving pristine for those who will atttempt them.

 

[reefdiva]

When I was there in October I saw that the Hilma Hooker now has yellow rocks to the entry/exit site. I like that. They didn't go in and tear to the bottom making a 'boat ramp' sort of thing, but helped people find the best entry.

The yellow rocks were part of a project by students at CIEE. There was some concern that divers might think that the way that was marked was the only way in and not adjust accordingly based on conditions. There was also concern that once a storm came through the contour would change, making the rocks useless. The rocks are indeed a much better solution than ramps or handrails and a great project for the students but need to be used as a guide only, remembering that the shoreline does change over time.

 

[DiverVince]

Countess.. really it's no secret that many times folks do fall on an entry or exit. My wife has RA with bad ankles and for the last 5 years we have not had any falls. The idea is to do a through analysis at a dive site if you are unfamiliar with it and use precise navigation (I always use a compass) to get you back to you exact entry point. In other words, it does take a bit of practice. Naturally, I assume you are both using good hard soled boots.

Having said the above, there are EZ sites where we dive all the time..The Rock down south is one, Something Special, windsock, our own beach in front of Bellevue has a pier which we hold on to for support doing entries/exits etc etc.; sort of like a handrail. And, of course many of the resorts have docks, but do be careful on the lower steps as they could be extremely slippery.

If surf conditions are a bit rough (like at times at Karpata) I'll have her remove her tank prior to the exit & carry it up.

When diving always be acutely aware of your own safety. Take nothing for granted. A fall on exit or entry with a foot stuck in a hole can be extremely dangerous & cause much harm. ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry. And talking about falling, always be aware that wet ceramic tile can be extremely slippery if wet. In diving, safety is always number one and should be considered above all other priorities.

 

[pdive]

#2, Should Bonaire go through the trouble of making these dive sites more user friendly, .

absolutely not

 

[robint]

I agree with reefdiva and DiveMaven on this.
#1... it is shore diving, everyone states that some entries are easy and some aren't. You need to walk out to shoreline before you gear up and assess the wave action, the rocky/dead coral/sand and decide which entry is safe at that particular moment. The Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy booklet is good for giving information about the dive sites but you still need to do the visual check.
#2.... no way should Bonaire change the dive sites to make them easy for divers. This isn't an amusement park, it is nature.

Yes, I did fall a couple of times. I did a full face-plant getting in at Hilma Hooker. My fault, not the dive site's fault. Got a few bruises and saved serious injury by using my video camera to block my head hitting the coral as the waves rocked me back and forth. No reg in mouth (stupid) and never again. Big lessons learned!!! I felt like a complete duffus as there were lots of people onshore watching. :bonk: I got my reg in my mouth, cleared my flooded mask, and then reached my buddy to get my fins. We went on and did the dive and loved it.

I also did a stumble butt plant at Andrea II getting out. No biggy there. In fact, after my butt plant, I noticed that one of the squid I had been playing with on the dive was still there next to me. He didn't even laugh at me. I just stood back up and he swam over around my legs again. Very cool.

As far as great EASY entries... I found that the stair entries at most of the resorts were the best, although I did slip once there, too. Luckily no injury, just bounced down to the next stair.

robin
back to Bonaire in Spring!!!