Bonaire Poll, treacherous shore diving??

[robint]

Yellow Sub is the perfect example of EASY shore entries for great dives. It is a sandy beach right downtown. Park on the street, walk into water BUT once you get out past the pylons (big concrete blocks which all the boats are anchored to) and the coral begins it is as gorgeous as any other dive site with tons of fish. People who need easy entries should go there. It is a great dive site that many people miss because it isn't in the "Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy" booklet. I got some of my best video footage there.

watch video, I have each dive site labeled:
[vimeo]3273329[/vimeo]

this video shows all the shore dive sites we hit except Buddy's, which I did a whole video about.

robin

 

[DiverVince]

Vince, you left off Small wall
. At almost 60yrs of age I know I cannot do what I did back when I was in my 20's or 30's.I still keep in shape by biking/swimming/walking the dogs for 2 or 3 mile walks.Maybe by the time I hit 80 I'll be diving only off the boats hopefully.

Believe it or not, I never dove small wall. Will have to check it out this winter.
We're both the same age. I do intend to do shore diving at 80; perhaps at 100 I'll be confined to boat dives only.

 

[robint]

here's the webcam from Yellow Sub...

http://www.bonairewebcams.com/cgi-bin/showpic.cgi?c=Y;s=L;t=201101081249202k6e

Bonaire WebCams - Enlarged View - Yellow Submarine PierCam

you can see how easy this entry is!!! The reef is that dark blue out there, in about 20' deep water. Very very easy for anyone.

robin

 

[reefdiva]

Yellow Sub is the perfect example of EASY shore entries for great dives. It is a sandy beach right downtown. Park on the street, walk into water BUT once you get out past the pylons (big concrete blocks which all the boats are anchored to) and the coral begins it is as gorgeous as any other dive site with tons of fish. People who need easy entries should go there. It is a great dive site that many people miss because it isn't in the "Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy" booklet. I got some of my best video footage there. robin

Actually, Yellow Submarine is in Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. It is on page 39 of the 6th edition and is listed as an "easy" site. I agree with Robin that it is a great spot and finishing the dive around the boat moorings always means finding lots of cool small critters such as sailfin blennies, yellow headed jawfish and pipefish. We have found seahorses and frogfish here as well.

 

[reefdiva]

Vince, you left off Small wall

Small Wall is a shore diving site only if you are staying at Black Durgon or a rental house along that part of the shoreline as there is no other access. In the past Al, the owner of Black Durgon, has not let folks enter through his property. We did Small Wall from shore when renting a house just south of BD and it is indeed a great dive.

 

[robint]

Actually, Yellow Submarine is in Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. It is on page 39 of the 6th edition and is listed as an "easy" site. I agree with Robin that it is a great spot and finishing the dive around the boat moorings always means finding lots of cool small critters such as sailfin blennies, yellow headed jawfish and pipefish. We have found seahorses and frogfish here as well.

thanks. I have the 5th addition and it wasn't included. Nice to know it was added.


robin

 

[TheWizard]

Keeping my tank turned off for my surface swimout during a shore dive has been part of my SOP for years now, making sure to verify the tank's PSI prior to heading out, of course.
Snorkelers go out on the surface w/o any compressed air at all, so the first part of most Bonaire dives resembles a snorkel.

But I don't recommend to others to do this because it's too risky for some folks. It requires one to 1) know where your tank's knob is, 2) be able physically to reach that knob, and 3) have some idea which way to turn that knob to get your air flowing. Lack of any of these skills means DOOM.

What about an octo or primary reg that has a tendency to free flow with a full tank? Mine has had a tendency to do that over the past 15 years across numerous routine servicings. I don't work with a fleet of rental regs, so I don't know how many do this.
The solution, in general, is to turn the 2nd stage so that mouthpiece is down and purge valve is up. (I seem to recall an instructor telling me this years ago.)
But when I'm surface-swimming, I don't need this distraction.

Anyhow, at my next reg servicing, I will mention this problem and refuse to pay for the servicing until I see both 2nd stages in a tank of water on a 3200 psi tank.
Thanks...

 

[CountessP]

Wow, I'm impressed with the activity this thread has created, and thank everyone for their comments.

In hindsight, I do think that we could have better prepared for shore diving in Bonaire. We assumed that the shore diving in Bonaire was similar to the shore diving in South Florida, or even Curacao or Cozumel. Beach diving, with sandy entrances, which is what I consider easy. While I'm impressed that many of you consider Bonaire easy, I do not, and will never describe it as such to anyone. Yes, once you are in, it's great, and navigating is fairly easy, but you do need to evaluate each dive, and the conditions, and take precaution with every entrance and exit. I also think, despite your health, or physical fitness, or size, or dive experience, you can fall, or slip, or just plain lose balance in these types of rocky entrances; especially in full gear, with a tank on your back.

Frankly, I would love to dive Bonaire again, now that I know what to expect, but with so much good diving much closer to home, and so many places left to go, it probably won't happen.

Happy and safe diving to all!!

 

[drrich2]

CountessP:

You're not the only one to run into Bonaire without any real way of knowing in advance what it would be like. It's such a lauded and popular destination that doubtless many people go there with no prior dive experience except a gravel quarry or two.

And it is worth being mindful not everyone is 16 - 45, fit and healthy with no unusual physical impairments.

Perhaps we should say some dive sites on Bonaire are pretty easy, and that many fall within the 'beginner' difficulty range as it is understood by many divers (but more conservative souls may consider some 'intermediate').

Richard.

 

[jepuskar]

(caution...obvious/common sense comments are below)

<start>As with all things, what is easy for some is difficult for others and vice versa.

Saying the shore diving is easy means YOU think it's easy.</end>

---------------------------

Personally I like the shore entries/exits on Bonaire...adds to the whole experience for me. In order to go see the reef I need to navigate what the ocean has put between the reef and the road. It's kind of a like a mini-adventure before/after the dive.

It is part of diving Bonaire. I go there to experience that...I could boat dive anywhere...can't really shore dive everywhere....at least not in Bonaire conditions.