Bonaire - seeking buddies

[fpiera]

I am going to Bonaire for a few weeks next year. I need a procedure for finding buddies to dive with there.

I am in favor of hiring a local for a few shore dives but then want to find buddies to dive with and cut my costs.

 

[drrich2]

You can contact your dive operator and ask if they've got some sort of 'buddy board.'

Posting asking here in ScubaBoard might work out.

You can take an SDI Solo Diver course and get certified (on Bonaire, if you wish, I believe) and, as long as your dive op. recognizes the cert., skip the buddy thing if you wish.

Some people travel with a group that dives together a lot.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Hopefully you'll be able to find some folks to dive with......but as Rich mentioned, you also might want to consider taking the SDI/TDI Solo Diver course while.... You can do all of the "knowledge" based work online ahead of time and do the open water work once on the island. There are several options.....one of which is Bryan with the SDI/TDI school at Captain Don's. If you contact him ahead of your trip he'll set up the course code for the online work and schedule your date and time to meet for the OW work..

Have a blast and enjoy Bonaire! My wife and I are flying with some friends from Seattle tomorrow and we will be there for 10 days!!

 

[Lorenzoid]

I am going to Bonaire for a few weeks next year. I need a procedure for finding buddies to dive with there.

I am in favor of hiring a local for a few shore dives but then want to find buddies to dive with and cut my costs.

I took the liberty of moving this thread to the Bonaire forum and editing the title. Hope it helps!

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Not sure when you’re going to be there, but we’ll be at Den Laman the last 2 weeks of January. The person coming with us the first week might be looking for a buddy, as my wife and I will diving by ourselves that week. The second week we’ll be diving as a group, so you’d be more than welcome.

If our times don’t jive, and you’re staying at a resort while you’re there, conversations at the bar have been known to work.

Otherwise, I would say that @drrich2 covered the good options. I seem to remember Capt. Don’s having a buddy board several years ago, but couldn’t swear to that.

As for posting on SB, I would recommend reposting something about 3 months before you are going.

You can also contact some of the LDSs in your area to see if they have a buddy board, though not sure if that’s really a thing outside of local diving.

Erik

 

[fpiera]

Not sure when you’re going to be there, but we’ll be at Den Laman the last 2 weeks of January. The person coming with us the first week might be looking for a buddy, as my wife and I will diving by ourselves that week. The second week we’ll be diving as a group, so you’d be more than welcome.

If our times don’t jive, and you’re staying at a resort while you’re there, conversations at the bar have been known to work.

Otherwise, I would say that @drrich2 covered the good options. I seem to remember Capt. Don’s having a buddy board several years ago, but couldn’t swear to that.

As for posting on SB, I would recommend reposting something about 3 months before you are going.

You can also contact some of the LDSs in your area to see if they have a buddy board, though not sure if that’s really a thing outside of local diving.

Erik

That is my plan too. I am planning to take still photos, including night.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

What are the dates you’re looking at, and where are you staying? I will add that, given the current SCTLD situation, our plans are tentative depending on what STINAPA decides to close down by that time, if they close anything more than they have.
As for the photos, my wife got certified this past January with the goal of doing underwater photography. So, no problem with the photo taking.

Erik

 

[Martijn]

Send me a PM. I'll invite you to a whatsapp group 250+ ppl looking for buddy's on Bonaire

 

[Paul Enright]

I would like to dive in Bonaire for 10-14 days in August or September. My NAUI c-card is 1978 and I dove last year, no problems. I don't have a dive buddy. Paul