Bonaire shore dive itinerary

[Khoujo1]

Hey everyone! My wife and I, along with 2 other divers, are going to Bonaire in October for a week. None of us has been there, so we’re all super excited. Have the Reef Guide, which has been very informative. I’d like to know if anyone has a true itinerary for shore diving. For example, 2 AM sites and then 1-2 PM sites that are close together but offer different experiences. I don’t want to make the mistake of just crawling up and down the coast if some sites are less special than others. Thanks!

 

[rmorgan]

We make a couple of arrangements before every trip: Book with East Coast Divers, and book a couple of night dives with our favorite critter finder. And if we intend to do any boat dives, e.g. out to Klein, we'll book those ahead. Otherwise, everything is pretty close, especially taking surface intervals into account. So we might end up diving a northern site and a site in town in the morning, and something south in the afternoon, or diving the same site twice. Plus, although October's a little slow, you might get to a site, find a dozen trucks already there and decide to move on. You'll certainly fall in love with a site that you want to do a second or third time. And most of all, you'll not know the conditions until they arise--whether it's windy and from what direction, whether there's a boat at Salt Pier, etc. So FWIW, my suggestion is figure out the sites which appeal, don't overthink the order, and make game-time calls.

 

[arew+4]

Where are you staying, it won't really matter but take it into consideration.

I like to go north in the morning, do one dive before t the one way, then one after, stop for lunch in Rincon. (I have been known to have 1 beer with lunch, and dive again in the afternoon and evening it hasn't killed me and the scuba police have not kicked me out of the pool, YMMV) after noon and night dives we usually do in the crook of the elbow/shadow of Klein. I have done salt per at night it was nice, and I like oil slick any time of day or night. Going south in the morning most times we hit the away spot first and work back towards town and lunch. Tiring the eat coast can be done after Rincon, or after you do the far south site second.

 

[Khoujo1]

Where are you staying, it won't really matter but take it into consideration.

I like to go north in the morning, do one dive before t the one way, then one after, stop for lunch in Rincon. (I have been known to have 1 beer with lunch, and dive again in the afternoon and evening it hasn't killed me and the scuba police have not kicked me out of the pool, YMMV) after noon and night dives we usually do in the crook of the elbow/shadow of Klein. I have done salt per at night it was nice, and I like oil slick any time of day or night. Going south in the morning most times we hit the away spot first and work back towards town and lunch. Tiring the eat coast can be done after Rincon, or after you do the far south site second.

Staying in town at Bamboo Bonaire. North dives look appealing. Favorite restaurant in Rincon?

 

[schuylerclark]

Our experience was that all the dives we did in Bonaire were amazing. But often the dives we did because they happened to be next to our pre-planned site, or that we picked as we were driving past turned out to be extra special. Salt Pier (day and night) and Turtle City (w/East Coast Diving) are two dives at the top of my list because they're very unique and iconic.

 

[tkaelin]

It is common for first timers to be super excited about planning out all the sites they want to hit. I did the same with a large Franko Map and guide books in hand for our first trip in 2009. The reality is though all sites can be great and a house reef or two could be dived everyday and mulitple times per day and be just as enjoyable. Planning is great but my advice is to be flexible.

 

[arew+4]

Kas DiHardrei or something to that effect blue and teal you can find it on Google I think

 

[BigDaddyGlad]

You can plan your days, but then the ship is in on the day you planned to do Salt Pier and that throws everything off. I think it's best to have an idea of your 5 or 6 "must do" sites, and figure out the next day's site plan each evening over dinner. Some great tips I picked up from others on my visit last month:
- Grab tanks in the evening, and do the Hilma Hooker *before* breakfast. It's a fantastic early morning dive before other divers show up and start silting up the joint.
- A great 2-tank morning is Tolo + Karpata. The road becomes one-way in the north, and since you're already up there, you can take the scenic return drive through the flamingo sanctuary and Rincon.
- If you're there at the right time of the lunar cycle, do the Ostracod night dive!
- I see you're staying at Bamboo, so you probably already have a reservation at Chef's. I couldn't get a reservation there, but had possibly the best meal of my life at Zara's.

 

[Khoujo1]

You can plan your days, but then the ship is in on the day you planned to do Salt Pier and that throws everything off. I think it's best to have an idea of your 5 or 6 "must do" sites, and figure out the next day's site plan each evening over dinner. Some great tips I picked up from others on my visit last month:
- Grab tanks in the evening, and do the Hilma Hooker *before* breakfast. It's a fantastic early morning dive before other divers show up and start silting up the joint.
- A great 2-tank morning is Tolo + Karpata. The road becomes one-way in the north, and since you're already up there, you can take the scenic return drive through the flamingo sanctuary and Rincon.
- If you're there at the right time of the lunar cycle, do the Ostracod night dive!
- I see you're staying at Bamboo, so you probably already have a reservation at Chef's. I couldn't get a reservation there, but had possibly the best meal of my life at Zara's.

Great advice. Got the Chef's rese in hand. We're lucky that the trip coincides with the Ostracod dives, so have it scheduled as well. Thanks!

 

[Jake 10]

Check diving Bonaire videos in YouTube, plenty of information and advice for several sites. Relax, you are on vacation not on a schedule. Stop at Ocean Oasis near The Lake #42 dive site south of town for a good culinary experience, and book a boat dive with Toucan Diving in Plaza Beach Resort. Ask for Hagen or Chantal and tell them Jake from Scubaboard sent you