Bonaire: Shore diving or is it boat diving?

[Trixxie]

This site shows which of the Bonaire dive sites are shore accessible
Info Bonaire - Map of All Bonaire Dive Sites

When I look at Bonaire Dive Guide, whether the site is a boat or shore dive doesn't match the dive site map. http://www.bonairediveguide.com/images/10/240.pdf

Say for instance dive site #4: Bise Motro. Dive site map says it can be a shore or boat dive but on the Dive Guide it's listed as a boat dive only with strong currents.

With 63 "shore" dive sites and 23 dive sites on Kline Bonaire, I wanted to make the most of diving rather than driving to sites that are not shore accessible. I've read about a book written by a lady who lives on the island and have not had a chance to pick that up yet. Would that book clarify which are boat only and which are shore accessible?

Thanks

 

[diversteve]

Every shoredive site listed on Infobonaire from #26 down is easily accessible. Most of them between #'s 26-37 are off the diveresorts or a part of town.

All of the sites south of Belnem - from #37 - Bachelors Beach south -will be 100 yds. or so off the main road to the water and flat. From the Hooker/Angel City area you can look down the beach and see 3-4 other nearby sites. At some of them the tallest thing nearby will be your truck parked at the waters edge. There's practically no structures in that area except for the slave huts and the buildings around the Salt Pier. Except for some pretty scruffy looking trees...

I don't know the North sites as well. Karpata, Witches Hut, 1000Steps (64 rock steps down..) all are accessible with parking close by. Cliff is just north of Habitat, you can dive it from their dock or from a public access area between their property and the condos to the north. The two "Leap" sites really are.

Rappel is definitely a boat dive only, the name comes from divers rappelling down to the water. Nearby sites are probably on the same cliff which would be why they're marked as boat dives. That's really about the only higher area on Bonaire although there are some dropoffs to the water in Slagbaai Park, which may be why Bise Motro is called a boat dive.

 

[Trixxie]

AH I see, tall cliffs on the waters edge... gotcha

 

[reefdiva]

With 63 "shore" dive sites and 23 dive sites on Kline Bonaire, I wanted to make the most of diving rather than driving to sites that are not shore accessible. I've read about a book written by a lady who lives on the island and have not had a chance to pick that up yet. Would that book clarify which are boat only and which are shore accessible?

Thanks

The book Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy by Susan Porter will certainly clarify your question. It is available on line at Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, BSDME, Author Susan Porter or on the island at many dive shops and Chat and Browse. The guide lists only those sites that are accessible from shore and includes detailed info on entries and exits as well as what you can expect of the underwater topography. It also includes info on how to find some great unmarked sites (those that do not have a yellow rock). The wonderful thing about shore diving in Bonaire is that the sites are really not far apart. If we arrive at a sight and feel there are too many trucks there we just move on, often only a few hundred yards down the road.

 

[gert7to3]

This book is strictly about shore diving, here's the website:

Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, BSDME, Author Susan Porter

The northern sites are pretty much single sloping reefs trailing on down to 130 fsw+. My faves are Andrea I, II, Karpata, Old Blue, 1000 steps and Witche's hut. Cliff is worth the effort to swim to. I've seen tarpon lagered up there during the day.

The southern sites have shallow sandy areas leading out to the reef edge. Around Angel City there is a double reef with 60 ft + deep trench separating them. The outer reef goes up to 40ft then slopes on down. This trench is pretty wide around the Hilma Hooker, the ship was dropped into the trench. The double reef merges in to a single reef system a little south of Angel City. The book provides a wealth of detail about garden eel beds etc and more obscure , unmarked dive sites. As you you go south the reef is exposed to more weather. Around Red Slave there're lots of sea fans, but they can be pretty beaten up.

I have not gone into the sites in the national park. I have heard that they were blasted by waves from a hurricane 8-10 years ago and no longer retain their splendor. It's also a very long slow drive into the park. You'll need most of the day.

I'm going there the same week in April.

 

[driftwood]

There are some other sites that are by boat only. The two that come to mind are Something Special and Small Wall. While there are no physical barriers to shore diving, the problem lies with getting access permission from the adjacent property owners. You might want to include Kali in that category as well. Get Susan's book, she has done a fantastic job of site descriptions and plan to use it as your primary reference.

BTW, another reason to think hard about going to sites off the National Park is the drive time. Compared to other sites you will spend a lot of time driving. For that reason I would take a boat to Karpata as well. The problem is that the road becomes one way and you have to return on either an unmaintained road or go through Rincon. While both are nice drives, they eat a lot of time. Wish I could tell you for certain where the one way starts, but as memory serves it is right around 1000 Steps.

 

[tedtim]

There are some other sites that are by boat only. The two that come to mind are Something Special and Small Wall. While there are no physical barriers to shore diving, the problem lies with getting access permission from the adjacent property owners. You might want to include Kali in that category as well. Get Susan's book, she has done a fantastic job of site descriptions and plan to use it as your primary reference.

????Something Special. We dove that site multiple times during the last two weeks of November. Entry was through a vacant lot and we never experienced a problem. Parking was not a problem.

Nice spot for seeing garden eels at 90'.

 

[herman]

AH I see, tall cliffs on the waters edge... gotcha

The photo you have is from the windward side, few dive there and doing so without a local guide is not a good idea. Here are some photos of typical Bonaire dive sites. Old Blue up north, Witches Hut also north, Alice In Wonderland a southern site and finally 1000 Steps at the northern end. 1000 Steps is located close to the highest point on the leeward (dive) side and even there, getting to the site is not a problem. Most of the sites south of town look pretty much like Alice in Wonderland. The area between the road and the beach looks pretty much the same and is only 30 or 40 ft wide. I was likely sitting on the truck when the AIW shot was made

 

[Nismo]

At Buddy Dive there was a free reef map from the dept. of tourism or it's equivalent. They list it by walk in or boat. Even if you get to a site and you need a boat to get in, the next one up the road may not so I would not worry about it.

 

[driftwood]

????Something Special. We dove that site multiple times during the last two weeks of November. Entry was through a vacant lot and we never experienced a problem. Parking was not a problem.

Nice spot for seeing garden eels at 90'.

We dove Something Special by boat and the DM's were emphatic that there was no public assess to the site (I asked). The vacant lot you crossed is private property, you really should get the property owner's permission to cross it.