Bonaire sites question

[rabbithill]

I have been reading up on Bonaire for a possible trip there, and was wondering about the "current" that is listed for some of the dive sites. I have only Monterey/Carmel California to compare to so was wondering if someone out there could let me know if they are comparable to what I am used to or if they are really ripping sort of things which border on drift dives? I am definitely of the "recreational" type when it comes to diving. I don't want to expend tons of energy as I would rather just float and stare at the underwater life.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

-Cynthia

 

[H2Andy]

well... i've only been to Bonaire once, but i didn't enounter any current of
any significance on any of my dives there (either boat or shore)

best of luck

 

[Mishelle]

Well I do not really think that there is bad diving in Bonaire....well I wouldnt dive the east side lol

I am sure I will spell some of these wrong, but you will get the gist:
I loved the boat dives to Kline Bonaire. It is the small island there off the west coast of Bonaire. The boat trip out was exciting because of the Flying Fish And we really had a great Captain that knew the places to dive. I had no drifting issues.

Helma Hokker is a wreck dive. It is a bit of a surface swim....it is ok.

We stayed at Buddys and thought that the shore diving was great there too!

My favorite dive, was doing a night dive at the Town Pier. AMAZING!

I really do not think you can go wrong! Let us know how it goes!

 

[Doc]

Yup, the East side has some real currents- most folks never even have the thought to dive there... one look and that's enough! If you're lucky enough to be there on a rare day when it's doable, hire on to a guided boat dive and enjoy.

The West side around the population/tourist center- yes there can be currents, but nothing that a quick look at your certicification OW book wouldn't bring you up to speed on.

Refresh yourself about shore diving and entries/exits.

Observe what mild current there is as you go seaward to where the ocean floor breaks at the "wall". Begin your dive into the current.

Do not be afraid of this world class dive destination for the fear of currents, but check with your resort and DM for some pointers.

Enjoy Bonaire!

 

[D_O_H]

I've also only been once, but on the jillion or so dives we did while there, there was never more than a slight current.

RoatanMan summarized the drill accurately above: head straight out to your intended max depth, turn whichever direction the current (if any) is running turn around at an appropriate PSI until you get back to where you started. Extremely easy shore diving (easier than NorCal shore diving by a long shot, in my opinion).

I highly recommend Bonaire, by the way. I liked it better than anywhere else I've been diving so far (Belize, Coz, NorCal, SoCal, Baja and Hawaii).

Edit: I just re-read your question and noticed that you may be looking for a strong current and drift diving, in which case, I recommend Cozumel. No need to kick at all, really, just drop down, float along, and meet the boat wherever you decide to surface. That said, Bonaire doesn't need to be terribly strenuous, either. There is more than enough stuff to see on a tank's worth of air in a very small amount of space. I saw some of the coolest stuff of our entire trip while bumming around in the shallows on extended safety stops.

 

[herman]

I have put in around 150 hours under a bunch of sites on Bonaire and for the most part the currents are mild. The closer you get to the southern end, the worse they get. I would say Margate Bay is the point where I consider the currents start to be of much concern. Most of the currents are barely noticeable but your are well advised to start your dive into the current as even a slight current can have a significant impact on your air consumption. I can think of only one occasion when I encountered a stiff current. It was on a early evening dive (time really did not have a bearing however) in front of Buddy Dive. For whatever reason the current changed during a dive and got fairly stiff by the end of the dive. I have dove that site many times and this was the one and only time I had a significant current there. It is normal to have a slight current. We typically take advantage of the current by diving to our turn pressure of 1500, ride the current back and spend a good bit of time in the shallows as a long extended safety stop. Our typical dives are 75 to 90 minutes with a max depth of 40 ft. As long as you avoid the far south dive sites you should not have any trouble with the currents as long as you start the dive into them.

 

[herman]

Just noticed you new to the board, welcome.
There is a bunch of stuff on Bonaire posted by myself and others over the years. Do a search, you will find some useful information.

 

[scubaaaronh]

Everyone else summarized it beautifully. When we were there in Feb we dove margate bay and had little to no current the day we were there. I think the only place we had current was when we did angel city then invisibles, the water was really rough by the time we got in at invisibles and the current had picked up but not enough by any means to abort the dive.

 

[sharon]

Our experiences were very little current along the shoredives. We ran into some current when we were out diving around Klein Bonaire. At Karpata, the exits were tricky due to the surface surge when we were there. I'm sure you will have a great time, lots of great sites with really cool stuff to look at.

 

[Doc]

Edit: I just re-read your question and noticed that you may be looking for a strong current and drift diving, in which case, I recommend Cozumel.

Maybe you're right, Homer. The need for speed!

Okay then, after gliding in Bonaire, then go flying the Cessna 182 in Cozumel, next try the F16 in Tobago. Good prep for the Space Shuttle in the Galapagos.