Bonaire today

[oldschoolto]

Just a fast update on Matthew... Passed without a problem... Dove Himla Hooker for the first dive of the trip.. visibility was down to 50' or so with shore line still only 10 - 20 feet... should be improving as the week goes on... But, I'm here for the month... So I know I I'll see great weather.

Jim....

 

[drrich2]

A month on Bonaire diving...I think my eyes might glaze over. Enjoy it well!

 

[oldschoolto]

Gotta love retirement....

Jim...

 

[Jersey]

Jealous. Please send updates from time to time for those of us still grinding it out.

 

[beaverdivers]

We will be there in three weeks. Thanks for the updates.

 

[darook]

Looks like it was pretty rough there today! Hope everyone was safe and stayed out of the water or took the chance to dive the East side if it was safe. The video and pictures Buddy Dive posted were far worse than what I experienced there in a wind reversal several years ago.

 

[drrich2]

Some years back when Omar (variously called tropical storm, or hurricane) hit Bonaire (unusual, as it's below the hurricane belt, but it happened) and pounded the west coast, my 1st scuba instructor was on-island with a group, and later told me they dove the east side, which was calm then. I wasn't with them. It would be interesting to hear if people are diving it. Here's a link to Buddy Dive Resort's Facebook page.

Richard.

 

[fmerkel]

My first E-side dive was probably 12 years ago. There was a hurricane about 200 miles away and it killed the trade winds. No wind at all. No one, I mean no one (shops, agencies, etc) would give us any help at all figuring out where or how to dive there. There were no zodiac trips or other E-side diving back then. They just warned us of the extreme danger (duh). We finally found a small real beach (not that gawd awful iron shore) on the E. below Lac Bay, explored first by snorkel, then did a dive. It's a LONG hard scrubbed shelf with a semi-abrupt drop there into deep blue water. Saw 21 Southern Sting Rays, our only shark in 6 trips, and a real Hogfish (not Spanish). Very good dive and quite different.

 

[wwguy]

Some years back when Omar (variously called tropical storm, or hurricane) hit Bonaire (unusual, as it's below the hurricane belt, but it happened) and pounded the west coast, my 1st scuba instructor was on-island with a group, and later told me they dove the east side, which was calm then. I wasn't with them. It would be interesting to hear if people are diving it. Here's a link to Buddy Dive Resort's Facebook page.

Richard.

Omar did not hit Bonaire. It passed quite a bit to the north. The damage to Bonaire's west side was from the resulting waves originating many miles away... much like now.

Here was Omar's path:

 

[oldschoolto]

Yesterday was the worst I have ever seen on Bonaire... Water across the road in spots on the south end by the salt flats.. Huge waves, throwing spray 20 feet in the air.. I'm in a hammock drinking a rum and coke... Not a dive day for me.. still some good chop and the shore water is all sand filled.. tomorrow is a new day..

Jim