homerdoc
Contributor
First of all, I do recommend reaching out to the scubaboard community. I met two really cool members who helped make this a good trip. Randallr and gajahduduk.
They helped several ways, from helping my daughter do her first night dive, to causing very soon my wallet to get very empty (camera envy, my wife says the go-pro has to go), a wonderful dinner at Blennies (recommend the Friday night meat fest), and seeing the first midget moray attack.
They were also very tolerant of my daughters SAC rate, which was really cool for me.
They did a good job describing the dives, so I will comment more on what I saw different from the other trips I have done to Bonaire.
New Year's
Holy cow, I thought lake greenwood rednecks knew how to fire off fireworks (put me in that bucket). Every single person on that island took New Years seriously. The entire island lit up. My wife has made it clear we are coming back for new years next year. It was seriously cool, and it appeared to not be sponsored, but more everyone was firing off. Not little things mind you, big mortars. The streets were littered with the debris in the am.
Den Laman
I have stayed at Buddy Dive and Captain Dons (my favorite), however, the den laman two bedroom (Shark) was incredibly nice with fit and finish and room for everyone. Its a really nice room. We didn't have an ocean view, but the fireworks made up for it. The check in etc was easy and painless and the front desk helpful. We got the rental at avis and the dive package from dive friends from them.
The breakfast is so so. I would not do it again. Buddy's and Captain Don's is excellent. There will probably be a family debate next new years, I love captain don's since it is on the ground floor, the two flights of stairs at den laman got very tiring towards the end of the trip.
But parking was easy and open. Buddies and Captain dons can get difficult over the weekends. There are places but a ways away.
One negative - Coco beach was right next door, and they were partying hard late into the night on Friday (loud music)
The beach (sand dollar side) was open most of the day, the beach on the den laman side was nice also. There are no beaches at Buddy or Captain Don's,
Dive Friends
Painless check in, orientation, straight forward and to the point (Captain Don's and Buddy Dive's are much longer). The pier is really nice and the lockers, aren't lockers but pegs. The area is locked up at night and you have a code to get on the pier and in the locker. I liked the fact the pier wasn't lit up at night, I was worried about sea wasps.
They also had really nice carts to take gear down to the dock, they were choice.
I liked the convenience of tanks on the pier and easy ones to load up at the parking lot.
Buddy Dive is the most convenient with a drive through, captain don's, I seemed every day to have to haul short tanks a long way from the dock (my wife and daughter dive short tanks)
I would use them again.
Dives
I got 11 dives in - 8 at Bari Reef and in either direction.
Bari
Bari is a good reef for taking my family. My only consternation was that the pipe that is the line for the dock is at 20'. I got spoiled by the ropes at Buddy and Captain dons. Missed it twice and had to back track when I got to the rubble piles.
Should have coulda woulda dove more sites, but it fit getting my group (inexperienced wife and daughter sub 50 dives) out there in easy entry's and exits..
Saw lot of cool things at Bari and it will have good memories. I always dive with just a swim suit and shirt, my daughter did that for the first time and loved it but got cold. She did her first night dive and her first dive to 100 feet. She has been bugging me to do that and I said fine. We went down there. She looked at her computer, checked a box, and motioned lets go back up to 60. So we did slowly and completed the dive. But I am sure she will tell her friends about it in school.
One unusual thing I saw down at 100' was a memorial, I am attaching a picture - its bad (already commented will be forced to new camera), does anyone know the back story - it was towards buddy reef.
Salt Pier
Nice dive, wife couldn't clear ears so we dove in 15 feet of water for a long time. Saw an octopus only other picture I will post - it was a good teaching moment, when my daughter was asking why we couldn't get it to move after the dive and we talked about how you don't disturb sea life. If we had, it wouldn't be comfortable staying there for other people to see. 6 turtles munching on sea lettuce capped off the dive.
To the person that asked if you need a compass in Bonaire, its really handy at the salt pier.
I don't know if I am the only one, but I don't get dumped anywhere, and 50% of the time I get dumped getting in or out at the salt pier. Embarrassing.
1000 steps
My key takeaway - (as info the steps aren't that bad, and the entry is really easy) - don't do this unless you plan to go to Rincon if a big cruise ship is in town. The buses, golf carts, scooter things completely blocked the road. I had planned on going back for lunch the way we came, but we went the long way.
I don't remember the big ships coming in, if they are in, (you can look online), stay away from town and if you go towards webers, 1000 steps etc, go back the long way through Rincon.
Hilma Hooker
This was a dive I really didn't want to do, but the family did. (to me its a do it once dive). This is where the reef smart kindle download really came in handy. They were nervous about how deep it was until I showed them on the map (very clear and accurate) that the top of the ship isn't that deep. They enjoyed the dive a lot and even got adventurous on the far side.
One last, the airport was way more crowded that I remembered. There was a big united flight going out with our delta flight. There wasn't a seat to be had (we got there early so we were okay).
They helped several ways, from helping my daughter do her first night dive, to causing very soon my wallet to get very empty (camera envy, my wife says the go-pro has to go), a wonderful dinner at Blennies (recommend the Friday night meat fest), and seeing the first midget moray attack.
They were also very tolerant of my daughters SAC rate, which was really cool for me.
They did a good job describing the dives, so I will comment more on what I saw different from the other trips I have done to Bonaire.
New Year's
Holy cow, I thought lake greenwood rednecks knew how to fire off fireworks (put me in that bucket). Every single person on that island took New Years seriously. The entire island lit up. My wife has made it clear we are coming back for new years next year. It was seriously cool, and it appeared to not be sponsored, but more everyone was firing off. Not little things mind you, big mortars. The streets were littered with the debris in the am.
Den Laman
I have stayed at Buddy Dive and Captain Dons (my favorite), however, the den laman two bedroom (Shark) was incredibly nice with fit and finish and room for everyone. Its a really nice room. We didn't have an ocean view, but the fireworks made up for it. The check in etc was easy and painless and the front desk helpful. We got the rental at avis and the dive package from dive friends from them.
The breakfast is so so. I would not do it again. Buddy's and Captain Don's is excellent. There will probably be a family debate next new years, I love captain don's since it is on the ground floor, the two flights of stairs at den laman got very tiring towards the end of the trip.
But parking was easy and open. Buddies and Captain dons can get difficult over the weekends. There are places but a ways away.
One negative - Coco beach was right next door, and they were partying hard late into the night on Friday (loud music)
The beach (sand dollar side) was open most of the day, the beach on the den laman side was nice also. There are no beaches at Buddy or Captain Don's,
Dive Friends
Painless check in, orientation, straight forward and to the point (Captain Don's and Buddy Dive's are much longer). The pier is really nice and the lockers, aren't lockers but pegs. The area is locked up at night and you have a code to get on the pier and in the locker. I liked the fact the pier wasn't lit up at night, I was worried about sea wasps.
They also had really nice carts to take gear down to the dock, they were choice.
I liked the convenience of tanks on the pier and easy ones to load up at the parking lot.
Buddy Dive is the most convenient with a drive through, captain don's, I seemed every day to have to haul short tanks a long way from the dock (my wife and daughter dive short tanks)
I would use them again.
Dives
I got 11 dives in - 8 at Bari Reef and in either direction.
Bari
Bari is a good reef for taking my family. My only consternation was that the pipe that is the line for the dock is at 20'. I got spoiled by the ropes at Buddy and Captain dons. Missed it twice and had to back track when I got to the rubble piles.
Should have coulda woulda dove more sites, but it fit getting my group (inexperienced wife and daughter sub 50 dives) out there in easy entry's and exits..
Saw lot of cool things at Bari and it will have good memories. I always dive with just a swim suit and shirt, my daughter did that for the first time and loved it but got cold. She did her first night dive and her first dive to 100 feet. She has been bugging me to do that and I said fine. We went down there. She looked at her computer, checked a box, and motioned lets go back up to 60. So we did slowly and completed the dive. But I am sure she will tell her friends about it in school.
One unusual thing I saw down at 100' was a memorial, I am attaching a picture - its bad (already commented will be forced to new camera), does anyone know the back story - it was towards buddy reef.
Salt Pier
Nice dive, wife couldn't clear ears so we dove in 15 feet of water for a long time. Saw an octopus only other picture I will post - it was a good teaching moment, when my daughter was asking why we couldn't get it to move after the dive and we talked about how you don't disturb sea life. If we had, it wouldn't be comfortable staying there for other people to see. 6 turtles munching on sea lettuce capped off the dive.
To the person that asked if you need a compass in Bonaire, its really handy at the salt pier.
I don't know if I am the only one, but I don't get dumped anywhere, and 50% of the time I get dumped getting in or out at the salt pier. Embarrassing.
1000 steps
My key takeaway - (as info the steps aren't that bad, and the entry is really easy) - don't do this unless you plan to go to Rincon if a big cruise ship is in town. The buses, golf carts, scooter things completely blocked the road. I had planned on going back for lunch the way we came, but we went the long way.
I don't remember the big ships coming in, if they are in, (you can look online), stay away from town and if you go towards webers, 1000 steps etc, go back the long way through Rincon.
Hilma Hooker
This was a dive I really didn't want to do, but the family did. (to me its a do it once dive). This is where the reef smart kindle download really came in handy. They were nervous about how deep it was until I showed them on the map (very clear and accurate) that the top of the ship isn't that deep. They enjoyed the dive a lot and even got adventurous on the far side.
One last, the airport was way more crowded that I remembered. There was a big united flight going out with our delta flight. There wasn't a seat to be had (we got there early so we were okay).
