kyjellyfish
Contributor
I had a chance to go to Bonaire with a group of four friends from work the second week of March. We flew with Continental via SFO-IAH-BON. Arriving in Bonaire early Saturday morning we were picked up by our hostess Audrey who owns and rents out Casa Calexico. What a great place. It was homely, clean and very pleasant and just two short blocks away from the Divi Flamingo Resort; not to mention we were set up with a truck rental and dive package with Wannadive. If youre looking to stay at a place that offers a fair amount of privacy with a touch of Dutch hospitality, consider contacting Audrey.
Being my first dive experience outside of Monterey and SoCal, I thought the diving in Bonaire was spectacular. We did about four dives a day, usually starting with a couple in the north and then a couple in the south of the island. Sites that stood out to me were Oil Slick Leap (mainly from the fun experience of jumping off the ledge), Taylor Made, dolphins at the Hilma Hooker, Salt Pier night dive and a boat dive at Lac Cai. The coral and fauna seemed to be more varied and healthy at the northern sites; the south offered the double reef systems and more chances to spot larger animals. We saw plenty of sea life, from morays, puffers and lionfish to turtles, mola molas and eagle rays. I definitely found more joy in looking at the larger animals. Minimum visibility on all of our dives was 60 feet. We only had a couple of dives where we had other groups diving the same site. Water temperature was in the high 70s, low 80s °F range. I wore a 5mm full suit and was comfortable at all times; others in our group with shorties or thinner suits were getting chilled by the end of the day. Also consider getting lycra socks to complement your hard sole booties to help reduce blisters or chafing.
Diving in Bonaire is very much a relaxed and do-it-at-your-own-pace experience. Youll most likely have a great time whether you dive once or four times a day. The accessibility of all of the dive sites, the relative ease of entries and exits and the variety of life were the most positive aspects of Bonaire diving. To get the most of your diving I would also recommend doing reading or buying a guide book, like Susan Porters Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, or talking with your dive operator. Overall what a great experience, a wonderful island and I really look forward to returning.
Being my first dive experience outside of Monterey and SoCal, I thought the diving in Bonaire was spectacular. We did about four dives a day, usually starting with a couple in the north and then a couple in the south of the island. Sites that stood out to me were Oil Slick Leap (mainly from the fun experience of jumping off the ledge), Taylor Made, dolphins at the Hilma Hooker, Salt Pier night dive and a boat dive at Lac Cai. The coral and fauna seemed to be more varied and healthy at the northern sites; the south offered the double reef systems and more chances to spot larger animals. We saw plenty of sea life, from morays, puffers and lionfish to turtles, mola molas and eagle rays. I definitely found more joy in looking at the larger animals. Minimum visibility on all of our dives was 60 feet. We only had a couple of dives where we had other groups diving the same site. Water temperature was in the high 70s, low 80s °F range. I wore a 5mm full suit and was comfortable at all times; others in our group with shorties or thinner suits were getting chilled by the end of the day. Also consider getting lycra socks to complement your hard sole booties to help reduce blisters or chafing.
Diving in Bonaire is very much a relaxed and do-it-at-your-own-pace experience. Youll most likely have a great time whether you dive once or four times a day. The accessibility of all of the dive sites, the relative ease of entries and exits and the variety of life were the most positive aspects of Bonaire diving. To get the most of your diving I would also recommend doing reading or buying a guide book, like Susan Porters Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, or talking with your dive operator. Overall what a great experience, a wonderful island and I really look forward to returning.
