Bonaire Trip Report ( June 21-29th ), Plaza Resort

[oly5050user]

Does this mean that Buddy Dive does have an orientation? Is it offered at various times during the day? Does it involve a check out dive?

Booked for our first trip to Bonaire and Buddy Dive in a few months so not sure how it works.

Buddy dive requires marine park orientation that is gone over as an orientation to the resort as well.
orientation done at 9am and 2 pm. Miss time frame and may have to wait for the next day. I have been there more times than I can count with groups as large as 32 divers. As such resort extends itself to my requests. As for "check out " dive, no staff from Buddy goes in water with you. It is as drrich says you go in water and do a buoyancy check and assure yourself that gear functions properly.

 

[Doctorfish]

Stinapa requires an orientation and check out dive for all divers from all dive ops.

One thing that might save you some time is to print out all the waivers from BD website and fill out before you go.
Keep the receipt that you get when you pay marine park fee as it also covers your entry to Washington-Salagbai.

The check out dive at BD is not onerous. Always a good idea to check out gear and buoyancy. In fact, the house reef there is an outstanding dive anyway.

 

[Brodydog]

The check out dive at BD is not onerous. Always a good idea to check out gear and buoyancy. In fact, the house reef there is an outstanding dive anyway.

That doesn't sound too bad. We do that anyway.

Glad to hear it's not one of those places where you have to wait on everyone to do their skills test like we had to do at CoCoView in Roatan with mask removal and reg recovery, etc.

What a shame about the timing of the classes though. We arrive at 1:55 so I guess no late afternoon dive for us that day. Bummer!

---------- Post added July 20th, 2014 at 02:44 PM ----------

One thing that might save you some time is to print out all the waivers from BD website and fill out before you go.
Keep the receipt that you get when you pay marine park fee as it also covers your entry to Washington-Salagbai.

And thanks for this bit of info also.

 

[oly5050user]

That doesn't sound too bad. We do that anyway.

Glad to hear it's not one of those places where you have to wait on everyone to do their skills test like we had to do at CoCoView in Roatan with mask removal and reg recovery, etc.

What a shame about the timing of the classes though. We arrive at 1:55 so I guess no late afternoon dive for us that day. Bummer!

---------- Post added July 20th, 2014 at 02:44 PM ----------



And thanks for this bit of info also.

What are the dates? I get there SEPT 20.. Arrive on island same time...if you are there same time I can most likely arrange for you to get orientation and start diving same day

 

[Brodydog]

What are the dates? I get there SEPT 20.. Arrive on island same time...if you are there same time I can most likely arrange for you to get orientation and start diving same day

We don't arrive until Oct 3rd.

 

[Scubawankenobi]

Re: Orientation and check-out dive (at Plaza Resort)
Since this topic came-up, I wanted to describe the experience related to Plaza, where we stayed.

Flight arrived like ~2pm. Fiddled at airport trying to get rental car but then decided to take taxi, so it was probably 3pm before we were checked-in to room and I trotted down to dive shop.
They were VERY casual. Signed me up for morning dives, before paying ( "we'll catch-up/settle later" ).
Paid the marine park fee & they invited me to sit at table for orientation - again, very friendly/casual: provided map, gave the "don't touch/molest" talk & described where to get your tanks & how to sign-up for boat dives(if desired).
So it wasn't a "fixed time" it seemed for orientation, just "as needed".

As for the "check-out dive", since I'd signed up for morning boat dives (no rental car yet) I told them I didn't want to waste a boat dive mucking bout with a DM holding my hand, they basically said - "don't worry, just drop down w/DM & they'll make sure you've got bouyancy control & leave you alone".
Anyhow...that didn't happen anyways, as I left the shop after the brief orientation, grabbed my gear & headed to the beach (one end of house reef where there's a mass of filled tanks to grab), setup & did 1st dive (~1hr after arriving in Taxi?).

Next morning on boat capt asked "anyone need to do check-out dive/not dived here yet?" one couple answered yes - so think DM might've made sure they didn't dive bomb the reef. Otherwise, I didn't answer affirmative as I'd dived already upon arrival.
It was mentioned that you don't have to have someone dive/watch you - I think the idea is just as long as you've checked your weights & have your bouyancy (on own) is fine.

So for what it's worth - non-issue with orientation or "checkout dive" (seems self-serve is fine).

P.S. Look forward to hearing about how your trips to Bonaire go!