Bonaire - where to stay with 10yo new diver

[mbs]

The Plaza stages tanks by the pool which is a short walk across the sandy beach into the shore dive. The challenge is the dive shop where you store your gear is a bit of a schlepp. They do have carts you can use. I have seen some folks keep their gear in their room which can be closer to the shore... Looking forward to seeing the newly renovated pool/area myself in a few weeks! The dive shop itself is top notch.

 

[tursiops]

Sand Dollar Condo.s has Bari reef, also quite nice. If you stay at either of these, there are restaurants (e.g.: Eddy's, Between 2 Buns, Captain Don's has one on site) and up the road is Zung Kong Supermarket.

BTB is no longer near SD; it has moved closer to town....right at Something Special, in fact.

 

[Damselfish]

We've stayed at Sand Dollar a number of times. No pool but great place and Dive Friends at the pier next door with lockers. So, will not require a long walk.

The Sand Dollar pool is out by the road and not super obvious. Not on the oceanside like one might expect/prefer.

 

[jellyroll02]

Our son got certified at 10 in Bonaire as well (w/the wonderful team at Buddy Dive) - congrats! We've stayed at several places over the years (Sand Dollar, Harbour Village, Coral Paradise, etc.) but what kept us going back to SD was the easy access not only to their fantastic house reef, Bari, but we could also snorkel day/night right in front of SD (via ladders from wall, or their beach or pier) as well as nearby at "The Nursery" just south of the pier. Our son used to love to see the lobsters and the tarpon come out at night.

It's true that the pool at SD is a walk from the condos but once he started diving and seeing critters he much preferred snorkeling to swimming in a pool. Our kid also enjoyed SD's resident iguanas. And while some of SD's condos are more up-to-date than others, they all come with an ocean view!

 

[CT Sean]

You may have tried this already but if you want to stay at buddy you should try calling them. We booked a few months ago (we’re here now) and online said they were fully booked but when my wife called they did have some availability.

 

[Bonaire11]

The Sand Dollar pool is out by the road and not super obvious. Not on the oceanside like one might expect/prefer.

Huh. Never even noticed. Thanks. We really like Sand Dollar...ideal location on the water with good house reef and dive shop next door.

 

[LiteWeight]

I've been to Bonaire 10 or so times, even moved there right before Covid hit (bad move). When I lived in Bonaire I would still go to Capt. Don's.

I have tried other places, but keep going back to Capt. Don's for the reasons that you listed. Pool next to the restaurant/bar, tanks and gear locker next to the diving pier. You can giant stride off the pier or take the steps into the water. And pizza, don't forget pizza. It's not Pasa Bon Pizza but you can order when you get out of the water and have it after you clean up.

 

[MarlinMark]

Hello! We are traveling to Bonaire in the summer with our ten year old son. He will be completing his PADI OW classwork here in Texas but we're planning to do his dives in Bonaire. Once he's certified, we plan to dive as much as possible (and as much as he wants to). I'm having trouble deciding on a place to stay and hope someone can help! Due to availability when we're going, we're currently looking at Captain Don's, Sand Dollar and the Plaza (we had hoped to book Buddy Dive but it's not available). I like Captain Don's and the Plaza because they have a pool for when our son wants a break from diving but it's not required. The Plaza was my first choice because it looks like a great place for kids (big pool, etc) but I read that you have to walk a long way to their house reef with your gear. What would you all recommend? We're mainly concerned with a good house reef with EASY access and diving. He will only be certified to 40ft and we'd like to make sure his first real diving experience is a positive one! Secondary would be other amenities to keep a kid happy like a pool and nearby restaurants.

thanks!

 

[MarlinMark]

Captain Don’s has an excellent house reef.
Buddy Dive is right next door, the reef bring continuous, passes both places. While the food at CD’s is excellent (Especially the pizza), you will need a truck/car to get to restaurants. Gelato place is in town
All shore dive entries require boots. There really are no sand beaches. Salt pier would be an easy dive with lots of macro life.
On all West coast shore dive sites, you can see great stuff at depths of 15-40 ft. with generally little or no current.
Afternoon winds do pick up, but surge snd surf are usually mild.
Wear reef safe spf 50 sunscreen, and carry water in your vehicle.