Check-out dive... what's involved?
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I would look at the deal you can get, versus what is easiest for you. some shops have free Nitrox upgrades which may be useful for you. we stay on a resort and always use their tanks.
5 nights and we will be back in Bonaire.
5 nights and we will be back in Bonaire.
DvrRick
Contributor
Only one of the four of us is Nitrox certified so we wont be needing that. My concern was that we get up in the morning and grab two tanks each from our local shop. Dive them noth and end up on the other side of the island wanting to do another dive or two. we would rather not have to drive all the way back to our shop and then back again to the spot we wanted to dive. I'm lazy sometime ok?
rjchandler
Contributor
Only one of the four of us is Nitrox certified so we wont be needing that. My concern was that we get up in the morning and grab two tanks each from our local shop. Dive them noth and end up on the other side of the island wanting to do another dive or two. we would rather not have to drive all the way back to our shop and then back again to the spot we wanted to dive. I'm lazy sometime ok?
Don't know where to start on this. Bonaire is not that big a place. Renting from two shops each day would get really expensive. You can't rent a tank at shop A and then have it filled at shop B if that is what you had in mind. A lot of places will let you take more than two tanks at a time if you need to. Wannadive, Buddys (i think) and yellow submarine(Dive friends@ ..) have several locations.
piikki
Contributor
Financially it really does not make sense to use different shops for what I understand - unless you plan to do only a very few dives a'la carte. If you plan to dive a week/two just get a package from one place and stick with them. You can nearly see from one end of the island to the other, it's not really that big a deal.
Many people dive north in the morning and you will hit your shop/hotel on the way down to southern sites for the rest of the day on the way down from north anyway (or have like 5 minute detour if you were coming via Rincon and really plan to have no break for lunch). Because of the fact that one cannot stack the pick-up with massive load of picnic stuff and extra gear, it usually makes all the sense to make a quick pit stop middle of the day anyway.
You can read reports where people drive around from one spot to another to find one less crowded etc - that's the beauty of it on Bonaire. No need for strict plans because everything is so close, you can adjust as you go because it won't take half a day. And never can count 100% on plans anyway. For example, it pays to take an extra spare tank per couple of divers - in case you get to your destination all stoked out and notice it's not the tank o-ring that blows but the valve.
Many people dive north in the morning and you will hit your shop/hotel on the way down to southern sites for the rest of the day on the way down from north anyway (or have like 5 minute detour if you were coming via Rincon and really plan to have no break for lunch). Because of the fact that one cannot stack the pick-up with massive load of picnic stuff and extra gear, it usually makes all the sense to make a quick pit stop middle of the day anyway.
You can read reports where people drive around from one spot to another to find one less crowded etc - that's the beauty of it on Bonaire. No need for strict plans because everything is so close, you can adjust as you go because it won't take half a day. And never can count 100% on plans anyway. For example, it pays to take an extra spare tank per couple of divers - in case you get to your destination all stoked out and notice it's not the tank o-ring that blows but the valve.
DvrRick
Contributor
Ok, thanks for the info. I guess we'll get a package at the shop down the hill (I forget what it's called) and go from there. It wil be an adventure no matter what we end up doing, so I can't complain. Looking forward to it all!
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Once you've done your orientation with any shop and have your BMP tag, you can get tanks from anyone else or on any boat that you want to pay for. Leave your c-card at (edited - thanks rj...) at your resort, no one at other locations ever questioned us, but if they do, show them your tag clipped to your BC.
But you'll get the best deal where you're staying.
Most larger diveops will allow you to keep 2 or more tanks per person - we drove around with 6 all week for the 2 of us. Since no one will fill anyone else's tank, no one steals them at the more remote sites even though everything else in the truck may be "looked over".
Find a diveop with multiple locations so you can exchange them as needed.
Buddy dive has two locations including their drive-thru pickup at their resort up north and at BelMar in the south. The Belmar facility may not be able to exchange tanks without prior notice though as they go get tanks daily for their guests use. The nice thing about the drive-thru at Buddy's is it's just off the main road on the way to the best north sites.
Wannadive has at least 3 locations - 4 if you count Golden Reef Inn and I think Toucan Divers has at least two, one at the Plaza and one in town somewhere. At least they did a couple years ago.
But you'll get the best deal where you're staying.
Most larger diveops will allow you to keep 2 or more tanks per person - we drove around with 6 all week for the 2 of us. Since no one will fill anyone else's tank, no one steals them at the more remote sites even though everything else in the truck may be "looked over".
Find a diveop with multiple locations so you can exchange them as needed.
Buddy dive has two locations including their drive-thru pickup at their resort up north and at BelMar in the south. The Belmar facility may not be able to exchange tanks without prior notice though as they go get tanks daily for their guests use. The nice thing about the drive-thru at Buddy's is it's just off the main road on the way to the best north sites.
Wannadive has at least 3 locations - 4 if you count Golden Reef Inn and I think Toucan Divers has at least two, one at the Plaza and one in town somewhere. At least they did a couple years ago.
rjchandler
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