coz or bonaire

[bfisher]

Having dove both places extensively over the last 5 years, doing photo and now video, I'd also recommend Bonaire. Drift diving has it's place, but with no or very little current it's a whole lot easier to learn photo skills at Bonaire.

Somebody mentioned renting a truck to do your shore diving. Check with the LDS. Truck rental is probably already included in the package. It's very common to have this included with the shore dive package.

Getting back to the photo option, Bonaire is easier also because you get to dive your own profile, where you want, when you want. Your bottom time will only be limited by your air time (or buddies). You can dive to deeper depths and gradually work to shallower depths and spend tons of time shallow. For me 1 1/2 hour dives are not uncommon. At Cozumel you will be limited to the time the dive op has set up, usually about 45 minutes.

You mentioned turtles. Although not recommended by most boat dives can be good at Bonaire. I was there in Sept. and did one dive on the north side of Klein Bonaire and videoed 7 turtles on one dive. Next dive produced 6 sea horses. Viz is usually a bit better at Klein, too. And it's only a 10 minute boat trip away.

With the exception of some of the northern dive sights (1000 steps) there is no reason to do boat dives from the main land. Even the Hilma Hooker isn't such a long swim that makes it worth wasting a boat trip. In fact, although some will disagree, I find the Hooker not even worth the swim, but then I've done it 9 times in the last five years.

So, long story short (sorry for the ramble), your obvious choice would be Bonaire. By the way, Buddy and Bari (just south of Buddy) Reefs make superb night dives.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'd also say keep the boat dives. There's tons of shore diving opportunities in Bonaire ... and would highly recommend a "dusk" dive at the Salt Pier ... which will need to be arranged with a dive guide ... but there are also some really nice sites out on Klein Bonaire that I wouldn't want to miss out on ... Hands Off is one of my personal favorites. Choose your boat dives for places that you can only get to by boat ... sites on Klein Bonaire, and a few like LaDania's Leap that might be shore accessible, but are much nicer done by boat ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Fully agree with this....there is no need to boat dive at all in Bonaire. At Buddy's, you can rent a truck and shore dive anywhere and as often as you want. You can do all of your dives right there at Buddy's but I think you'd want to see a little more variety.

Why do people say you dont need boat dives in Bonaire? I understand that it is the shore diving capital of the world but would the boat dives not give you deeper clearer more varied waters than shore dive?

I am particularly interested in knowing from people who have done shore and boat dives in Bonaire. Were the boat dives worth it?

 

[gypsyjim]

As has been said above, in various ways, on Bonaire you can dive WHEN you want, WHERE you want, and as OFTEN as you want. If you want to settle in the shallows and watch one area of coral, waiting for just the right shot, it is possible.

You will want to find a buddy who is comfortable diving at your pace, if photography is your goal. It is more effort to develop and use good buddy skills, when a camera is involved in a dive. Also you will need to develop good buoyancy skills and awareness, when using a camera, to avoid damage to the reef around you.

 

[gypsyjim]

Why do people say you dont need boat dives in Bonaire? I understand that it is the shore diving capital of the world but would the boat dives not give you deeper clearer more varied waters than shore dive?

I am particularly interested in knowing from people who have done shore and boat dives in Bonaire. Were the boat dives worth it?

If you read throught the above posts you will see advice form several who have dived both ways on Bonaire. We seldom do boat dives there any longer, ourselves, but there are sites to the north that are much easier to access from boat, than shore. The East side is easier to do from boats, too, and the island of Klien Bonaire is only accessible by boat.

 

[lmorin]

Why do people say you dont need boat dives in Bonaire? I understand that it is the shore diving capital of the world but would the boat dives not give you deeper clearer more varied waters than shore dive?

I am particularly interested in knowing from people who have done shore and boat dives in Bonaire. Were the boat dives worth it?

Absolutely do the boat dives, if you wish. Some folks who post on these boards give the impression that anyone who doesn't exclusively shore dive in Bonaire is missing the whole purpose of diving there. Well, that may be true for them, but probably not for most of us. The dives on Klein Bonaire, for example, are substantially different from those on Bonaire proper, and they are accessible only by boat. Dive where and when you wish, according to the rules of the Marine Park, whether from shore or boat.

 

[Damselfish]

yes, do whatever you want. Sometimes people hear so much about shore diving in Bonaire, or people telling them there's no point in boat diving, they start to think they can't or shouldn't boat dive there. Personally, we prefer to boat dive because we find it much convenient to hop on a boat at our hotel dock than to haul stuff all over the island - even for sites that are easily accessible from shore. Also avoids dealing with some of those fun ironshore entries people often talk about, especially when dealing with camera gear. To each their own.

Obviously the OPs hotel is picked out already. But for people who want to go to Bonaire and boat dive as much as they can, it is worth paying attention to the dive boat schedules and availability at the various resorts.

 

[robint]

Why do people say you dont need boat dives in Bonaire? I understand that it is the shore diving capital of the world but would the boat dives not give you deeper clearer more varied waters than shore dive?

I am particularly interested in knowing from people who have done shore and boat dives in Bonaire. Were the boat dives worth it?

\

When we went to Bonaire, we had a boat dive each day and then did our shore diving. We loved it as some of the boat dives were areas unaccessible to shore dives (all sites on Klein Bonaire, Rappel). They are different and worth doing. Over on Klein we saw several nice frogfish and also seahorses. We saw a few over on shore dives but they are hard to find. The boat dives you have a DM to point things out which is nice sometiimes.

I have videos that can give you a taste:

[vimeo]3252904[/vimeo]
boat dives


[vimeo]3273329[/vimeo]
shore dives, except the house reef at Buddy Dive

[vimeo]3207050[/vimeo]
shore dives at Buddy Dive (we did at least one per day there)

alll my Bonaire videos here: Bonaire, 2007 on Vimeo
robin

 

[drrich2]

I suspect a lot of it's got to do with your preference for shore diving vs. boat diving. My wife prefers boat diving (especially if on a boat where staff set your gear up for you, though she can do it herself); I prefer shore. She likes the ease of pulling on the gear, stepping off into the water, climbing out after the dive, then ride away home. She's also prone to sea sickness & likes to get in & get down, not do the lengthier swim-outs. When sea sickness strikes she tries to exit in a hurry; at some sites that can mean crawling over rough rocks and scraping yourself up. Shore entries & exits often involve walking on & through some uneven bottoms, and you can stumble, scratch your leg on some rock, etc...

But with a boat, you have to adhere to their schedule.

Shore diving entails getting your tanks & gear into the truck, driving to a site, setting up gear on the tail gate, gearing up, walking to the ocean & working your way out to waist deep water to put your fins on, doing a little swim out, then doing your dive, and coming out is the reverse.

But whenever you want, anytime of day, coordinating with pretty much nobody but your buddy, and you can dive a few or even several times per day, day and/or night, as you like.

I've only shore dove Bonaire so far; perhaps someday I'll boat dive over at Klein, for something difference. I've done boat dives elsewhere (2 tank Puerto Rico, 2 tank St. Thomas, 2 tank Grand Cayman) and I like boat dives fine. Either way you go, or both, you ought to have a lot of fun.

Richard.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Very nice videos Robint. I always enjoy your videos.