robint
Contributor
thanks Captain Sinbad. Those videos are from my old rig. I now have a nice HD setup... guess I need to go back to Bonaire! 
coz or bonaire
- Thread starter misdmnr
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OP
Thank you everyone for the great information between the two sites. Much thanks to Robin for the great videos... I can only imagine what your new rig can/will produce. Sounds like Bonaire is the obvious choice for my needs, now it all comes down to the extra cash as Coz is AI and Bonaire isn't. Oh well, it might be worth the extra cash just to see the drive thru fill station....
K
KeithG
Guest
You may not need extra cash! Basic accommodation at many of the resorts includes a rental truck and unlimited refills (dock & drive thru). So check with Buddy on what you actually have. You may already have paid for it. As a minimum you will have unlimited dock diving from Buddies included.
And be aware that there are 3 types of diving in Bonaire: boat, shore & dock. Many of the shore dive spots are off the docks of the various resorts. So dock diving is available in many places. Anyone can enter a resort and dive from their dock. These are not private dive sites - they are available to anyone. The dock dives means that you do not need to drag yourself over the beach into the water - simply walk out the dock & drop into 10ft water. I have also seen divers "borrow" tanks from the target resort - no need to drag heavy tanks from your truck, just your gear.
Be aware that the length of the boat dives are generally tightly regulated. Often the morning 2 tank dives are limited to 40 minutes each. Single tank afternoon boat dive is generally 1 hour.
Shore / dock dive is when you want for as long as your air lasts.
And be aware that there are 3 types of diving in Bonaire: boat, shore & dock. Many of the shore dive spots are off the docks of the various resorts. So dock diving is available in many places. Anyone can enter a resort and dive from their dock. These are not private dive sites - they are available to anyone. The dock dives means that you do not need to drag yourself over the beach into the water - simply walk out the dock & drop into 10ft water. I have also seen divers "borrow" tanks from the target resort - no need to drag heavy tanks from your truck, just your gear.
Be aware that the length of the boat dives are generally tightly regulated. Often the morning 2 tank dives are limited to 40 minutes each. Single tank afternoon boat dive is generally 1 hour.
Shore / dock dive is when you want for as long as your air lasts.
drrich2
Contributor
This is an area where you have some control over how much you spend. For the week, we use about a tank of gas, which costs roughly $60 to return full when we drop the truck off at the end of the week. There's a per person departure tax ($35/person last October).
Eating out is somewhat pricey. So are groceries, for that matter. At Eden Beach Resort, we'd get a gas stove & oven, but no microwave. We'd go cheap for groceries; peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, corn flakes & milk, fruits, a few brownies, some fruit cocktail, bottled & canned soda, stuff like that. Just a wild guess off the top of my head, maybe double what you pay in the U.S.? Remember, this stuff has to be shipped to the island.
Restaurants, well, we might spend around $30 apiece maybe? That's for the evening meal. I like to eat out once per day, in the evening. And I might get some cherry brandy ice cream at that ice cream shop in town, and a milkshake, & some other odds & ends.
Someone else might have a very different expense record for a week in Bonaire.
Richard.
Damselfish
Contributor
Run the numbers and see if it is even extra - if you're really counting on 4 dives a day, is that actually included in your package in Coz? 2/day seems like the more typical package there. Coz is not much of a shore diving place and I don't think there is shore diving from the Wyndham? Might be pay more for afternoon boat dives in Coz vs. pay more for food in Bonaire.
Absolutely, the cost of extra dives runs the cost of a trip up fast. Then there are night dives which are still free on Bonaire but will also cost you extra on Coz.
I often hear that Bonaire is food is expensive but based on the prices here in Raleigh, it's not much more. Almost all our meals run between $15-30 pp, a good steak here is going to be in that range. The rooms at BD will have a full kitchen so cooking is certainly an option. The BD package usually includes breakfast, we do PBJ's for lunch most days and a good meal in the evening. You can get your per day cost down to $30ish/pp/day. Droping the boat dives will save you almost that much alone.
OP
The resort in Coz is Fiesta Americana and the package includes unlimited shore diving alomg with two tank one boat dive a day. So 4 dives a day should be possible. I hear that they have a buoy line that you need to stay inside of as boat traffic is on the other side, but will have to check on that...it is hard to see the buoy line when you are looking at the bottom, so I may not see that:goingdown: Coz also has the draw of the cenotes...extra but I hear it is worth doing if the opportunity comes up. Ahhhh...decisions!!!!!!
drrich2
Contributor
Not knocking Cozumel by any stretch, but will point out that from what I've seen in Bonaire, and read about Cozumel, a Cozumel shore dive does not equal a Bonaire shore dive. And I don't think anyone said otherwise; just wanted to emphasize that on paper a term like 'shore dive' may look the same in either column, but in the ocean, it's a whole other story.
Richard.
I just got back from Bonaire and you can get a cheap meal at the KFC
Yes that KFC, they also now have a subway.
I did 2 boat dives and 23 shore dives in a 6 day period -- all the dives where awesome and I look forward to going back.
If you want a vacation where you dive and dive and dive then this is the place to go.
Best diving bang for your dollar.
Yes that KFC, they also now have a subway.
I did 2 boat dives and 23 shore dives in a 6 day period -- all the dives where awesome and I look forward to going back.
If you want a vacation where you dive and dive and dive then this is the place to go.
Best diving bang for your dollar.
bfisher
Contributor
Listen to this. As I said before I've been to Coz 4 times and Bonaire 9 times, all within the last 5 years. The shore diving that there is in Coz will get old after a couple dives. The critters differ at night, but there just isn't much to see during the day. And there are only a couple places to shore dive from.
Bonaire, on the other hand, has about 75 dive sites (Klein included). You could concievably do about 40 of them without a whole lot of effort. Entries are touchy on some, but there are about a dozen that are simple to just walk in. And any reef you do shore dive will be better than any shore dive in Coz. And there is one other advantage. There is no boat traffic to contend with in Bonaire.
Here are a couple of hints about a few things. The sites south of town are the easiest to get to. Most of these have a pyramid of stones piled where the easiest entry point is, compliments of past divers. I can do some homework, but can tell you where there are two frogfish. Just south of "Something Special" there is a dive shop along the water (forget the name). About 50 yards south of the shop swim out to where the slope starts (25'). Start looking for a black one and a yellow one. There's usually a turtle on Bari reef during the day. I've taken video of as many as 9 moray eels within 20 minutes on a night dive at Bari reef. Bari reef is such an easy entry; like walking down a boat ramp. Don't forget Buddy's reef. North of it, in front of Capt Don's there is an old boat hull that often has nice critters during the day (Angel fish, large puffers, etc). Keep your eye out for the large tarpon that hang around you on the night dives.
Sorry I'm rambling. That being said, I'm doing Coz Jan 22-29. Haven't been back there for a while.
Bonaire, on the other hand, has about 75 dive sites (Klein included). You could concievably do about 40 of them without a whole lot of effort. Entries are touchy on some, but there are about a dozen that are simple to just walk in. And any reef you do shore dive will be better than any shore dive in Coz. And there is one other advantage. There is no boat traffic to contend with in Bonaire.
Here are a couple of hints about a few things. The sites south of town are the easiest to get to. Most of these have a pyramid of stones piled where the easiest entry point is, compliments of past divers. I can do some homework, but can tell you where there are two frogfish. Just south of "Something Special" there is a dive shop along the water (forget the name). About 50 yards south of the shop swim out to where the slope starts (25'). Start looking for a black one and a yellow one. There's usually a turtle on Bari reef during the day. I've taken video of as many as 9 moray eels within 20 minutes on a night dive at Bari reef. Bari reef is such an easy entry; like walking down a boat ramp. Don't forget Buddy's reef. North of it, in front of Capt Don's there is an old boat hull that often has nice critters during the day (Angel fish, large puffers, etc). Keep your eye out for the large tarpon that hang around you on the night dives.
Sorry I'm rambling. That being said, I'm doing Coz Jan 22-29. Haven't been back there for a while.
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