dive buddy bonaire march 2004

[munkispank]

Ah- the wonderful shore diving- I love it in case it wasn't obvious yet. the drive and dive thing is great-load up the truck with tanks and take off. All the sites are really well marked, lots of parking and not busy. Most spots, apart from a few past the salt peir, have coral/sand mix for the beach, so hard soled booties help. My booties were not and I was OK, but harder soles would have been more comfortable.
There is not usually much wave action so entry and exit are very easy. the exception to this can be the north of the Island (karparta and beyond) which I avoided due to large waves on pne day. But most sites are no problem at all.
Added to that are the sites from the resorts, which everyone is welcome at. They have steps or the option to giant stride off the dock- which is great fun.

The only caution with the drive and dive is the theft issue. Everyone mentions it at some point. There have been theft issues, but as with anywhere, just don't leave ANYTHING in your car. Take money/car key in a waterproof box/bag in your BC and leave nothing but old towels/ food in your car. The problem isn't as bad as it is made out, and with sensible precautions there should be no problems.

The diving is so nice and relaxing- no real current to worry about, gorgeous coral and so much sealife that my buddy and I got bored of pointing things out to each other. And the night diving is so much fun- wandering off on your own at night into the balck ocean- so cool!!!!

I am goiung back in early may and I can't wait.
Enjoy!!

 

[Diver Kat]

Hmmm - early May?? we're looking at 5/6 - 5/15 I think ... if we go, maybe we'll cross paths. Your comments are very reassuring. I had not read much about the waves & currents, either way, so it's nice to know their mild. We may just have to go so I can be converted to a shore-dive addict. I think your comment on the "feedom of diving alone" being kind of scary is right on target. When your used to supervised dive boats, its a bit unnerving to think about driving up to a spot and just jumping in.

I have heard about the theft issue, which has me a bit put-off, but I guess as long we're not stupid about leaving things around, it would be okay. I've heard that food is either real expensive and/or mediocre ..... any info on that? Thnaks for letting me pick your brain .... I've been switching back & forth on Bonaire & Cozumel options so much, I'm getting dizzy! But if would be great to get my 100th dive in Bonaire!!

 

[herman]

No problem, I love the island.
On the shore dives, it's easy to navigate. Set your compass straight off shore and swim out from shore until you come to the very noticable drop off, it's like a 60-80 deg drop from 35ft to around 100 so you can't miss it . Find a "different" item to remember like a strange piece of coral and note the exact DEPTH. ( I sometimes drop a marker buoy) Turn into the current and head off following the dropoff. At your turning pressure turn 180 and follow the dropoff back . During the return work your way back to the EXACT depth you were at when you marked your spot to remember and start looking for it. The reason for the exact depth is because the shoreline on Bonaire is a slow gradual drop until it sharply drops, so if you are at the exact depth you were at when you noted your exit marker you have to come very close to it on the return. Think of it like a large hill. If I put something at exactly 50 ft from the top and tell you to find it, if you simply drop down 50 ft from the top and start walking around the hill keeping 50 ft from the top, sooner or later you will have to come across the item, same thing with Bonaire shore diving except we use depth instead of distance. Remember that you are now going with the current so it will take a lot less time to return than to go out. When you find that spot, do a 90 deg turn in towards shore (use the compass heading you took earlier) and you should come out close to your exit point. Don't tell your buddy what you are doing and amaze him with your super nav skills.
Buddy Dive is a very nice resort, that's where we usually stay and it is where we will stay when we return in July.

 

[herman]

I missed this..Food real expensive and/or not good...I don't agree. There are a lot of very good places to eat on Bonaire (and you can actually eat without worrying about getting sick). Like any place you can eat expensive if you want and a bar bill will run up the tab but our meals typically run $5-9 for lunch and $12-20 for supper. About what it cost to eat here in Raleigh. The portions are good sized and are cooked to order. The quality is usually better than at the chains here. There are some high priced places and the resorts tend to be on the higher side but even the resorts are not excessive. A way to cut your food bill we use it is to drop by the grocery and pick up some fresh baked bread, jelly and peanut butter... PBJ's for lunch are not bad!

The theft issue gets blown way out of proportion. In 6 years we have had no trouble. Just follow the simple rules. NEVER leave anything of value in your vehicle, leave the windows down and the doors unlocked. You don't need a lot of cash and the island is small so driving back to your resort in never a long drive if you actually do need something. Scuba tanks are fine, no one is going to steal them....they are marked with the resort name and too darn heavy to carry.

This thread is giving me PBD bad....
(PBD- Post Bonaire Depression, an illness caused by diving on Bonaire. The symptoms are dreaming of being under water, hearing Masha Danki, getting a craving for "Stoba Kabrita" and a longing to return. There is no known cure but watching the webcams and returning relieves the symptoms. Symptoms are worse shortly after a trip and just before one.)

 

[Diver Kat]

You're giving me a case of PBA (Pre-Bonaire Anticipation!) Glad to hear food can be reasonable as well. You get spoiled by those Cozumel prices..... Don't plan on doing a resort unless one comes out with a drop dead deal. Now if the airfares would just drop a bit, I could be very happy booking a trip! Thanks for all the info .....

and where do you find the webcams???

 

[plsdiver4377]

I missed this..Food real expensive and/or not good...I don't agree. There are a lot of very good places to eat on Bonaire (and you can actually eat without worrying about getting sick). Like any place you can eat expensive if you want and a bar bill will run up the tab but our meals typically run $5-9 for lunch and $12-20 for supper. About what it cost to eat here in Raleigh. The portions are good sized and are cooked to order. The quality is usually better than at the chains here. There are some high priced places and the resorts tend to be on the higher side but even the resorts are not excessive. A way to cut your food bill we use it is to drop by the grocery and pick up some fresh baked bread, jelly and peanut butter... PBJ's for lunch are not bad!

The theft issue gets blown way out of proportion. In 6 years we have had no trouble. Just follow the simple rules. NEVER leave anything of value in your vehicle, leave the windows down and the doors unlocked. You don't need a lot of cash and the island is small so driving back to your resort in never a long drive if you actually do need something. Scuba tanks are fine, no one is going to steal them....they are marked with the resort name and too darn heavy to carry.

This thread is giving me PBD bad....
(PBD- Post Bonaire Depression, an illness caused by diving on Bonaire. The symptoms are dreaming of being under water, hearing Masha Danki, getting a craving for "Stoba Kabrita" and a longing to return. There is no known cure but watching the webcams and returning relieves the symptoms. Symptoms are worse shortly after a trip and just before one.)

We just got back from the island Sunday night and I have to say I can't wait to go back. That being said the theft problem seems to have been a non-issue (at least while we were there). Several of the locals had said that the police were cracking down on the kids who seem to be the main culprits behind the thefts.

I must say that the food was always excellent and very reasonably priced. Avgerage cost was $20-$50 USD including drinks for 2 people (these same meals would have cost $60-$80 in the Keys where we go every year).

BTW the diving was also excellent, but I'm trying not to think about right now. We are definitely going back since there are so many places we didn't get to dive while we were there, 22 just didn't cover it.

 

[munkispank]

heres a link to the Bonaire webcams
http://www.bonairewebcams.com/

they have some nice 360degree panoramas of the beach entries too. If you want to hear more gushing about how greta Bonaire is, check out Bonairetalk.com.
Nice friendly people and tons of info.
I'm there from 27th april thru 5th of May, so we might just cross paths!

 

[Drewpy]

I have just booked a trip to Buddy Dive with my GF(newbie).She will be doing her referrals there. Im already chomping at the bit! I need a vacation now!
Herman-when will you be there in July? Anybody else there in July..?
Looking forward to it, and thanks for all the tips. Kind of a long haul from the west coast but I think it will be worth it!
(BTW I will be there the 10-17)

 

[BlueLily]

What a nice surprise.....I just got up (I'm in Japan right now) and saw all the wonderful tips. Thank you!!!
After meeting some divers in the Caymans and being told how wonderful Bonaire divings are, I always wanted to go to Boanire. And now I could finally persuade my fiance to go with me, so I can't wait!

How far do you usually have to walk to get in the water after gearing up? We both are fit, but I'm just curious.....

 

[plsdiver4377]

What a nice surprise.....I just got up (I'm in Japan right now) and saw all the wonderful tips. Thank you!!!
After meeting some divers in the Caymans and being told how wonderful Bonaire divings are, I always wanted to go to Boanire. And now I could finally persuade my fiance to go with me, so I can't wait!

How far do you usually have to walk to get in the water after gearing up? We both are fit, but I'm just curious.....

Most of the places were 100' or less to the water, and thats being generous. There are a few that are a little longer and steeper (1000 Steps, Karpatta, just to name a couple). I'm ready to go back already and I've only been home for 3 days. I guess it'll be the Keys instead in a few months.

BTW definitely dive Salt Pier (the critters are great), that and 1000 Steps were probably my favorites. They were all good though.

Have fun.