Dive Plan for Bonaire

[hroark2112]

Get BSDME before the trip. It will help get you pumped up for the trip!

I always try not to have a specific plan in mind. Always sucks to say "I want to do XXX site this morning" and then when you get there, it's overrun with tourists. I'm a big fan of empty parking lots when I get in the water.

 

[drrich2]

It's worth noting that because so many dive sites are so close on Bonaire, you can swap your order around. If you want to do Hilma Hooker and it's crowded, okay, drop on down to Angel City or Alice in Wonderland. Hit the Hooker later. Similarly, Salt Pier is only doable when a ship's not in, and you may not know in advance when that'll be, so if you're heading by & see it available, don't screw around - pull over & dive it while the diving's good.

My point is, even if you've got a rough or partial plan (e.g.: 5 sites you want to hit sometime), be versatile.

Richard.

 

[gbf]

I'll add my $.02...

If you're gonna dive the sites around the fish hut (invisibles, red beryl, Atlantis etc) be aware of the kiteboarders. We will usually do them early, like 0700-0730 or on dead calm days and thereby avoid them.

A great trip north is to load up for 3 dives, picnic lunch and apres dive beers/wine. Head for Karpata, then up to to Nukove. Lunch, then back to candy land/tailor made. Return thru Rincon, stop at Le Ma Se for milkshakes, then to Seru Largu for beers/wine at sunset (oh yea, make sure you have bug spray).

As far as a plan, I'm with the others. Get your coffee, check the wind then decide which direction while getting tanks.

I'm not much for Hilma hooker either, but if you want to do it go early so you're first. When the hordes arrive the tarpon leave the hold...

 

[oldschoolto]

I don't understand the dislike of the Hooker... It's a great wreck with a lot to see... I used it to train my wife on wreck diving.. Took her to the salt pier to work on moving in and around the pilings and then took her in to the hooker.. The wreck has easy and harder places to go.. From big open swim troughs to tight places with long swims through that take real skill.. Over the course of a few trips to Bonaire.. She now is very comfortable going into the engine room and all the other compartments..

Jim....

 

[diver0008]

It's a great wreck with a lot to see...

I like it too, although I am not an experienced wreck enthusiast.

 

[DustyC]

My favorite sites are Something Special, !8th Palm, Ebo's Special, Rappel, and...well....whichever one I'm at.
31st trip to the island next June.

Through all my 1st trip research, nobody ever mentioned something special. Did it on a whim, ended up as one of my favorite dives.

 

[DustyC]

Dbl, sry

 

[Lorenzoid]

I don't understand the dislike of the Hooker... It's a great wreck with a lot to see...

We don't do the swim-throughs, so maybe that's why we found it boring.

 

[DustyC]

As others have said, flexibility is key. I'm an ocd style planner. I want details set in stone with everything confirmed and paid for 11 months out.

Dive planning for Bonaire?

Load up the truck and go. I want the 1st few dives of the week to be easy to get back in the groove. Cliff for checkout then karpata was a bad idea. From then on, it's whatever, whenever. Drive until we see a an empty dive site, dive it. Get done, repeat. The most we'll do otherwise is maybe ask for any rare critter sightings or jump on a boat to fish or dive the east coast or something. Other than that, it's "screw it, that looks good"

 

[uncfnp]

But if you are a capable swimmer/navigator and ok with some current, and potentially rough entries/exits, the sights around the lighthouse are dense jungle with some massive soft coral, sea fans, etc. I have seen many rays, lots of turtles and some really big barracuda there too. Best early in the morning when the seas are calmer.

This last trip the conditions looked pretty favorable and we walked along the shore but couldn't find an entry that we thought likely so decided to do Sweet Dreams instead.

Would you mind sharing your entry spot?