Trip Report Dive Trip Apr 10-17, 2023

[MrChen]

VERY jealous of your Small Wall location. Our favorite site, but as we don't do boat dives haven't been there for a few years. Who did you get the villa from if I may ask? Also jealous of your Red Slave dive. We've bailed on that one an easy half dozen times and now that we are old not as young I wonder if we will ever get to do it. Maybe if we tried September...

I found the villa on AirBNB: Villa Volans. Enjoy life from your private pier. - Villas for Rent in Kralendijk, Bonaire, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

Don't be too jealous of our Red Slave dive, it was the worst dive experience of the trip. That current was insane, and we didn't really get to enjoy the dive site.

 

[txdamselfish]

Thank you, Mr. Chen, for the great report. Even though the local logistics & service were lousy, it reads like most of your dives and the food made it a fun adventure.

 

[uncfnp]

Just returned from an 11 night stay in Bonaire and while we too had AB truck issues fortunately nothing to compare to you! My sympathies.

Eric and I will look for other truck rental options next trip. Not ruling out AB completely but certainly less than pleased after our last several rentals. Always well worn trucks which I don’t mind at all as long as in good working order but the trucks seem to be in worse shape each year. Last year we picked the upgrade to a newer year. Just as bad.

This year we selected the upgrade L200. It had bald tires and the tailgate was so rusted out it was sagging. Don’t know what else might have been wrong since we never got in it. Eric had enough and he didn’t accept it. The guy acted very surprised but checked the lot and found the same model in the returns, had it cleaned and we were on the road. Took about 45 minutes extra but worth it.

But I will say that we have always had very good interactions with the staff.

 

[MrChen]

Just returned from an 11 night stay in Bonaire and while we too had AB truck issues fortunately nothing to compare to you! My sympathies.

Eric and I will look for other truck rental options next trip. Not ruling out AB completely but certainly less than pleased after our last several rentals. Always well worn trucks which I don’t mind at all as long as in good working order but the trucks seem to be in worse shape each year. Last year we picked the upgrade to a newer year. Just as bad.

This year we selected the upgrade L200. It had bald tires and the tailgate was so rusted out it was sagging. Don’t know what else might have been wrong since we never got in it. Eric had enough and he didn’t accept it. The guy acted very surprised but checked the lot and found the same model in the returns, had it cleaned and we were on the road. Took about 45 minutes extra but worth it.

But I will say that we have always had very good interactions with the staff.

Oh man, we were there at almost the same time.

 

[uncfnp]

You left a few days before we arrived.

Flew Delta down with an hour and 10 minute layover in Atlanta. I was sure we wouldn’t make it because our experience flying the past two years has not been good but the connection was also slightly delayed so we made it with about 15 minutes to spare.

Coming back was even more worrisome with a two hour window to connect in Miami on American (have I mentioned I hate connecting in Miami). We made it but just barely and only because we have Global Entry.

Would love to make another unplanned trip in June but tickets from this area are running over a thousand dollars .

 

[scubadada]

You left a few days before we arrived.

Flew Delta down with an hour and 10 minute layover in Atlanta. I was sure we wouldn’t make it because our experience flying the past two years has not been good but the connection was also slightly delayed so we made it with about 15 minutes to spare.

Coming back was even more worrisome with a two hour window to connect in Miami on American (have I mentioned I hate connecting in Miami). We made it but just barely and only because we have Global Entry.

Would love to make another unplanned trip in June but tickets from this area are running over a thousand dollars .

Look forward to seeing your trip report

 

[uncfnp]

Look forward to seeing your trip report

Ha! It would be so boring; eat, sleep and dive. No restaurants, not even a food truck! And all southern dives so lots of repeats, Red Slave to the Lake. We have definitely slowed down with our number of dives a day but making them longer. 28 shore dives with 35 hours wet.

We did see a lot turtles including 3 loggerhead flybys. And reef squid daily. Only one eagle ray but he was very friendly. Had no hints on locations for frogfish or seahorses but found one seahorse at Pink Beach of all places, 10 feet deep in sandy rubble just past the entry! No frogs and believe me we looked.

Where we dove the reef looked to be in great shape.

Apologies to MrChen for hijacking his thread.

 

[MrChen]

Ha! It would be so boring; eat, sleep and dive. No restaurants, not even a food truck! And all southern dives so lots of repeats, Red Slave to the Lake. We have definitely slowed down with our number of dives a day but making them longer. 28 shore dives with 35 hours wet.

We did see a lot turtles including 3 loggerhead flybys. And reef squid daily. Only one eagle ray but he was very friendly. Had no hints on locations for frogfish or seahorses but found one seahorse at Pink Beach of all places, 10 feet deep in sandy rubble just past the entry! No frogs and believe me we looked.

Where we dove the reef looked to be in great shape.

Apologies to MrChen for hijacking his thread.

Hijack away!