Robin--Bonaire Talk threads back in late Oct. mention Town Pier as still being closed to divers, DM or not. The island buzz when we were there last June was "Fergetit", as in the Harbormaster has one less hassle to deal with as long as Town Pier stays closed to diving, so probably it would stay closed. Of course things change but from what Annieols says it sounds like for the worse.
As for Salt Pier, well that's a different story, sorta. Folks will say you can't dive there, DM or not, but some DMs will say it's ok if you dive it with them--and pay them for the privilege. Folks also say STINPA will bust you if you dive it but STINPA has responded, when asked, that they don't control things like that, it's Cargill's operation. Cargill doesn't want the liability of course but they don't have any "pier police" who will jump in after you. If you don't park right under the pier but sorta go in from the north or south no one is following your bubble trails and if an "uncontrollable current" swept you near the pier...
Now of course I would NOT suggest you do this. In fact I had to jump in and follow my dive buddies to try to warn them we should NOT be doing this. Great dive, lotsa neat stuff and I'm glad I got them to see the error of their ways
after the dive. Note: the pier pilings do pose a threat and are not maintained for diver safety. You could get snagged on sharp metal or something could fall, shift etc. so it's not like "Hah hah, cheated death again!". One moderately clumsy ship docking could instantly change things, making for an unstable and dangerous condition underwater.
Best to ask your dive op when you get there. People do, however, do what they will do so I'm sure someone will get alarmed by my response. Kinda like "crime on Bonaire" threads though. You hear lotsa different stories...but that's mine and I'm stickin' to it.
The Wiz offers some good advice about checking for any posted restrictions.
BTW, a very overlooked site is the Fuel Pier just north of Windsock. People see the signs "No diving" and drive by but what the signs actually say is there is "no diving during fueling operations", otherwise it isn't prohibited. There always seem to be a couple scorpion fish hanging out below and I did see a neat harlequin pipefish on a night dive there last time and an octopus out hunting. The pilings have some neat stuff on them, even if not as much as Salt Pier. // ww
but i hear that it is not a great dive any more as new peirs and cruise ships have damaged what used to be an amaing reef/ artifical reef dive site
