Diving freedom that compares to Bonaire

[Tempest63]

Hi
I have been to Bonaire several times and love it. I love the freedom of being able to dive where and whenever you want.
Generally when in Bonaire ill do 25 dives in a week at a cost of about 500 dls with gear included.

Can anybody recommend a place comparable?
Looking for a change of scenery on this trip.

 

[chris kippax]

Research
Northern Bali
Tulumben, Amed, melasti, seraya
Cheap shore based diving. Good mix of muck & reef/wreck
Thanks Chris

 

[diversteve]

Curacao IMO is better than Bonaire. Almost the same number of dive sites and most have beach entries with on-site dive and food operations. Really similar diving in most areas though. More driving between sites but they vary more also - on Curacao at several locations the dive in each direction is completely different. For most traveling from the U.S. it's far easier to get to. I live in the West and can be on Curacao by 2PM.

There's maybe 2 dozen? shore dives scattered around Grand Cayman. Some are free/easy to access - others you have to deal with ironshore and shallow coral to get out to the reef. It's actually possible from several locations on the North Wall to reach it from shore, via scooter or one operation might still shuttle you out there (you swim back in) Some of the best are "owned" by an on-site shop/resort so you rent from them. I really only know of two places that rent tanks for shore diving - Eden Rock or Divers Supply. Cayman is uber expensive for everything though - offshore banking capital of the Caribbean plus their dollar is fixed at .80 US$.

There's about a dozen? shore dives on St. Croix - probably more than that on Aruba. I've not been to either.

The other place to consider is obviously Hawaii. Maui has a lot of shore dives (40+). Many of the beaches in Wailea are also known shore dives. Not a lot of depth on Maui w/o a scooter though - I think in most of Kihei you'd work to break 40'.

There's also at least 2 dozen+ shore dives on the Big Island but there's a lot of driving between them. Also you have to stay along the coast there as crossing over the middle of the island goes as high as 6000' fast.

Several dozen shore dives off Oahu also - I've not been there to dive.

These and other options here: Be Alive... ShoreDive!

For the Roatan listing 3/4's of them are off privately owned AI dive resorts that work on a weekly basis so they're not even set up to accommodate walk-ins. So of that list, maybe 3? are publicly accessible. Boat dives with a West End/West Bay operator are 10/$350 though so it's an affordable option. You can find decent lodging cheap in the West End also but flights are typically more than 1/2 the cost of a trip there - IDK why. We paid just under $800 3 months in advance.

 

[drrich2]

Read up on CocoView, Roatan trip reports. People often use shore diving to supplement their boat diving, from what I read. But it's not getting out & driving up & down the coast like Bonaire. I hope to try CocoView one day...

I've been researching St. Croix for awhile, and have pulled together quite a bit of info. available online. While it's not offering what Bonaire does in terms of shore diving, I notice reef sharks are frequently reported on dives, whereas in 8 trips to Bonaire I've not laid eyes on a shark there once. And when you consider west & north coast dive site options, there's varied topography.

I can understand wanting to find more of what you love about one destination elsewhere, but at the same time, trying to fit a new destination into an old one's mold can lead to disappointment.

Just for completeness, there's shore diving in California, although it would be a much difference experience from Bonaire.

Judging from your profile, you're in Canada, but that doesn't narrow it down much. Location can have a big impact on the practicality of travel times, cost, etc...

Richard.

 

[BoltSnap]

Curacao is better than Bonaire in variety of sites and easier access to the water. Curacao is easier to get to from the US than Bonaire. I have been to Curacao around 13 times and Bonaire few time.

 

[drrich2]

Bonaire and Curacao both have their fans, including relative to each other. Some forum links that may help explore the Curacao option vs. Bonaire:

Curacao vs. Bonaire - http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/lesser-antilles/473036-curacao-vs-bonaire.html

Bonaire vs Curacao - http://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/bonaire-vs-curacao.535918/

Curacao 1st Timer Trip Report - http://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/curacao-1st-timer-trip-report.527457/

Curacao Suggestions - http://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/curacao-suggestions.536523/

Place to stay in Curacao - http://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/place-to-stay-in-curacao.518346/ See Damselfish Post #3.

Curacao Trip with Teenagers in June - http://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/curacao-trip-with-teenagers-in-june.525886/