First Bonaire Trip Planned... Advice and Questions.

[noj3333]

So, my wife and I just booked our first ‘independent dive trip’ for this fall. We’ll be doing 1 week in Bonaire and I’d love to hear some feedback from more experienced Bonaire travelers. Please feel free to critique our plans. A quick ‘about us’ just over 25 dives each right now, although by the time this trip rolls around we should be closer to 70 dives, no rental equipment needed, OW certification, early 30’s and it will just be us on this trip, no kids/ friends/ family going with us.

Air Line To/From – This is straight forward… Delta there and back. It’s a Saturday to Saturday trip and we took a VERY long layover in Atlanta. In ALT, we’ll get a hotel room and enjoy a night/ morning out on the town. We just booked this so we’re locked in here.

Lodging – We’re currently booked at ‘Dormio Bonaire Village’. We were not able to find many reviews on our hotel choice. The pictures looked good on-line and the price was right ($545 including tax) so I booked it. It’s a 1BR with a full kitchen, I would imagine we’ll be eating breakfast in, packing a lunch for the road, and eating out for dinner. I know it’s a long shot, but anyone have firsthand experience with this hotel?? We’re also able to get a refund for several months, so please chime in with other thoughts.

Car Rental – I e-mailed Poppy (telerin@bonairelive.com) two days ago, and I’ve yet to hear back from him. I’d like a truck, automatic, and A/c. If he doesn’t get back to me, I’ll shoot him another e-mail in a week or two. If this doesn’t work out, does anyone have another good referral?

Air Rental – I just reached out to VIP Diving. Their rate is $170 for unlimited Air/ Nitrox for 6 days. They also offer tanks in three sizes 63, 80, and 100 cu/ft. I would imagine it shouldn’t be an issue but would you think we could take several tanks each morning and return them as needed? Also, I asked them about filling a stage bottle/ pony bottle should I bring it… these two things will determine if I go with them or not. If they limit me to one tank at a time for both my wife and I then I’ll look elsewhere. Does anyone here use GOOOD DIVE? They seem to be the cheapest on the island, however they seem to limit you to the number of tanks you can take, either 1,2, or 3 depending on what plan you choose.

Guided Dives – According to SB Bas Toll in the man… I was thinking or e-mailing him and setting up several guided dives. This will give my wife a break (she would like to dive a few times a day, while I would like to dive 4-5 times), allow me to have a buddy, and I’ll get to see ‘the other side of the island’. From people who have hired him before, does he have a set schedule, limit to his group size, ect? Any additional information would be great. Any other guided options people here use?

Thanks!

 

[diver0008]

I rent tanks from Wannadive. Unlimited air/nitrox about $125.00/week.

I rent trucks from AB. Manual, AC, full insurance. About $40.00/day.

Bas Tol is very good. He prefers one on one guided dives. $50.00/dive. Weather/demand determines the schedule to a degree. Be flexible.

Bas does shore dives. Bonaire East coast diving does boat dives.

4-5 dives/day is a load. I take it easy, enjoy the drives, snacks, and intervals, and do 3 and the occasional night dive in addition.

 

[Trailboss123]

I just booked my rental car through Avis for an upcoming trip and I have used them in the past. Reliable 4 door Toyota pickup and very well priced. Come out of the airport and walk diagonally across the parking lot to your left and you will see their office: Car Rentals from Avis, Book Online Now & Save

I am a big fan of getting my tank package through Dive Friends Bonaire. They currently have 5 locations on the island and you can drop off and pickup from any of them, which is real convenient. Word on the street is that they are opening up 1 or 2 additional locations: Dive Friends Bonaire - Best Bonaire Diving and Services - I believe Good Dive is inexpensive, but they also require you to fill your own tanks. So, you may want to consider whether that is something you want to be doing while on vacation.

As for where to stay, I am partial to staying in a waterfront location (which Dormio doesn't appear to be), so that I can have easy access to a personal house reef. Nothing like walking a few steps for that early morning dawn dive or night dive. Another consideration is to make sure the place you stay is set up well for a diver's needs (Rinse tanks, secure places to dry and store your gear, etc). I could be wrong, but it doesn't appear that Dormio is set up that way. You should check. You may want to take a look at: Accomodation Bonaire Apartments: Holiday Rentals, Diving Bonaire Vacation Home - They are a bit more expensive than Dormio, but do meet the criteria stated above and are right next to one of the Dive Friends shops at Hamlet Oasis and The Cliff dive site is your house reef.

Lastly, Bas is the man! and do consider the fact that the East Coast diving is a bit more advanced should you be deciding to accompany him over there.
Oh yeah, when are you going to be in Bonaire?

 

[dmaziuk]

Back when we rented, AB beat Avis on price if you include the insurance. If you have your own insurance and it will work on Bonaire, Avis may well be a better option. AB will pick you up and drive you to the airport.

We too were very happy with DFB, though I don't know what their prices are without the SandDollar's package voucher. They run boat trips to Klein Bonaire, north sites where shore entry may be tricky, and night dives to Salt Pier.

Speaking of shore entries, if they're new to you: grab on to each other and waltz in and out.

 

[KeithG]

Relax and enjoy the freedom of Bonaire.

This does not mean you have to do 5 dives a day. It means you can dive anytime you want. Want to sleep in a bit? No problem. Maybe do a night dive after supper?

You also have the benefit of chosing between boat dives, dock dives and shore dives. For boat dives you will have to follow their schedule, but it is the only way to get to Klien. Dock and shore dives can be done any time you wish and they can be as long as you wish. 3 ninety minutes dives gets you lots of bottom time...and enough time for an afternoon nap.

If you like food Bonaire has some excellent restaurants (At Sea, Capriccio, Sebastians, La Cantina are my top 4).

 

[diver0008]

Another consideration is to make sure the place you stay is set up well for a diver's needs (Rinse tanks, secure places to dry and store your gear, etc).

Crucial, in my opinion.

As are heavy duty booties, which as not yet been mentioned here.

Oh, and a compass!

 

[KeithG]

Crucial, in my opinion.

As are heavy duty booties, which as not yet been mentioned here.

Oh, and a compass!

Heavy duty booties are needed for many shore dives. A compass? Not really.

 

[salth2owannabe]

Enjoy- doesn't get much easier then Bonaire. We use Dive Friends, numerous locations, friendly staff. My wife didn't always want to dive every time I did either. There is always the option of going to a dive site and waiting until a group shows up and tag along with them. You never have to wait long and I've never had anyone hesitate to invite me along. No compass needed, follow the contour out to a depth you're happy with, make a mental note of a coral head on the edge on the way out, return along the "shelf" and out. Easy Peasy.

 

[diversteve]

FYI - Poppy is a her.

VIP Diving is in south Kralendijk. You're in north Kralendijk. About a mile apart just so you know. There's very little/no shore diving in town till south around the Divi Flamingo and I'm not sure they do walk-ins. FYI the beaches shown on the Rentals by Owner page - they're elsewhere. A nice one is Coco Beach Club, go west to the main road (about 500') then north past the marina and Eden Beach resort (surprisingly not a good beach) Next right will be Coco Beach Club - on Facebook.

Dive Friends/Yellow Sub location is maybe 1000' west of Dormia - 1/2 block north. (google) Nice thing about them as mentioned is they have about 5-6 other dive locations. At that location there's a shore dive but it's not the best. Also they do their cruise traffic thru there. Some of their fleet is there also.Their north shops (for tank exchange) are on Bari Reef (Den Laman or Sand Dollar Condos - a shop at each) or farther north at the Cliff dive site. They also have a shop and boats at Port Bonaire Condos south of the airport. Bari is the fishiest site on Bonaire and Cliff one of few vertical walls - both worth diving IMO.

One other convenient thing with a early Sat. afternoon arrival, you could do the BMP Orientation that day freeing you up to start your aggressive schedule the next morning. Normally most shops do that around 9AM Sunday so if with one of them, make it your first dive on a house reef also - IDK how that works with VIP since afaik they're also inland a block or two.

Of interest when trying to do a lot of dives is nothing is more than about 15-20 mins. apart north to south. Most times we did a far north dive, a mid-north dive then thru town, lunch, (our condo was a little south) pick up new tanks then two dives south. Always done in time for dinner or a night dive. So 4 dives/day is aggressive but possible - throw in a few night dives during the week also. Do a litlle cleanup, change tanks and a short drive to another site 5-10 mins. away and your SI is done.

Plan a few boat dives also. When asked on our boat - about 10 total -everyone said Rappel (named for how to access the water from shore) when asked about a north site choice. Also there's 26 dives around Klein Bonaire you can't get to any other way - Forest there makes my top 3 list. Some operators also boat dive shore sites - you'll reliably see a boat at the Hooker wreck - one of our 2nd dives was Weber's Joy - two days later we drove past it - kind of disappointed. If Buddy Dive is still doing it, they had a mid-week Slagbaai Park excursion - those sites are tough to get to with a truck. Someone may have posted last fall they stopped though. Small Wall is another boat dive site - unless you're a Black Durgon Inn guest - no shore access.

One fun option is to eat at Rumrunners (or the adjacent Pizza Temple) then night dive at Habitat. The Tarpon are brought in by their overhead lights but they'll hunt in yours also. To the north off the smaller dive dock is the Cliff site approached from the south. As you light up dinner, the Tarpon will swoop in over your shoulder to take it. Habitat charges a small usage fee but that gets you use of their showers/lockers etc. Bring a lock but leave the good stuff home,, they're not too secure looking. Food's not great, you're kind of paying for the view.

I kind of like Dormio's location though I know nothing of it. Some of the north Kralendijk restaurants should be walking distance - Pasa Bon Pizza for sure - due west. I think It Rains Fishes would be an easy walk south also. One of my favorites.

Also you're about 3000' (google maps) from the two large markets - Van Den Twel or Warehouse foods. The Kaya Korona just east of Dormia will take you south to Kaya Industria which they're both on. Bypassing the Town Pier cruise dock if any of those are in town. That's "downtown" when they're not - many of the shops/restaurants clustered in that area.EEG Blvd - south off Kaya Industria - runs south thru Belnem and every south side shore dive all the way down to the Lighthouse - the Hooker, Invisibles, Salt Pier etc. - all the good south dive sites.

 

[diver0008]

A compass? Not really.

I really like having it on Bonaire. Particularly diving the park or the southernmost sites where there can be some current. It is somewhat gratifying to arrive back at shore exactly where you planned.