Trip Report First Time to Bonaire & Buddy Dive

[Miyaru]

Show us the best picture of your trip?

 

[SetheryJ]

Great info Seth, thank you for that! We do a similar routine for our international travels as well and the extras have never been needed but have always provided quite a bit of “peace of mind”.

Really the only 2 questions we still have are:

1). Tests must be taken within 48 hours of our initial/first leg of our flights’ departure time, correct? And

2). Rapid PCR tests are not accepted?

Thanks again!

1. Yes that is correct. Now, here's the thing. According to the Bonaire Covid website, if you are fully vaxxed you are not required to get an antigen test at the airport so long as you have your negative test within 48 hours of departure. If you are not fully vaxxed you must have your negative test within 24 hours of departure or else you much take and pay for an antigen test upon arrival to flamingo airport.

The truth of the matter is we were in line with vaxxed and unvaccinated people. But, the way they were organizing the line had nothing to do with vaccine, it was whether you had a test within 24 hours or 48 hours. What I'm getting at, is things are still a little wonky. Best practice, get your test as close to departure as possible, preferably within 24 hours so you can assure yourself you'll be in the fast lane. But, don't sweat it, as long as you are within 48 hours you will be fine. If they try and tell you that you need a test at the airport just print out the rules from their website before you leave. That's what we did and it worked well.

https://www.bonairecrisis.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ReisvoorwaardenBonaire-30-09-ENG.pdf

Travel - Crisiswebsite van het openbaar lichaam Bonaire

Travel - Crisiswebsite van het openbaar lichaam Bonaire

www.bonairecrisis.com

2. I'm not a doctor so make sure to double check me. But, Bonaire requires a standard PCR test. The tests we took were standard PCR tests with results provided within 24 hours (most of the time it was within 6-12 hours). I couldn't immediately find info on rapid pcr vs. normal pcr.

3. As I was double checking their website I found this recent update. If I understand it correctly, ALL US tourists are required to undergo a free antigen test at the airport upon arrival.

Additional test for American travelers, exception for short stays - Crisiswebsite van het Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire

Additional test for American travelers, exception for short stays - Crisiswebsite van het Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire

www.bonairecrisis.com

I hope this helps some. The website I linked to is the by far the most up to date and the one you should go by. It's run by the Bonaire government and it's the easiest to navigate.

Seth

 

[SetheryJ]

Show us the best picture of your trip?

I don't have any current still images. We have been shooting almost exclusively underwater video. I'd really love to branch out and learn about still photography. Unfortunately, most of what we shoot is on a GoPro. I'll have to try and go in and capture some frames and see what I can come up with.

 

[rmorgan]

Wow! This is news! I hadn't heard. Wonder just what all has changed?

Cliff is the same as always; easy entry at Dive Friends Hamlet. And Small Wall is still held captive by Black Durgon. But a lot of construction is going on, that’s for sure—especially a very large multiple-building hotel Immediately south of the parking lot used by Bari (and Front Porch) divers.

 

[scubadada]

Cliff is the same as always; easy entry at Dive Friends Hamlet. And Small Wall is still held captive by Black Durgon. But a lot of construction is going on, that’s for sure—especially a very large multiple-building hotel Immediately south of the parking lot used by Bari (and Front Porch) divers.

I'll be able to report on the Chogogo Resort after our stay at Den Laman Oct 20-Nov 3. It has been under construction for a long time, commented on it during our last stay in Bonaire, 2 years ago Trip Report - Bonaire: Den Laman and Dive Friends, Sept 28-Oct 12, 2019

Dive Friends does no boat dives on sites accessible from shore.

 

[Compressor]

Thank you for your report @seth0687. What was the situation with COVID testing?

The Cliff should be easily accessible from shore; there is a Dive Friends shop right there.

 

[SetheryJ]

Thank you for your report @seth0687. What was the situation with COVID testing?

The Cliff should be easily accessible from shore; there is a Dive Friends shop right there.

There are a few posts up the chain talking about covid testing. But, in a nut shell:

1. Bring your vax card if you have one, bring your neg covid test, bring your health declaration

2. As of September 1st it looks like all Americans need to get a free antigen test at Flamingo Airport.

3. Speaking specifically for Buddy Dive Resort- If you are from the US and need your return test, you schedule it with the front desk and then show up, get tested, get your results and boom, you are good to go. It was the easiest process of anywhere we have gone.

Seth

 

[tursiops]

Correcting some incorrect statements and adding some additional information:

3. This is just our opinion, but when it comes to the boat dives we felt like they just got in the way. The boat diving sites are fun and seeing Klein was cool. But, overall we really liked shore diving and felt we were able to fit in more diving when we could just create our own schedule and head out for the day.

Your opinion might have been different if you'd been able to go to some of the really cool boat-only sites.

As for the boat dives, you have some options. Each day there is a handful of boats that go out. There is a two tank morning boat, a single tank morning boat, and two different single tank afternoon boats. Depending on how full the resort is will impact how many boats are offered each day. On our boat dives they stuck pretty close to Buddy Dive. Two of our morning boat trips did the exact same itinerary. Our first dive was on Klein (Carrol's Hill/Carl's Hill) and then our second dive was on Bonaire proper at The Cliff.

The best way to do this is with a group that decides where they are going to go, and just tells the DM on the boat, especially if it is done in advance. I've been boat-diving at Buddy Dive for over 20 years, and have NEVER gone to a site that I did not want to go to.

1). Tests must be taken within 48 hours of our initial/first leg of our flights’ departure time, correct?

Yes

2). Rapid PCR tests are not accepted?

What do you mean by "rapid PCR test"? Bonaire accepts any NAAT test, such as ID-NOW (15min-1h to get your result) but it is not a PCR test. PCR is just one kind of NAAT.

According to the Bonaire Covid website, if you are fully vaxxed you are not required to get an antigen test at the airport so long as you have your negative test within 48 hours of departure.

Yes

If you are not fully vaxxed you must have your negative test within 24 hours of departure or else you much take and pay for an antigen test upon arrival to flamingo airport.

Not quite; you only need the antigen test at the airport if your NAAT test was 24-48h before departure.

Bonaire requires a standard PCR test.

No. It requires a NAAT test. PCR is just one type of NAAT test.

As I was double checking their website I found this recent update. If I understand it correctly, ALL US tourists are required to undergo a free antigen test at the airport upon arrival.

No. US tourists are required only to register at the airport for a "day 5" test unless they are staying 8 days or less, in which case their exit test (to get back into the US ) is sufficient.

As of September 1st it looks like all Americans need to get a free antigen test at Flamingo Airport.

No. See above.

 

[rmorgan]

I'll be able to report on the Chogogo Resort after our stay at Den Laman Oct 20-Nov 3. It has been under construction for a long time, commented on it during our last stay in Bonaire, 2 years ago Trip Report - Bonaire: Den Laman and Dive Friends, Sept 28-Oct 12, 2019

Dive Friends does no boat dives on sites accessible from shore.

If that’s the name of the one immediately south of Den Laman, it’s going great guns. five or six 40ish-unit buildings are up, along with a number of big white tents with high peaks. A lot of progress between June and September—I’ll bet they’ll be doing windows and fixtures by the time you leave.

 

[SetheryJ]

Correcting some incorrect statements and adding some additional information:

Your opinion might have been different if you'd been able to go to some of the really cool boat-only sites.

The best way to do this is with a group that decides where they are going to go, and just tells the DM on the boat, especially if it is done in advance. I've been boat-diving at Buddy Dive for over 20 years, and have NEVER gone to a site that I did not want to go to.

Yes

What do you mean by "rapid PCR test"? Bonaire accepts any NAAT test, such as ID-NOW (15min-1h to get your result) but it is not a PCR test. PCR is just one kind of NAAT.

Yes

Not quite; you only need the antigen test at the airport if your NAAT test was 24-48h before departure.

No. It requires a NAAT test. PCR is just one type of NAAT test.

No. US tourists are required only to register at the airport for a "day 5" test unless they are staying 8 days or less, in which case their exit test (to get back into the US ) is sufficient.

No. See above.

Thanks for correcting this. The 9/1/21 update was a bit hard to get through using the translator function.

Seth