First timer, going in July

[tstormdiver]

We may well run into one another. If I see a lady with a rebreather I will come and introduce myself - I doubt there will be more than one on Bonaire that week. We are staying about 200 yards north of Captain Don's. I will probably come down and start a few early morning dives from their dock. My wife likes those early morning dives and we can make a leisurely one-way swim up to our house. I hope you guys aren't too preoccupied with watching over the group to enjoy yourselves. That's a lot of divers to keep an eye on. I'm sure you've heard the usual advice about not keeping valuables in the truck while diving and to lock up your valuables in the room while you are out. If you heed that standard advice, I think things will go smoothly.

I'll be diving a Hollis Prism2 rebreather & will be wearing either "construction barrel orange" SP SeaWing Nova fins or Hollis F1 fins with yellow tips ( I like to stand out). On land,.. I'm 5'6", a little heavy (190#), very short brown/ gray hair. May or may not be wearing prescription glasses. Typically have some type of cave diving t-shirt on.

 

[Jersey]

With the benefits of the CCR, consider southern sites with the double reef system. Deeper, fewer visitors. We did it once, only had 80's, wants some additional resources to truly check it out, even a pony would be nice.

 

[tstormdiver]

With the benefits of the CCR, consider southern sites with the double reef system. Deeper, fewer visitors. We did it once, only had 80's, wants some additional resources to truly check it out, even a pony would be nice.

Sounds nice! I'm going to paly it by ear,... with such a big group,.... there's no telling where we'll be diving.

 

[choiahoy]

tstormdiver,

My wife and I were there for 12 days last October and just started planning our next trip for the fall.

- Recommended places to eat
Our favorite places were At Sea (get the tasting menu), Between Two Buns (right near you), and Gio's. Get the cookie flavor gelato from Gio's. You won't be the same after...

- Favorite Dives
We didn't do any of the dives in the park or the ones furthest south, but the three that jump out to me are Salt Pier, Karpata, and Angel City. But most dives we did were great.

- Night Diving
I like the night dives by where you're staying and the docks make it really easy. But our favorite night dive was at Eden Beach. There were three segments to the dive. If you park all the way to the right of Spice Restaurant and enter there, the reef is straight out and just to the right at about 40'-50'. When our air was down to half we'd turn around and head over to the big oil drum where there's all sorts of critters around and above. Stay at around 30' and you won't miss it. But maybe the most fun is along the ledge where the stairs are right by Wannadive. If you stay down around 5' there's an amazing amount of life hiding under that ledge. Then get out using the stairs and rinse off in the showers to your right. Super easy and a blast. We did it about 4 times and were never disappointed. The dives were always 60-70 mins.

Have a great time and can't wait to get back to the island.

 

[tstormdiver]

Thank you, Choiahoy! I do plan to do a night dive or 2, in fact I'm planning to bring my canister light for such exploration. I am guessing that most of the night diving will be done on the house reef. I don't know how well the rebreather will do with such shallow water. It tends to use an extreme amount of oxygen when shallow, which in turn makes buoyancy control more difficult,... not impossible, just more work. One of my favorite things to do diving, is to find critters, set buoyancy , get still & watch.... just watch. Hoping the bubblelessness will make that better.

 

[Doctorfish]

I think a canister light is excessive for night diving in Bonaire. You will startle and stun animals and maybe even your dive buddies. A small 4x c cell flashlight is all that is required. Even then, I often use the penumbra of the beam rather than the center.

 

[herman]

I agree, leave the can light at home, a couple of small C or AA lights are all you need and if you really want a fun night dive, turn to light off and dive in the dark. You will be amazed at what you see.

 

[uncfnp]

Not a problem for me. I was originally taught to drive a manual. I may pitch & kill the engine a few times getting used to the clutch (Been about 15 yrs since I drove a stick)

You'll be fine. I learned on a straight as well and it had been 30...ah some years. I drove there for the first time last week. Smooth as silk! Well, as smooth as those trucks can be!

If you are looking for a tech dive while there, talk to Walt about the Windjammer.

 

[tstormdiver]

If you are looking for a tech dive while there, talk to Walt about the Windjammer.

Yes, it looks like my instructor & I may attempt it.

 

[boat sju]

Please "just say no" to the can light. Let me be blunter than the rest - you will PO everyone you come across if you have a can light. Most of our night dives have been spent with our hands over the light so that it barely shines through our fingers.