First trip to bonaire need plenty of advise...

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As of a few weeks ago Captain Don's was charging non guests $5 to dive during the day and night dives were free. We asked. A very nice gentleman even gave us an orientation to the facilities, told us where to park, etc. They have a line tied to their dock that runs down the reef. We followed that down to 30 ft or so, tied off a small strobe light and were off.

It would be perfect for a night dive with your son.
 
1. Which dive shop do you recommend?.

Like others have said, the best choice is whomever is associated with where you're staying. I'd really recommend that as a first timer to Bonaire, you consider staying at an ocean front condo/resort that has a house reef. It's so convenient and easy to do dives right near your gear room and your tanks. It's also so much nicer for night diving to not have to drive and do your dive on a reef you're very familiar with.

2. Grocery stores?.

Cultimara and the Warehouse are the biggest grocery stores. On our first trip to Bonaire we only went to Cultimara but last year went to Warehouse as well, and we thought the selection at Warehouse was much better.

3. best dive sites for the 10 year old to really get him hooked on diving?.

All of them!

4. dive sites with the best potential to see some big stuff ( turtles, lobster, eels, sharks).

With 100ish dives on Bonaire, we were treated to a nurse shark on our 3rd dive and not since. We've seen the most rays and turtles at the southern sites, but we've also had amazing encounters right on Bari Reef, our home reef. Eels we see at all the sites, lobster at many, and octopus at quite a few. On Bari we've also been treated to amazing encounters with huge tarpon hunting silversides. Since Bari is just down from Buddy and Capt Don's, I'd imagine the sightings are similar at all of them.

5. best night diving spots..

Personally, I think your home reef is the best night diving spot since you're comfortable with navigation and can be more relaxed.

6. website that gives some descriptions of the sites and what to expect.

Do yourself a favor and buy "Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy". We used it extensively the first year, including making lots of notes in the margins, which was great for last year. For the southern sites, don't pay attention when people say "long surface swims to the reef." Do yourself a favor and drop down to swim across the sand flat to the first reef (they're double reef systems in the south). You'll find all sorts of cool critters in the rubble on the sand, and might even see a Peacock Flounder hunt and catch a Garden Eel in 20' of water like we did last year!! We've found most of our lobsters and octopus in the shallow rubble, as well as more tiny juveniles than we can count. At the end of your dive, swim back across the sand flat, snooping for critters again, and you'll find you've just done a 10+ min safety stop!!

7. Is the diving really 24/7.

Yes, if you want it to be.

8. what is the protical for the shore diving.

Drive down the road, pull off at a yellow rock, check out the conditions and look for your entry/exit point, gear up using the tailgate of your truck, leave nothing but water, an old t-shirt and crappy flip flops in your truck with the windows down and doors unlocked, walk into the water, dive for as long as you want or as long as your air lasts, exit the water, do a surface interval, and repeat as often as you want!!

9. If the shore diving is so good, is it worth it to do boat dives at all.

Many will recommend a dive or two to Klein, and if you're interested in either going up to Washington Park or the east side, you might want to check into Buddy's 3-tank park dive (includes lunch), or East Side Divers for a wild 2-tank charter out of Lac Bay. Personally, I recommend that folks buy their boat dive ala carte instead of prepurchasing a package. Boat dives are literally about $25 each so there usually isn't much of a "deal" in prepurchasing.

I'd recommend if you aren't nitrox certified that you either consider doing it before you leave or do it when you get there. Most operations include free nitrox in their packages, so it's well worth it IMO.

Above all, have a wonderful time....and don't forget to ask where the good, cheap eats are on island before you go! We'll be there for 2 weeks again this summer and I can't wait!!!
 
I am planning a trip to Bonaire with the family. My wife and I are both AOW divers with about 70 dives mainly from boats though. My oldest son is 18 and has about 40 dives mostly from boat. We are introducing our youngest son ( 10 years old) to the under water sea and hear Bonaire is a great place. We are planning on renting a villa and hooking up with one of the local dive shops. Here are my questions:

1. Which dive shop do you recommend?

I second the answer suggesting you choose the one more convenient to your location. I doubt it you can go wrong in Bonaire.

2. Grocery stores?

3. best dive sites for the 10 year old to realy get him hooked on diving?

I am SO jealous you can take your kid. My twins are 6 and I can't wait...
I think this one should be considered more carefully than some suggested. While during the dive, most sites will be thrilling for him and conditions are usually comparable, you should research the sites and choose the better suited ones. The site should be good for the dept you want him to explore. Long swims to the better diving area and back to shore might be something to consider [Invisibles, Hilma Hooker]. 1000 Steps to get the the water, etc. Oil Slick Leap offers easy access and great areas in the first 30-40 feet and will make a good night dive as well.


4. dive sites with the best potential to see some big stuff ( turtles, lobster, eels, sharks)

Galapagos Islands!

5. best night diving spots.

6. website that gives some descriptions of the sites and what to expect

7. Is the diving really 24/7

8. what is the protical for the shore diving

9. If the shore diving is so good, is it worth it to do boat dives at all.

Your kids will have so many opportunities in their life to do boat diving and there are so few places in the world you can get great shore diving - I would take this opportunity and do only shore diving. It creates confidence and makes for a great experience [no dive master to hold your hand...].
 
Thanks to all for the good information. If you have any more please keep it coming. My 10 year old is getting very excited about the trip I may have to tie a rope to him to slow him done. Can you say burn air burn as soon as he hits the water.

I do have one question, if crime is such an issue on the island why is everyone saying leave the cars unlocked and the windows down? just wondering
 
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I do have one question, if crime is such an issue on the island why is everyone saying leave the cars unlocked and the windows down? just wondering

Because if there's nothing of value in there they won't take anything, and if the car is unlocked they won't break the windows to look and see.
 
Yes, if you lock the door, you MUST have something really nice in there!

They take the strangest things. My tank marker light (battery powered) disappeared. I was looking for an excuse to replace it anyway.
 
If you go to Bonaire Talk - The place to discuss everything and anything about Bonaire! and find the Trip Reports forum, get in the archives and there is an 18 page trip report that was done in MS Word format. It has a huge amount of info provided by someone that just completed their first trip to Bonaire. A lot of good information.

bonairetalk just added a FAQ section to their forums too that is starting to build a database of great first-timer info. It's a little raw right now and they just started it but there is still some good stuff there.
__________________
looked through all the archives and could not find it.
 
Drive down the road, pull off at a yellow rock, check out the conditions and look for your entry/exit point, gear up using the tailgate of your truck, leave nothing but water, an old t-shirt and crappy flip flops in your truck with the windows down and doors unlocked, walk into the water, dive for as long as you want or as long as your air lasts, exit the water, do a surface interval, and repeat as often as you want!!

I understand the "windows down, doors unlocked" advice. I follow this at home. My car is a convertible, and if I lock it I'll just have to spend $2000 replacing the top as well as whatever was stolen.

But where do you leave your extra tanks? Do you drive back to the dive shop between dives?
 
I understand the "windows down, doors unlocked" advice. I follow this at home. My car is a convertible, and if I lock it I'll just have to spend $2000 replacing the top as well as whatever was stolen.

But where do you leave your extra tanks? Do you drive back to the dive shop between dives?

Tanks are safe. I presume either because no one would fill tanks that don't belong to you and it's clear who the tanks belong to. Or because there is a code of honor not to steal from locals but stealing from tourists is different.
 
I understand the "windows down, doors unlocked" advice. I follow this at home. My car is a convertible, and if I lock it I'll just have to spend $2000 replacing the top as well as whatever was stolen.

But where do you leave your extra tanks? Do you drive back to the dive shop between dives?

Similar here with Mustang convertible.
What's nice is: no trunk-release button inside the car, only via key or button on the key...

Tanks never get stolen on Bonaire, oddly enuf...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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