First trip to Bonaire

[newmanl]

Hi driftwood and Bosun,

We actually got our copy of BSDME just before Christmas and my wife regularly lurks on Bonaire Talk while I tend to hang here, on ScubaBoard. Thanks to you both for the very useful advice and comments!

I was also wondering - is it the relatively easy diving, the come and go as you please situation there or something else that makes people return to Bonaire? We are often a little torn between finding new places to go and returning to the places we really liked.

Again, thanks for the all the very useful advice. We really appreciate it.

Lee

 

[herman]

Hi driftwood and Bosun,

..............
I was also wondering - is it the relatively easy diving, the come and go as you please situation there or something else that makes people return to Bonaire? We are often a little torn between finding new places to go and returning to the places we really liked.

Again, thanks for the all the very useful advice. We really appreciate it.

Lee

For me, it's a combination of things.
Obviously the diving, I can dive like I want- no time, depth, site limits and no DM or airhog dictating my dive profile. My average dive is 75 minutes with 90's occasionally and 90% of them at 35ft or less.
The food, for a small island Bonaire has some great places to eat and lots of varity to choose from. Plus it's safe to eat and drink (the water) pretty much anywhere on the island.
The people, I have made lots of friends on the island and if greeted with a smile, a genuine "Bon Dia" is sure to follow. Once you have been there a time or two it's a lot like....no.. it is... visiting loved friends and family. I spend a good bit of time when on island making the rounds hugging and catching up on things.
Some what inline with the diving freedom is the "island freedom". I am not stuck with one dive boat or schedule or restaurant. I can pretty much do as I please...within reason.
Cost is another factor. Averaged out, $ per minute of bottom time on Bonaire comes out less than most any where else. Where else can you average 5 dives a day or more (including night dives) with bottom times of 75+minutes. I also factor in the possibility of not diving due to weather. There are rare few days on Bonaire that are not divable, not something that can not be said at most other dive locations. What is the $/minute of bottom time cost if you get blown out for an entire week in location XX? I have lost a good many days to bad weather.

For us, Bonaire has become the standard that we rate other dive locations on. We try to travel at least twice a year and the trips have pretty gotten to be Bonaire, somewhere else, Bonaire, somewhere else....

 

[jepuskar]

I go to Bonaire once a month for 4 weeks. I have seen every coral head, every fish, and every topology Bonaire has to offer..usually on my first dive of the day. I normally do 3 hours dives on a 63 down to 130 feet, with no deco.

I speak the native language, and also jepuskamiento. Which is a combination of English, Spanish, Troll, and Dutch.

Enjoy your time on Bonaire. Don't worry about the silly misc questions, it all works out.

The jepuskar

 

[gbf]

Hi Folks,

My wife and I will be going to Bonaire in April - staying at the Carib Inn for three weeks. We have a few questions both about the place and the diving and I was wondering if those that have stayed there would be able to offer some info.

We plan to pack very light - are there laundry facilities at the Inn or nearby?

I can easily pack enough clothes for 2 weeks, and believe I could do so for 3. I'm not sure, but I think I remember a laundry close to the stadium - a fairly long walk from CI. In any case, I'd try to avoid doing laundry.

We will also not likely have a vehicle for the entire time - are there grocery stores and resturants within walking distance?

Jokes, sorta like a c-store, is close to CI. It's really strange. They sell their soft drinks as singles, no cases/12 pks that I found. Both Warehouse and Cultimara are too far for me to walk, maybe not for you - not because I can't walk it, but because I don't want to waste my time walking it and then lugging the groceries (beer) back. Many restaurants fairly close - Richard's, Tipsy Seagull and a bar/grill at Plaza, Cactus Blue and a steak place that does the huge mixed grill toward town. Downtown, a short walk past Cactus Blue, are a veritable plethora of restaurants.

For when we don't have the vehicle we will probably go on a boat dive or two - will the Carib Inn allow diving without the DM (I'm an underwater photographer and like to go slow - don't worry, my wife is into slow as well!)?

Bruce and his staff at the CI are great. That said, I don't know how they do their boat dives. Many trips to Bonaire for us, 0 boat dives. If it were me I'd blow off the boat dives, keep the truck and go shore diving. There are only a few places (Klein, East side, and a few of sites on the west) that you can't do from shore. If you are after a particular critter you may want to hire a guide/go on a boat. I've been seeking the elusive seahorse for a long time, and have yet to find one my very ownself. It is very common to pull up to a site and find a boat moored there. When that happens we get back in the truck and move on.

Finally, how is their rental gear? We could bring our own if that would be a better option (trying to save weight in the bags).

I don't know from first-hand experience how the rental gear is. However, Bruce is widely acknowledged as the go-to guy for equipment repair and maintenance, so I gotta believe his rental stuff is OK.

We are really looking forward to going - I've been hearing great things about Bonaire ever since I worked in Grand Cayman as a dive Instructor in '84-'85, but have just never had the chance or made it a priority until now!

Thanks.

Lee

A few other things and opinions:

a. I don't guess there is anything to keep you from driving over to Lac Cai and hopping in the water to snorkel the mangroves. I'd check with Stinapa to make sure you weren't stepping on some rule or regulation first. We went to the Mangrove Center and went on one of their guided kayak/snorkel trips. It was great and worth the money. (If you go, take bug repellant and drinking water)

b. Get the truck and keep it. Skip the boat dives and eat lunch in if that is what it takes to finance it. I don't want to be in the position of saying "its too far" or "too much trouble" - A big part of the allure of Bon is doing what you want, when you want, and the truck facilitates that.

c. We always declare a 'no dive day' about midway thru our stay. That's my day to go snorkel Lac Bay. Either walk east from the wind surf places or north from the shack on the south end of the bay. You'll be snorkelling in about 3-4 of water and it is fabulous.

d. I love CI. But, you have to plan a bit to make sure tanks are available for very early morning excursions and night dives. It's not a big deal, just make a note on the board so tanks will be left out for you (unless they've changed the way they do it). I usually go solo at daybreak, then come back for breakfast with my family - then off for more diving.

e. We don't do the park dives. I dive with 3 women (2 daughters, wife) and the "logistics" of an all-day trip thru the park are a bit much for them. Diving the park is cool, just be aware you could be a long way on bad roads from civilization.

Bonaire is, in my experience, unique (right now). I believe it is changing to be less so. Go now, get the truck and make the most of it.

Edit:

Jepuskar:

"I go to Bonaire once a month for 4 weeks. I have seen every coral head, every fish, and every topology Bonaire has to offer..usually on my first dive of the day. I normally do 3 hours dives on a 63 down to 130 feet, with no deco."

You need a 63 for that??? The diving on bon is so easy I would have thought you could do those wienie dives with a pony bottle.

 

[RJP]

Jepuskar:

"I go to Bonaire once a month for 4 weeks. I have seen every coral head, every fish, and every topology Bonaire has to offer..usually on my first dive of the day. I normally do 3 hours dives on a 63 down to 130 feet, with no deco."

You need a 63 for that??? The diving on bon is so easy I would have thought you could do those wienie dives with a pony bottle.

Yeah, but at least he's wearing a drysuit while doing them!

 

[CLEAR BLUE]

Definitely you want a truck or vehicle for the whole time. IMO the whole point of Bonaire is the shore diving. 3 dives a day will be easy. Weather will be good (it's not the rainy season). The entries and exists are pretty easy. Bari Reef has the biggest diversity of life. It is the house reef to the Sand Dollar. And if you are staying 3 weeks and there is alot of photography I would recommend taking your own equipment. Why not? Can't wait til we can go back. Happy diving.

 

[newmanl]

Thanks gbf! Lots of great advice and info. Now all we have to do is wait for Continental to put their fares on sale again... this time for April.

Thanks All!

Lee

 

[kmcneer]

Eat Salsa's in town. order chef's tasting menue it is great. you are right next door to the Divi, this is a nice dive spot. May be check out Curacao.

 

[scubadada]

Hi Lee,

You've received a lot of good advice. My wife and I have been to Bonaire 3 times, last, November 2008. We stayed at Sand Dollar Condos with Bari Reef as the house dive. There are at least 2 good reasons to consider a few boat dives. Some of the dives off Klein Bonaire are spectactular (Forest, Hands Off, Southwest Corner...) and the dives off the east coast are fantastic and pristine. If you decide to splurge on just a couple boat dives, I would consider going out on the east side with Larry's Wildside: bonaire diving Welcome at Larry's Wild Side This would be a nice complement to the many great shore dives available off the west.

No matter what you do, you'll have an unforgettable time, enjoy.

Good diving, Craig

 

[underwasser bolt]

I bought some dive gear at the carib inn dive center. nice people and great service. they even had a battery for my computer and swapped it out for me. I did not stay there but it is close to downtown; town pier is not far. I am not sure about not having a vehicle as driving to sites is the norm in bonaire. carib inn is close to down town, but not so close that i would want to walk it for three weeks. you could walk to the markets from there, but it would be a hike with a bunch of packages to carry.

as far as NEEDING to drive to see diversity, i suppose that depends. I am a "macro diver". I like the big picture, take in the whole. I saw divers there who spent the whole day in 25 feet of water with a camera trying to take pictures of very tiny creatures close to shore. I would say they were "micro divers". That is the neat thing about bonaire: you can do whatever your heart desires as far as diving is concerned. I could not do Bonaire for three weeks being a macro diver as i am.

do a search for tips. saw many people trying to use $100 us dollar bills, for example, which i learned here on SB is a no-no in bonaire. many other good tips too if you search a bit.