Headed to Bonaire

[diver 85]

I appreciate your contribution to this thread, however, I feel like you are always posting on threads where people have already booked a trip to Bonaire and then discouraging them. This is not a should I go to Bonaire thread. We all know this is not your type of diving..... But many people love Bonaire and this style of diving, plus for a newbie or budget location its tough to beat, LC is almost twice the cost and many other places require more skill or experience. We see from your avatar what you like, no one promised big on B! Sometimes you have to try things to see if you will like it.

/off soap box

Absolutely agree about the trying thing....If people are stupid enuff to go by what 1 person says, well, then they are just plain stupid...lol, & on the avatar thingy....That's a pic I took long ago & have never changed it....btw, you tell me what you think 'I like'.........I just thought when I joined it was a cool 35 mm shot from circa '01....Maybe I need to look up & put one of my Tiger shark ones????..........Maybe this one, an 18 ft'er..???(that other one is only maybe 8 or 9 feet long).......

 

[drrich2]

On Karpata, it's a rather lush reef, but when you go there, you hit the 1 way stretch and commit to a long round trip back home. So stop at Tolo on your way to Karpata, and get in 2 good sites while you're up that way.

I didn't find Karpata bad to get into and out of, but a clarification about the big concrete block. I go in beside it, using it to put my hands on for steadiness. My wife and brother-in-law, for reasons I may never understand, walked out on top of the thing and to the end of it, sat down and tried to get off into the ocean there. Which evidently you can do, but I don't know why someone would (especially with me pointing out that's not the way we'd been doing it).

Sweet Dreams to the south was also quite lush, last time I was.

Bonaire is very good diving for what it is. If you go looking for sharks, close ups with big sting rays, really big grouper, or large predators herding bait balls, probably not gonna be your thing. If getting in lots of easy, undemanding shore diving with little navigation skill demand, on a sloping reef close in to shore, available 24/7, dive your tank, when & where you will, good general Caribbean diving is your thing, then it's good stuff.

Put another way, don't go to Bonaire expecting Cozumel, or to Cozumel expecting Bonaire. Find out what it is, decide whether that's what you want, and have a good time if you go.

Richard.

 

[T.C.]

On Karpata, it's a rather lush reef, but when you go there, you hit the 1 way stretch and commit to a long round trip back home. So stop at Tolo on your way to Karpata, and get in 2 good sites while you're up that way.

I didn't find Karpata bad to get into and out of, but a clarification about the big concrete block. I go in beside it, using it to put my hands on for steadiness. My wife and brother-in-law, for reasons I may never understand, walked out on top of the thing and to the end of it, sat down and tried to get off into the ocean there. Which evidently you can do, but I don't know why someone would (especially with me pointing out that's not the way we'd been doing it).

Sweet Dreams to the south was also quite lush, last time I was.

Bonaire is very good diving for what it is. If you go looking for sharks, close ups with big sting rays, really big grouper, or large predators herding bait balls, probably not gonna be your thing. If getting in lots of easy, undemanding shore diving with little navigation skill demand, on a sloping reef close in to shore, available 24/7, dive your tank, when & where you will, good general Caribbean diving is your thing, then it's good stuff.

Put another way, don't go to Bonaire expecting Cozumel, or to Cozumel expecting Bonaire. Find out what it is, decide whether that's what you want, and have a good time if you go.

Richard.

Well said.

---------- Post added March 19th, 2014 at 05:08 PM ----------

You can see garden eels at 35 feet at Invisibles.

Noted! Thanks! Do these colonies move?

Thanks for the pointer, you and djtimmy77 both!

 

[tursiops]

Do these colonies move?

Not much. Swim out along the bottom to the mooring, look to the right about 50 ft. People swim right over them and don't see them. We learned about them about 15 years when we asked where we could find some garden eels (my wife loves them). The old experienced DM (Murphen at Buddy Dive) asked if wanted to just see them for a few minutes, or actually watch them for a while. We said watch them. he pointed out Invisibles. They are at 130-150 feet almost everywhere down off the main reef.....but you don't get a lot of time there!

 

[T.C.]

Not much. Swim out along the bottom to the mooring, look to the right about 50 ft. People swim right over them and don't see them. We learned about them about 15 years when we asked where we could find some garden eels (my wife loves them). The old experienced DM (Murphen at Buddy Dive) asked if wanted to just see them for a few minutes, or actually watch them for a while. We said watch them. he pointed out Invisibles. They are at 130-150 feet almost everywhere down off the main reef.....but you don't get a lot of time there!

Awesome.

I know where I'll be diving one day one or two in June.

Thank You!!!

 

[Sue Sue]

On Karpata, it's a rather lush reef, but when you go there, you hit the 1 way stretch and commit to a long round trip back home. So stop at Tolo on your way to Karpata, and get in 2 good sites while you're up that way.

I didn't find Karpata bad to get into and out of, but a clarification about the big concrete block. I go in beside it, using it to put my hands on for steadiness. My wife and brother-in-law, for reasons I may never understand, walked out on top of the thing and to the end of it, sat down and tried to get off into the ocean there. Which evidently you can do, but I don't know why someone would (especially with me pointing out that's not the way we'd been doing it).

Sweet Dreams to the south was also quite lush, last time I was.

Bonaire is very good diving for what it is. If you go looking for sharks, close ups with big sting rays, really big grouper, or large predators herding bait balls, probably not gonna be your thing. If getting in lots of easy, undemanding shore diving with little navigation skill demand, on a sloping reef close in to shore, available 24/7, dive your tank, when & where you will, good general Caribbean diving is your thing, then it's good stuff.

Put another way, don't go to Bonaire expecting Cozumel, or to Cozumel expecting Bonaire. Find out what it is, decide whether that's what you want, and have a good time if you go.

Richard.

I agree Richard, Bonaire is it's own destination and exactly as you described. Very enjoyable and Plenty to see and do. Also, I don't know why anyone would shimmy off the end of the Karpata concrete block...those crabs that come out in attack mode are scerry !! LOL ... Best to enter and exit as you described, at least you can shoo the crabs away as you move along

 

[kcstark]

Don't let any of the negative comments discourage you. I went last week as my second dive trip ever. Started my trip on dive number 10 in my logbook. The entries are much easier than reading led me to believe. I was worried as well but once you are there it will be much easier than you expect. Just take your time and look for easier spots to enter. At some sites other divers have piled coral or wood at a spot that is an easy entry or at many you can clearly see a sandy patch extending into the water. All the dive sites mentioned are great. One I haven't seen though was Red Slave. The group I was with has dove it three times now and had spotted eagle rays on all three dives. We saw grouper, turtles and tons of schooling fish. Apparently this is some kind of feeding ground. If the current is light and the weather is good I would definitely check it out. If you are feeling adventurous get a local to tell you about Candyland and Taylor Made. They were awesome dives as well but are not officially marked on the maps you will get in town. Might be a good option for a boat dive if they will take you up there. We spotted a frog fish on Candyland and besides that the reef was very healthy up there. Don't forget to start looking for stuff as soon as you enter and on your way back to shore. No need for a boring safety stop in Bonaire. Just use your swim back to shore as your safety. You will see plenty of cool stuff on your way in. Wish I could go back.

 

[Jersey]

On Karpata, it's a rather lush reef, but when you go there, you hit the 1 way stretch and commit to a long round trip back home. So stop at Tolo on your way to Karpata, and get in 2 good sites while you're up that way.

Bonaire is very good diving for what it is. If you go looking for sharks, close ups with big sting rays, really big grouper, or large predators herding bait balls, probably not gonna be your thing. If getting in lots of easy, undemanding shore diving with little navigation skill demand, on a sloping reef close in to shore, available 24/7, dive your tank, when & where you will, good general Caribbean diving is your thing, then it's good stuff.

Put another way, don't go to Bonaire expecting Cozumel, or to Cozumel expecting Bonaire. Find out what it is, decide whether that's what you want, and have a good time if you go.

Richard.

Re: the one way at Northern sites - there is a bypass road to avoid the through Rincon and around the island trip. Now calling it a 'road' may be overstating. It is a red rutted dirt path, really little more than a goat path. It drops you back near the top of the hill at Caribean Club/Oil Slick Leap. On the official "Skyviews Road Map and Guide" it is refered to as a secondary road and bike trail. Tolo/Old Blue is a great site. Diving is like ice cream - no bad, just different flavors. When I want deep or drift, big critters, wrecks or caves I won't go to Bonaire.

 

[boat sju]

Jersey,

Did you drive that road all the way through? We stayed at CCB and drove the road from that end looking for the caves that they snorkel in. We just wanted to see the entrances and look around. Never found the caves and turned around at the north end because it was getting pretty iffy. I didn't realize where it would come out until you just described it. I'd call it a powerline right of way. We hunt a lot of similar roads here in Michigan.

boat

 

[T.C.]

Jersey,

Did you drive that road all the way through? We stayed at CCB and drove the road from that end looking for the caves that they snorkel in. We just wanted to see the entrances and look around. Never found the caves and turned around at the north end because it was getting pretty iffy. I didn't realize where it would come out until you just described it. I'd call it a powerline right of way. We hunt a lot of similar roads here in Michigan.

boat

Yeah, after a lot of wandering the less wealthy areas of Rincon, I found that road. Now, I have considerably off road driving experience, and a tough little truck in that HiLux. I looked at it, then made my decision on the route down.

I turned around and drove the long way.