How Congenial Is Buddy Dive?

[jewelofnile69]

Hi Randall! Did you book your trip yet? My husband and I are on our 4th trip down there in a few weeks (his 5th) and we've stayed at Buddy Dive every time. We've gone just the two of us and with groups. When we went with just the two of us last time, I had some major reverse block issues and my husband had to dive by himself...so he ended up doing a couple of boat dives and got paired up with a buddy. We also met a couple from the same part of the states we are from and they let him dive with them a couple of times. Someone also mentioned above that talking to Irene is a good idea...we agree . And yes, there is the buddy board or talking to people at the Tiki bar.

Room 508 rocks!

Cheers!

 

[Randallr]

Hi, Jewel - no, not yet. I'm planning a trip around March 20, and I'm frankly torn. Boiling down to this:

Sunset House, Grand Cayman: Pros - easy to get to, great ambience, superb photo operation. Cons - not the best dive sites, need to go offsite for a day or two to get great diving, most expensive of the AIs I'm looking at.

Buddy Dive, Bonaire: Pros - lovely smooth diving, lots of photo ops, ability to dive dive dive on shore dives. Cons - need to make sure to hook up with people to shore dive, Bonaire is a travel pain.

Scuba Club Cozumel, Cozumel: Pros - best diving of all three, including house decent house reef; real all-inclusive, least expensive of the bunch. Cons - the only com is I was just there in August.

Still open to other options. I wanted to do Cocoview on Roatan, but they're booked. I've thought about Little Cayman Beach Resort, but I suspect I'll be the only single there. Liveaboards, the single supplements are killers, and I'm not into unknown roommates.

I'm tempted by Buddy Dive, and thinking maybe I'll just bite the bullet and accept that I'll have a lousy travel day either going or coming.

Now, tell me about Room 508.

 

[Jersey]

I'm tempted by Buddy Dive, and thinking maybe I'll just bite the bullet and accept that I'll have a lousy travel day either going or coming.

Now, tell me about Room 508.

Travel is the worst part. Doesn't Continental fly Friday night red-eye direct from Newark> arrives around 0600? (Sometimes I think I would prefer that to the zero-dark-thirty PHL to ATL to BON with one of our bags usually in Aruba or Cur.) Somewhere I have the Buddy layout, I'll find, scan and post. Their website gives a decent approximation. Basically 2 horseshoes facing the ocean. The Lions Dive side is a smaller shoe, units closer to water with a large pool in center, older, more fully developed plantings - palm trees - means you can't see the water from units set further back, but it is nice and shady during the day. The original Buddy side pool is waters edge, next to the bar. So if being near the bar is more important, you want to be original Buddy side. I also think all of the units on Buddy side have been totally renovated over the last 3 years while Lions Dive side has been untouched and sorely needing some attention.

 

[jewelofnile69]

Now, tell me about Room 508.

508 is the room we've stayed in the last 2 times. 1/2-way between Buddy's dock and the parking lot where you park your truck. It's a perfect spot. It's on the Lion's Dive side which Jersey alluded to. Great 1-bedroom apt place...but if you are by yourself you may want to spend less and then stay in one of the hotel like rooms.

Travel is the worst part. Doesn't Continental fly Friday night red-eye direct from Newark> arrives around 0600? (Sometimes I think I would prefer that to the zero-dark-thirty PHL to ATL to BON with one of our bags usually in Aruba or Cur.) Somewhere I have the Buddy layout, I'll find, scan and post. Their website gives a decent approximation. Basically 2 horseshoes facing the ocean. The Lions Dive side is a smaller shoe, units closer to water with a large pool in center, older, more fully developed plantings - palm trees - means you can't see the water from units set further back, but it is nice and shady during the day. The original Buddy side pool is waters edge, next to the bar. So if being near the bar is more important, you want to be original Buddy side. I also think all of the units on Buddy side have been totally renovated over the last 3 years while Lions Dive side has been untouched and sorely needing some attention.

When we were there last February they were renovating the farthest rooms on the Lion's dive side. 508 has been fully renovated already. We are going with 5 of us this time (in 2 weeks) so we'll be doing a 3-bedroom apt and we are hoping we are still on this side as we like this pool area better.

 

[jeepguy]

Jersey, how did you end up getting your bags. Did they contact you or did you have to chase them down yourself? Small airports like BON & CUR do not usually have airline staff around all of the time. Just for in & out flights. Reason I ask is we are doing that route next weekend....
Thanks
Tom

 

[jewelofnile69]

Hey Randall....just wanted to point out this Forum called "Bonaire Talk." This is a great place to "find a buddy" if you are traveling alone. Here is the specific thread where people post their dates of travel saying "looking for a buddy" or whatever and the dates. Diving Bonaire. I think this would be a great place to start. Or maybe someone already has a trip booked right about when you want to go and maybe you could hook up. Good luck!

 

[Jersey]

Jersey, how did you end up getting your bags. Did they contact you or did you have to chase them down yourself? Small airports like BON & CUR do not usually have airline staff around all of the time. Just for in & out flights. Reason I ask is we are doing that route next weekend....

Tom, I always chase them down, not that they can always tell you where it is. The carriers appear to work together geting bags to the other islands then puddle jumpers to BON. You can arrange to have bag delivered to resort, but we prefer to head to the airport, often repeatedly, to check. You know small airports, it can sit for days. They will give you an expected carrier and flight, but there is no assurance it will be on there. Plus inter insland flights are often canceled. We also write down the inter island carriers schedules and plan to be at the airport within 1/2 hour of arrival. I leave a large note on top of bag - PROPERTY OF MY NAME, RESIDING AT MY RESORT FROM DATE TO DATE, PLEASE CALL 215-111-1111 IF FOUND. Even if all the tags are ripped off, I still have some hope it will find me... Last trip we arrived Saturday afternoon, bag was supposed to come Sun morn, short version - 3 trips to airport Sunday and 3 on Monday before it arrived Monday 8:00pm. That was not typically though, usually the lost bag (always the one with the save a dive kit) arrives on the Continental red-eye from Houston arriving around 6:00 am Sunday morning.

Yes - no one is around from the various carriers. Go to the exit doors when flights arrive, very nicely explain the situation, show your lost bag documents and typically security will escort you into the area to check for you bag. I was unable to use Delta's 800 number on island as well, so be prepared with multiple avenues of access for your carrier. Lost bags are common, some resorts will make loaner gear available until your missing items arrive. For this reason we carry on regs, computers and masks ~ I can live with rental BC, fins and skins.

It is ridiculous - Delta told me "once we hand your bag over to XYZ carrier we don't know where it goes". Really? You took my money to transport my bags! And the folks work for all the carriers - Divi, Tiara, Delta - but can't check the other systems when a bag it lost. So the woman who tells you "yes we/Delta lost your bag, but come back and check with the Tiara crew" will be the Tiara crew when you come back! I've heard the ATL return process has been revised so no more claiming bags in ATL and rechecking. That will be of some help.

Good luck, please write up some trip notes, we will be down later in Feb. for much needed down time!