Is Bonaire the best dive site?

[herman]

Robb, so far Bonaire is my favorite spot by far. I love the freedom to dive as I please, which is slow, shallow and at my own pace. If you are into night life, crowds and touritsy stuff like shopping or you like to "princess dive" (some one does everything for you and you just fall in the water) it may not be for you. I go to dive, dive, eat, dive, dive, eat, dive and sleep. We typically do 4 day dives and often a night dive each day. In 10 trips I have yet to see a shark. Turtles, rays and eels are pretty common. Here is a link to some pictures I posted on the Bonaire board. I don't have any here with me but I have loads at home.
You can shore dive at any of the beach frount resorts on the island and most will allow you to use their docks even if you are not staying there. You should ask for permission from the dive op before doing so. I know of only one place that will charge you to dive off their dock. Even so, there are at least 40 or 50 sites that are not located by any resort and are completely open for you to dive at any time.

http://www.bonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/116771/194997.html

 

[mjh]

Robbcayman, thank you. I am strictly amateur, been at this about 2yrs. Go to the Photography section here or Wetpixel if you want to see really amazing photographers. I shoot a Nikon D100 in and Aquatica housing. My results are due to quantity, take enough pictures and you get a few keepers.

Bonaire is not known for sharks, in fact we saw none. We only did two dives on the “Wildside”. I have no problem labeling Bonaire the “#1 Shore Diving” site in the world, but as I noted earlier I don’t believe it is any more spectacular than some of the other high-end Caribbean destinations. Shore diving from the BelMar is easy. They have tanks, rinse tanks, easy entry stairs, and showers on the docks. The house reef is a nice sloping reef that bottoms out around 80ft. Would I want to dive it every day? No, but then your missing the point of going to Bonaire. We did it several times as a night dive and really enjoyed it.

 

[Scuba65]

I second that....I have traveled to many caribbean islands and so far Bonaire is #1 in my book for shore diving and boat diving. I didn't see any sharks there at all. if you want to see sharks go to Bahamas. but, Bonaire is great diving.

 

[Jetwrench]

If you want to see sharks, Bonaire is not the place to go. Even the locals there rarely see them. You can see just about everything else, and as others have said, the shore diving is hard to beat. Trip #5 is set for October.

 

[Rick Murchison]

If you want to see sharks, Bonaire is not the place to go. Even the locals there rarely see them. You can see just about everything else, and as others have said, the shore diving is hard to beat. Trip #5 is set for October.

If you can dive the windward side you can realiably see sharks.
But you cannot dive the windward side reliably.
In my experience I get to dive it about one in four trips. (But now there's a fellow taking a boat around to the windward side so you may get to go more often)
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Best???
I'd never characterize anywhere as the "best" - because everywhere is the "best" depending on how you define the "best."
I will say this though... were you to offer me an all expense paid week anywhere in the world today, Bonaire would be right at the top of my list. And if you haven't been there yet it is a "must do" for diving.
Rick

 

[robbcayman]

Rick, I have been told that Bonaire was the mecca of diving. What other places would be comparable to Bonaire? Thanks

 

[DrSteve]

I think Bonaire is great. The ease of shore diving and the fact we completed 33 dives in 8 days of diving was just awesome! I've been trying to compare it to Cozumel and I think they are just different. Coz seemed to have more variety (but it was also my first ever warm water reef dive trip - so I am biassed) but you also have to deal with dive operations, the bloody schills trying to get you to buy stuff from them. In Bonaire we forgot what day of the week it was, didn't even both to look at tourist tat (which took all of 1h) until our last day. Bonaire is relaxing and not built up and touristy. It's worth a trip.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Rick, I have been told that Bonaire was the mecca of diving. What other places would be comparable to Bonaire? Thanks

I wouldn't say Bonaire is comparable to anywhere else. It is in my opinion the easiest diving in the world; calm seas, little to no current, decent visibility, varied and healthy reefs, incredible number and variety of critters, wonderful climate, nice folks, decent food, cold beer, safe drinking water right out of the tap, beautiful sunsets...
But it isn't Truk, or the PI, or the Gulf of Mexico, or COZ, or Akumal, or the PNW, or the GBR... each of which have their own unique and wonderful diving character.
I advise all new divers to go to Bonaire for their first diving trip because in my opinion its unique combination of diving amenities make it the best first trip. Right behind that I think great newby places are COZ, Akumal, the Keys and the Bahamas (especially a Bahamas liveaboard). Then the tropical Pacific, the Gulfs of Mexico, Aqaba, Siam; Kenya, PNW, GBR, Maldives, Bermuda, Red Sea etc, etc, etc... and the mud puddle closest to you (In my case Lake Martin).
Bottom line... you cannot go wrong with Bonaire as your first (or hundredth) dive trip.
Rick

 

[Grajan]

Rick,
I'm interested in you listing Akumal way up there. We were thinking of giving it a try as a change from Cozumel but could not sort out any shore/night diving. Who do you dive with there? how does it compare to Coz?

I think Bonaire is my favorite place to dive its just a bit of a pain to get to. not sure I like the idea of recommending it to first trip divers :11: . I would prefer that they go and kick somewhere less delicate to death first... We saw some there that I just wanted to drag out of the water and strangle.

I wouldn't say Bonaire is comparable to anywhere else. It is in my opinion the easiest diving in the world; calm seas, little to no current, decent visibility, varied and healthy reefs, incredible number and variety of critters, wonderful climate, nice folks, decent food, cold beer, safe drinking water right out of the tap, beautiful sunsets...
But it isn't Truk, or the PI, or the Gulf of Mexico, or COZ, or Akumal, or the PNW, or the GBR... each of which have their own unique and wonderful diving character.
I advise all new divers to go to Bonaire for their first diving trip because in my opinion its unique combination of diving amenities make it the best first trip. Right behind that I think great newby places are COZ, Akumal, the Keys and the Bahamas (especially a Bahamas liveaboard). Then the tropical Pacific, the Gulfs of Mexico, Aqaba, Siam; Kenya, PNW, GBR, Maldives, Bermuda, Red Sea etc, etc, etc... and the mud puddle closest to you (In my case Lake Martin).
Bottom line... you cannot go wrong with Bonaire as your first (or hundredth) dive trip.
Rick

 

[vjongene]

Does Bonaire live up to it's reputation? Anyone have any good photos to prove it?

While Bonaire is a very pleasant and relaxing dive destination, and the freedom to go shore diving anytime you please is certainly a plus, the Caribbean does not compare that well with many other dive destinations when it comes to the diversity of marine life. Most dive sites in the Pacific or Indian Ocean (including the Red Sea) offer much more diversity, and more spectacular diving, than Bonaire.