Is there a theft risk at Buddy Dive???

[zzzScuba]

We just got from Bonaire. Stayed at Buddy Dive. Had a GREAT Time. We stored our gear in the Gear Room (except for our regulators/computers, which we carried back to our rooms). No issues, whatsoever.

I would HIGHLY recommend Buddy.

 

[Mike]

That is still the case in parts of Ohau and several dozen other places I have been to...included lots of places in the US

True.

What is really disturbing me is the number of posts about room invasions while people are sleeping in their rooms. That's extremely brazen.

I just wonder how much of this is an escalation and emboldenment going on from the success of the shore dive crimes and the lack of anybody being caught or punished. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to have a natural progression of thieves going from petty crime to burglary to now room envasion when there is nothing detering them, nobody being caught, nobody being convicted... if you're a young petty thief who's spent years ripping off diver's rental cars, what's stopping you from looking for the next bigger score as you get older?

How many of these guys emboldened enough to break into somebodies room while the occupants are sleeping in it, got their start steeling tshirts and flip flops from rental cars at dive sites?

 

[Tim.]

Tim
Where were you staying in Bonaire?

With one exception, we've always stayed in the same place; a Hamlet apartment, immediately next door to where the the old dive shop was at C Don's Habitat.
As you will probably know Habitat and Buddy are now adjoining complexes (used to have BonBini in the middle) with access to each other via an uncontrolled side gate so effectively all within the same security area.

 

[TheWizard]

As you will probably know Habitat and Buddy are now adjoining complexes (used to have BonBini in the middle) with access to each other via an uncontrolled side gate so effectively all within the same security area.

Used to be Lion's Den in between Buddy Dive and Habitat, then Buddy bought it and incorporated it as an expansion.
They lock that gate after a certain time in the evening. We went over to Habitat for pizza in November and then had to walk back to Buddy Dive via the road, stumbling in the dark w/o flashlight.
No theft/crime issues on that trip at all, btw...

 

[oly5050user]

Used to be Lion's Den in between Buddy Dive and Habitat, then Buddy bought it and incorporated it as an expansion.
They lock that gate after a certain time in the evening. We went over to Habitat for pizza in November and then had to walk back to Buddy Dive via the road, stumbling in the dark w/o flashlight.
No theft/crime issues on that trip at all, btw...

Wizard beat me to it !! Habitat is a bit of a distance away from Buddy's/Lions.
Lions actually shared the dock with Buddy's..

 

[Tim.]

Wizard beat me to it !! Habitat is a bit of a distance away from Buddy's/Lions.
Lions actually shared the dock with Buddy's..

This is why I don't post much on this board. It has a habit of going off topic and takes a lot of reading to weed out posts on the actual subject. Here I am doing it myself.

For the record;

Habitat is now right next door to Buddy. I don't understand how you can get any closer.

The dive op attached to Lion's Den was called BonBini and they didn't share the dock. BonBini had the Northern straight finger which is directly in front of the Lions Den Restaurant whilst Buddy had the more southerly finger with the right angle at its end.
Bonbini shore dived in front of the faux beach area that got knocked out by Ivan whilst Buddy shore dived from the dock steps.

 

[oly5050user]

Tim,not to argue,but it is most likely just semantics here. BonBini did share a dock with Buddy.The entire area on the water is called a dock.The dock does have piers for the boats to tie up to. You can walk the entire area unobstructed.John Wall has his photo op on the dock there.The area that got knocked out by Ivan was repaired long ago.Was all repaired when I was there back in May of 09.Habitat is next resort north of Buddys.If you call a 10 minute walk away "next door"..then it is next door.The dive shop office that was occupied by BonBini is now occupied by Buddys(last May thats where Buddys was) and the office that Buddy occupied is now part of Buddys restaurant.I have been to Buddys at least 6 times in the last 5 years and have been to Habitat many times since the mid 70's ..its all good ..

 

[magrathfamilydivers]

I find the poll results (Have you yourself been a victim of theft on Bonaire?) on this page telling .. where as I view it today 13 out of 78 reported Yes, they had been a victim. Is it really more than 1 out of 10 that get robbed here? Are we talking towels and shirts or all your money and passports too?
Was it just from a rental truck with a 'rob me I'm a rich tourist with a rental truck' sticker on it or more like they crowbar-ed open the patio doors and all the room safes too in your hotel rooms (that would be us)?
Interestingly, never see much written on the problem in the online travel sites except those trying to downplay the problem and make like it isn't as common as I now know it is.
Anyone know of a crime stat page for the island (in english)?

 

[gypsyjim]

The only theft we have ever been personally aware of in more than 7 trips, was one pair of inexpensive sunglasses swiped from the truck we were sharing with another couple. There is a problem with theft from rental trucks, parked at some of the shore diving sites, but unless you are foolish enough to ignore the warnings on not leaving anything of value in the parked truck, it is easy to avoid such issues.

THAT is the typical theft problem on Bonaire, and mostly the type of crime visitors have encountered on the island, but there have been thefts from rooms on occasion, and you do have to take all the same precautions you would in any hotel, even her in the States. Be alert. Do not leave valuables exposed to create both opportunity, and temptation. Lock doors and windows when you are away, or when you retire in the evening, just as you should anywhere.

What theft Bonaire may have, is at least nothing like the violent types of crime you might encounter on certain other islands in the Caribbean, or again, here in the States.

 

[timetraveler]

I have been the victim of theft in Bonaire 3 times out of 8 trips. I'm at Buddy Dive now and hope not to reach 4 times

My conclusion is this: What we consider "valuables", never to be left in the truck or unlocked at the resort are not the only things that might be stolen. To misquote Art Linkletter, Bonairians steel the darndest things! Here's my list of stolen articles:
5 year old, warped flip-flops stolen from in front of my door at Buddy Dive;
baggie containing kleenex, mask-defog, and a comb stolen from my rental truck in Buddy's parking lot;
lunch, cheap sunglasses, and prescription sunglasses stolen from my rental truck at a shore diving site.
Bottom line: No matter how cheap it is, if you'd miss it, lock it in your room (in the safe if it'll fit) or take it into the water.