OP
wateraddiction
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Thanks for all the reassuring responses! We are looking forward to diving Bonaire with the kids and hope this is the first of many when we dive together.
Jr Divers and down current
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Charred
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First, I cant imagine there being any down currents on the West side as the first step in down currents is currents and there are usually minimal currents on the West side.
That being said, lots of people are diving the East coast. I was in a down current diving on the East side (boat dive with East Coast Divers) last May. The conditions were atypical with wind and large swells. Several people on the boat got seasick and the Op wisely canceled the afternoon dives. There were thermoclines with VERY cold water. There were many eagle rays which was likely not a coincidence as they appeared to be dancing in the the thermoclines.
Specifically, there thermoclines were at 35ish feet. I was staying above because I was sans wetsuit and the water was crazy cold. However, there striations from the thermocline (i.e. the blurriness) were making it hard to film the rays. So I dipped below the thermocline. I was filming the rays then next thing I noticed is the water was warm and I had not gone shallow. I immediately checked my depth and I was in the 90s. I am a spot on neutral buoyancy diver so I knew something was off. I kicked up and made slow progress. They stopped when I broke into the cold thermocline.
So if you do dive the wild side as they call it, do keep your wits with you.
That being said, lots of people are diving the East coast. I was in a down current diving on the East side (boat dive with East Coast Divers) last May. The conditions were atypical with wind and large swells. Several people on the boat got seasick and the Op wisely canceled the afternoon dives. There were thermoclines with VERY cold water. There were many eagle rays which was likely not a coincidence as they appeared to be dancing in the the thermoclines.
Specifically, there thermoclines were at 35ish feet. I was staying above because I was sans wetsuit and the water was crazy cold. However, there striations from the thermocline (i.e. the blurriness) were making it hard to film the rays. So I dipped below the thermocline. I was filming the rays then next thing I noticed is the water was warm and I had not gone shallow. I immediately checked my depth and I was in the 90s. I am a spot on neutral buoyancy diver so I knew something was off. I kicked up and made slow progress. They stopped when I broke into the cold thermocline.
So if you do dive the wild side as they call it, do keep your wits with you.
Very true but back to the ops post, the East Side dives are not a dive for new young inexperienced divers so his original concern is a nonissue as I can't imagine he will be diving anywhere other than West side.
I did the East Side dives once with my older experienced teenage daughter and while an experience - it was a one and done for us. I don't care for drift dives, boat dives in general and the ride in and out and entry and exit from the boat in challenging conditions was something to experience but for us once was enough. I think as soon as we left the bay we had our mask and snorkels and maybe our regs in mouth for the ocean trip. It was something
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