Jersey
Contributor
My buddy (the Curmudgeon) and I formed our own group JustUs - and headed to Bonaire 3/21 3/28. (We got tired of people asking 'what group are you going with' so decided to be our own group) Delta got 3 of 4 bags in with us, 1 dive bag arrived on the Continental red eye Sunday morning. We met Jepuskar on the ATL BON leg of the flight. Sorry we didn't get to dive together, just means we all need another trip.
Stayed in #305 a ground floor one bedroom at Buddy's. The good location, proximity to Klein, convenience, the dive staff, breakfast (bring coffee mug from room as their cups are espresso sized), the house reef, all their rental gear looked to be new Cressi regs and BC, the boat schedules. The furniture was fairly new, newer sheets and blankets and beds. Rental truck in really good shape. Ladies who took care of our unit were wonderful. The bad the resort is a bit tired and worn, no ceiling fans in this unit, lacking some kitchen essentials (like a pitcher for my lemonade). The bright light outside bedroom window which we resolved via a little cardboard picked up from the Warehouse dumpster and some duct tape from Playa Trading (part the joys of life with an engineer). TIP print off and complete registration, rental truck agreement and dive shop paperwork before you arrive. This saves a ton of time processing in.
The REALLY REALLY BAD the mosquitoes. Never seen so many and I'm from New Jersey Land of Mosquitoes. They were swarming. Don't leave home without good insect repellent, may want to pick some bug spray for the room. We had no problems, a few bites each, but saw people with huge welts all over their legs like chicken pox. Dengue is in full swing, be careful.
The diving all good! Not as many dives as other trips. No problem getting signed up for our boat dives. Nitrox mix usually 31.5 - 32.5, fills good (3,000 psi), one short tank all week (2,700 psi), no problems w/ leaking o-rings (had a few last trip). Most dives 55 - 75 fsw for 50 58 minutes. Water temp 78 - 82 F. Dives-
Buddy Reef Scientifico - La Machaca (multiple dives) spotted drum, all the pretty fish, first dive just south of La Machaca saw a Reef shark 4-5 foot cruising below around 85 fsw. (Independent confirmation from my buddy who initially spotted it.) The Curmudgeon likes true night dives, not twilight dives, so Weds @ 9:30 w/ no moon and no other divers, we had the reef to ourselves. I switched suits and failed to add weights which I discovered after the Curmudgeon tied his strobe off to a mooring and I couldn't drop. Swim back, fight the bugs off, pick up an extra 2 pounds, fight the bugs off, gear back up, swim back out. Luckily the Curmudgeon was in happy dive mode or I would have 2 lbs of lead sticking out my head. Started w/ JustUs divers, small tarpon (3 ft) joined by larger tarpon and as we drop down to agreed depth, an even larger tarpon and suddenly I don't like these odds. Around 10 minutes into dive, the 3 tarpon scatter like quicksilver and my mind races what drives off fish that big??? Enter the largest tarpon yet - fully 5 ft with a blemish on his scales. Lured back by our lights we spend the next 40 minutes with all 4 Charlies chasing us. I was intimidated. They knock into you and don't move off after they hit you. It was full body contact diving and the divers can't fight back. Like big dogs begging at the dinner table annoying. By dive end I was just mad at them.
Forrest (Klein, boat) big French Angels under boat ladder, large blue parrotfish, tons of black durgeons.
Andrea I and II little rocky but fairly easy entry, ton of fish, spotted eel, spotted drums (at least 5), big blue parrotfish around 2 feet long and fat feeding in shallows, honeycomb cow, sharp tail eel, lots of flamingo tongues, family of filefish, 4 eyes.
Knife (Klein, boat) schools of blue chromis, sergeant majors, blue tang. I like to watch the fish highways as the schools travel up and down the reef! The Curmudgeon found a funky tan sea urchin with nubs instead of spines, very different, I believe it was a Stone Club Sea Urchin.
Hilma Hooker (boat) still 97 fsw to the sand on my computer. Did discover the original name though!
Capt Don's Reef (Klein, boat) nice coral formations, juvi 2 inch peacock flounder, juvi Nassau grouper hiding in coral head, 2 big Carib rays playing in the shallows being harassed by a couple trunkfish.
Sharons Serenity (Klein, boat) perfect sun allowed a nice deep well lit dive. Pair of large French Angels kept us amused darting under a coral bridge.
Buddy Bari tons of late afternoon fish traffic. Made it beyond the Samur mooring before we turned. Nice size jacks and grouper made me hungry!
Country Gardens (boat) pinnacles or big rock piles nearer the surface teaming with fish. Great coral formations. Lobster, cleaning shrimp, eel, big porcupine.
Tori's easy entry as the outflow from the salt works has been filled in leaving a cut through the ironshore with very little wave action and mostly sand bottom. A group of 6 guys arrived a few minutes after us and we ended up hitting the water about the same time. Long surface swam to the mooring, the guys in the other group were complaining as we all kicked. Near the edge of the reef the Curmudgeon suddenly orders me under! As I do I see a beautiful spotted eagle ray cruising right below me, doing ray stuff. Alerted the other group and we all paused to watch. We could end this dive right now and it would be a huge success, but on to Tori's. Gentle slope down to sand bottom, tons of fish. On our return we saw a Caribbean stingray cruising being harassed by trunkfish. The sandy area on the way back was covered with some large trunkfish. I love to watch them teeter-totter as they swim.
Next the food!
Stayed in #305 a ground floor one bedroom at Buddy's. The good location, proximity to Klein, convenience, the dive staff, breakfast (bring coffee mug from room as their cups are espresso sized), the house reef, all their rental gear looked to be new Cressi regs and BC, the boat schedules. The furniture was fairly new, newer sheets and blankets and beds. Rental truck in really good shape. Ladies who took care of our unit were wonderful. The bad the resort is a bit tired and worn, no ceiling fans in this unit, lacking some kitchen essentials (like a pitcher for my lemonade). The bright light outside bedroom window which we resolved via a little cardboard picked up from the Warehouse dumpster and some duct tape from Playa Trading (part the joys of life with an engineer). TIP print off and complete registration, rental truck agreement and dive shop paperwork before you arrive. This saves a ton of time processing in.
The REALLY REALLY BAD the mosquitoes. Never seen so many and I'm from New Jersey Land of Mosquitoes. They were swarming. Don't leave home without good insect repellent, may want to pick some bug spray for the room. We had no problems, a few bites each, but saw people with huge welts all over their legs like chicken pox. Dengue is in full swing, be careful.
The diving all good! Not as many dives as other trips. No problem getting signed up for our boat dives. Nitrox mix usually 31.5 - 32.5, fills good (3,000 psi), one short tank all week (2,700 psi), no problems w/ leaking o-rings (had a few last trip). Most dives 55 - 75 fsw for 50 58 minutes. Water temp 78 - 82 F. Dives-
Buddy Reef Scientifico - La Machaca (multiple dives) spotted drum, all the pretty fish, first dive just south of La Machaca saw a Reef shark 4-5 foot cruising below around 85 fsw. (Independent confirmation from my buddy who initially spotted it.) The Curmudgeon likes true night dives, not twilight dives, so Weds @ 9:30 w/ no moon and no other divers, we had the reef to ourselves. I switched suits and failed to add weights which I discovered after the Curmudgeon tied his strobe off to a mooring and I couldn't drop. Swim back, fight the bugs off, pick up an extra 2 pounds, fight the bugs off, gear back up, swim back out. Luckily the Curmudgeon was in happy dive mode or I would have 2 lbs of lead sticking out my head. Started w/ JustUs divers, small tarpon (3 ft) joined by larger tarpon and as we drop down to agreed depth, an even larger tarpon and suddenly I don't like these odds. Around 10 minutes into dive, the 3 tarpon scatter like quicksilver and my mind races what drives off fish that big??? Enter the largest tarpon yet - fully 5 ft with a blemish on his scales. Lured back by our lights we spend the next 40 minutes with all 4 Charlies chasing us. I was intimidated. They knock into you and don't move off after they hit you. It was full body contact diving and the divers can't fight back. Like big dogs begging at the dinner table annoying. By dive end I was just mad at them.
Forrest (Klein, boat) big French Angels under boat ladder, large blue parrotfish, tons of black durgeons.
Andrea I and II little rocky but fairly easy entry, ton of fish, spotted eel, spotted drums (at least 5), big blue parrotfish around 2 feet long and fat feeding in shallows, honeycomb cow, sharp tail eel, lots of flamingo tongues, family of filefish, 4 eyes.
Knife (Klein, boat) schools of blue chromis, sergeant majors, blue tang. I like to watch the fish highways as the schools travel up and down the reef! The Curmudgeon found a funky tan sea urchin with nubs instead of spines, very different, I believe it was a Stone Club Sea Urchin.
Hilma Hooker (boat) still 97 fsw to the sand on my computer. Did discover the original name though!
Capt Don's Reef (Klein, boat) nice coral formations, juvi 2 inch peacock flounder, juvi Nassau grouper hiding in coral head, 2 big Carib rays playing in the shallows being harassed by a couple trunkfish.
Sharons Serenity (Klein, boat) perfect sun allowed a nice deep well lit dive. Pair of large French Angels kept us amused darting under a coral bridge.
Buddy Bari tons of late afternoon fish traffic. Made it beyond the Samur mooring before we turned. Nice size jacks and grouper made me hungry!
Country Gardens (boat) pinnacles or big rock piles nearer the surface teaming with fish. Great coral formations. Lobster, cleaning shrimp, eel, big porcupine.
Tori's easy entry as the outflow from the salt works has been filled in leaving a cut through the ironshore with very little wave action and mostly sand bottom. A group of 6 guys arrived a few minutes after us and we ended up hitting the water about the same time. Long surface swam to the mooring, the guys in the other group were complaining as we all kicked. Near the edge of the reef the Curmudgeon suddenly orders me under! As I do I see a beautiful spotted eagle ray cruising right below me, doing ray stuff. Alerted the other group and we all paused to watch. We could end this dive right now and it would be a huge success, but on to Tori's. Gentle slope down to sand bottom, tons of fish. On our return we saw a Caribbean stingray cruising being harassed by trunkfish. The sandy area on the way back was covered with some large trunkfish. I love to watch them teeter-totter as they swim.
Next the food!
