Looking for dive buddies Feb 5 - Feb 10, and a question about shore diving

[CoyDahlia]

I'm planning to dive with Dive Friends Bonaire, and do some guided dives the first couple days and then either find some buddies to go with or just keep doing dives with them. My brother may be coming with me, but it's not 100%, so that's why I'm looking for potential buddies. I know that's high season, so probably plenty of people, but I'd love to know of anyone here is going to be down there.

I'm relatively new to diving, only 11 dives all off boats in Honduras. I'm considering the shore dive specialty at Dive Friends. Is that worth it? It does seem like it would make me more comfortable shore diving, and maybe a better buddy?

 

[DustyC]

I'd expect any class with DFB to be helpful. I used them last year and I'm using them next week, and they seem to be a quality operation. It'll probably make you a better buddy, as getting in and out of the various sites is easier with help. If you don't do it, a piece of advice, go to busier sites at first, ones with 'easy' entries. Watch others. That'll not only give you an idea of the route to take, but also the techniques for getting in an out.

 

[diversteve]

Besides here sometimes you can find a buddy on bonairetalk.com. It's actually not a bad idea to dive some of the north resorts either. Sand Dollar condos is on Bari Reef - one of the better shore dives for fishlife and Dive Friends has a shop there. Their entry is down a few steps from the tank storage onto a beach.

Lots of the other resorts have dive docks also. Here's some of them:

Den Laman also on Bari - Bonaire DIve & Adventure. Smaller property so less likely. Don't use their dock unless you're a paying guest...lol.
Buddy Dive next door to Sand Dollar - highly likely to find a buddy there. Especially in the bar.
Habitat next to them - both the LaMachaca (small) wreck and the south end of the Cliff divesite are accessible from their dock.

If you happen to be staying/using Dive Friends at Hamlet Oasis, just getting in there to do your BMP dive is a pretty good exercise in how to safely access the water - there's no dock there and it's a rocky entry.

At many sites past divers have indicated the best entry - it's not always right where you park (south side) either. Often coral rubble is piled up un-naturally. At some sites look for sand channels out to deeper water also - this is one of the most illustrative but it's the Vista Blue dive site on the south end and currents there can be tricky. Don't do it until later in the week with a buddy or a guide. We swam 10mins. "north" but actually stayed just about even with our truck so got out and went somewhere else.

We actually made plans with 2 different groups waiting for our last flight to Bonaire. And then 2 other groups on our boat. One we saw a couple times leaving a site we were entering but we didn't make an effort to join any of them. There's not a whole lot else to do there so most people at the resorts, restaurants, bars tend to be divers or with one.

Also the standard dive vehicle is a 4 dr. small truck so most people have room for one more.

If you see references to BDSME - often called the Porter book - it's available on-island or here:
Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, BSDME, Author Susan Porter

 

[Doctorfish]

Shore diving Bonaire is so easy that I personally would not bother spending money on a specialty course. Many sites have easy access from shore as listed by diversteve and virtually all the sites are mini wall dives with little or no current so near impossible to get lost. Head up current ( if any ) on way out. You should know how to set a compass bearing from shore so you can follow the reciprocal back in.

If you are nervous, house reefs at Habitat and Buddy dive have ladder entry and landmarks out on the reef to aid in navigation. I think there is a rope on the bottom at Buddy Dive as well that goes from the reef to the dock.

 

[diversteve]

Many of the entries are shown in each site listing here as well: Scuba Shore Diving Region: ABC Islands

On my "easy entry" list:
North
Webers Joy (Witches Hut)
Ol Blue (most call it Tolo)
#'s 17-20 since they're the resort sites
Windsock - probably one of the flattest entries.
South
18 Palms at the Plaza
Bachelor's Beach - stairs into the water or onto the sand depending on the tide
Alice in Wonderland
Salt Pier
Invisibles - pick your way over the ironshore carefully
Pink Beach

farther south currennt could be a factor.