Need advice on first trip....anywhere !!

[chauncy19]

have heard good things about buddy's---I am sure its well setup for diving. i think the price is reasonable for Bonaire certainly not highend.
has been recommended to me by "real" divers but its not personally my kind of place. I like small places. just personal preference.

 

[Mossman]

Thank you all for your advice. I'll be reading and dreaming and gnawing on this like a old dog with a bone right up til I book. My buddy has been looking at a package at Buddydive which is interesting. I'm getting the idea that most places have at least decent accommodations and you can upgrade from there, and while money isn't the main consideration...it still is a factor to consider (stepdaughter's getting married in a couple months).

Maybe I should ask this a different way. Is there any operation, restaurant, or hotel/resort in Bonaire I should steer away from?

Also, I noticed a discussion that never would have occurred to me on another thread. My personal setup at home is DIN. Should I get a yoke adapter for Bonaire tank rentals?

You really have to decide whether you want to stay at a place that has everything there for you in house, like Buddy's or Capt. Don's, or whether you want to "do it yourself" by staying at a condo or smaller inn and doing your diving and eating with an outside operator. I was happy with the convenience of staying at Buddy and Capt. Don's, though less satisfied with the rather run-down accommodations. These sort of places are excellent for newer divers, large groups, or just for someone who wants to have a dedicated dive Bonaire trip without having to do too much homework. On the other hand, now we prefer a set up like Den Laman which offers superior accommodations in a more intimate setting, yet also has on-premises dive op for convenience and a restaurant and "house reef" for the times we're too lazy to go elsewhere.

I'm pretty sure you could find DIN tanks if you really looked hard, since the island gets many European tourists, but definitely bring adapters or convert your regs to make it easy on yourselves - all of the convenient "tank swap" operations use yoke valves.