Need Help For Decision In Bonaire

[Damselfish]

do you think It would be worthwhile to stay and shore dive at SD and Boat dive at Capt Dons for a fee? Are they close?

Boats in Bonaire will get you to some sites you can't get to otherwise like at Klein and a few others, but for the most part I don't think they're better than shore access sites. For me the main reason to boat dive in Bonaire is for the convienience of just hopping on the boat instead of humping gear all over the place. So I don't think it makes sense to boat dive someplace other than where you're staying as you lose that advantage. Also, shore diving tanks will be included with your boat package. If you're going to haul gear, do it to shore dive different places not to boat dive.

You can walk between them though I wouldn't want to carry my gear back and forth. Buddys'/Lion's Dive is in between and the shop for SD is at the far end. If you have a unit on the north/west end of SD, it actually might not be too much further to walk to the dive area at CDs than at SD (at least as the bird flies, don't know the status of passage between them all lately.) But I still wouldn't without some really good reason.

 

[Boat Chick]

Thanks everyone! I'd like to hear about that vis report Cynde

es601 - heard from my friend who lives on Bonaire, and dives daily...here's the report
"Today's dive was 60-80+ feet visibility in town. Yesterday we had the
same down south... maybe a bit more. The winds have been dropping off
. Visibility is back to Bonaire norms. Temps are still hovering
around 80-81 but thermo clines have dropped to the deep again."

I think it's reason to celebrate and get excited about your trip!

Cynde and great avatar did you take that photo?

Yep Dice as we like to call them. I have a much better larger photo of the little guy.

\SJS do you think It would be worthwhile to stay and shore dive at SD and Boat dive at Capt Dons for a fee? Are they close? Terrie great report! It looks like you guy's had a great time! Was it crowded in Janurary? Does anybody know if it gets crowded when the kid's are off from school?

I'm not SJS, but it would be a hassle to use another dive shop other than at the resort you are staying at. Lugging all that gear for a boat dive somewhere else is a pain...IMHO. I think you would be fine boat diving at any of the resorts mentioned. I've used Buddy's, Sand$, and Wannadive over the years and they are all great. And heck, backrolls are fun! As far as kids, we've taken our kids in "high season" aka spring break and you really don't notice a difference. I have some friends who stay at Cap Don's every spring break and they have teens, and they like it there because there are other kids there and they can all hang out.

Whatever you decide, you really can't go wrong!

 

[herman]

Just to add to what has been already said. I was on Bonaire July 22-29. The vis was poor by Bonaire standards but still in the 30-40 ft range and seemed to be improving each day. I have heard it has gotten better.
I don't think your kids will have any probllem. I had the pleasure of diving with DuptyDan and GypsyJims young adults,13,15,16 and 17 and they had no problems. Some of them used 60s but none had any problems with shore diving. Some sites are easier than others. For starters Old Blue and Windsock have some very easy entrys. 1000 steps also has an easy entry....after you carry the tanks down the hill.
We almost never boat dive. With the exception of the spots on Klien Bonaire and a couple of other sites, the boats dive the exact same spots we dive from shore. The mooring buoys are what I use as entry and exit markers a lot of the time. I would suggest you use the boats where ever you decide to stay, it's just a lot easier that way.

 

[diversteve]

I guess I should clarify my post. Even though CD's Buddy's, LD, Sand$ etc. are in a row, I recommend driving between each one you're going to visit. Each resort's entrance is right along the road, one after the other. But there's probably a 1/4 mile minimum between then. Although they're pretty close, I wouldn't walk between them hauling anything. And as Damselfish mentioned, they may have closed off access between them, except for Buddy's/Lion's Dive since they're both owned by Buddy's now, so you definitely don't want to walk out to the road and then back in again. Most of the resorts run longer inland than they are wide so it would be a good hike.

If you stay at Sand$ and dive with BD&A, they're on the south end of the Sand$ property. Unless things have changed (they've remodeled and moved the diveshop onto the Den Laman property next door recently) your locker/suit storage is right off the dock. I wouldn't worry about BD&A's smaller boats, chances are good that any divesite you go to will be calm.

And you probably would want to take advantage of the bundled dive/stay discount wherever you decide to go.

Personally I wouldn't pay extra to boatdive with Capt. Don. If you really wanted to do that, I'd go dive with Toucan at the Plaza, they seemed to run slightly smaller groups on their slightly smaller diveboats. We did one PM dive where it was just us and a Dutch couple, the DM just played around while we did 60-70mins.

We parked in the Sand$ lot and hauled our gear over, later we figured out that the next turnoff goes right to the diveshop/tankfill entrance. Although it looks like it's for the condos, just keep going and you'll pull right up to BD&A to pickup your gear/tanks for shorediving.

hth,

 

[ETnScuba]

Ed:
When are you going to Bonaire? I'm going down with my family in October and have reservations at Sand Dollar. We will arrive on the morning of the 7th and depart on the 14th.
Ken

 

[divekraz]

I didn't see anyone mention the Plaza by the airport, perhaps it's the cost but I've looked at all the other resorts, rooms, and really liked the Plaza. They have the only real sand beach that I'm aware of. They keep tanks at two locations by the reef, 24hrs for easy use. The reef right in front of the hotel was great and I dove it every day. The dive operation was great and if you were doing shore dives you just backed up the truck to the shop, loaded up the # of tanks needed and took off. A few days we didn't go out on the boat but just drove the coast doing nothing but shore dives.

 

[LI Diver]

Ed:
When are you going to Bonaire? I'm going down with my family in October and have reservations at Sand Dollar. We will arrive on the morning of the 7th and depart on the 14th.
Ken

I'll be there at the end of this month. Have to get the kids back for school!

 

[LI Diver]

Thanks everyone just pulled the trigger so to speak. Will be at Sand Dollar in less than 2 weeks.Can't wait!!!!!!!!

 

[ETnScuba]

They are already back in school here - but we do get a fall break for our trip! Come back and give us a report. Have fun!

 

[bperrybap]

Stayed at Capt Don's in January. Trip report link with lots of photo's below. Also Buddy dive (next door to Capt Don's) has nice dock entry for super easy shore diving and pools, restaraunt etc...
Shore diving at some of the spots around the island might be a bit much for the kids but the dock entries are super easy and fun.
https://home.comcast.net/~billandterrie/

(just copy and paste into your browser line if not linking)

I know that this is an old thread. I just wanted to update it with our current/permanent WEB page in case some one happens to stumble upon it.
Use this link instead:
2006 Capt Don's Bonaire Trip

--- bill