Night dving in Bonaire

[Rhino434]

My wife and I are going to Bonaire late August. We love to night dive, and I many times plant a strobe at the entry/exit point for easy reference coming home. For those of you who have dove there, do you think it will get ripped off by others, or do divers have courtesy there? It is a nice tool, but I don't want to lose it. What do you all think??

 

[drrich2]

I don't know the odds of theft. I'd like to point out there's a dive site called Windsock (not Windsock Resort, which happens to have a dive site), and it has a fairly easy entry/exit, and there's a large tall wooden pier that I've used as a landmark to enter & exit. Pretty nice. Except that in Oct. 2010, mosquitoes ate us alive when on the shore.

Richard.

 

[vladimir]

I leave a strobe at my entry when I solo night dive in Bonaire. So far no problem, but I've probably only done 4 or 5, and my strobe is really cheap, so I don't worry about it.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Strobe markers to mark entry/exit really aren't necessary on Bonaire. Just take note of underwater features along the shore.

I agree with drrich2. Windsock is an easy night dive. Our group did several night dives on the southern sites (Alice in Wonderland, Angel City, Invisibles, etc.) with fairly easy entries/exits. You can also conduct night dives off of Buddy's well-lit dock. Just make sure you ask for permission to do so if you aren't a guest.

Mosquitoes can be really bad at night at certain times of the year. I recommend considering keeping your wetsuit on even after exiting the water. I recall several occasions where I drove back to my hotel/condo while still wearing my wetsuit. The mosquitoes were that bad.

 

[Rescue Diver68]

You can night dive on Bari Reef in front of Den Laman and use their giant lighted planters as your marker. It's a great dive and easy navigation.

Have fun!

 

[driftwood]

One thing to worry about night diving on Bonaire are the sea wasps. The week after a full moon they can get thick around lighted docks. My wife was stung by one at Town Pier some years ago. Very painful and kept her from diving for a couple of days.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Most dive locations have marker down to 45' or so. Whether making the first portion of the dive deeper for the first 1/2, we usually rise to some point and make our way back.

We were there in July 2010 for two weeks. I made 20 night dives and never missed the exit point. I would find a strobe disrupting to my reason for making a night dive, but would probably think someone lost it. I would likely take it to the dive shop we were using and ask them to call around and find out who lost one. On top of that there are many luminescent critters in Bonaire waters... Turn off your light and waive your hands.

There have been times I was at the bottom of 18 palms @ 102', turned off the dive light and looked up to see the moon above us, just an amazing experience and then we navigated back up the wall with lights off.

Don't use a strobe, just learn where the markers are that mark the beginning and end of your dive and be in line to run into that marker

 

[lsorenson]

would probably think someone lost it.

Really...? A strobe still burning after you spent the time to gear up, returned from a dive, stowed your gear and shared what you saw while on the dive.... Maybe somebody did leave it by mistake... or do you just snag it once you see it...?

To the OP, I use a small "buddy" strobe to mark some difficult exit points... Glo-Toob FX Infrared Lightstick Oil Slick comes to mind as it would be tough to get out if you could not find the ladder! I just tied it to the bottom rung... On other dives, IF I felt the need, I would tie one off at our return point (could be 30-80' deep depending on the dive) so all we had to do is shoot a azimuth and we would hit our exit...

I never worried about someone stealing our strobe but then I never left it laying on the beach for "CoolTech" to snag...

PS The only dive sites on Bonaire that I know had markers leading in and out were the AI's e.g. Buddy Dive.... I don't recall seeing any type of aids on any of the other sites... Hooker makes a nice night dive and so does splashing Oil Slick... Bachelors Beach makes for a really easy and nice night dive but climbing down the ladder to the rocks and getting off the rocks can be tricky but a good dive light with take care of that...!

Enjoy your trip... lee

 

[Rhino434]

Thanks everyone. I may bring it, but will reconsider using it. It is marked "This is Ken's, leave it here". If there are markers down to 30 feet, no need for it. Gracias to all, and we can't wait to enjoy Bonaire.... with lots of DEET!

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Really...? A strobe still burning after you spent the time to gear up, returned from a dive, stowed your gear and shared what you saw while on the dive.... Maybe somebody did leave it by mistake... or do you just snag it once you see it...?

To the OP, I use a small "buddy" strobe to mark some difficult exit points... Glo-Toob FX Infrared Lightstick Oil Slick comes to mind as it would be tough to get out if you could not find the ladder! I just tied it to the bottom rung... On other dives, IF I felt the need, I would tie one off at our return point (could be 30-80' deep depending on the dive) so all we had to do is shoot a azimuth and we would hit our exit...

I never worried about someone stealing our strobe but then I never left it laying on the beach for "CoolTech" to snag...

PS The only dive sites on Bonaire that I know had markers leading in and out were the AI's e.g. Buddy Dive.... I don't recall seeing any type of aids on any of the other sites... Hooker makes a nice night dive and so does splashing Oil Slick... Bachelors Beach makes for a really easy and nice night dive but climbing down the ladder to the rocks and getting off the rocks can be tricky but a good dive light with take care of that...!

Enjoy your trip... lee

If I look around and see no one in the area, I assume someone has mistakenly dropped it and I know I would like to get it back if it were mine. If I leave it there (unless it is marked like the OP has stated above) it will surely be gone by morning. I would, as stated, take it to the dive shop we were diving with and ask them to call around for someone who has lost it as I have with other gear found such as reels, safety sausages and a Sea&Sea camera. If you imply that I would "snag it" as to steal it, you are the biggest arse hole on this board.

Every dive site has a buoy near the edge of wall and most (even if you haven't seen it) have some form of markers down to 40-45'