Nine days to go... Lightning round!

[amajamar]

A few more questions to all Bonaire veterans...

1. Dive knife or shears or both?

2. Seems like there is a lot of boat action near diving areas... Dive flags?

3. Quick list of marine life that can hurt me. :depressed:

4. Three can't miss dive sites for a first timer!

5. Three can't miss restaurants.

6. Non diving activities.

7. Any suggestions for reef friendly sunscreen that I can find at, say, Walmart?

 

[reefdiva]

A few more questions to all Bonaire veterans...

1. Dive knife or shears or both?

2. Seems like there is a lot of boat action near diving areas... Dive flags?

3. Quick list of marine life that can hurt me. :depressed:

4. Three can't miss dive sites for a first timer!

5. Three can't miss restaurants.

6. Non diving activities.

1. Shears to cut any monofilament you might find. Knife not needed. Others may disagree.

2. Dive flags not needed. Have never seen one in 10 years. If you dive south near the kiteboarders be sure to surface in very shallow water.

3. Don't step on the urchins! Have only seen one box jelly in 10 years. Sometimes there are small "stingies" in the water in spring. I would be more concerned about dengue --- use mosquito repellent in the daytime.

4. Invisibles, Angel City, Margate Bay. You sure I can't name more???

5. Pasa Bon Pizza, Bobbe Jan's, Patagonia, Wil's, El Fagoen, Plazita Limona, Lion's Den, Bistro de Paris --- Ok can't limit it to 3!!

6. Drive around the southern end of the island to see the salt pans and flamingoes. Drive to Lac Bay to see the windsurfers. Drive the road through Gotomeer. Drive to Seru Largu for the view. Park at Donkey Beach and watch the big jets land right over your head. Walk around town when there are no cruise ships.

 

[robint]

A few more questions to all Bonaire veterans...

1. Dive knife or shears or both?

2. Seems like there is a lot of boat action near diving areas... Dive flags?

3. Quick list of marine life that can hurt me. :depressed:

4. Three can't miss dive sites for a first timer!

5. Three can't miss restaurants.

6. Non diving activities.

7. Any suggestions for reef friendly sunscreen that I can find at, say, Walmart?

1. neither, you won't need them and I don't think they are allowed anyhow.
2. no need, everyone is shore diving, the surface of the water would be covered with flags if it was required. Yuck!
3. sea urchins (near shore, around rocks) and fire coral (mustard colored, don't touch it or any other coral)
4. Yellow Submarine (downtown), Oil slick leap (up north), and Buddy dive
5. Lion's Den for dinner on night (not cheap but worth it)
6. drive south to visit the slave huts and salt fields

robin

 

[herman]

A few more questions to all Bonaire veterans...

1. Dive knife or shears or both?

2. Seems like there is a lot of boat action near diving areas... Dive flags?

3. Quick list of marine life that can hurt me. :depressed:

4. Three can't miss dive sites for a first timer!

5. Three can't miss restaurants.

6. Non diving activities.

7. Any suggestions for reef friendly sunscreen that I can find at, say, Walmart?

1. neither, no need but if you must- shears

2. No need - boats are restricted to slow speeds unless in deep, blue water and there is no reason for you to be there.

3. All of them....but then again leave them alone and they will leave you alone. There are none that you should fear. And no, that huge tarpon is not a shark and it will not eat you.....the poor fish in your dive light on the other hand is in deep dodo.

4. Hilma Hooker, 1000 Steps and Oil Slick

5. Bob's Jans, Golden Reef Inn's BBQ -one night per week and call ahead to let them know you are coming, Cactus Blue

6. Watching sunset with an Amstel

7. Skip the sun screen and buy a hat and a dive skin. SS washes off and none at all is best for the reef.

 

[pdive]

A few more questions to all Bonaire veterans...

1. Dive knife or shears or both?

2. Seems like there is a lot of boat action near diving areas... Dive flags?

3. Quick list of marine life that can hurt me. :depressed:

4. Three can't miss dive sites for a first timer!

5. Three can't miss restaurants.

6. Non diving activities.

7. Any suggestions for reef friendly sunscreen that I can find at, say, Walmart?

1. Shears if you must. you won't run into any of the kelp, lobster pot lines, nets and monofilament that you have in New England
2. We didn't see any boats last time we were there except when we were diving right under them near Yellow Submarine
3. Nothing is aggressive. The barracuda think they are bad ass buy they don't walk the walk Lots of eels - they won't bother you at all but be mindful of sticking your hand into a crevice or such. Don't forget you are not allowed to wear diving gloves. Not that you should be touching anything any how. There were a number of eels and urchins in the shallows near Yellow Submarine so watch your footing getting out b/c you don't want to fall and put your hand on one. Its the goats and donkeys you have to watch out for!
4. Yellow Submarine, Angel City, We really liked the Andreas but I hear Omar did a number on them
5. mostly ate in, but Gibi's goat stew at Golden Reef Inn was awesome
6. Cuban cigars, Venezuelan beer.... VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

 

[Bosun]

Hi here are my thoughts

1. Small knife or shears, they are allowed and if you see string or line over the coral you can remove it to prevent damage.

2. Flags not needed but take care at Something Special (Marina Entrance) and the dive sites either side of Atlantis as the kite boarders do pass at speed in the shallows. This is banned but they still do it, personally if the kiters are there I go to other sites.

3. Dont touch the coral or critters and you will be ok, but watch out for jellys especially in the days after a full moon. The BBBJ is pretty dangerous, I have seen 1 in 10 yers of diving in Bonaire Bonaire Talk: Bonaire Banded Box Jelly (BBBJ) Sightings and Data

4. Sadly the Piers are no go at the moment, so mine would be Karpata, Forest and Red Slave

5. El Fogon Latino $ local dishes, Plazita Limena $$ and huge portions, Mona Lisa $$$ Great Food and Bambu $$$ also great food

6. As already said above, I also rarely use sun screen neoprene works well for me.

 

[pdive]

Hi here are my thoughts

6. As already said above, I also rarely use sun screen neoprene works well for me.

There you go, just wear your dry suit and you'll be all set

 

[Jersey]

A few more questions to all Bonaire veterans...

1. Dive knife or shears or both?

2. Seems like there is a lot of boat action near diving areas... Dive flags?

3. Quick list of marine life that can hurt me. :depressed:

4. Three can't miss dive sites for a first timer!

5. Three can't miss restaurants.

6. Non diving activities.

7. Any suggestions for reef friendly sunscreen that I can find at, say, Walmart?

1. Neither, though I do have a small knife mounted to underside of console that stays on. I don't bring any real knives.

2. Boats - really never seems like there is a lot of boat action.

3. Don't touch anything and fewer worries Fire coral on some up lines, espec HH. The ONE EXCEPTION where I understand you can wear gloves. (I break out fierce from this). Urchins and slippery rocks have been the most dangerous stuff. Haha - the tarpon on nights dives! I have heard the biggest, burliest, baddest looking men exclaiming their fright after seeing their first 5 foot, mirror-sided tarpon hunting by their lights. My first night dive I was glued to my buddy's side and a moderate sized tarpon swam between our heads, hitting him upside the head to get to a fish - that was startling.

4. Hooker, Ol Blue, Bari to La Machaca (shore dives). Rappel and Klein (boat).

5. Mona Lisa, Salsa, Cactus Blue, Rum Runners @ Capt Don's (Baka Stoba Ku Tu Tu - yummy! Their pizza isn't bad either) Bring your own bugspray to dinner.

6. Rent motor scooters, tool all around the island - $37 for 24 hours. (Not allowed in the park) Pack a cooler, hiking and snorkel gear head up into park (if you have a good truck). See the Indian inscriptions. Cave snorkel tour. Drive up to Seru Lagu at dusk, watch sundown. Tour the donkey sanctuary. If retail therapy is a requirement you will be disappointed.

7. Can't help you here. SS is bad for reefs - causing some brown algea stuff?? Wide brim hat, long sleeve light cotton shirt, sunglasses between dives - the sun is brutal.

Have fun.

 

[BonaireDan]

Not much to add except to not miss several things:

1. Night dives, often best along the area from Habitat, Buddy's, Sand Dollar, Den Laman and Eden Beach. This is the Bari Reef area. Wonderful a night and early early morning.
2. Don't miss free Rum Punch Nights - Monday at Habitat, Friday at Buddy's and several other places. Check the weekly schedule available all over the island.

 

[amajamar]

Thanks for all your replies! We are getting pretty excited now. Seven days from now we should be on final approach to Flamingo...!