Package Deal or A La Carte recommendation?

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PStrangerX

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Group of 4 of us. From browsing the forum, it looks like Buddy Dive is the go to resort. For a week of diving, their package is $955 which includes:

1. Lodging at the resort
2. Breakfast buffet
3. Car rental
4. Air
5. Airport taxi

First off, are there any resorts that offer a package deal for a better price?

2ndly, so we do have a 2 bedroom house in Tera Kora lined up for $700. So, basically, each couple would need to spend $1200 in the extras to reach the cost of Dive Buddy. Has anyone done it both ways and do you feel that staying in a house and renting a car, getting air, equipment, and equipment storage all separate is enough of a hassle to warrant doing Dive Buddy? I just trying to wrap my head around how easy it would be to do everything on our own versus the resort.

Thanks for any feedback!
 
Never done the resort thing on Bonaire.

Dive freinds has 5 Locations. Drive up pull some tanks in the back of the truck (2 or 3 per person), drive to a site, dive, SI, change tanks drive to new site, dive..... $ 180 per person for 6 days unlimited.

Rent a truck, 400 to 500. we use A&B since they offer a no deducable plan

So $180 plus $125 is $305 per person.

Split lodging. groceries for breakfast. and you basically have dinner money.
 
I think you have an apples and oranges comparison. At Buddy, you will have a wonderful reef at the end of the dock and easy access to air. In Kera Tora you will be several blocks from the water. You can get air from lots of shops for the same price. It is up to you if you want to go cheap or go for a nicer experience. My wife and I stay off water at Bamboo Bali which is not on the water but offers a really nice experience. After the air fare to Bonaire you are talking about rounding errors in the difference in cost. You can stay off water and still have a great time, we do. If it was my first trip, I would stay on the water.
 
Buddy Dive package is easy. You might save a few bucks do it yourself a la carte, but Buddy Dive offers one stop booking, a very good house reef, security guards at night and a drive thru tank pick up. The breakfasts are plentiful and good and the dining area is right over the water making for a fantastic view. Omelets, pancakes, eggs, waffles all made to order. Also, hard to beat walking 50 feet or so from your room, going for a night dive and then having a beer or two at Blennies while looking at the stars.

For us, the house reef and the breakfasts are the big selling points. Habitat is next door and provides comparable services at competitive pricing. Plaza and Divi do not have as good house reefs , Harbour Village is more expensive.

There are lots of options for Bonaire but it depends on what you want out of the holiday as well as budget. Every poster seems to have a favorite place to stay. Most places offer additional discounts during shoulder and low season.
 
When you say "house reefs" - does that mean that its not accessible unless you are staying there?

Thanks for all feedback, everyone!
 
When you say "house reefs" - does that mean that its not accessible unless you are staying there?
A house reef is one with easy access right from where you're staying, as in put on your gear and jump off the dock. Sometimes a house reef may be accessible even if you're not staying someplace, often possibly with some cost (such as at least renting your tanks from the on-site op.) But the real point is the _easy_ accessibility if you're staying there. As mentioned, this is somewhat apples and oranges, and there are a variety of benefits to staying someplace like Buddy's that are hard to put a number on. Some people care about those things and think it's worth it, some don't.
 
Most of the dive resorts allow you to access their house reef but bring all your own gear/tanks and check-in with them b4 you dive there. Habitat has a small charge for theirs but that includes use of a locker temporarily - we just dropped gear then parked. Or you can pay for a tank rental at most since you are using their dock, rinse tanks etc. Only Habitat asked and we dove off several resorts. IMO the non-resort sites are better but maybe more work to access. At the resort dives there alwasy seemed to be someone else in the water - at many of the south sites we were the only ones for hours.

Depending on who you talk to, the house reefs are also some of the more easily accessible dive sites but in some cases I think they're over-rated - lots of divers over the decades staying at the resort have reviewed them favorably. The one exception is Bari Reef, it's a genuinely good dive. If you buy a package from Dive Friends - they're the shop on-site at both entry points.

If you're not going to stay at a resort, I recommend DF now over anyone else as they have 4-5 convenient tank exchange locations.

Depending on where the house is in Tera Kora - either their Yellow Sub location north of Town Pier or Port Bonaire condos south of the airport are closest. Both keep boats on-site also

The Buddy Drive thru gets all the press and is good if you're staying there or at Belmar/Caribbean Club. Esp, CC since they're off water.

DF actually has one at Cliff except it's a u-turn.
 
I don't think Black Durgeon will let non residents to use their dock either.

House reefs might be over rated by some but there is no easier diving. There is something to be said for picking up a tank at the dock, using steps for entry, coming back to a rinse tank and showers. For night dives, I personally would much rather use the house reef where I am staying then haul tanks and gear and negotiate a shore entry/exit in the dark.
 
I stay at Hamlet Oasis. One of the Dive Friends shops is there and the house reef is Cliff. IMO one of the best dives. Easy entry and night dives are a hoot. Bunches of big tarpon will follow you and use the light to hunt. They are often just a foot or two away.

It isn't a factor for you but I travel and dive solo. The double occupancy at a resort makes it a non starter. Even if I had a buddy I wouldn't stay at a resort. Hamlet is less expensive, more convienent (DF with 5 options to pick up & drop off tanks), and fewer people, very quiet, and no conjestion. Parking is right at my apartment and the dive shop is right there.
 
Cliff is indeed a great dive. By the way, most dive "resorts" like Buddy Dive on Bonaire are not really resorts, they are essentially dive lodges on the ocean with dive ops, bars and restaurants attached.
 

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