Post-Surgery: Advice for Bonaire

[tcpip95]

Some background. Wife has been a scuba diver for 20 years. In the past 3 years she's had quite a run of surgeries: Fractured her left shoulder in 3 places 3 years ago requiring surgery. Fractured her right shoulder in 3 places last February requiring surgery. She'll be going in for a total knee replacement 1st week of Feb. We're planning on going to Bonaire in late April. Her doctor says she should be good to go for scuba diving by then, but doesn't recommend any shore diving due to the shoulder surgeries and what will be the recent knee surgery(she's 68 years old). The tough part will be getting back into the boat, and for that we'll dump her equipment, get her back on the boat, then recover her kit.

We're thinking of doing something like Buddy Dive, where she can get re-acclimated to diving at the house reef, and then doing a couple of boat dives. We've never been to Bonaire before, but it's a bucket list item for us.

Are there other places besides Buddy where she can do an easy house reef (non-boat) dive? It's really important for her psychologically to get back in the water (she's really getting depressed that she thinks she won't be able to dive again), but I don't want her doing anything that's going to be over-strenuous.

Also, are there some easy dives that we can do from a boat, and are there some that we should avoid this trip?

Thanks for the help.

-Jim

 

[uncfnp]

I'm sure you will get lots of great info but I have a question. Are you set on Bonaire? I know you said a bucket list but a large part, for many but not all, that make Bonaire so attractive is the shore diving. If you are open to other locales might I suggest Cozumel. Beautiful dives and concierge dive ops that are set up and prepared for kit removal In water.

 

[tcpip95]

I'm sure you will get lots of great info but I have a question. Are you set on Bonaire? I know you said a bucket list but a large part, for many but not all, that make Bonaire so attractive is the shore diving. If you are open to other locales might I suggest Cozumel. Beautiful dives and concierge dive ops that are set up and prepared for kit removal In water.

Yeah we've really got our hearts set on Bonaire - especially Klein, which is only accessible by boat. That's why I was thinking that she could get comfortable on an easy house reef, and then just do boat dives on Klein.

 

[DustyC]

I have an artificial knee, but almost 20 years post surgery. 2 months post op, I was pretty well healed up, but I was 50 years younger than your wife. Simple stairs right into the water for a few of the downtown sites will be pretty easy though. Directly across from Dive friends @ dive inn is a good, easy entry and exit.

 

[uncfnp]

Yeah we've really got our hearts set on Bonaire - especially Klein, which is only accessible by boat. That's why I was thinking that she could get comfortable on an easy house reef, and then just do boat dives on Klein.

I understand but have little help to offer with Bonaire boat dives since we do not do them.

I might suggest however that there are a few shore dives that are easy entry, especially if you can carry her gear into and out of the surf for her. Something Special in town is one.mThere are also private dive guides that if you have the desire and the money that should be able to help with this as well. Sometimes just knowing the best entry point can make all the difference.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @tcpip95

Consider staying at Den Laman or Sand Dollar and using Dive Friends Bonaire. Their boats leave every morning from the pier between the two for Klein Bonaire or northern sites not accessible from shore. They have some afternoon 1 tank dives if their are enough divers. From the same pier, you can access Bari Reef for fantastic house reef dives day or night. The tanks are available to you right on the pier. It could not be easier. My wife and I just got back from 10 days at Den Laman/DFB, message me with any questions.

Good diving, Craig

 

[darook]

Divi would be a good choice. All of the suggestions are good but Divi has a low slung boat that is really easy to get on. The diving is so easy that you will have little problems in the water. All sites from the boat will be in be same in terms of difficulty of getting on the boat. Several resorts such as Divi, Buddy etc have stairs to exit the water. You can dive the heck out of their house reefs and have a great time. Easy shore dives away from the resorts are Something Special, Invisibles, and Windsock.

 

[drrich2]

If I had someone who might need that level of looking after and support, and was that accident prone by history (not making fun; some people seem to have eye brow-raising runs of 'bad luck'), I'd at least do some forum searching for an operation called VIP Divers. I haven't dealt with them, but the very few reviews I've seen (maybe a couple?) were quite good. I'm thinking you might get more personalized attention?

I'm not saying it's a better choice than the others, but I thought you should know about it and find out more so you can weigh your options.

Richard.

 

[lmorin]

I second the suggestion of Den Laman or Sand Dollar, diving with Dive Friends. There are numerous entry possibilities there--solid steps, beach entry or step off the pier. As for other shore dive locations, you can search ScubaBoard for recommendations of dives with easy entries, although someone's "easy" may not be yours, especially when wind and wave conditions are in play. My wife and I look carefully at each site we wish to try and decide on the moment to do so or not. To give personal context, we are each 70. My wife was never an athlete and I now suffer from a disease in my lower legs that massively hurts my balance and leg strength. We have adapted and now extol the virtues of collapsible cane use for entries and exits. Get one from most drugstores, make a holster of some sort that can be clipped onto your bc and you will have a lot more confidence.

Shore diving Bonaire

• lmorin
• Apr 21, 2014
• bonaire cane

Wife and me using Bonaire shore diving accessories exiting from Windsock.

 

[Trailboss123]

+1 for staying at Den Laman Condominiums and using the on site dive operator Dive Friends Bonaire. Entry and exit for shore diving is probably the easiest on Bonaire from their pier and your boat diving leaves from there as well. Home - Den Laman and Dive Friends Bonaire - Best Bonaire Diving and Services