Questions about Bonaire

[b1gcountry]

On the other hand, with BDA, I didn't find their boat diving so convenient. They use a small boat that doesn't have room for tank holders. So instead, they stuff 12 divers on a boat sized for 8 and you assemble your gear when you moor at the site. That means that they pass out tanks on a crowded boat, not just any tanks, but everyone has to have their own particular nitrox tank and everyone is diving nitrox because it's free. Then you have to try to get your BC on your tank while balancing it between your feet on a bouncing boat. Inevitably someone drops their tank, hopefully not on someone's toes. You then follow the DM until someone on the boat runs out of air in 15 minutes, then you follow the DM back to the boat where you spend 30 more minutes in the shallows until the dive is called at about an hour. If the DM spots a frogfish or seahorse, you have 12 divers crowded around it kicking each other and making photography generally impossible.

I didn't care too much for the BDA boats either, but you can make the most of it if you get a seat near the back, and don't putz around assembling your gear. Make sure your tank is close to you so you can just grab it yourself, and have everything else all ready to go. I always had my wetsuit, booties, and computer on with my mask defogged and my fins handy when we got to the site. It isn't too hard to slip the BC on and back roll into the water before everyone else.

I never had any problems with the DMs at BDA. They always let me dive my own profile, so I could either get in before them and head out at my own pace, or head downstream a few minutes before turning around and following way behind everyone. My wife had some ear troubles, so I was even solo for a lot of the dives.

Tom

 

[DiveMaven]

Did you try booking it online? Bonaire Dive and Adventure - Reservation courses
I just submitted it yesterday morning and asked for Sunday but they said Jerry only works weekdays??? So we changed it to Monday and they said done deal. It was Catherine who replied to the request. Maybe you caught them at a busy time. /QUOTE]

No, I e-mailed them directly since we don't just want to do his short Naturalist thing, we want to do it as a specialty, which changes the requirements slightly (as I've been told). Perhaps that's why they didn't want to schedule it until we get there. Like I said, since we'll be there for 2 weeks, I'm sure we'll find a time to fit it in.

 

[Makin Raider]

For those of us not from the Left, what's a BSB?

Tom

This is a BSB

Black Sea Bass