Recent Bonaire Trip

[Collin O'Brien]

For those interested, I have been slowly sharing some footage from my recent trip to Bonaire on my new ocean centric Instagram Page @OceansCollin
A short film of my trip is being created now and I hope to post that very soon!

 

[drrich2]

Very cute. Where did you stay and who did you dive with? Anything you'd do differently it you go back?

Richard.

 

[Collin O'Brien]

Very cute. Where did you stay and who did you dive with? Anything you'd do differently it you go back?

Richard.

I stayed at the Plaza Beach Resort and did several boat dives with Toucan Diving. We also did some very adventurous shore dives on the east coast with long treks in our gear followed by long surface swims. If I went back I would dive the east coast more, bring electrolyte tablets because all the water in the world will not rehydrate you down there...you need minerals. I brought a 3mm suit but only needed it on the difficult east coast entries, I did not need it at all on the west coast. Water was 87 at 100 feet. We did two Ostracod night dives and even did a Coral Spawning night dive which was cool. It was a great trip.

 

[drrich2]

I brought a 3mm suit but only needed it on the difficult east coast entries, I did not need it at all on the west coast.

Glad you got to enjoy the east side diving, too. One thing I'd mention on the wetsuit and west coast diving; while heat retention, even with multiple dives/day for a number of days, may not be a big issue for everyone, abrasion protection on shore dives can be a serious benefit. Wading in and out, getting shoved around by surge or stumbling into an underwater rock near invisible from above water, much less falling in the shallows, it can be beneficial.

At least a rash guard can be nice for dealing with the harsh tropical sun. When I dive with a front zip shorty, I also wear a full body Lycra skin (what some might call a rash guard).

Something you probably didn't run into - there is a time so many days after the full moon, IIRC, when sea wasp jellyfish often come by shore in numbers, they're drawn by lights, and if you happen to get in before you realize they're around (which I did years ago at Buddy Drive Resort's pier), and the stings are really painful - like a cross between getting cut and getting burned painful.

I'm not saying it's wrong to skip a wetsuit in Bonaire - which I have done in the past. I'm just saying there are some non-thermal benefits. My Lycra skin wasn't sufficient protection from some scrapes/abrasions in the past.

 

[arubabob1]

Did you take a guide when you dove East Coast?

 

[Collin O'Brien]

Did you take a guide when you dove East Coast?

I did not. Although my buddy has dove the east side locations quite a few times, so I guess kind of.

 

[Collin O'Brien]

Glad you got to enjoy the east side diving, too. One thing I'd mention on the wetsuit and west coast diving; while heat retention, even with multiple dives/day for a number of days, may not be a big issue for everyone, abrasion protection on shore dives can be a serious benefit. Wading in and out, getting shoved around by surge or stumbling into an underwater rock near invisible from above water, much less falling in the shallows, it can be beneficial.

At least a rash guard can be nice for dealing with the harsh tropical sun. When I dive with a front zip shorty, I also wear a full body Lycra skin (what some might call a rash guard).

Something you probably didn't run into - there is a time so many days after the full moon, IIRC, when sea wasp jellyfish often come by shore in numbers, they're drawn by lights, and if you happen to get in before you realize they're around (which I did years ago at Buddy Drive Resort's pier), and the stings are really painful - like a cross between getting cut and getting burned painful.

I'm not saying it's wrong to skip a wetsuit in Bonaire - which I have done in the past. I'm just saying there are some non-thermal benefits. My Lycra skin wasn't sufficient protection from some scrapes/abrasions in the past.

I did wear a long sleeve rash guard when I did not wear my 3mm suit. We did not run into those Jellyfish, although I wish we had, could have been some cool video.

 

[drrich2]

Imagine a Ziplock sandwich bag-sized bell, put in the shape of a cube, with a tentacle descending from each of the 4 corners. That's what they looked like the night I, erm, 'experienced' them.

 

[Doctorfish]

I always wear a full length 3mm diving Bonaire. You never know when you might brush something that stings, even if you are watching your buoyancy and being careful. Further, it's possible to stumble on an entry/exit and we are talking ironshore.

It's not that uncommon to meet a diver at the bar in the evening swathed in bandages.

 

[wgw04024]

I have always dove without a suit in Bonaire. Love the freedom. The last trip, after tearing myself up on a surgey entrance, I'm most likely going to go back to a wetsuit this trip in December. lol