Recommendations, dive shops for refresher training...

[ScubaJill]

...And to hire a DM/guide for a day or two.

Dive buddy hasn't dived in a while - and only has about a dozen dives total, though all across the world (and all depths) when he was in the Air Force - and this will be my first trip to Bonaire so I'd like a guide for the first day or so, to help orient us and help my dive buddy if needed. We want to do shore dives. We'll be staying at a friend's house. Current plan is a week in late May to mid-June.

Just saw this thread:
DM recommendation for Bonaire.

Other recs welcomed.

 

[diversteve]

I recommend Bas occasionally but he does less common east side diving. Possibly VIP Diving also but they're a little pricier - IDK them personally.

BAS Diving
Home - VIP Diving Bonaire

To a certain extent site selection also is a factor in starting shore diving. Bari Reef is an easy entry (stairs) excellent low-current dive - Dive Friends has the shop there. They also have 3-4 other locations across the island which is convenient for tank exchange. They also do escorted shore diving - and many of the DM's on the boats also freelance afternoons/nights. IMO you can't go wrong with a dive pkg. from them.

Or Buddy Dive which has the famous drive-thru plus I believe you can exchange tanks at their two other facilities at Belmar condos to the south or Csribbean Club to the north - not as convenient as it's up the hill. If you do any south side diving you'll go by Belmar often.

Some of the other sites to the south will require navigating over ironshore at the water's edge - easy to slip and go down and it's usually sharpened by the wave action. Also urchins like the holes in the reef if you step in one.

One thing to look for there is previous divers often make markers out of coral rubble indicating a good entry point. Some of the sites also have sand channels that lead from the beach to deeper water - about the best example is Vista Blue but it's considered a more advanced dive - current can be ripping in the afternoon.

On Bonaire once you leave town/the dive resorts you're pretty much on your own - there's no facilities at any of the sites except the couple south where the food trucks are.

Some good info/entry photos here though some is dated,
Scuba Shore Diving Region: ABC Islands

 

[tursiops]

Contact Kevin at VIP Diving. Talk/email with him, see if the chemistry works for you. All the staff is competent, but you're going to spend some quality time with the person, so make sure it will be enjoyable time, too.

 

[hroark2112]

Bring me. I’ll guide you around for a few days

 

[diversteve]

Also you can dive the resorts - many are on named shore dives. Mpst are free but you might rent a tan from them - Habitat is the only oe I know that charges a modest fee.

From Habitat's dock you can go north to the Cliff diesite and possibly dive tiheir small wreck - La Machaca - on the same dive. IMO not worth a special dive but you may drift back in over it. Buddy has a good dive off their property - Bari Reef easily accessed from either Den Laman's dock or the Sand Dollar condos beach next to it - they're abouf 50' apart. Both Dive Friends locations. You can also access Cliff from the DF shop at Hamlet s;lightly further north but it's a scramble over a rocky entry.

Just south of Bari Eden Beach has a decent dive with the main Wannadive shop - they also have a satellite tank facility at oe of the day sites south of town

The Divi resort in town is the only resort I know of that actively discourages walk-ins - they don't cater to the cruise divers either even though Town Pier is a short walk away.

You can also dive 18Palms at the Plaza - for years there was a baitball there plus often turtles - check in at Toucan Dive on the south side of the resort on the lagoon then drive out of the resort, go left and nto the small lot on the left - might be marked employees only - haul your stuff thru the gate and the dive site is off the beach about 100 yards on the right. Usually they stage tanks there also if you rent from them.

There's others also but IMO these are some of the more easily accessed. Salt Pier is also an easy entry dive to the south - go in off the beach just to the north (usually there's cars parked there) but check in with the Cargill office on-site to ensure no ships are inbound. If one is loading the pier is closed to diving.
It's a very interesting shallow dive - besides the multiple pier structures you can dive under - none of them are very deep. The ligjht thru the pilings makes some good photo ops. Don't touch the dirty brown stuff - it could be Fire coral.
Bonaire Underwater Panoramas