scratch Curacao - is Bonaire my only solo shore option? suggestions please

[James R]

Plaza Bonaire let me do my check-out dive solo as well on their house reef. .

Nice, I look forward to staying there in a few months. Thanks for posting that.

 

[Dive-aholic]

One of my students went to Curacao for his honeymoon and tried to do a shore dive one morning while his wife was at the spa. He hadn't brought dive gear so he had to rent it. The shop he went to wouldn't rent him one set of gear because of the no solo rule. He ended up renting 2 sets and got a couple of dives in. Spent a little more money but got around the idiocy.

 

[chasanova]

Grand Turk- A few years ago, no issues.

 

[r4e]

5. ADHERE TO THE BUDDY SYSTEM THROUGHOUT EVERY DIVE.

I just strike out this clause and then sign the paper. Never been a problem, though I haven't tried this at Curacao...
Some of the captains write Hans Solo as my buddy in the dive list.

 

[Kharon]

This was the waiver we had to sign at Buddy Dive in Bonaire:

5. ADHERE TO THE BUDDY SYSTEM THROUGHOUT EVERY DIVE.

Maybe that's what you get at a resort. I stay at Coco-Palm Garden (apartment type) use Dive Friends Bonaire for my unlimited air. My checkout dive was from their dock across from Yellow Sub (one of their shops) and was solo.

Crass3000 - The boat dive I did was with Dive Friends as well.

r4e - I thought of that but I use Al-13 instead. Will probably change that to Al P. (Aluminum Pony - LOL)

---------- Post added March 6th, 2013 at 10:20 AM ----------

Why is shore diving solo an issue? Can you just rent whatever you need and head off to meet a fictitious buddy?

Kristopher

I'm not going to lie or sneak around. If their that OC then Eff'em. Curacao and Bonaire are so close to each other that I seriously doubt the UW environment is much different. I'll spend my money in Bonaire.

 

[Crass3000]

.I am curious about the 'many' reasons you chose not to go with Buddy. - not trying to promote Buddy at all, just interested in what you found objectionable.

As you likely know it's really hard to choose a resort in Bonaire because there are so many variable like boat dives, times during which tanks are available, unlimited tanks for shore diving, free nitrox, all-inclusive meals, truck inclusion, etc. not to mention their stance on solo diving. I was pretty scared away from Buddy Dive because of their clear stance (maybe just for legal reasons did they state it?) to be sure.

I called Plaza and asked Toucan Diving about solo diving and they gave me the well I don't see how anybody could stop you line so I was reassured. You basically back up your truck and take as many tanks as you want (even free Nitrox) and head wherever you want. The real other reasons came down to all the other pricing options for the other options we wanted and Plaza seemed to be the cheapest. Ironically we visited a few others and it seemed to be the nicest. I would like to dive the reefs in front of Buddy Dive though as I've heard they were known for some of the most biodiversity.

 

[Kharon]

I would like to dive the reefs in front of Buddy Dive though as I've heard they were known for some of the most biodiversity.

Buddy Dive has an open dock policy. Be sure to check in with the dive shop first then go for it.

 

[Colliam7]

Thanks for the background. I better understand your comment.

As you likely know it's really hard to choose a resort in Bonaire because there are so many variable like boat dives, times during which tanks are available, unlimited tanks for shore diving, free nitrox, all-inclusive meals, truck inclusion, etc. not to mention their stance on solo diving.

Very true. What I have found to be favorable for Buddy, at least to me, is the 24/7 availability of cylinders, the free nitrox, and the truck inclusion. But, I suspect this is the case for many other resorts as well. At Buddy, only breakfast is included, which happens to be my personal preference, anyway - I go to the grocery store once or twice during each week and buy the food (and alcohol) that I need for the week - we eat sandwiches for lunch and dinner. And, we go out to dinner one night during the week and that is about it. As for the boat diving, while I don't mind diving KB, or some of the 'boat-only' sites (e.g. Small Wall), I find the shore diving to be so good that the boat dives seem almost superfluous (although each year when our shop goes there, we arrange for 3 boat dives as part of the package price, and I usually go on all three).

I was pretty scared away from Buddy Dive because of their clear stance (maybe just for legal reasons did they state it?) to be sure.

Interesting. I can certainly appreciate your concern. My personal experience, in at Buddy over the past 10 years, is that I have signed the waiver each time I go there, and have spent much of each week solo diving - in front of Buddy on the house reef, and all along the shoreline. I have never had anyone say anything to me about it. But, who knows, maybe this will be the year that changes.

I called Plaza and asked Toucan Diving about solo diving and they gave me the well I don't see how anybody could stop you line so I was reassured.

Honestly, I really think this is true for virtually every resort on Bonaire that I know of, including Buddy. No one really 'patrols' the diving, no one really enforces any particular policy (other than you have to be out of the W-S National park on time each day. ) I have even drifted north into the BOPEC area and managed to swim back without incident.

You basically back up your truck and take as many tanks as you want (even free Nitrox) and head wherever you want.

Exactly what we do at Buddy, and most of the other resorts on Bonaire.

The real other reasons came down to all the other pricing options for the other options we wanted and Plaza seemed to be the cheapest.

And, price is always a legitimate factor, and that is one where I may well be ignorant - I have no idea of what the other resorts charge. Back in 2005, we took a large group to Bonaire, and the trip was oversold, so we had to put almost a third of the group at the Plaza. We heard quite a few complaints from the group members, including several of our staff, about the Plaza and have not been back since. It may have changed.

 

[Kharon]

... And, price is always a legitimate factor, and that is one where I may well be ignorant - I have no idea of what the other resorts charge. ...

I stay at Coco Palm Garden. They are apartments with a full kitchen. My trip this november including truck and unlimited air for 2 weeks is under $1800. Just me going, no double occupancy.

 

[Crass3000]

And, price is always a legitimate factor, and that is one where I may well be ignorant - I have no idea of what the other resorts charge. Back in 2005, we took a large group to Bonaire, and the trip was oversold, so we had to put almost a third of the group at the Plaza. We heard quite a few complaints from the group members, including several of our staff, about the Plaza and have not been back since. It may have changed.

Realistically I'm sure prices fluctuate depending on when you go etc. and I'm sure we were not aware of some of the other places mentioned. I really liked Plaza but if you didn't have all-inclusive meals, etc the drinks and meals would have broke Donald Trump. I think it was like $4.00 for a soda. It was basically a free open bar otherwise but it made us make a dash to the grocery store before we knew unlimited drinks, beer, and soda were free. What specifically didn't they like about Plaza? I especially liked that with the all-inclusive meals, if you didn't like what they were serving you could order off a menu. This came in REALLY handy with my 9 year old son who can be a picky eater. He could get a pizza anytime he wanted which was a lifesaver. Granted you may be paying quite a bit for the all-inclusive meals. Honestly with all the price variables (between the resorts) I got overwhelmed and let another person who went with us do most of the research.

I was just there in Dec 2012 so as you mention things can change quite a bit over time. One thing I noticed is that their shirt sizes had little correspondance to the actualy size of the shirt on some of their products at Toucan Diving. I tried on a large shirt and found it was bigger than a XXL. I wasn't going to try my shirt on but they said I should. They must have been aware of the sizing issues. Small detail about them but something to note if anyone is going there. This just seemed to be true for the tighter fitting rashguard shirts though. Their cotton shirts seemed to be sized normally.