Shore Diving and Theft

[bluwolf]

OK, I've read all the posts and warnings to not leave valuables on your car when shore diving from Bonaire/Curacao. So can you leave yourself some dry clothes, or will this get taken as well? And if not, how do you handle that? Just hang out in your swimsuit/booties between shore dives? Towel? Shirt? Anything safe?

 

[El Orans]

A towel and some dry clothes should be OK.

General rule: Take only what you can afford to miss.

 

[pilot fish]

OK, I've read all the posts and warnings to not leave valuables on your car when shore diving from Bonaire/Curacao. So can you leave yourself some dry clothes, or will this get taken as well? And if not, how do you handle that? Just hang out in your swimsuit/booties between shore dives? Towel? Shirt? Anything safe?

They have been known to take perscription eye glasses, flipflops and damp, smelly tee shirts. Do not look to the "police" for help either. Your dry clothes will become THEIR dry clothes. They are USELESS.:no

 

[herman]

Don't sweat it, take old tshirts, tennis shoes and enjoy the dive. This subject gets beat to death and it's really not that big of a problem. I have hundreds of hours diving on Boniare and have yet to lose anything, nor has anyone that has been diving with me. We routinely leave tshirts, shoes,towels,water and sun glasses in the truck. Yes it does happen on occasion but no where near the rate some would have you believe.

 

[pilot fish]

General rule: Take only what you can afford to miss.

That about says it.

 

[sweatfrog]

If you want to keep it, dive with it, or go to the dollar store for fliip flops before you go.

 

[stu_in_fl]

Don't sweat it, take old tshirts, tennis shoes and enjoy the dive. This subject gets beat to death and it's really not that big of a problem. I have hundreds of hours diving on Boniare and have yet to lose anything, nor has anyone that has been diving with me. We routinely leave tshirts, shoes,towels,water and sun glasses in the truck. Yes it does happen on occasion but no where near the rate some would have you believe.

yep - our experience was the same - we were a group of 11 there a week or two ago - none of us had any problem. We left shirts, towels, save-a-dive kits, spare weights, spare tanks in full view (with doors and windows always left open on the trucks) - even small amounts of cash. The only time we locked the truck was when parking downtown (but we dropped all gear at the hotel first)

We heard that even dive gear is pretty safe in the trucks (as no-one on the island will buy it off any would be theives) but didn't want to try that one out.

We did leave valuables (wallets, large amounts of $, credit cards, laptops) in the hotel safe only removing them when needed.

 

[scubadobadoo]

The key to shore diving and theft in Bonaire is to make it a game to see if you can get your stuff stolen that way when or if it even happens then you will feel like you won and were one of the special chosen people. This is a much better tactic than setting yourself up to feel like a victim. For example, if you go with a group, set up a points system where the person who has the most stolen wins and doesn't have to pay for dinner at the end of the week. SO, a $15 dollar hat would be worth 15 points etc...A small child would be worth say...depending on the child...male, female, age, IQ, about 5 points, lol.

Seriously, we were there for a week and we left all kinds of stuff in the truck and NEVER experienced theft! Never!!! I felt personally injured and hurt that I wasn't one of the chosen people!!! Serioulsy, what? Is my stuff no good? I will sue them next time for discrimination if they don't steal from me!

One time, in a silly rush to get in the water, we left the keys in the ignition and my wallet on the front seat filled with money and credit cards that didn't make it into the dry box my wife puts in her BC pocket. We always left dry clothes, shoes, drinks, and other cheap items and I guess we just have cooties or something.

Here is my suggestion to myself....GO BACK TO BONAIRE AND RECTIFY THIS HURTFUL SITUATION ASAP! September of this year for us actually! And ya know what? I will play the "chosen people" game again and I will be honored if they pick me! I'll just try not to play with the truck keys and my wallet this time, lol. Bet with the plastic chips my friends, not the nice clay ones like the casino has. It really is this simple.

If you worry and set yourself up to FEEL LIKE A VICTIM then you WILL BE A VICTIM! So go to Bonaire, play the game, have fun, and DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!!! Maybe you will win!

 

[jfproul]

are tanks left in truck are safe during shore dive ?

 

[piikki]

Towels - I usually don't need towels diving on warm days but do you guys bring your own towels?? How do resorts take it if you sacrifice their towels on shore dives and they get taken? Any understanding or do you pay more of a premium to replace those than if you had lost your own?

I guess I will be wearing my secondary Rx glasses to this trip, and dragging them under water with me. Would hate to be blind for half a holiday... Then again I have never had anything taken, and I've been to way more notorious places than Bonaire - interestingly none as defensive about the possibility of being a victim of small scale thiefery though.