Single Diver in Bonaire

[emalamud]

I'm planning a trip to Bonaire for Thanksgiving, and I'll be traveling alone. How are my chances for finding another unattached buddy on the island to do shore dives with?

 

[diversteve]

I'd say really good to excellent at any of the dive resorts. I was asked twice standing around the rinse tank at one while waiting for my buddy. There's a lot of divers there, in the bars/restaurants, at any of the dive focused resorts - Buddy Dive, Habitat, Divi Flamingo, Eden Beach, Den Laman. Might be a little harder at Plaza or Harbour Village - Plaza is more spread out - their dive is on the opposite side of the property from the shop/boat dock and Harbour Village is more for the beach. Except for kitesurfing, most everybody goes there to dive. Most get the standard 4-door truck with their dive pkg. so can make room for one more. The dive operators put a DM in the water on every boat dive also. Many of them freelance also - ours took us to Town Pier one night (now closed) for $20.

Post your dates here also, there's a few buddy wanted threads there usually - http://www.bonairetalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?296-Diving-Bonaire

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.

Odds are fairly good that you can hook up with a group, an indivigual may be a little harder to do. My best suggestion is to join Bonairetalk and ask there. I would suggest you list your experience and diving style. Please be honest with your diving skills/likes/style and what you are looking for in a buddy, there is little worse than getting a buddy with totally a different diving style that your own. I usually carry a camera, look for tiny critters and go SLOWWWW which makes me a horrible buddy for a faster diver who wants to cover a lot of reef. I tend to stay shallow and do long dives but have gotten buddies that want to head straight to the bottom and burn through air in short order. I am not saying either style is better, just that they are not compatiable. Hooking up with a buddy of similar style makes the dives so much better.

 

[Cecil]

Many times you can find a buddy in the airport lounge before you leave, remember everyone in that lounge is a diver and going to Bonaire. Then at your resort and if all else fails show up at a diver spot, suit up and stand around looking wanton, somebody will show up and dive with you.

 

[boulderjohn]

The only time I went to Bonaire I was a single diver, and I will say it wasn't the greatest for me. I participated in a number of Bonaire discussions, and they generally told me it was because I was off season. I stayed at the Habitat and had a number of boat dives in my package. That was not a problem. It was trying to get on with people for shore dives that was difficult. By far most of the people were sticking with the boats, so my pickings for people wanting to strike out on their own was pretty slim. It seemed like everyone there was part of a travel group, and it was difficult for me with my inherent shyness to barge into a group making plans and ask if I can butt in. I did do that successfully a few times.

I had several cases in which people agreed to do a shore dive with me and then cancel at the last minute, leaving me high and dry.

I got in with a group that did some dives for a few days, and that was fine, but they became part of my greatest disappointment. They had a friend coming in one evening, and we set up a night dive with him. My wife and I went into town for dinner instead of eating on site, and I then returned to set up my gear for the night dive, only to see them coming in from it already. The friend had shown up early and said he had to go right away, and they had no way to reach me about the change of plans. So it was another dive missed. The friend's name was Phillipe Cousteau.

I have not been back to Bonaire, and when I left, I vowed not to return without clear knowledge that I had a diving buddy for the trip.

 

[gypsyjim]

You did not say where you were staying on Bonaire. At resorts like Buddy Dive, Den Lamen and the Plaza I expect you should hav e no real problem. If you start out doing a few boat dives the first day or two, and are open to meeting new people you should be able to find a compatible buddy or two. Probably true of most of the diver resorts, but those are the three I am most familiar with.

We have had an odd diver or two join us a couple of times on Bonaire, simply by beint open to talking with fellow divers on the dock and during the mandatory Park orientation that every diver arriving at the same time as you will be taking too.

We have met other divers going to Bonaire here on SB, and on Bonaire Talk: a Bonaire oriented chat site that a lot of folks visit when they are thinking of visiting or returning to Bonaire.

 

[midas6t6]

I second using BonaireTalk. I've gone solo twice during off season and had great luck both times. Post in late September and you should be fine setting up several dive buddies.

 

[phelana]

Depends on where you are staying, your personality, your level of diving, your interest..so many variables. Where are you staying please? Some of the dive resorts are conducive to singles more than others. As mentioned, the folks in dive groups tend to stick together. It's a holiday week so the island will be busy. Keep reading here..I am sure you will meet some folks. The other idea is to take a trip with Bas Tol for sure and East Coast Divers. Great expertise.

 

[DiveMaven]

We've been to Bonaire 3x and on our last 2 trips, we had singles ask if they could dive with us on our house reef. For us it was no problem, and one of the people wound up diving with us every afternoon for a week since we always do our 4th dive of the day on our house reef.

One thing is sure, you can't be shy!

 

[richh32]

i agree with boulderjohn. i would plan on doing boat dives and if someone or a group invites you along for some shore diving so be it.