Solo diving on Bonaire

[Diver Dave1]

I thought I would post this so people don't get surprised.

Bonaire is sometimes referred to as the home of diving freedom. One context is with respect to solo diving. One of the larger firms on the island is now discouraging / preventing solo diving unless you have a TEC cert or a solo diving cert. You then have to sign a solo diver waiver.

It was really disheartening to see a young woman whose significant other could not or would not dive, be told that she could not dive by herself. She looked very upset. We offered to have her dive with us, but she declined.

Solo diving is not for everyone, but if anyone does want to do it, perhaps they should do it in the safest possible manner. So, I can understand any dive op not wanting people to go solo without appropriate training or certification.

This hit home enough for me to get solo diver instructor certified once I got back so our people who want to dive solo don't run into this situation.

I avoided this issue or needing to find a stranger to be my partner by hiring a private guide when recently on Bonaire. It was not cheap but it was great!

 

[nath36]

Not OP, but Scuba Do Bonaire told me they wouldn’t even rent me gear if I didn’t have a dive buddy. I was booking boat dives with another shop and my buddy is coming a couple days later, but it was very weird. Just went to another dive shop.

 

[Charred]

Checked with Buddy Dive and they confirmed they won't support solo diving even if you have the solo certification card.

That's wild. They don't trust people to dive their certification level?

It explains why they have dont have solo/self reliant training listed on their site. I was going to get trained on my next trip.

Can anyone recommend a solo/self reliant instructor on the island?

 

[tkaelin]

I got mine (SSI Solo Cert) from Walt at Rek Tek which was based at Capt Dons but this was years ago.

 

[scuba127]

That's wild. They don't trust people to dive their certification level?

It explains why they have dont have solo/self reliant training listed on their site. I was going to get trained on my next trip.

Can anyone recommend a solo/self reliant instructor on the island

Recommend Kevin at VIP Diving.

 

[uncfnp]

I got mine (SSI Solo Cert) from Walt at Rek Tek which was based at Capt Dons but this was years ago.

Walter Stark retired several years ago. Rec Tek Scuba is now TDS.

 

[divezonescuba]

Checked with Buddy Dive and they confirmed they won't support solo diving even if you have the solo certification card.

OPer here. I had no idea that the situation would develop in this manner when I first posted.

What is really surprising to me is the move from ok with a solo / self-reliant cert to no solo diving at all with some of the operators like Buddy Dive.

I am wondering if Buddy Dive's change in this specific policy is the result of Fiona Sharps' death some time after the original post. On a trip prior to her death, I had a conversation with a random diver on the subject of solo diving on the Buddy Dive dock. At the time, they had no problem with solo diving at all.

Dive Friends, (who I did not identify in the original post, to the irritation of some) used to not have a problem with solo diving even without a certification until one of their instructors died from lionfishing by himself. It appeared that their change in policy started some time after that happened.

 

[scuba127]

OPer here. I had no idea that the situation would develop in this manner when I first posted.

What is really surprising to me is the move from ok with a solo / self-reliant cert to no solo diving with some of the operators like Buddy Dive.

I am wondering if Buddy Dive's change in this specific policy is the result of Fiona Sharps death some time after the original post. On a trip prior to her death, I had a conversation with a random diver on the subject of solo diving on the Buddy Dive dock.

Dive Friends, (who I did not identify in the original post, to the irritation of some) used to not have a problem with solo diving until one of their instructors died from lionfishing by himself. It appeared that their change in policy started some time after that happen

I was solo diving with Dive Friends side mount tanks last September. I have an SDI Solo Card but don't recall them asking to see it. One of their staff mentioned they saw me on the surface vicinity of their shop and never said anything about not solo diving with their tanks so I'd be curious to know how their policy has changed?

 

[divezonescuba]

Dive Friends did not have a problem with solo diving, certified or not some time prior to our January 2017 trip. The incident at the dock that I referenced in the original post was on that trip. As recently as just before covid, they insisted on seeing my self reliant card.

During covid, they did not ask. So, if they currently do not have a problem with non-solo certified divers, it may have happened during that time. I do know that the dive operation manager used to be a guy called Bart when they enforced the certification policy. He left Dive Friends sometime since after Covid.

 

[uncfnp]

Dive Friends did not have a problem with solo diving, certified or not some time prior to our January 2017 trip

And yet in 2015 during my one and only west side boat dive, DF would not let me dive solo even with the certification.

I have noticed over the years that rule enforcement with DF’s depends a lot on the staff manning the shop on any given day. Of course there is also variation from yeat to year.