The 2002 Bonaire Trip

[Denton]

Hi Becky,
Sorry, my brain thinks better than I type (not saying much!). I'll try to make more sense this time. The pier requires a dive guide and is only divable at night. The night diving (and pre-breakfast) right on the shore at the hotel is excellent. They leave tanks out 24/7 for divers to use whenever they want. The shore diving is unbelievable. You surface swim ~100 ft to the top of the reef and can drop down to a sandy bottom @~100 ft. There is really no current so you can swim either direction for ~1000psi then bump up about 20 - 40 feet and swim back and you're right at the hotel. It's very easy diving and the fish life there is some of the best I've ever seen.
The problem with the pier is that the columns are close together and there are too many divers at one time. They swim over you, kick you and generally stir up the place pretty quick. Last time I dove Klein Bonaire at night (for my AOW, great seahorses!) and had a blast, although the best fish life was still at the hotel. I could shore dive the hotel all week and never be disapointed.
I'm getting excited about how much fun everyone is going to have! The tarpon are as big as me (6'2") and are beautiful.
Ok, enough rambling. Feel free to ask about anything. They have one really good wreck (HMS Express (aka "helma hooker")) and an endless supply of reef. I'll shut up now.
;^)
Denton

 

[Natasha]

Man I love it when Denton does all my work for me! Are you sure you're not a travel agent?
Hey what about when the two of us went to the "Special Counter" at Continental.. for oh wait that was another trip. hehehehe
As you can see, my past divers are very knowledgeable. I pick GREAT people to be on these trip, don't you think?
Thanks Denton. Keep up the good work.
And I love the picture you posted of yourself. Wait until you see the T shirts for this year!

 

[dcsc]

Hi fellow divers,

My name is Dave and my wife's name is Suzanne. I am advanced, she is open water certified. This is our second trip to Bonaire. Suzanne wasn't certified the last trip so it will be her first time diving Bonaire. We are both in our early forties.

As Denton said, the diving is great just offshore from the resort. I enjoyed a twilight dive last trip. The resort even has a light pointing into the water so you can find the exit.

I found an interesting web site on Bonaire shore dives today. The address is:

http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/

We will be looking forward to meeting all of you in Bonaire.

Dave & Suzanne

 

[DivingGal]

According to my staff here, I'm already there... sigh it's not for awhile.

Yes DG is showing up in Bonaire, and wanting to dive as much as she can, so please don't mind me when I whine, beg, plead to accommpany you guys to additional dives. Dang this scuba-diving disease hehehe

This will be my first trip to Bonaire (hopefully not my last), and am looking forward to meeting and diving with everyone going.

 

[sunshinefishy]

Hi all,

I'm getting more and more excited about this trip as it is almost a month away! I grew up in NYC and currently live and work here as an event planner for a conference company. I've been certified since 9/1999 and AOW 1/2002 in Curacao. I loved the diving in Curacao and may have to buy a camera before Bonaire so I can capture all the beautiful fishies and coral, etc. I have a fascination with smooth trunkfishes and sharpnose puffers and tend to lose buddies as a result of following these cuties. (Hm, maybe shouldn't have revealed that). Last time I dove was at Wreckmania with fellow Bonaire tripsters June, Walter, and Bob. I have only dove Bermuda, Bimini, Curacao, and one dive off of San Diego cold: ). I am up for pre-breakfast dives as well as night dives - my favorite!

I am currently training for the NYC Marathon (Nov. 3) so will be running a couple miles every morning or late evening - absolutely no slacking for me this vacation - please kick my a** out of the water if I do! Seriously!

Looking forward to meeting and diving with everyone and having a great time!

Sandy


(Sea nmf: I just got back from a week in Seattle - I didn't realize how awesome the city is! We packed in a lot in a couple days when we weren't working: dinner at Space needle, SeaFair parade, Mariners game, Pike Market Place, Underground tour, Pioneer Square, Chinatown, EMP, Argosy cruise on Elliot Bay, Columbia and St. Michele wineries, Snoqualmie falls, Ballard Locks and salmon spawning, antique shopping at Fremont, and I ran every morning along the waterfront by the grain terminal and railroad. Only thing I wish I had more time for was the aquarium and San Juan and Victoria - next time!)

 

[Denton]

Ok, the intros are well underway so I'm going to hijac the thread!

First: Cameras. Those that take pics, what do you use? I have a Sea&Sea MM IIex w/ strobe and a close-up lens. I'm thinking of getting a wide angle (borrowed one in a Yucatan cenote and loved it). Any comments? I'm more than happy to share gear so if you want to try the close-up or borrow the whole setup just ask.

I know Dave (of Dave and Suzanne) does uw video and I think Natasha still has her uw point-n-shoot (unless she left it in a wreck). Anyone else?

A little more info on Bonaire... (Natasha, what is my commision for this?) The hotel is an easy (2 mile max?) walk to town. The hotel has a small but very usable weight room that is free! (mostly universals). The island is a dessert and the north 20% or so is a wildlife park that you can drive in and explore (small fee but worth it on your pre-flight day). Oh, there is a really nice market just past downtown and a few blocks inland. I also remember them speaking one of those strange languages (Dutch) but every knows enough American just for travellers like me.

I need to go home...
Denton

 

[neilstewart]

Hi all my future Bonaire Buddies, both in the diving and social sense

I am Neil from Hertfordshire just 40 mins North of central London, UK. I am 35 being born in the glorious world cup winning year of 1966.

Started diving in Jan 01. I hold PADI AOW and 40% Nitrox cert. I have clocked up 90 dives in 6 countries over 4 continents. I have just returned today from a 7 day liveaboard trip around the wrecks and reefs of Northern Red Sea, Ras Mohammed and Straits of Tiran, icluding a night dive on the famous Thistlegorm and 5 scalloped hammerheads at Shark & Yolanda reefs. We were even lucky enough to see 1000's of brown surgeonfish spawning for 30 mins whilst shoals of fusiliers and 20 odd groupers were feeding on their eggs and blue fin trevally were trying to catch unsuspecting fish, really awesome.

I like to take u/w video and as some of my compadres have also suggested am usually found lulling behind the rest of the group, so any slow finners buddy me. I think diving is about looking and not swimming. My set up is a Sony PC110 in a Light & Motion Mako Housing with elite lighting. Would really love to get some terrific seahorse shots.

see you soon

Neil

 

[sea nmf]

Denton,

I use a Nikonos V with as SB103 strobe. I think I'm going to leave the wide angle home. From what I understand, not too many big critters that would warrant one. A 35mm should do it. I'm bringing extention tubes for macro, though. Also, if I leave the wide angle at home, we should be guaranteed a whale shark.

Neil,

I am aligned with your philosophy about diving. I'm just always afraid I'll miss something. But I can watch a jelly for about five minutes and love it.

-becky

 

[Natasha]

Denton:
How about a beer down at the town pier @ sunset for commission? Not a bad deal huh?
Neil:
Great trip report.
Becky:
A whale shark? You promise?

 

[Denton]

Nice camera Becky. My dive buddy from my last Bonaire trip has the same setup. Awesome photos. I wouldn't want to talk you in to carrying extra gear, but there will be some groups of 10-20 tarpon as well as the school of several hundred small fish. And of course the whale shark.

Neil and Becky, that's what I love about this hotel. Free tanks and the easiest diving is right off the beach. You can spend all day trying to pose a pair of queen angels no more than 200 feet off the hotel. If you aren't happy they will be there in an hour. I have a few good pics of specled and green morays, 'cudas, every kind of angel and several macros of tube worms. We can camp out at 40' after dusk and hunt seahorses and only be 400' from your room!

Hey SunshineFish (Sandy right? (why does everyone have two names when I can't remember one?)),
I'll be driving though upstate NY this weekend, so if you see someone you don't know waving from a car you don't recognize, that's me.

Natasha: Umm, beer. Oops, I had a brief Homer moment.

Can't wait,

Denton