scuba e
Guest
To begin with, a big thanks to those with guidence prior to our first Bonaire trip. It helped alot.
As noted this was our first trip to the Island. We only have Roatan (Cocoview resort 3 times) and Grand Cayman (Cobalt Coast/Dievtech) as a basis for opinion.
Flight was easy but made for a long day. Midnight from LAX, 4 hours to Atlanta, 2 hours on the ground and 4 more to Bonaire. Things get a bit weird after 36 hours without sleep.
Met our freinds at the airport and got through customs in less than an hour. Richard, the father portion of the father son team from Chicago, quickly found our resort contact. Grabbed our bags, complete, intact and on time, and off to Belmar Apartments.
Our bags were shuttled off to our 2bed 2 bath lower level apartment while we were lead to the clean, well laid out dive shop. In short order we had our "Marine Park Brefiefing" and our tags to prove it. Vouchers signed, C cards checked and weights in hand.
As the sun took it's decent we chased it into the depths. Our first dive just 3 hours from touchdown. Not bad.
Within 1000psi we have seen 5 eels. I am used to seeing 1 or 2 a day from previous experience.
We make it a short dive. I need sleeeeeep! Easy exit from solid stairs to a smooth pier with fresh water shower and rinse tanks. As well as fresh aluminum 80 and 72's!
So far, so good. But I am leaving out one thing. Shopping. Before the first dive we had to hit the only open store before it closed. We then paid $250 US for basic staples.
I know I am whining. Like I said, things get weird without sleep. Or maybe it is just vacation mode. What ever it was, that trip to the grocery store and the ones to follow seemed painfully testing. In hind site, it was nothing. Just something to think about if you are used to all inclusive or resort type vacations.
Now that the sobbing is over, what the shopping did afford us was a lack of schedule. We ate breakfast when we wanted. Packed luches or ate at home. Had no schedule at all.....almost.
We did dive the town peir which required lack of a ship, clearence from the Harbor Master and an authorized DM. Well worth it. Spectacular colors.
We did a 2 tank boat trip to Klein Bonaire. Ehh. Did see a nice frog fish but not worth it to us.
And we did an East side beach dive with a Local DM. I liked it but I am glad my wife did not make this one.
Other than those three events we did not need a clock. Total indepenence.
As for the diving. We dove from North to South and really prefered the South. Margate Bay, Invisibles and Angel City were by far our favorites. The latter two getting repeat visits.
The reefs are healthy and hold an amazing amount of life. Clouds of small fish, shrimp, eels, squid, rays.......The coral and sponge life is beautiful.
The biggest surprize of the week was the house reef. Wow. It is not marked and does not have a mooring can. It was all ours. We really did not need to go anywhere else. We did the East end dive to try to get Eagle ray shots. Then I spent 15 minutes all alone with one on the house reef. Not to mention the fleet of over 40 squid that were following me and making a very strange swishing sound. This dive really did have it all!
Food on the island was another surprise. The food on Roatan just sucks. It fills a void and fuels the following dive. Cayman was ok but nothing great. Bonaire on the other hand......
The City Cafe is basicaly a big sports bar by the town pier. We got alot more than expected. right across the road is Salsa. Wow. This place would make our top ten at home. Great stuff.
Will we be back? oh yesss. Is it my favorite? Not quite. It was my wife's favorite. She loved it. I still like the ease of diving at CocoView. 4 boat dives a day and your gear is ready to go when you get there. All you need to lift is a fork to fill the aformentioned void with tastless food. I also love wall diving. Of which southern Roatan is much stronger. So I will go back to Roatan.
That said, water clearity, fish life, types of fish life, freedom of schedules and food hold Bonaire as our new top spot.
One side note. I have had about 3 Mosquito bites in my life. In Bonaire I was a buffet. Never read about bugs in Bonaire. They are there......
As noted this was our first trip to the Island. We only have Roatan (Cocoview resort 3 times) and Grand Cayman (Cobalt Coast/Dievtech) as a basis for opinion.
Flight was easy but made for a long day. Midnight from LAX, 4 hours to Atlanta, 2 hours on the ground and 4 more to Bonaire. Things get a bit weird after 36 hours without sleep.
Met our freinds at the airport and got through customs in less than an hour. Richard, the father portion of the father son team from Chicago, quickly found our resort contact. Grabbed our bags, complete, intact and on time, and off to Belmar Apartments.
Our bags were shuttled off to our 2bed 2 bath lower level apartment while we were lead to the clean, well laid out dive shop. In short order we had our "Marine Park Brefiefing" and our tags to prove it. Vouchers signed, C cards checked and weights in hand.
As the sun took it's decent we chased it into the depths. Our first dive just 3 hours from touchdown. Not bad.
Within 1000psi we have seen 5 eels. I am used to seeing 1 or 2 a day from previous experience.
We make it a short dive. I need sleeeeeep! Easy exit from solid stairs to a smooth pier with fresh water shower and rinse tanks. As well as fresh aluminum 80 and 72's!
So far, so good. But I am leaving out one thing. Shopping. Before the first dive we had to hit the only open store before it closed. We then paid $250 US for basic staples.
I know I am whining. Like I said, things get weird without sleep. Or maybe it is just vacation mode. What ever it was, that trip to the grocery store and the ones to follow seemed painfully testing. In hind site, it was nothing. Just something to think about if you are used to all inclusive or resort type vacations.
Now that the sobbing is over, what the shopping did afford us was a lack of schedule. We ate breakfast when we wanted. Packed luches or ate at home. Had no schedule at all.....almost.
We did dive the town peir which required lack of a ship, clearence from the Harbor Master and an authorized DM. Well worth it. Spectacular colors.
We did a 2 tank boat trip to Klein Bonaire. Ehh. Did see a nice frog fish but not worth it to us.
And we did an East side beach dive with a Local DM. I liked it but I am glad my wife did not make this one.
Other than those three events we did not need a clock. Total indepenence.
As for the diving. We dove from North to South and really prefered the South. Margate Bay, Invisibles and Angel City were by far our favorites. The latter two getting repeat visits.
The reefs are healthy and hold an amazing amount of life. Clouds of small fish, shrimp, eels, squid, rays.......The coral and sponge life is beautiful.
The biggest surprize of the week was the house reef. Wow. It is not marked and does not have a mooring can. It was all ours. We really did not need to go anywhere else. We did the East end dive to try to get Eagle ray shots. Then I spent 15 minutes all alone with one on the house reef. Not to mention the fleet of over 40 squid that were following me and making a very strange swishing sound. This dive really did have it all!
Food on the island was another surprise. The food on Roatan just sucks. It fills a void and fuels the following dive. Cayman was ok but nothing great. Bonaire on the other hand......
The City Cafe is basicaly a big sports bar by the town pier. We got alot more than expected. right across the road is Salsa. Wow. This place would make our top ten at home. Great stuff.
Will we be back? oh yesss. Is it my favorite? Not quite. It was my wife's favorite. She loved it. I still like the ease of diving at CocoView. 4 boat dives a day and your gear is ready to go when you get there. All you need to lift is a fork to fill the aformentioned void with tastless food. I also love wall diving. Of which southern Roatan is much stronger. So I will go back to Roatan.
That said, water clearity, fish life, types of fish life, freedom of schedules and food hold Bonaire as our new top spot.
One side note. I have had about 3 Mosquito bites in my life. In Bonaire I was a buffet. Never read about bugs in Bonaire. They are there......
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