Bonaire is often referred to as a 'land-based live-aboard,' but it's a different experience. Both offer the option for close to or well over 20 dives in a week.
Live-aboard divers enjoy very easy diving (no tank swapping all week), the boat moves so no driving, basically eat, sleep, lounge around napping or chatting, and dive 4-5x's/day. You get dive briefings and a good range of diverse dive sites on at least some. Some live-aboards forbid solo diving, some allow it with conditions, & some (hello, California) don't dictate to you about it.
Bonaire, if you do the stereotypical rental truck roam amongst varied shore sites, involves loading your gear & tanks in the back, driving around and picking a site, gearing up on the tail gate, walking in (& later back out) over iron shore or pieces of coral rubble debris, you swap a tank every dive, you can eat in or out, and in a nutshell, it's more work.
For that work, you can dive anytime, most anywhere, planned or spontaneous, 'dive your tank' with no thought to when a boat might need to move to keep on schedule, nobody monitors whether you're solo or under what conditions, and you pick your sites. Usually don't need a guide. You can prolong dives by roaming over rubble in the shallows (nice perk for air hogs).
A live-aboard trip is easier, less complicated, and a built-in all-inclusive that helps settle total trip price easily.
Bonaire can be or is
very independent, with some variety for those who wish it (e.g.: island somewhat scenic, donkey sanctuary, wind surfing, etc...).
From what others told me of live-aboard T&C diving, I think you'd have seen a lot of sharks (vs. usually none on Bonaire) & stingrays, and your dive profiles would've averaged a good deal deeper. A link may be of interest -
Picking a Caribbean Live-aboard -
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/li...ats/495738-picking-caribbean-live-aboard.html
Richard.
P.S.: My comments on live-aboard are regarding mainstream mid-priced & up Caribbean boats like
Belize Aggressor IV and
Cayman Aggressor IV.
