Intermission
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Ahhh Bonaire, our first trip to this MECA was this summer. We stayed at the Belmar such a great place, but it's all about the diving. The best diving I have experienced, want to go back.
Trip to Bonaire
- Thread starter whodunit68
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My wife and I are planning a trip to Bonaire in February. As newbies, can someone please expand on why Buddy Divers is good for beginners and helps acclimate new divers to Bonaire? What are the "Buddy benefits"? Also, is $1,000 the ballpark going-rate for double occupancy, 6 days of diving (1 boat dive and unlimited shore diving each day), hotel, and rental car? As a new diver I find the package prices pretty darn cheap, so I figure I'm missing something - like the hotel ain't included...sigh. Thanks for any help you can offer, I'll take all the advice and tips I can get.
I have done two trips to Bonaire and stayed a Buddy Dive both times. The staff is very friendly, the resort is clean, and they have the services for unlimited shore diving set up well. The rental trucks were in good condition and we never had to wait around for tanks.
On my first trip, my wife and I took the advanced class with Buddy Dive. I think that the class and the few guided dives that we did during the class really increased our confidence in shore diving and exploring all of the dive sites on the island.
The house reef and the night boat dives are also really nice for gaining your confidence in night diving.
Basically, the experiences that we had a Buddy Dive were good and I would be happy to go back there anytime. There are less expensive options on the island however, and I am sure that there are many dive resorts that offer everything that Buddy Dive does.
We are going back to Bonaire in January and staying at the Carribean Club. The main reason that we chose to stay there instead of Buddy Dive this time is because we are not going with a group and it is less expensive. We may regret it, but we are planning to go there to dive and are not worried about losing some of the features of Buddy Dive.
Regardless, Bonaire is a great place. Have fun.
Ryan
On my first trip, my wife and I took the advanced class with Buddy Dive. I think that the class and the few guided dives that we did during the class really increased our confidence in shore diving and exploring all of the dive sites on the island.
The house reef and the night boat dives are also really nice for gaining your confidence in night diving.
Basically, the experiences that we had a Buddy Dive were good and I would be happy to go back there anytime. There are less expensive options on the island however, and I am sure that there are many dive resorts that offer everything that Buddy Dive does.
We are going back to Bonaire in January and staying at the Carribean Club. The main reason that we chose to stay there instead of Buddy Dive this time is because we are not going with a group and it is less expensive. We may regret it, but we are planning to go there to dive and are not worried about losing some of the features of Buddy Dive.
Regardless, Bonaire is a great place. Have fun.
Ryan
dvrliz1
Guest
McKeon,
Rynomar is right. As a first time diver who wants to stay on the water you might also want to check out Divi Flamingo Resort and Captain Don's Habitat. All of the dive shops on island are wonderful and would be more than helpful. If you want more of a beach, also check out Eden Beach Resort. Wannadive is the dive operator and Bart and Bob will literally bend over backwards (and believe me it's a stretch for Bart who is 6'7"...lol).
You should EASILY be able to do less than $1,000 a week for a complete package.
Liz
Rynomar is right. As a first time diver who wants to stay on the water you might also want to check out Divi Flamingo Resort and Captain Don's Habitat. All of the dive shops on island are wonderful and would be more than helpful. If you want more of a beach, also check out Eden Beach Resort. Wannadive is the dive operator and Bart and Bob will literally bend over backwards (and believe me it's a stretch for Bart who is 6'7"...lol).
You should EASILY be able to do less than $1,000 a week for a complete package.
Liz
DiveMaven
Contributor
I don't know that Buddy's is particularly "better" for beginners than any other operator on the island. Buddy's has a good, solid reputation, and a lot of groups tend to book there. Actually, the $1000pp isn't as inexpensive as you can find for a dive/drive/stay package on Bonaire.
Go Go Gadget
Guest
I just got back from Buddy Dive Resort at Bonaire. The reef at Buddy Dive has lots to see and if you are a beginner, it is a good place to get some confidence. No long surface swims are required and if there is any current, start your dive into the current and finish with the current. There is little chance of getting lost.
The only negative thing I can think of is the service at the Lion's Den Restaurant is lacking. The food is good. However, plan on your meal taking much longer than normal. The people are as nice as they can be. They just don't get in a hurry. Remember... Island Time. Also, be sure to bring your insect repellant. The mosquitoes were swarming last week.
The only negative thing I can think of is the service at the Lion's Den Restaurant is lacking. The food is good. However, plan on your meal taking much longer than normal. The people are as nice as they can be. They just don't get in a hurry. Remember... Island Time. Also, be sure to bring your insect repellant. The mosquitoes were swarming last week.
That's all great info - thank you very much. It seems you all agree that I can beat $1,000 pp for a week, but should I expect to beat it at Buddy Dive or would I need to hit the other places that you folks have referenced?
Martha
Contributor
A good place to research Bonaire accommodations is at infobonaire.com which you can find here:
Info Bonaire - Hotels & Accommodations - Resorts, Condos, Inns, Apartments, Houses and other accommodations
Info Bonaire - Hotels & Accommodations - Resorts, Condos, Inns, Apartments, Houses and other accommodations
Another good source of information on Bonaire is: www.bonairetalk.com. In addition, I also recommend that you get a copy of Susan Porter's Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. The book is like the diving bible for Bonaire, with a ton of great information.
As far as resorts go, depending on what priorities you have you should be able to find something that fits your budget. If you can get a group of people together, you can rent a condo or pack a bunch of people into a room at one of the resorts for a good bit less than $1,000 per week per person. If you don't have to be on the water or in town, you can also save a good bit of money.
Other ways to save a little money include:
Getting a room with a kitchenette and cooking a few or alot of meals during the trip.
Get sandwich stuff from the supermarkets for lunch.
Selecting the shore dive only option and not doing any boat dives.
I am sure that there are other things you can do, but every little bit helps and packing sandwichs allows you to keep diving!!
Another couple suggestions are:
Loading tanks for your morning dive in the truck after you are finished with your last dives of the day.
Take a picture of the yellow dive site rock prior to or after the dive to keep a record of which site was which.
Sorry for ranting, but I am going to be there in 22 days and I am chomping at the bit to get there!!
Have fun.
As far as resorts go, depending on what priorities you have you should be able to find something that fits your budget. If you can get a group of people together, you can rent a condo or pack a bunch of people into a room at one of the resorts for a good bit less than $1,000 per week per person. If you don't have to be on the water or in town, you can also save a good bit of money.
Other ways to save a little money include:
Getting a room with a kitchenette and cooking a few or alot of meals during the trip.
Get sandwich stuff from the supermarkets for lunch.
Selecting the shore dive only option and not doing any boat dives.
I am sure that there are other things you can do, but every little bit helps and packing sandwichs allows you to keep diving!!
Another couple suggestions are:
Loading tanks for your morning dive in the truck after you are finished with your last dives of the day.
Take a picture of the yellow dive site rock prior to or after the dive to keep a record of which site was which.
Sorry for ranting, but I am going to be there in 22 days and I am chomping at the bit to get there!!
Have fun.
highlandfarmwv
Contributor
I have stayed at Divi twice and buddy's once, and we had the WORST room at Buddys, JUST DON'T GET THE HOTEL ROOM!!. I enjoyed all of the Divi better, the rooms, the little beach, the food, the dive lockers on the pier, the pools, the landscaping. Buddy's had the free Nitrox. This March we are staying at Bonaire Oceanfront apartments, it has oceanfront rooms with fiews, but uses the Buddy's dive plan. # of us are going to a 2 bedroom apartment with unlimited shore diving and truck for $2400--in high season.
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