underwater Scooter in Bonaire

[Boat Chick]

Jim, yes, Front Porch is where the old Sunset Beach Hotel used to be. If you pick up a copy of Bonaire Shore Diving Made easy, www.bsdme.info, the directions to the New Yorker are very clear.

Hey jetwrench, I recognize that scooter!

 

[battles2a5]

Jim, a couple years ago I used one on a few dives, and it was FUN! You can do three wrecks in one dive if you want. Enter at Front Porch, go down to 90feet to the New Yorker, head south and go up to around 60feet, hit Willy, then keep heading South until you hit Our Confidence, then you have enough time and air to go back to your entry at Front Porch. I felt like a female James Bond...didn't see a lot of small stuff obviously, but it sure was a kick!

Is this next to Eden's Rubble, next to the Eden Beach resort? I did that dive on air w/o a scooter... I started at the beach, went to the tug sitting at 95' under the moored sailboat, then over to the sailboat at 60', then the long swim around the bend to the third boat at about 60. Then turn around and head back to the dock at Eden Beach. From what I've been told, it's hard to do on an 80' but me and my buddy goter dun w/ about 800 lbs left. This was late in the week and about 25 dives into the trip, so I was doing pretty good on air by then. Awesome dive, though.

To the OP, I suppose it would be good to have down at the south end of the island (White Slave, for instance) with long surface swims but I don't see the need anywhere else. Just seems like it would get in the way once you go down and you wouldn't be able to search for critters. I only saw one while I was there, FWIW. Enjoy the trip!

 

[diversteve]

What about the Hooker? That seems like a great dive to scooter since entering the wreck doesn't seem to be that big a thrill..And you'd get on the wreck sooner.

Too bad you can't fly around the Salt Pier pilings now.

We flew in with several people who brought them. Later saw them heading north from Habitat. They probably got a lot farther north on Cliff than we did, there was just enough southbound current to make it seem like work much past the memorial.

 

[Boat Chick]

Is this next to Eden's Rubble, next to the Eden Beach resort? I did that dive on air w/o a scooter... I started at the beach, went to the tug sitting at 95' under the moored sailboat, then over to the sailboat at 60', then the long swim around the bend to the third boat at about 60. Then turn around and head back to the dock at Eden Beach. From what I've been told, it's hard to do on an 80' but me and my buddy goter dun w/ about 800 lbs left. This was late in the week and about 25 dives into the trip, so I was doing pretty good on air by then. Awesome dive, though.

To the OP, I suppose it would be good to have down at the south end of the island (White Slave, for instance) with long surface swims but I don't see the need anywhere else. Just seems like it would get in the way once you go down and you wouldn't be able to search for critters. I only saw one while I was there, FWIW. Enjoy the trip!

Yep, just North of Eden's Rubble I'm impressed you were able to hit all three on one tank! The current can be quite strong along that area at times, so it's nice to have a scooter if you want to hit all three wrecks and have some time on each. In January, the current at Front Porch was the strongest I've experienced there. We got down to the New Yorker (no scooters), and were going to go to Willy, and come back, but it was about all we could do to make it back up the slope and back to our entry point. I had to hang onto a concrete block at around 17 feet to do a safety stop.

The scooters would be fun at the Hooker, never thought about that one

 

[spectrum]

Taking the same direct flight on 4/28....

Us too, spending that week at Buddy Dive.

Pete

 

[Jetwrench]

Hey jetwrench, I recognize that scooter!

Hey C! Wally took that pic on my first scooter dive and the first dive with him. We had beers at J's house afterwords and had a blast!

Jet

 

[djac5700]

Us too, spending that week at Buddy Dive.

Pete

See you on the flight! I'm traveling with two friends and we'll be next door at the Den Laman...

 

[Boat Chick]

Hey C! Wally took that pic on my first scooter dive and the first dive with him. We had beers at J's house afterwords and had a blast!

Jet

Jet...heh heh....glad it wasn't Wally's "stolen" beer...hee hee

 

[EnronX]

Hello Susan, do you happen to know which dive operators may offer rental DPV's on the island?

My mates and I were thinking of renting scooters to dive the Hilma Hooker...Rates in the states run ~$25 a day for a rental, is this fairly commensurate with Bonaire prices?

Thanks in advance!