ways and means to bonaire

[tangfish]

hey all, I would like to plan a trip to Bonaire to enjoy all the great low-cost shore diving. I need to know the basics, what is the most cost-effective way to get there and get in the water? Are there packages or travel specialists you can recommend? Or should I book everything individually? What route should I take from Seattle? Also, are there many instructors there to do a specialty course with? Any other info you guys think would be useful are greatly appreciated. Just got back from 2 weeks in Cozumel and 2 weeks in hawaii before that, and i'm itching to get wet again!

 

[Doc]

what is the most cost-effective way to get in the water?

Let's make the broad assumption that you've used the 'search' feature here and have answered all of the other questions not mentioned in your post. The other stuff has pretty well been asked and answered. You do have some unique questions. I will say that there will be NO problem getting any advanced instruction on Bonaire.

The cheapest diving is shore diving, and that might mean what you are searching for when you say "cost effective".

Here's my patented Bonaire shore diving tip:

Rig a two liter soda bottle, water filled with all but 1-2" of air, tie a 10' string around the capped neck and a borrowed 3# weight on the other end. Begin your shore dive, going out to the edge of the sloping reef wall, and as you decide which way the current is going (so you can begin your dive by heading into it), leave the weight and impromptu underwater buoy right there. (Make sure that you have just enough air inside to float it- not float it away)

I set the weight in 20fsw, thus the pop bottle now is floating about 10' below the surface.

When I return from my up current start and now down current return, I get myself in 20fsw bottom and besides enjoying my dive and safety stop/swim, I scan for the pop bottle. That's where I parked the car!

An extra benefit? Get a clear one and Sea Turtles and Baracudas might be attracted. (Turtles think it's a jelly and Baracudas like the flash)

My other shore dive tip is standard anti-bandit procedures. Roll down windows, nothing left in vehicle, station non-diver on hilltop with high powered scope, etc.

Have fun, eat goat, dive lots! It's in my top 3 islands of the Caribbean! :dazzler1:

 

[dolphinfish]

hey all, I would like to plan a trip to Bonaire to enjoy all the great low-cost shore diving. I need to know the basics, what is the most cost-effective way to get there and get in the water? Are there packages or travel specialists you can recommend? Or should I book everything individually? What route should I take from Seattle? Also, are there many instructors there to do a specialty course with? Any other info you guys think would be useful are greatly appreciated. Just got back from 2 weeks in Cozumel and 2 weeks in hawaii before that, and i'm itching to get wet again!

Unfortunately, airfare to Bonaire tends to be expensive. I paid $800 round-trip out of Cincinnatti. It's also not going to be very direct. Expect a few stops before you get there.

We were very pleased with Buddy Dive resort. Shore diving is sooooo easy there. Just walk down the stairs right in front of the dive shop and you're set. Buddy's reef is nice. There's even a tugboat wreck to see that's probably only in 30 or 40 ft. of water. It is a little bit of a swim but it's pretty easy and shallow.

Buddy's has a dive & drive package that's great. You need wheels to get to restaurants and other shore diving sites.

We booked through Maduro Dive.

Bonaire is truly paradise. Just wish it didn't cost so much to fly there! I might go every year if I didn't have to pay more to fly there than what my dive package costs.

 

[quimby]

Havent been there but just found a old friend of mine who ran a shop in NJ for years and moved to Bonaire in the 80's and opened http://www.blackdurgon.com/
The name is Al Catalfumo and was as good as they come. Always willing to help and from what Ive seen on the net is still a good bet. Give him a email or call, Im sure he would be glad to help and another source for info

 

[DiveTyme]

I agree with dolphinfish, the Buddy Dive "Dive & Drive" package is great. Booked one year with a dive shop and once on my own. I plan on going back this fall. My recommendation would be to have a Nitrox computer and be Nitrox certified, at Buddy Dive they had unlimited nitrox (6 days) for $99. We blew 4 to 5 tanks a day.
Tim

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

You can use a scuba travel service like Maduro or Caradonna, but don't be hesitant to look around yourself on the web. I've found a combination of both methods to work well, especially if I can't get the air connections / fare price range I'm really looking for myself through the usual internet routes. Don't trust the "dive travel service" to make sure you get ALL the freebies without checking yourself on the net though.

 

[C4DC]

hey all, I would like to plan a trip to Bonaire to enjoy all the great low-cost shore diving. I need to know the basics, what is the most cost-effective way to get there and get in the water? Are there packages or travel specialists you can recommend? Or should I book everything individually? What route should I take from Seattle? Also, are there many instructors there to do a specialty course with? Any other info you guys think would be useful are greatly appreciated. Just got back from 2 weeks in Cozumel and 2 weeks in hawaii before that, and i'm itching to get wet again!

I agree with the above posts on a great experience with the buddy resort.

 

[diversteve]

From our side of the country(I'm in Phoenix) LAX seemed to be the best option. Either Air Jamaica via Jamaica or American via San Juan. Air Jamaica has a good flight outbound, but their return flight gets into LAX at 9:30pm, for us that meant that by the time we cleared customs, we couldn't get a flight home till the next day. American gets in to LAX at 4:30pm, but there's generally a long layover outbound in San Juan, ours is 8 hrs on Sunday due to the time zone difference.

We're going to the Dive Festival this year. After reviewing the options on the festival website, we booked through Aquadreams travel for everything except the air travel. Also talked to Caradonna, Maduro and BonairePros, but we found the best deal for our needs through Aquadreams - 2br. condo at Bel-Mar, truck rental, 6 boat/unltd. shore dives for $900 ea.

Lots more info at www.infobonaire.com.

Steve

 

[dedhed]

The cheapest dive-drive-stay special on the island starts with Bonaire Village Villas. For $99 (all taxes and charges included) a two bedroom, two bathroom villa and pickup truck is yours. The villas are "lived in", but absolutely clean and the bedrooms are air conditioned. There is cable television, a barb-b-que grill, patio, living room. They're a 3 minute drive from the water ( the warehouse supermarket is a 30 second drive away) and at the price I couldn't complain. Almost all the dive shops will give you a $100/six day unlimited tanks special. I dive with Bruce Bowkers Carib Inn, one of the original dive resorts on the island and my family's favorite for twenty years.

Villa's web site: http://www.bonairevillagevillas.com/index.htm
Carib Inn web site: http://www.caribinn.com/

 

[tangfish]

Thanks for all the great info guys, i am still trying to put my trip together, perhaps for July. How are the conditions down there in June and July? I know this is low season but sometimes that has more to do with summer in the States than with the actual conditions in the water.