We should NOT have tried diving Playa Chikitu

[djtimmy77]

That's a pretty exciting story! Thanks for sharing!

 

[DandyDon]

You guys have to be a little crazy. The phrase below is reproduced in various travel guides and sites:

Playa Chikitu Lying in Washington National Park, Playa Chikutu is beautiful, but, alas, swimming is forbidden due to the enormous waves and the dangers that lurk underwater. You would be swept off your feet right after you walked in due to a strong current that passes the island on the north coast.

Oh, read the instructions huh...?

 

[lmorin]

You guys have to be a little crazy. The phrase below is reproduced in various travel guides and sites:

Playa Chikitu Lying in Washington National Park, Playa Chikutu is beautiful, but, alas, swimming is forbidden due to the enormous waves and the dangers that lurk underwater. You would be swept off your feet right after you walked in due to a strong current that passes the island on the north coast.

Example: Bonaire Beach Photos & Descriptions

Too bad something like that was not placed where it really counts--such as on the sign in the first photo.

 

[wwguy]

The "signs" were there... big waves, no marked dive site, etc. and they knew it. There's no need to post signs everywhere it's dangerous to dive or swim on Bonaire, or anywhere else for that matter. The assumption should always be that diving anywhere is dangerous, until sufficient information to the contrary is obtained. It's the diver's responsibility to assess the site and conditions, along with a host of other variables that go into the final decision to make a dive. Richard was clear that they made the decision to dive anyway.

Free brochures are available on-island and on the internet from STINAPA for both the Bonaire National Marine Park and Washington Slagbaai National Park. As Richard noted in his original post, Playa Chikitu is not listed as a dive site. The BNMP brochure is clear that east coast diving is only recommended with the assistance of a local guide. The Washington Slagbaai brochure is clear that entry to the park is "at your own risk" (stated twice) and that Playa Chikitu is dangerous for swimming. Local dive operations and residents will gladly confirm all of this, if you ask them.

I'm glad to hear that pride appeared to be the only thing that was significantly injured.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I'm a North Coast Ca diver and I won't give you grief, that does not look good. This is the reason I free-dive a new site, if I can't free-dive it without problems I sure can't tank dive there. Free diving has saved my a** on a number of occasions.




Bob
----------------------------------
I man be old, but I'm not dead yet.

Exactly what I would say.. freedive it first. it looked like you can leap off the rock wall into the water and then surf in to the beach on the swell. Those waves look more than big enough to cause problems..

 

[billmosel]

Richard.. I have seen many of your posts and I'm surprised that you eve THOUGHT of going in. I was at Playa Chiktu on a gas off day in March and was AWED at the power that Mother Ocean has. I took video of it to show others what the ocean has to offer. I'm very glad you survived that ordeal! WOW!!

 

[drrich2]

Thanks to everyone who posted; I've enjoyed the replies.

Bill:

Normally I wouldn't try a site like that (or Cai, which we dove August 2012). My buddy, though he has almost dive-for-dive the same experience & nearly the same cert. history as I do, is smaller, leaner, much fitter, better with physical skills and situational awareness (e.g.: navigation) and so I'm more willing to do somewhat 'challenging' dives with him than I normally would. On the other hand, he gets sea sick easily (& had a scopolamine patch on) and has to wear more exposure protection (I've got the, er, 'bioprene advantage' - my VT3 gave temp.s that week around 77 to 78 degrees, and I did not get cold).

TSandM:

Funny you mentioned Hawaii, because my buddy had a vacation with another diver there in recent years & they did some shore diving. He mentioned it to me, so I think he may've thought this might be similar.

MTSP:

It was waves, not current, that knocked me down - then surge swept me clear up into the very shallows. We emptied our BCDs to get negative with intent to sort of get low, lean in and go that way - which we did, but the surging conditions & poor viz. led to chaos.

As many people as dive Bonaire, I'm thinking some other divers have to have tried Playa Chikitu - hopefully divers trained for the conditions! I don't plan to hit it again! Just curious as to what it was like if anyone dove it successfully.

Richard.

 

[Jersey]

Darn! Glad everyone made it out OK. Pretty sure this is Playa Chikitu in March 2009. My dive buddy (DM, 20+ years diving the lovely NE Atlantic) took one look and even he said no way. The topography of the site, the physics and force of the water, I think his comment was 'it's a washing machine on spin cycle in there'. He has done Willemstoren Lighthouse from shore in pretty heavy seas and current, so he is usually game. I know diving is done on this side of the island, but I'm waiting to hear from any of the locals if they know of anyone successfully diving this.

 

[uncfnp]

Darn! Glad everyone made it out OK. Pretty sure this is Playa Chikitu in March 2009. My dive buddy (DM, 20+ years diving the lovely NE Atlantic) took one look and even he said no way. The topography of the site, the physics and force of the water, I think his comment was 'it's a washing machine on spin cycle in there'. He has done Willemstoren Lighthouse from shore in pretty heavy seas and current, so he is usually game. I know diving is done on this side of the island, but I'm waiting to hear from any of the locals if they know of anyone successfully diving this.

I've got a pm into one of the Bonaire guides with this question...maybe he will give us an answer.

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
It was waves, not current, that knocked me down - then surge swept me clear up into the very shallows. We emptied our BCDs to get negative with intent to sort of get low, lean in and go that way - which we did, but the surging conditions & poor viz. led to chaos.
..snip..

You probably didn't even get out of the mouth of the (sheltered?) inlet and into the current.
Maybe it's just as well..

I think it's actually quite revealing that a Google search for Chikitu in combination with the words "safe", "diving" or "swimming" turns up practically nothing other than this thread. Could it be that no one lived to post about their experience or they just didn't want to talk about what happened?