Question When does AB Dive do the Dive Brief?

[Carlymegsmom]

What did you like most and least about their service?

Most: We rent our BC's and regulators from them, no problems. After the first day, tanks are delivered to our resort, we just tell them how many we want each day (part of the agreement with Coral Paradise). They offer guided night dives at an extra charge, and they partner with Epic for dive trips to Klein which you can sign up for ($). Least - they only have the one location to pick up tanks, and it can be a little tight pulling your truck into their loading area. Also waiting for the transportation from the airport to their site to pick up a car can take a bit of time - but the restaurant at the airport sells bottles of Amstel Brite you can take out while you wait!

 

[Carlymegsmom]

When you say dives logged within a year, do you mean dives on Bonaire within a year?
Erik

Once it was within a year on Bonaire, but usually in the Florida Keys.

 

[Carlymegsmom]

That violates STINAPA rules.

Which is why I hesitated to share that.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

What is STINAPA?

STINAPA is the Bonaire National Park System Home. There is a park fee for any water activity, or getting into the land based park are. The pass is good for a calendar year.

What’s being referred to above is the requirement to go through an orientation, followed by a checkout dive which includes a buoyancy check. There should be no additional fee for the orientation or dive.

Erik

 

[L13]

STINAPA is the Bonaire National Park System Home. There is a park fee for any water activity, or getting into the land based park are. The pass is good for a calendar year.

What’s being referred to above is the requirement to go through an orientation, followed by a checkout dive which includes a buoyancy check. There should be no additional fee for the orientation or dive.

Erik

Thanks for the explanation!

 

[tkaelin]

Just an observation from many years of diving. I was one of those travel divers who wanted to get in the water the day of arrival. I have had enough discussions with dive ops over the years to come to some of their conclusions that dive safety and health is compromised by diving arrival day after a long day of travel and flights. On Bonaire in particular there is plenty of time to get a lot of diving in during a week stay without having to start on arrival day.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Just an observation from many years of diving. I was one of those travel divers who wanted to get in the water the day of arrival. I have had enough discussions with dive ops over the years to come to some of their conclusions that dive safety and health is compromised by diving arrival day after a long day of travel and flights. On Bonaire in particular there is plenty of time to get a lot of diving in during a week stay without having to start on arrival day.

Generally, I would agree about the possibly increased risk from diving soon after arriving from a long air trip. But what I have found in Bonaire is that many divers start their dive week on the same days due to flight schedules. So when we waltz into the dive shop the day after arrival--the official "Day 1" of our dive package--there may be several divers trying to get checked in and do their orientations at about the same time. Once, we arrived exactly at the shop's opening time, and there was a large group already ahead of us. Sure, we could arrive at the dive shop 30 minutes before it opens and be first in line, but that's ambitious for me. No, I'd rather get to the shop in late afternoon the day I arrive, check in and do the orientation, do a brief and shallow-ish dive to get situated as they prefer we do, and be ready to head out early the next day for a full day of diving.

 

[boat sju]

That violates STINAPA rules.

What's your point?

I've been to Bonaire seven times. First trip picked up gear from a dive op that was essentially on the beach. They said, "go do a dive right there". Other than that we've been asked to do a shake-out dive, maybe at a specific site, but nothing's been closely supervised. It's logistically impossible to do it any other way.

 

[tursiops]

What's your point?

I've been to Bonaire seven times. First trip picked up gear from a dive op that was essentially on the beach. They said, "go do a dive right there". Other than that we've been asked to do a shake-out dive, maybe at a specific site, but nothing's been closely supervised. It's logistically impossible to do it any other way.

The STINAPA rules are quite clear: the dive operation providing your tanks is responsible to see that you have been given an orientation as to all the rules, and that your first dive is at least a weight check over a benign bottom. This is true for every first dive on a visit, for every visit. Some operators are quite careful with this; others less so. The purpose is to protect the reef. Some operators -- and divers -- don't care. Sad.

 

[David 🇳🇱🇦🇺]

That violates STINAPA rules.

This is no longer true. Register and pay online. Check out dives on Bonaire are no longer required.