Which type of fins for shore diving in Bonaire

[Walter]

So I guess you leave your shoes on the rocks before entry.

What type of fins do you use?

No, I leave my shoes in the hotel room. I only take in the truck what I'll take in the water with me with the exception of extra tanks. Sunglasses go in the water (assuming you want to have them after the dive). I wear my boots to dive. My fins are Scubapro Lightning Jet Fins.

 

[akscuba]

No, I leave my shoes in the hotel room. I only take in the truck what I'll take in the water with me with the exception of extra tanks. Sunglasses go in the water (assuming you want to have them after the dive). I wear my boots to dive. My fins are Scubapro Lightning Jet Fins.

Agreed, leave just about everything in the hotel. That said, the one thing we left in the car were our sunglasses, but we only brought cheap $5 pairs. Never had a problem.

 

[ScubaGlenn]

I would sugest you get a good pair of spring straps for your fins. It defently made our diving much easier on the entries and exits. As far as fins, dive with what you are comfortable with. Bonaire doesn't have much current and is known for it's easy diving.

 

[Flightlead]

I just got back. Used only two boat dives in my package, spent all my time shore diving. I would recommend open heel with good booties and also investing in some Crocs, which are light weight, rugged, cheap, and protect your toes. I would not advise trying to walk in most or any places with fins on. walk in with fins in hand and put them on when you are deep enough to swim - say waist deep.

 

[sytech]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I will be taking my open-heeled and spring-strapped fins and my booties.

Was wondering if there are shore entry dives within walking distance of the Divi Hotel?

Sy

Agree with all previous posts. You want, and need hard-soled booties and fins with open heels to do shore diving in Bonaire. Sandy beaches are only on the "wild side". Almost all the shore diving beaches have broken, sharp bits of coral. Some dive sites you have to walk quite a ways to get there (ex. 1000 steps, Oil Slick if you can't find parking) and you won't want to bring extra stuff, like regular shoes, with you. Just gear up w/ booties at the car. You can wear bare feet and closed heel fins if you plan on only diving from the pier at Divi and doing boat dives, but then you're missing some spectacular dive sites.

 

[Darth Fishhead]

Definitly wear the booties + open heel fins. With the warm weather and water, I felt a little like a with my 5mm North Atlantic diving booties, but the soles of my feet thanked me.
Don't forget to bring a lock for the on-dock lockers they provide. Also, notice the non-skid tape on the stairs by the ocean-view rooms (by the rectangular pool). THat's thanks to the spill my wife took after a freak rainstorm. (Lesson there, when walking around, make sure that you wear footwear with good traction, not flat-bottomed sandals!

 

[herman]

Here is one of the easier, more sandy entries on Bonaire, most are more rocky and tough. Like the others have said, hard soled booties are almost a must.

 

[Darth Fishhead]

Was wondering if there are shore entry dives within walking distance of the Divi Hotel?

Sy

Outside of Calabas (off the Divi dock) there aren't a lot that I would call walking distance. The Plaza Resort is not too far, and I'm sure they have some sort of diving, but I don't know how it works going into another resort to dive thier house reef. I highly recommend renting a pickup (Hertz is on-site at Divi) unless you do a lot of boat dives. [EDIT]Town Pier is in walking distance, but you have to hire a divemaster to get you in there. A cruiseship pulled in on the second day I was there and didn't lieave until the day before I flew home. So it wasn't an option for me, but I hear it's a great dive.
For walking distacne food, I HIGHLY suggest RIchard's (exit Divi, turn right, go 100 feet or so, there's RIchard's.) If one of your first nights on Bonaire is a Monday, go to Casablanca for the buffet and slide show. The food is also outstanding, and the show is great. It's put on by an American from CT, who has moved there. (Sorry if you bought a meal plan through Divi, not that the food there is bad by any account, but there is so much good food all over Kralendijk.)

 

[diversteve]

Was wondering if there are shore entry dives within walking distance of the Divi Hotel?

Sy

Not really. 18 Palms is at the north end of the Plaza resort but no way you'd walk there with gear/weights. And their diveshop is on the south end of the property so you'd have to walk there to rent a tank. And it's really spread out, one of the complaints you read about the Plaza. We actually drove around the property from the diveshop to the beach one evening. Although they stage tanks at the divesite so at least you wouldn't have to carry it back.

Town Pier is only done at night (assuming no cruise ship) and is a healthy walk the other way. Maybe a mile or more, farther than I'd want to carry my gear.

The best diving on Bonaire is north or south of town. There's also a lagoon just north of the airport that adds probably a mile to the drive from the Divi to any of the southern sites like the Hooker. Salt Pier is several miles south. Sites like 1000Steps and Karpata are probably 2-3 miles north or more north of Divi. There are cabs but no way to call one w/o a local cell phone, there's no facilities at most of the divesites.

Everything on Bonaire is just too spread out. You'll be doing a lot of walking just to restaurants in town from the Divi. The market is even a healthy walk from there.

 

[Buc Chick]

Ditto on the hard-soled booties and open-heel fins. Just returned from Bonaire last week. Here is a map of Bonaire dive sites:
http://www.bonairediveguide.com/
And here is a video of the house reefs in Bonaire, courtesy of Scuba Diving Magazine:
http://www.scubadiving.com/scubadiving_tv2/scuba_tv.asp

I also recommend Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy as a guide. You can order one online or pick one up when you get to Bonaire--dive shops usually have them for sale.

Have a great time!