In some 'boat-only' destinations, you can must show up when the boat's ready to depart, can dive as often as the boat lets you (often twice), must obey boat rules (e.g.: 1 hour dive time, back on boat with 500 psi, don't exceed x depth), in some cases must follow a guide (or else you'd better be pretty good at navigation!), if you violate a 'rule' you might get benched from further diving that day, and unless it's a valet operation you may be swapping your tanks dive-to-dive anyway. In some cases you may feel like a tourist being led on a guided tour, which is nice and I've enjoyed many dives this way...but have you ever wanted to dive yourself?
Have you ever wanted to...
1.) Dive independently, in a place where navigation is usually so easy you don't need a guide to find the boat (island's way bigger than any boat)?
2.) Dive anytime of day or night you wish, as many times per day as you wish, however long your tank lasts, at whatever depth you care to do the dive at, pausing to watch however long whatever you wish, or you can 'sprint' and cover more reef?
3.) Dive solo without answering to anybody (just don't mouth off about it at the dive shop if you don't have a solo cert.)?
4.) Not feel obligated to tip $10/dive or whatever?
5.) Have a 'dive buffet option' where you've paid, and can cram as many dives in at hardly any added cost that week as you wish. No '$100/2-tank boat trip + tips,' no 'better buy the big package to get a better price, etc...?
6.) Does a free nitrox upgrade common at varied vendors on the island sound better than paying $10/tank for nitrox at some other destinations?
Bonaire is expensive to get to but cheap to be on/dive at (except food; eat PB&J sandwiches for lunch, etc...).
Bonaire has high-viz, warm water practically all year, nice coral reef diving that's fairly fishy, many sites have negligible current most of the time, it's highly unlikely you'll get lose & miss the island, and if you happen to fear sharks, well, odds are strong you won't see any. It's below the hurricane belt; no guarantee (tropical storm Omar slammed it years ago), but after what just happened to the upper Caribbean/southern Florida, that's look'in pretty nice.
It's not perfect. Aside from tarpon, green morays, the occasional 'not small' barracuda, a few rays, and a few tiger grouper & cubera snapper, not much big stuff. Most sea turtles I saw there were small; once in awhile a big'n. Probably not gonna see a shark. Mainstream live-aboard diving may offer a lot of dives with valet service, minimal messing with gear, and you don't have to drive around or pay extra for much food.
Contrast with Grand Cayman. From parts other U.S., GC features cheap airfare, but has a rep. for being expensive once you get there. The better GC diving is said to be east coast (maybe some north?), which is away from the shore dive sites from what I glean from others reports. Boat diving a bit expensive, though some operators can get you 4-dives/day. Even though there seems to be no law against it, by others' reports there seems to be considerable resistance to solo diving (not a tangent worth going off on here). You're more likely to see sharks, and in the Caymans generally I believe not just tiger but other large groupers (e.g.: Nassau).
My point is, Bonaire has a specific 'dive paradigm' that speaks strongly to the priorities of many people, including me, for some of our trips. But it's not the end all, be all of diving. Some years back I started branching out to other destinations; I miss Bonaire badly, but due to branching out I've dove with multiple shark species and had other special experience Bonaire doesn't offer.
Richard.
P.S.: I think a good question would be, why do a 'boat only' Bonaire trip, given that similar benign conditions can be had at other destinations with more 'big stuff' (e.g.: Little Cayman, a Belize live-aboard, etc...)?
