Bonaire or Roatan

[Doc]

I guess I'm leaning more towards Bonaire for several reasons: 1) more opportunity to dive; 2) no sand fleas; 3) no drift dives, which is important when half the group is taking pictures.

?

I had previously in this thread recommended Bonaire for your group, but the above doesn't compute.

You have been to CoCoView on Roatan previously. There is no place in the Caribbean that you are going to get that many dives in a week~ 27 in a week is easy. This woul be impossible in Bonaire- not even close.

Sand fleas are a pain in the Bay Islands but avoidable through selecting the correct property and dosing with deet. Scorpions of Bonaire are worse threat- there is no chemical preventative... City folk just have to acclimate to acting like locals. A rare problem, but since it was brought up...

Again you refer to your past trip to Roatan, a place that is universally regarded as macro shooter heaven... And no drift dives.

there are any number of great reasons to go to Bonaire, but I wouldn't hang your hat on those.

 

[sock]

Have been to both and my choice would be bonaire

 

[kpickerell]

Thanks RoatanMan, but the logic computes when you consider that we've not being offered CoCo View, unfortunately, but Turquoise Bay, as I mentioned in a post. Therefore, we would not have as many dives as with Bonaire. I also have to take into consideration that at least two of our divers have serious allergic reactions to bites (one had to use an epipen last time because of sand flea bites), and at least 1/3 of our boat dives have been drift. Not a bad thing except when you're trying to stay still long enough to get a shot. In addition to scorpions, though, dengue fever is endemic to the ABC's. My husband contracted it last time we were in Curacao and that was a nasty thing for sure. He's one of the people on the fence about destination. Both have pros and cons.

 

[chauncy19]

kpickerell
funny i caught dengue in Curacao a couple of years ago. it was during the "rainy" season November 2010 to be specific. Although Dengue is in the ABC and Bonaire for sure so I am told, its hard to imagine its not in Roatan too. Need to take the threat seriously. Admit I am no expert on Mosquitoes illnesses just a lazy recreational diver.

 

[T.C.]

You have been to CoCoView on Roatan previously. There is no place in the Caribbean that you are going to get that many dives in a week~ 27 in a week is easy. This woul be impossible in Bonaire- not even close.

????

Kpickerell's reasons are very sound and logical for selecting Bonaire over Roatan

Bonaire is unlimited shore diving. Anytime, anywhere- no waiting on a boat, or told the boat only makes X trips a day. It is very easy to make 30- 35 dives in a week. Dive once in the morning, two dives before lunch, two after, and one night dive. That's six a day, and you can see how 35+ dives a week becomes very easy.

I believe that without a non-standard vacation package, more than 30 dives would be difficult in Roatan. Not so in Bonaire; if one wishes, they'll always have more dive opportunities in Bonaire.

Bonaire advertises itself as the home of diving freedom. It's very true.

 

[Doc]

. It is very easy to make 30- 35 dives in a week. Dive once in the morning, two dives before lunch, two after, and one night dive. That's six a day, and you can see how 35+ dives a week becomes very easy.

Now I see

 

[kpickerell]

I'd need to go to a work-out boot camp before I'd attempt 35 dives in a week. But I'm usually good for about 20-25. I gave up hard core when I decided that having an apres' dive beer while downloading my pictures was so much easier.

 

[T.C.]

I'd need to go to a work-out boot camp before I'd attempt 35 dives in a week.

Yeah I did that... 12 years ago.

 

[Doc]

Yeah I did that... 12 years ago.

For how many days in a row before you stopped to eat/sleep/pee?

I like Bonaire, but the reality of diving there is after a boat dive in the AM, the drive-to shore dives are single tank excursions (unless somebody remains onshore to guard your stuff & car). Same for a night dive.

Its really 4x a day max, and that's a hump at that. Driving to a shore dive, gearing up, slogging out and back... That eats a lot of time and a whole lot of energy. It's not like falling off a boat.

I look for an "ease" of diving, I give Bonaire a C+ in that regard. You really don't need to go to Bonaire to "just dive-dive-dive". There are a lot of other nice diversions.

in Bonaire, I like to take time for different unusual restaurants, and that takes time to get to and enjoy. I'm not talking about the standard tourist places near the dock.

Bonaire has a lot going for it, but 35 in a week is some kind of Galactic Record... Even "12 years" ago.

 

[T.C.]

For how many days in a row before you stopped to eat/sleep/pee?

Eat? take a speargun; eat while diving. Sleep? That's what your buddy is for; sleep while diving. Need I address the third?

Seriously, I was referring to the "boot camp" part. I did that, 12 years ago in Kentucky.

I like Bonaire, but the reality of diving there is after a boat dive in the AM, the drive-to shore dives are single tank excursions (unless somebody remains onshore to guard your stuff & car). Same for a night dive.

Don't take anything you won't use with you, and no one will bother your stuff. All the resort tanks are marked, and no one will steal those. Take a cheap towel and the gear you'll dive with; that's all you need- you can do as many shore dives per run as you wish, you don't need a shore guard.

Its really 4x a day max, and that's a hump at that. Driving to a shore dive, gearing up, slogging out and back... That eats a lot of time and a whole lot of energy. It's not like falling off a boat.

True, it's not for everyone. When I went, I was just back from a year in Afghanistan, and my dive buddy was my sister; who hikes, rock climbs and skis whenever she can. The effort of shore diving in Bonaire and carrying gear wasn't a big deal to either of us.

Bonaire has a lot going for it, but 35 in a week is some kind of Galactic Record... Even "12 years" ago.

Well, I'm going in September. I hope my dive buddies can keep up; I've already got two that said they will.