First Ocean Dive and its Bonaire

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

::grins:: Bonaire is laid bac, easy going lazy diving. No schedules, no boats necessary. You're always within sight of shore.

You can do boat dives, but unless youre diving off Klein Bonaire theres usually no need for the added expense and hassle.

But yeah, if youre lok for wrecks the Helma Hooker is about it. There's another wreck, the Windjammer, but it's at 170 feet.

On the upside... the reason most people dive wrecks is because they provide artifical reefs and attract sea life. The reefs in Bonaire are gorgeous, so need for the wrecks to see life.

Have fun if you go.

-Moon

Thanks, im still about half way there, the wife is a newley OW , and she wants to dive maybe once a day, shopping and stuff the rest, im trying to decide beofre spending all this money, if she will be happy there, as for myself as well, im trying to decide if bonaire is the right place, or maybe somthing with more life on the island, im still alittle confused and time is running out, they have the 2 last spots open, and i have to let them know by this friday, im still thinking of a cruise liner that is 5 days, or so, and leaves outta FL, and has enough time when it stops in port to dive, at least 2-3 differnt days at differnt ports, is there much life on the island of bonaire other then diving for the wifes to do?

 

[Damselfish]

Not much shopping and stuff on Bonaire either. Think "nature" activities - birdwatching, windsurfing, mountain biking, a little sightseeing, falling asleep in a book between dives. Most divers love Bonaire and it's worth checking out if you haven't been there, but think dive and vegetate.

There's other choices with more wrecks, shopping, and activity. Aruba comes to mind.

 

[salunra]

Truthfully.... my opinion is that there is not much to do on Bonaire other than dive.
There is a little shopping plaza in Kralendijk (or however the dutch spelled it , but you can go through that in no time. You can see the flamigos, and feed the donkeys.... but the island is mostly a desert. Theres no real trees, just scrub brush. And no real sandy beaches. There is a casino. But the diving is *fantastic*.

Now cruises.... yeah, there will be a lot to do. But the diving will probably suck. We did a cruise two years ago. We dove in both St. Thomas and St. Croix. In one they didnt even take us anywhere to dive, just had us dive off the pier where the cruise ship docked. And the other was a rush job with too many people.

Maybe try to split the difference and go to Grand Cayman or Cozumel or something.

good luck,
Moon

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Not much shopping and stuff on Bonaire either. Think "nature" activities - birdwatching, windsurfing, mountain biking, a little sightseeing, falling asleep in a book between dives. Most divers love Bonaire and it's worth checking out if you haven't been there, but think dive and vegetate.

There's other choices with more wrecks, shopping, and activity. Aruba comes to mind.

Hmm Aruba i heard is nice, see hears the prob, we live in FL, and goto the keys about every other month, dive, vegetate, relaxe, and so on, we been to barbodos, and loved it, good diving, nice island, and had a good time, lots to do, im wondering if there is enough to keep the wifes busy for a week there besides diving, my wife will maybe dive once a day, my friends wife is a none diver, we havnt taken a trip over seas like this one in a clp of years, so i just want to make the right choice thanks for the info so far

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Truthfully.... my opinion is that there is not much to do on Bonaire other than dive.
There is a little shopping plaza in Kralendijk (or however the dutch spelled it , but you can go through that in no time. You can see the flamigos, and feed the donkeys.... but the island is mostly a desert. Theres no real trees, just scrub brush. And no real sandy beaches. There is a casino. But the diving is *fantastic*.

Now cruises.... yeah, there will be a lot to do. But the diving will probably suck. We did a cruise two years ago. We dove in both St. Thomas and St. Croix. In one they didnt even take us anywhere to dive, just had us dive off the pier where the cruise ship docked. And the other was a rush job with too many people.

Maybe try to split the difference and go to Grand Cayman or Cozumel or something.

good luck,
Moon

thanks, i was thinking of myself jumping on a live aboard, and for " US " maybe somthing like Mexico, of one of the Sandels resorts, hmmm, so many places to go, lol, this is a full time job, lol

 

[salunra]

:laughs:: Tell me about it. It tooks us 6 weeks to decide where we were going and we both had the same list of criteria.

good luck,
Moon