First time in Bonaire - Advise/Recommendations Appreciated

[drrich2]

Shore diving the east coast can be difficult; check out this thread, A Whole New Cai!, for a professionally guided dive I did with Bas Tol (BasDiving.com), that went far better than when a buddy & I tried it alone on a previous trip. Highly recommended.

Richard.

 

[Scott from LongIsland]

I am not sure if the east side is really a great idea for someone with 50-99 dives who is on their first trip to Bonaire.

 

[uncfnp]

I am not sure if the east side is really a great idea for someone with 50-99 dives who is on their first trip to Bonaire.

I can't agree with this. Of course the diver makes the difference not the dive count but I don't recall the east side boat dives as anything all that remarkable. Some experience with surge and drift is helpful but I don't think required by any means and I don't think we went past 80 feet with any of our dives so depth is not an issue.

Now east side shore dives are a little different. Depending on entry and conditions it can be a challenge but diving with a guide like Bas it is still very feasible. He does ask experience and I think he will make dive site selection based on this or even cancel if he doesn't feel you or the weather are up to the dive.

 

[RJP]

I am not sure if the east side is really a great idea for someone with 50-99 dives who is on their first trip to Bonaire.

Good thing no one told me that before I did the East side of Bonaire with only about 50 dives on my first trip to Bonaire.

It's called "the wild side" for one reason... marketing.

 

[TinFins]

Good thing no one told me that before I did the East side of Bonaire with only about 50 dives on my first trip to Bonaire.

It's called "the wild side" for one reason... marketing.

I'm glad it worked out well for you, though if the conditions become heavy during the dive and/or you don't get back to the proper exit point it can be VERY dangerous. I guess I shouldn't make a blanket statement of the whole coast of an island... But the southeast shore can be life threatening to someone with less than enough experience.

 

[RJP]

But the southeast shore can be life threatening to someone with less than enough experience.

Any dive can be life-threatening to someone with less than enough experience.

 

[TinFins]

Any dive can be life-threatening to someone with less than enough experience.

That's my point, to someone who isn't so great with underwater navigation, or can't predict the local weather, shore diving a shore like that of Southeast Bonaire CAN be dangerous. Before you say ANY dive can be dangerous, this is in the context of someone looking for general advice on a first trip to the island.

For those who learned to dive on the shores of NORTHERN California in the winter, danger has a different meaning than to those who only boat dive in Belize.

 

[aconerly2788]

Rest assured, I am a very safety minded diver. I have done my research and have done lots of reading on the "wild side". I feel that with all of the different sites Bonaire has to offer, we will spend the entirety of our trip on the West side. I am well versed in underwater navigation, being from south Louisiana, a lot of my diving has been done is very low viz situations where good navigation skills is a necessity. I would say my navigation skills could easily rival those of a diver with hundreds of dives who has never left the comfort of clear waters. I have also dived in 7' seas and strong currents, deep dives, night dives. I am very much a student of diving. With that being said though, as I stated before, I am a VERY safety minded diver and would not put myself in any situation I am not comfortable with. If we do decide to dive the east, it will more than likely be with a guide. Thanks for recommending BAS, I will definitely look him up if we decide to take a walk on the wild side ;-)

 

[Scott from LongIsland]

Good thing no one told me that before I did the East side of Bonaire with only about 50 dives on my first trip to Bonaire.

It's called "the wild side" for one reason... marketing.

Congrats on your macho bravery! you must be an amazing diver!

Have you dove Boca Onima or Boca Spelonk? I don't think you have b/c if so you wouldn't have made such an ignorant comment. Cai can be docile and also quite challenging. Look into past accident reports...

and who is marketing the east side? surely not Bas.

 

[TinFins]

Rest assured, I am a very safety minded diver. I have done my research and have done lots of reading on the "wild side". I feel that with all of the different sites Bonaire has to offer, we will spend the entirety of our trip on the West side. I am well versed in underwater navigation, being from south Louisiana, a lot of my diving has been done is very low viz situations where good navigation skills is a necessity. I would say my navigation skills could easily rival those of a diver with hundreds of dives who has never left the comfort of clear waters. I have also dived in 7' seas and strong currents, deep dives, night dives. I am very much a student of diving. With that being said though, as I stated before, I am a VERY safety minded diver and would not put myself in any situation I am not comfortable with. If we do decide to dive the east, it will more than likely be with a guide. Thanks for recommending BAS, I will definitely look him up if we decide to take a walk on the wild side ;-)

If you send Bas a note now, he will put you down on his calendar as potential. We were there for over a week and there was not one day it was calm enough to go out. But if you're on his list he will send you an email while you're there to alert you to good conditions.