Info on Bonaire in Sept

[Reefraff2]

This will be my first trip to Bonaire so any and all information will be of great help. I am looking at staying at a place called the Sanddollar resort. Has anyone stayed there? They offer a dive package so I take it that they have a boat on site. What are some of the pros and cons. Also what is the weather and oceans conditions like for mid Sept. Temps ,viz, ect? Thanks for any help in my planning for this trip.

 

[robint]

This will be my first trip to Bonaire so any and all information will be of great help. I am looking at staying at a place called the Sanddollar resort. Has anyone stayed there? They offer a dive package so I take it that they have a boat on site. What are some of the pros and cons. Also what is the weather and oceans conditions like for mid Sept. Temps ,viz, ect? Thanks for any help in my planning for this trip.

you should do a SEARCH on Sand Dollar... there are thousands of posts about it here on SB.
also, Bonaire doesn't change much year-round. Water temp should be 80-82, air temp 90s but with a constant breeze.

 

[reefdiva]

This will be my first trip to Bonaire so any and all information will be of great help. I am looking at staying at a place called the Sanddollar resort. Has anyone stayed there? They offer a dive package so I take it that they have a boat on site. What are some of the pros and cons. Also what is the weather and oceans conditions like for mid Sept. Temps ,viz, ect? Thanks for any help in my planning for this trip.

The winds usually die down in September so the air is hotter. Also, some restaurants close for a few weeks in September. SandDollar does indeed have boats as well as gear lockers close to the dock. For shore diving there are tanks near the parking lot of the dive shop. The reef in front of SandDollar has lots of diversity! Also, at SD you are in walking distance to Lover's Ice Cream, a small convenience store and Chat and Browse where you can have internet access or rent a phone. You will want to have hard soled booties for any shore diving as the entries are mostly rocky.

Some other helpful websites:
Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, BSDME, Author Susan Porter for information on purchasing Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. The guide is a great help, loaded with lots of info.

Bonaire Talk - The place to discuss everything and anything about Bonaire! which is a forum loaded with info on everything Bonaire.

 

[Bosun]

September is a hot month often with wind reversals as weather systems pass by. Water temp can be up to 84. Coral Spawning should happen from the 18th to 24th Sept. If you are there then try lots of night dives. If you want to see a schedule of what may hapen when look at 2008 Coral Spawn and Love Our Planet Week | Habitat Bonaire

Have a great trip, we are trying to get to plan our Coral Spawning trip but it is difficult as we have to plan around our very elderly dog, so we will have book last minute.

 

[herman]

Check out this thread. It is on Den Laman but they share the same dock and dive shop as SD so the photos of the dock area will be of interest to you. The photos out over the water are actually the waters edge of SD. SD is the resort with the red tile roofs in the right hand side of the photos.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/abc-islands/238928-den-laman-bonaire-4.html

 

[CLEAR BLUE]

Don't even worry about boat dives. Bonaire is all about shore diving! Ditto on the hard soled booties. You'll have a great time!

 

[texas-buzzard]

Also checkout The Bonaire Insider - The latest independent tourism news from the Caribbean island of Bonaire - Home Page, this is their local news paper with lots of current info.
Bonaire has been named top dive destination on many occasions. We will be there in late Aug.

 

[Bonairetrip]

I would also suggest infobonaire.comand bonairetalk.com for more info. That time of year, I typically get water temps of around 82 (sometimes with a thermocline of several degrees down deeper).

Plus what reefdiva said.

 

[diversteve]

One big Pro: Sand Dollar is located on Bari Reef, the #1 site for diverse fish species in the Caribbean. Bonaire Dive & Adventure - their on site operator shared with Den Laman - has naturalists on staff and does REEF fish surveys.

One small Con: The Sand Dollar pool is behind the condos in their parking lot.