tips for Bonaire newbies traveling with Bonaire veterans?

[SharksAreFriends]

Let me take a stab...

Here are things that might surprise new-to-Bonaire divers and how to plan ahead:

- Ask the new divers to read the Bonaire Marine Park Rules before departing. Highlight #1) No gloves allowed unless a diver has a doctor's note. Get a doctor's note ahead of time if anyone needs gloves for medical reasons. Highlight #2) The orientation dive is mandatory, so incorporate that into your dive schedule.

- Give the newbies in your group a run-down of how the transition from diving to lunch/surface interval works. E.g. Explain that there are no showers during surface intervals unless you plan to go back to your resort or are dock diving from certain places like Bari Reef. They should be prepared to rinse off by pouring a cup of water (which they should bring themselves) over their faces in the parking lot between dives. Also, tell them that most sites don't have bathrooms. Shocking I know, but there are anti ocean-as-toilet folks out there, as well as ultra-spoiled divers who have only used marble bathrooms during surface intervals! If you're planning on going straight from dive site to lunch, bring clothes that you can easily put on over your wet bathing suit and allow you to dine in comfort. If you're planning to go to a fancier air-conditioned restaurant during your surface interval, plan your outfit in advance so you won't wet the seats with your wet bathing suit. Or bring a change of bottoms

- Explain how your dive op works when it comes to getting tanks, setting up gear, switching out tanks, and returning gear every day. If it's mostly DIY, tell your newbies what that entails. If they've only done valet boat diving, this will all be new news! E.g. Tell them: "You'll have to bring your gear X meters from your room to the truck. There might be some steps, so you might want to tote everything in one bag for easy transport. Then you have to walk another X meters to pick up your Nitrox tank; you have to analyze the tank, sign it out, then carry the tank X meters to your truck. Then we'll drive X minutes to the dive site. When we get there, you'll put on your wetsuit and set up your gear on the side of the road. No one will be there to put your gear together. Remember during OW training when you had to put your BCD on your tank? You have to do that yourself in Bonaire unless you hire a dive butler" etc. etc.

- Bring a rugged camera that will work on land and at depth. As a newbie, I didn't bring my GoPro because I wanted to focus on my diving, but I really would have liked to have taken some shots of the fun shore entries/exits at the least.

- Are your Bonaire newbies physically fit? Can they carry their own gear on land? Are they good swimmers? Prep them on how long surface swims might be, or how far they have to walk with their gear from point A to point B. People with back/joint problems might not be up for carrying their gear up and down "1,000" steps.

I think the main thing to hammer home with Bonaire newbies is that DIY diving might seem challenging if they hadn't done it before, but it's really super easy, as everyone else has said, and the DIY stuff is all part of the adventure & fun. If they seem nervous and not ready to dive without DMs, I'd recommend encouraging them do some guided dives or to get their AOW certification. (Go with VIP Diving — amazing dive op + the best dive butlers ever! If you're not convinced, just check out their Tripadvisor reviews.)

As a fairly new diver myself, these articles were super helpful:
- From SportDiver: Shore diving tips
- From DAN: Diving tips for the new diver
- From ScubaDiving Mag: Perfect buoyancy on every dive (If the newbies scratch their heads after reading this, encourage them to take the Peak Performance Buoyancy course.)

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
An ex Bonaire newbie about to bring one of those spoiled divers I mentioned to Bonaire

 

[Lorenzoid]

You can certainly focus your question, but you can't control the responses, so lighten up! You want to know what first-timers on Bonaire need to know, that your many-timers have not already passed on. Get serious! How the hell do we know what you know and have passed on?

You don't and can't know--and again I apologize for making the question difficult--but the idea is to make a list for our group's new additions now (before we leave) of things they might need to know NOW for planning/packing purposes, not things we can tell them when we get there or while diving, etc. People are suggesting dive sites and restaurants, bringing sunscreen and alerting their credit card companies! There are plenty of previous threads on dive sites and restaurants, and anyone who travels abroad knows about credit cards and such--that applies anywhere in the world.

 

[drrich2]

...but the idea is to make a list for our group's new additions now (before we leave) of things they might need to know NOW for planning/packing purposes...

I hear you, and I keep trying to figure out is there anything that goes in the suitcase that's unusual for traveling/diving destinations. The over the counter med.s & an o-ring kit and scuba tool are the only things that spring to mind.

If you will be using underwater slates to jot down notes on things you see on dives, or start & end gas pressures, or to communicate underwater, take a tip from Dive Gear Express, and get yourself a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I bought a box and it was cheap and the thing works wonderfully.

Are they used to night diving at other destinations? It's so easy in Bonaire that bringing along a favored dive light is highly recommended. But don't bring chemical light sticks; I think they're forbidden.

Remind them to keep their marine park fee paper receipt for free entry to Washington-Slabgaii Park and so save $10 if they go. I assume they already know to be sure to put dive knives in checked luggage, not carry on.

I keep my gear in the resort room. If you guys will use the community gear room at a resort, do they want to mark their gear with some kind of permanent marker, engraved metal dog tags, etc…? You can buy Moisture Munchers at Buddy Dive's dive shop for your camera cases, if needed.

If anyone wants to do some solo diving, they can rent a pony tank at Buddy's, or Rek Tec Scuba (at Captain Don's), probably some other places.

Band aides to cover abrasions are useful. The no gloves thing doesn't' sound like a big deal, but at some sites the iron shore/rocks are quite sharp, and you need to put hands on some of it to get in & out where there's a step off (I'm thinking of one of the southern sites), plus getting out surge can move you back & forth (which is how I got nailed on the calf by fire coral). Putting triple antibiotic on a wound & a band aid on top of it isn't a guarantee against infection, but maybe it would help. I bought a pack of band aids at Zhung Kong Supermarket, but the counter lady didn't know them by that name.

Don't assume soda refills are free at restaurants. I load up on a case of diet soda at the grocery store, then get water at restaurants, my soda fix at the room.

As you exit a dive site, point out chitons to them on the iron shore above the water. Easy to ignore, neat to see. Oil Slick Leap is a good place to see them on exit.

Make sure if anybody usually packs a spear to nail lion fish they know they can't use it unless they do a course and are with a DM or some such; there's a regulation would-be lion-killers will need to know about.

On the surface interval shower & lunch thing. Here's my work flow. Take 2 tanks/person, roughly, maybe 1 spare for the group. Head north and do 2 dives. Go back to resort to change tanks out & while there get quick rinse shower & eat lunch. Head south and do 2 dives. Come back, shower, eat supper, do gear rinse if not night diving. Haul gear back to room.

Richard.

 

[Jersey]

My #1 suggestion - you can't drink enough water. Proximity to equator, constant drying wind and poof you are dehydrated, don't feel well and miss a dive. Second a bunch above - rash guard with SPF, they dry quick and prevent sunburn. Cooler. Money for snacks or drinks after shore diving.

Shore diving specifics - if anyone has physical limitations, you can carry their gear out, float BC, clip mask, fins,let them wade or float out and don gear in water. On exiting keep mask on face and regulator in mouth until you are on terra firma. I've been victim to that last minute wave turning me a** over tea kettle. Full face plant, topsy turvy, hauled up and out when my buddy grabbed my tank valve. Reg in mouth saved me eating sand (though I was still rinsing it from gear for a week). Walk down an entry point before you gear up. Let the strongest diver lead.

I bring a power strip as some places are short outlets. This lets us designate a table or area to keep and charge stuff. Nightlife on the island is sparse. Wander over to the soccer stadium in Kralendjik to see a game or practice. During games they sell food and beverages and it can be quite the party.

 

[deedeediver]

Bring bug spray

 

[gypsyjim]

Amen to that!

 

[Lorenzoid]

Bring bug spray

And that IS a good pre-trip tip for the Bonaire newbies in our group, since the rest of us may not have brought enough to go around. Other items in this category, some of which others here have thoughtfully mentioned: sunscreen (preferably reef-friendly), defog/baby shampoo, swimmer's ear solution, medications, first-aid items, Woolite, powdered sports drink, energy bars.

 

[hroark2112]

Better than bug spray!!


Mosquitno

My wife gets eaten up by mosquitoes anywhere, unless she has these on. They're cheap and smell better than DEET.

 

[gbf]

And that IS a good pre-trip tip for the Bonaire newbies in our group, since the rest of us may not have brought enough to go around. Other items in this category, some of which others here have thoughtfully mentioned: sunscreen (preferably reef-friendly), defog/baby shampoo, swimmer's ear solution, medications, first-aid items, Woolite, powdered sports drink, energy bars.

Not only bring spray, but put some wipes in your carry-on. We did one of the early am arrivals (once and only-not for us) during a relatively wet time and were nearly consumed in the baggage area.

 

[jimw]

Check any electric devices for power compatability. Bonaire power is 127v/50 cycle. Check chargers, laptop power adapter, blender:cool2:, should you bring one!