Two questions about LDS Bonaire Trip, please

[b1gcountry]

I don't dive a tank unless I know it's CO free - not playing that roulette game again.

The first guy off the boat is my CO tester

 

[driftwood]

Don,

Sure you will have a great trip, leave the windows down, relax and enjoy. You know this, but for the benefit of others, check out Bonaire Talk - The place to discuss everything and anything about Bonaire!, Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, BSDME, Author Susan Porter, the two best resources for the island/diving.

On your last day, visit the donkey sanctuary. A great cause that we should all support.

BTW, the locals do know the value of scuba gear and will take anything just on the chance it is worth something (including log books). Also, they know how to get it off the island.

 

[DandyDon]

The first guy off the boat is my CO tester

There are several reasons why that would not be a dependable approach.

I emailed Buddy's about their air testing and monitoring. I was pleasantly surprised at the response...

Quote:
Hi Don,

I got your email inquiring some information regarding our filling
station filtering system and 02 analyzer.

We check our air/nitrox every four months with Trace Analitycs in
Texas , we have from L& W Puracon inline sensor and we use three
industrial filtering system (Blue Solution from Germany)for air and
nitrox that guarantee the quality of our gases.

For Nitrox testing we have the NRC hand held analyzer and the Nuvair
that together with a inline pressure tester makes the procees easier
and faster.

Hope that the information listed above answer all your questions.

regards

Augusto Montbrun
Dive Operations Manager
Buddy Dive Resort
Bonaire

I'll still take my monitors the first day; may not after that. But wouldn't it be nice to receive an email like that from every operator...?

 

[scubajcf]

Dove with Buddy Dive last September.

Decent dive operation and WOULD DEFINITELY go back again to Buddy (can't say the same about Capt. Don's the year prior).

However, in regards to Nitrox: I would take my own Analyzer. Line for Analyzer was long during peak times. Especially if you are boat diving and everyone is leaving at the same time. Do not leave the analyzer in your truck. Take it back to your room when done.

Our group experienced long waits for Nitrox Bottles (and sometimes Air). People are only supposed to grab two bottles at a time, however it seemed everyone was loading up their trucks and there were several times we would go to the shed and there would be no bottles. Then when people did return them. The staff would have to hurry to fill them (while you waited). It was a bit frustrating. Didn't ruin the trip. I would hope that Buddy Dive get a few more bottles.

jcf

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks for the heads-up. The testers are both small and in Pelican boxes so for boat dives - use them and take them with me. For shore dives - back to the room.

I'll ask the group leader about having to wait for tanks. Might resort to bribing an employee to hold mine.

 

[herman]

For what it's worth Don, that is the kind of responce I would have expected out of the staff at Buddy. Augusto is a really nice guy as is all the staff. One of the many reasons Buddy has such a following. Even when I am not staying at Buddy, I drop just to say hello, the staff will become old friends quickly. How long is it to July anyway??

 

[driftwood]

Thanks for the heads-up. The testers are both small and in Pelican boxes so for boat dives - use them and take them with me. For shore dives - back to the room.

I'll ask the group leader about having to wait for tanks. Might resort to bribing an employee to hold mine.

Buddy's has two fill stations, at the drive through and by the dock. If not one then try the other. Also, on our last trip they seemed to have about 2/3 of the tanks with Nitrox. We never had a problem getting air.

 

[dartref]

Hi Don,

For comparison purposes...three of us stayed at Den Lamen in January. We paid $925 for a two room condo that included the truck, nitrox, and 6 boat dives. For four of us, it would have been about $750 each. The airfare out of Houston was about $550. We drove from Dallas 1- to save the extra airfare, 2- to have less chance of lost luggage, and 3- so we could arrive and depart Houston when we wanted to. Also, the Continental terminal is practically dead after 9:00pm and good luck finding anything decent to eat there!

 

[DandyDon]

Hi Don,

For comparison purposes...three of us stayed at Den Lamen in January. We paid $925 for a two room condo that included the truck, nitrox, and 6 boat dives. For four of us, it would have been about $750 each. The airfare out of Houston was about $550. We drove from Dallas 1- to save the extra airfare, 2- to have less chance of lost luggage, and 3- so we could arrive and depart Houston when we wanted to. Also, the Continental terminal is practically dead after 9:00pm and good luck finding anything decent to eat there!

Thanks! I don't think you'll ever see that fare again. For these dates, Cont Air is quoting $745 IAH-BON; there might be cheaper fares available, but not that much. The cheapest fares out of Lubbock are $812 if one is not at all picky about when and how long of layover. BTW, no way am I sitting around the terminal for hours. The group leader is not encouraging this as some of the people are not experienced travelers and could screw up, but I'll do my long layover at the Marriott or a restaurant on JFK with free shuttle. For the return at that price, there would be an overnight in IAH so I'd head for the JFK hotel as soon as I cleared customs. 20 hours at IAH - oh joy! But no way ever will I drive from Plainview almost 600 miles to/from IAH.

The plane tickets for better times are more higher, and it may be that the dive shop has enough seats held on the LBB to IAH that afternoon to affect fares for others. To take the late afternoon flight out of LBB and return to LBB on Saturday rather than Sunday - even with a lonnnng layover - jumps to $1100.

We could use multiple airlines as much as I hate that and do it for a little less, get back a little earlier, and kill the leftover time with extra plane changes: IAH, Tyler :11: and DFW to LBB. :silly:

But Sunday evening has to be the worst time to shop for flights. I'll keep playing with it...

 

[scubawife]

When looking at airfare now Bonaire or Curacao for anytime after August, keep in mind that AA is reducing their Caribbean connectors out of San Juan and their service for US cities to San Juan is also going to see cuts. Some of their Bonaire and Curacao flights for Sept and forward out of San Juan have already been cut from the schedule. CO has eliminated Curacao service (for now they say it's just out for Aug 30 - Dec 20, but if they bring it back then I won't be surprised if it's only over the Dec/Jan holiday travel period). Air Jamaica is also talking about route cuts and reducing some service to within the Caribbean out of Jamaica.