tips for Bonaire newbies traveling with Bonaire veterans?

[Lorenzoid]

I'm part of a loosely organized group who visit Bonaire almost every year, though the exact composition of the group varies slightly from year to year. So, for example, this year we have a couple of people in our group who have never been to Bonaire and aren't very experienced divers period. Others in the group have been there many more times than I have. So the question is:

What packing tips or other tips might we, their travel and diving companions, consider mentioning to them? There are dozens of threads from Bonaire newbies asking for tips, but our newbies don't need advice on restaurants or specific dive sites, they aren't the drivers of our rental trucks, and we're all set with lodging and dive packages. So far, I have thought of the following:

- bring hard-soled boots [this perennial nugget is what prompted me to consider whether there are more such tips that might be useful]
- plan not to leave anything of value in the truck--maybe bring a waterproof case for money, and consider what you will wear to/from the dive sites
- links to dive site maps to get a feel for where we will be going
- bring dollars, as the official currency is the dollar and you may not want to use ATMs [though I don't think they really need general travel tips like this, as we're all familiar with international travel in general]

Anything else?

 

[djtimmy77]

We bring floppy hats and lightweight long sleeved shirts (like Columbia PFG) to wear between dives to help reduce sun exposure. We "risk" this being gone when we get back to the truck, but worth the "risk" and no issues yet.

If they are prone to sea sickness due to surge, bring appropriate medication. Counter intuitively I have to take Dramamine in Bonaire for the surge even though I have only been on a single boat dive there.

On our last trip we used a luggage scale at home and had a little extra weight left to use, so we packed items such as crystal light, uncooked pasta, spices, etc for cooking in our room to reduce our grocery bill. We used the crystal light to make post-dive beverages in re-used plastic bottles. We don't tend to eat out much in Bonaire, rather spend the time charging batteries, cleaning O-rings, relaxing, and eating simple meals in our room.

The place we stay has a bunch of old OJ bottles that they fill with water for you to throw in the back of the truck for a quick post-dive camera rinse. If your lodging doesn't have this consider getting your hands on a bottle for this, it is nice for peace of mind and may reduce the amount of camera maintenance back in the room.

I'll bring some money and credit card on my dives, they stay safely in my board shorts pocket (wet) if we need to buy something, it dries quickly!

General international travel tips:

Call their credit card company and tell them they are going to be in Bonaire and the dates, and to only accept charges on Bonaire for certain things (hotel, gas, food) and not in other countries while you are there. If you need to make a charge you didn't specify you can call the CC company and let them know.

I'd actually rather go to an ATM at a local bank then carry around a ton of extra cash.

If you have good wifi where you are staying, paying the $2.99 for Skype calls to the US phones can easily be worth it if you want to check in with family.

 

[boat sju]

Wear your jammer shorts into the shower to wash them every few days. Easier to tell them before it becomes necessary.

Since you're going as a group I don't think forgetting something will be an issue for them. Otherwise, I'd suggest a tire inflater and an smb (occasionally used to mark an exit). Maybe tell them they only need to bring a couple of small lights and they really don't need very many clothes. I think taking powdered gatorade is a good idea. Easier than buying it on the island. Picking up a good size water bottle in the airport is another suggestion.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks. I think those of us who have been there before will take care of the food and beverage details and such. And it's not like the new people are not seasoned international travelers--I think they know to call their credit card companies, how to use Skype, etc. They just haven't been to Bonaire. They also may not have done any shore diving before--their experience is probably boat diving. I know my first trip to Bonaire was the first time I had tried shore diving. Since I wasn't with a more experienced companion, I had plenty to learn about that. But on this trip we will all be together when we head out to dive, or at least the new people will always be some subset of the rest of us.

 

[DiverVince]

bug spray and a high SPF sunblock. If you plan on diving a lot, go to the local botika in town and
purchase several bottles of diver drops and use prophylactically.

 

[hroark2112]

Get yourself some cheap sunglasses. I buy mine from the local welding gas supply place, tinted safety glasses for $6.95 a pair. If they get stolen or broken, no worries.

Pack light. I pack less & less every trip and I still come home with stuff I didn't wear.

If you're a caffeine addict like I am, bring Excedrine migraine. It's got enough caffeine to get you over the headaches the first day or two, and then you can drink plenty of water & juice to stay hydrated.

Get a copy of Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. It's a good book for beginners, it will give you some good pointers on the different dive sites.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I offered them my copy of BSDME to read on the plane. So far, no takers. Slackers!

 

[gypsyjim]

Copy all of your documents, from passports, to ID's, to dive certs, to health insurance documentation, and then send those copies in an email to yourself. That way if any important documents are lost it is possible to retrieve copies from almost anywhere in the world that you can get internet access.

It is also wise to do this with any travel or hotel vouchers you have received for the trip, in case you need to verify prior arrangements.

This can be a real trip saver anywhere you travel.

 

[darook]

I find the salt, heat and humidity tends to get me a little chafey in sensitive areas so like to bring some baby powder or other talc to help with that. I also bring crystal light energy to get some caffeine going in the morning. Ear drops are critical to avoid swimmers ear if you are diving a ton.

 

[redacted]

No eatin' britches required. Leave the long pants at home.