Easiest dive site entries?

[ScubaERDoc]

Just got in to Bonaire for the first time yesterday morning. We were super excited to be in the water so immediately went to dive Andrea I close to our rental. Unfortunately it may have been either our tiredness because of the flight or our lack of knowledge on where the best entry was but my girlfriend had some difficult getting in and out

What are the absolutely easiest dive sites for dummy proof entries? Looking at shore diving.com it seems like windsock and Pink beach are very easy. Any other suggestions?

 

[gbf]

Bari reef. If not diving with BDA don't use their dock. Park just south of den laman. Walk down the path and walk in directly in front of DL.

Witches hut. Concrete steps to the beach then walk in

Salt pier, if no ship. Park and Get in on the west/ north side.

Pink beach has/had a sand channel to walk in.

Oil slick. Jump in, climb ladder out.

 

[tkaelin]

House reefs at Buddys and Capt Dons. Second on Bari Reef. All close by.

 

[uncfnp]

As I recall the Andrea II was easy, a concrete ramp to water, but wasn't too impressed with the reef.

 

[KeithG]

As indicated above, the absolute easiest sites are the reefs in front of the resorts (you can add divi to the list). Some (many, all?) will want payment of a dive fee. After all, they do have to maintain the dock and ladder. And it may mean that you do not have to drag your tank all the way from the parking lot.

We stay at the divi and the dock entry is very easy. About 12 ft deep flat sand bottom with 2 sloping ladders for exit. Entry is either giant stride (5 foot drop?) and via ladder.

There is also a public set of concrete steps just to the north of the divi.

 

[uncfnp]

Also the entry at Dive Friends at Hamlet wasn't too bad with an excellent reef, good parking nearby and no fee.

 

[wwguy]

- Bari Reef: walk-in shore dive, free access from road off of the traffic circle.
- Front Porch: same as Bari Reef above, only enter from the south end of the vacant lot (near Eden Beach Resort.)
- Something Special: walk-in shore dive, free access, make sure you don't block any private driveways etc. when you park.
- ChaChaCha Beach: walk-in shore dive, free access.
- 18th Palm: Plaza Resort house reef, walk-in shore dive, easy to gear up in the parking lot and then walk in. Free access, but it's polite to check in with the Plaza activity center near the entry.
- Bachelor Beach: ladder/stairs entry from ironshore to the water.

The water entry at Andrea I is a ways from the parking area, near the shade structures. Last winter it was marked with a yellow rock near the waterline.

IMHO Pink Beach is a long walk to the water from where you have to park. Earlier this month I noticed someone (Cargill?) has been excavating and grading old coral along the shoreline and on top of the little hill where the palm trees are. It's not an attractive place to hang out and swim like it used to be.

 

[jimw]

The last time I did it, Buddy's was free and let one use the dive locker area. Habitat was $5.00 and worth it, especially to the north--Cliff. But it's been a few years............

Since Dive Friends has a more permanent shop now overlooking Cliff and a fairly large parking area and is free on top of all that--I would try there! We walked over there from Habitat last April and they have some rock stairs down to the rocky beach now. Something Special at Dive Friends in town is about as easy an entry as Buddy/Habitat as well. Parking, maybe not so easy but available.

 

[herman]

The easiest entry other than the resorts is by far Windsock. It is very easy and you have a lot of leeway to miss your exact entry/exit point. Oil Slick is also easy but in a different way, you can giant stride in and exit up a ladder or use the ladder for both.

 

[diver 85]

Bachelor's Beach was an awfully easy entry.....

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