Bonaire with new teen diver

[erincherie]

Hello all! My 14 yr old daughter has finally decided she is ready to get certified. Hubby and I are considering Bonaire this summer for our first family dive trip due to the abundance of shallow shore dives and usually calm conditions. She will be doing her cert and check out dives here in the States before the trip. Can anyone with experience with teen/new divers offer advice? Is there anywhere else in the Caribbean I should consider? Thanks in advance for your feedback and suggestions.

 

[AdivingBel]

CocoView, Curacao, Key Largo...Have fun

 

[scubadada]

Both my kids were certified at 12 on Grand Cayman and their initial dives were there. While they were still teenagers they dived Bonaire, Key Largo, Cozumel, Little Cayman, Turks and Caicos, Maui, and Guanacaste CR. The walls in T&C start a bit deep for a very young, inexperienced diver

 

[Charred]

My, at the time 12 year old, did Elearning and then check out dives in Cozumel. She has been diving for 2 years now at Cozumel. Coincidently, there was another 14 year old on our dive boat who had been diving Cozumel for 4 years. There was also a 25 year old on the boat with her Dad who had been diving Cozumel for 10 years. You see a lot of families on boats at Cozumel.

I think concerns about current at Cozumel are overrated because you just float with it. The advantage is you have a DM with you on the boat dives if you so desire. The other advantage is better top side activities; pools, beach clubs, fun restaurants. I'm not convinced teens want to just dive all day. I do worry about too much diving burning them out.

That being said, my youngest is getting certified next summer and its down to Bonaire or Cozumel. I'll let her choose. I am kind of hoping she picks Bonaire because I haven't been in 2 years but I won't mind either way.

 

[GrafCanuck]

Did my O/W 3 years ago in Curacao with Go West Diving. Had really good instructors and overall had a blast. Have been to Curacao multiple times and highly recommended for a balanced vacation including excellent shore and boat diving, along with great beaches and the nicest city in the Caribbean - Willemstad. Was in Bonaire a few weeks ago for our 2nd visit. Completed my AOW but this time with a private instructor. Personally, I'd highly recommend the private instructor route. Check out www.BonScuba.com. Bonaire is a diver's island. Few beaches and the town is quaint for a brief visit. Bonaire can get a little busy with 1-2 cruise ships in port given that it is roughly 1/2 the size of Curacao. Bonaire is a little cheaper to dive but can be a little pricey to fly to. Have stayed at Divi and most recently at Captain Don's. Next year will be looking for a different place to stay as neither place wowed me. They were ok, say a 3 star, but neither did any one thing really really good.

Either island is a good choice for any level of diver. My 2 cents.

 

[diversteve]

Curacao will prove to be better than Bonaire for a teen.

The diving is the same, low current, lots of coral, lots of fish. A big difference is that most of the beaches are also dive sites with onsite facilities
NONE are on Bonaire and many entries are rough and require picking your way over ironshore and coral rubble both on shore and in the water. It's razor sharp and collects urchins which live in the holes you step in.

Honestly the diving is so similar that I told my friends once on the surface at Sunset Waters (Cueacao) - "congratulations, you've just seen Bonaire"

It's easier/cheaper to get to. There's a whole lot more for a 14 yr old to do in town and if the farther from town, the quieter it gets - noticeably quickly. Many hotels also offer dive packages but unlike Bonaire there's only 3-4 dedicated dive resorts.

It's actually more green on Curacao also, Bonaire really is a desert island - mostly scrub, cactus everywhere. Around Christoffel Park mid-Curacao its actually a forest with big trees - and hiking.

More/better shopping, Nightlife if you can leave her. Even some of the local fast food chains like McD's on Curacao. We eat at a Denny's in Piscadera Bay b4 shore diving nearby.

The diving is just better. A lot of South Bonaire is the same - it's the same reef 500 yds. away.

The Tugboat is a signature Curacao dive - it's 17' deep. The pier next to it is 40' Arguably ome of the best dives west is Playa Kalki, maybe 60' max and a lot to see in 30'. Nice facility at Go West - lockers, clean, a dive dock that takes you 50' closer to the reef.

Really Great Parents would pop for the Dolphin Dive - it's done in shallow water off Lions Dive/Ocean Encounters. Almost an hour w/3 dolphins who seem to like it as much as the divers. $200pp.

If I'm currently showing it - one of my avatars is from there.

www.curacao.com has everything you need to know
Willemstad is the reiongal port so there's more activity there. the famous Swinging Bridge betweeen the 2 downtown areas. Ostrich Farm, Sea Aquarium, beach clubs, casinos for the adults and good restaurants all over - many waterfront. There is more cruise traffic there since the Megapier is just north of downtown but you don't see them much. People are super friendly and if you see the girls in school uniforms, ask them for directions (even if you know) they love to show off their English. Fun for both parties

 

[diversteve]

Cocoview is good if you want to bore the crap out of her when not in the water. Anthony's Key is a little better since they have dolphin programs and a pool. Barefoot Cay is more upscale. All 3 are pretty isolated though except the West End is 10mins from AKR. None have a great beach either - too many sand flies and they bite hard. Roatan flights are more but everything else is a lot cheaper than anywhere else in the Carib Dives are all boat dives unless you stay at one of the 4-5 AI resorts with a shore dive out front. We paid $30/dive - I understand it's $35 now.A new diverwould see a lot above 60' also except the deep wrecks near AKR. They also have a dolphin program for guests or visitors - one dive on a sandy bottom at about 60'. around $140pp now afaik. R.I.M.S. also has a dolphin trainer for the day program for kids.

 

[gbf]

We took our then 12/14 YO daughters to Bonaire for 2 weeks immediately after certification in the Keys.

We had a great time, no problems, many dives on Plaza house reef, many others off-site.

Both went to SeaCamp at AKR on Roatan, and came back PO'ed - their dives were limited because they hadn't done AOW yet.

This year I gave my now-adult younger the choice of a liveaboard or Bon, and she chose Bon without hesitation.

The good news is, in succeeding years, they did not drop out but have continued to dive with us and with their "others".​

all that to say "Bonaire good". They loved the diving, the restaurants, and the other activities (mangrove kayaks, windsurfing, etc.) They HATED the drive thru the park. One of them said "We're from Mississippi. If we wanted to ride on bad dirt roads we could have stayed home."

 

[The Chairman]

Key Largo for teens. Shallow, shallow diving, and all sorts of American attractions just up the road in Miami.

 

[gypsyjim]

I took both my 10 year old son and 14 year old daughter to Bonaire right after they certified, joining another SB family with their 2 teenage daughters.
Later a my brother brought his sons there with us to complete the boy's OW at Buddy Dive.

I cannot think of a better place to take young divers for their introduction to diving. Easy shore diving, and good boat diving if you do not want to start them on shore diving for their first few dives.