Bonnie's Arch Shore Diving Inquiry

[tkaelin]

They are going in January, so definitely high season and many places may already be booked.

Oops I did not catch that. Yup, definitely high season. Off season specials may be available late august and September.

 

[cgills]

I'm seeing conflicting information about the ability to shore dive at the Bonnie's Arch site. It looks like if you stay on-property there is a ladder access into the water.Is this site still accessible as a shore dive? The feedback I've found has mostly been that it's easily accessible by boat. If it is still accessible, where can you rent tanks? We've found that most dive ops won't let you take rental tanks off site.

It's my understanding that the shore dive at Bonnies Arch is available for owners/ guests ONLY.The ladder there is not stationary,. but must be placed and removed by the divers each and every time. Dive ops generally don't allow for off site tanks, but believe you might be able to do that with Divers Supply for other shore diving. That area can have some strong currents, most dive ops will check before putting divers in the water, and many times need to move on to another site.

 

[howswedeofme]

Sorry, I thought it was clear in the original post that I was asking because we are considering staying there. I know it’s for residents and guests only.

We crossed Bonnie’s Arch condos off our list last night. The appeal of on-site shore diving is the ease of the diving and it sounds like diving there would be just as much, if not more, work than going up to Dive Tech or Sundivers.

 

[Alucard]

I have stayed there and done a couple of shore dives. Yes, the ladder is normally removed and padlocked - you need to know the code. We rented tanks from Diver Supply without a problem. Currents were great when I was there - nothing at all. But I have heard horror stories about currents coming up Seven Mile Beach, hitting the "curve" right at Bonnie's Arch and puling everything out to sea. I would be careful but it is definitely doable, and close enough to the other major shore dive sites too.

Based on my experience, the condo complex with the best shore diving for residents and overnight guests is Coconut Bay (that's why I bought a property there). There are 2 and 3 bedroom rentals there, but they do tend to fill up in January which is peak season.

I would decouple the two requirements - get a condo that suits your needs and rent a car to go shore diving to the major locations (Macabuca, Lighthouse Point, Cobalt Coast, Eden Rock, Sunset House) - all of those have dive ops on site so you won't have to worry about lugging tanks around.

If it's just the two of you have you looked at Paradise Pointe? Great location and they have 1 bedroom units.

 

[howswedeofme]

We are booking at Clan Creek condos which are right next to Bonnie's arch. We haven't stayed there before but like the condo layout and that the pool is oceanfront. I did check out Paradise Pointe but we like having a pool (the beach gets so hot!) and it doesn't look like PP has one. We always rent a car and decided that lugging gear won't be too much of a pain to go up to the various dive ops with shore sites. We also haven't dove Eden Rock or Sunset House yet, so this will be a good opportunity to get down there. It was really difficult to justify the effort when we stayed at Coconut Bay and could just walk to a shore site we loved.

I totally agree with your opinions on Coconut Bay but it is out of our price range for just the two of us. We usually travel with another couple who can't come this time. I'm incredibly envious of your ownership there!

 

[caydiver]

Totally agree with Alucard and cgills. Sometimes you can get a deal if someone really wants to rent their property. Try looking at Airbnb. Unlike regular listing sites, owners may have more wiggle room depending on their strata and mgmt agreements. New Years Week is super busy as is approaching February, but there is often a little lull in between. Divers Supply is open seven days a week and rents tanks. I don’t know of any op who rents tanks outside their parameters whether it is boat or shore.

 

[howswedeofme]

I already checked AirBnB (typically we book through that or VRBO but this time it's actually cheaper to go through a management company for the same property to avoid the fees from those websites). At this point, it's likely too far out to get a deal, especially for a high season month.

 

[DeputyDan]

The liveaboard I was on when we did Bonnie's Arch has two 15' lines with a metal bar to use during safety stops. The current was so strong the bar was bouncing on the surface.

YMMV

 

[Alucard]

We always rent a car and decided that lugging gear won't be too much of a pain to go up to the various dive ops with shore sites. We also haven't dove Eden Rock or Sunset House yet, so this will be a good opportunity to get down there.

Yeah, as long as you don't have to carry tanks or weights, the rest of the gear is doable (unless you're diving CCR or similar!). Even though I am at Coconut Bay I will dive the other shore sites, just for some variety once in a while. Both Eden Rock and Sunset House are neat because they are different. Unlike Macabuca or Coconut Bay, though, I wouldn't want to do them every day.

I'm incredibly envious of your ownership there!

Thanks - I haven't regretted that decision once.

But you don't have to be envious - there are a few units for sale there right now! ;-)