1st time Bonaire, 1st time no dive guide, any advice?

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Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Alabama Gulf Coast
# of dives
50 - 99
We have a trip to Bonaire in November. We are staying in El Pueblo villas which is north of town a little. We are a group of 3. My wife who has around 30-50 dives, another person with 10 dives and myself with a little over 50 dives. My wife and I have done shore diving on Curacaou before but have never been diving without a guide. Any advice or suggestions as to sites that have easier entry, minimal current or boat dives would be appreciated. I have ordered the BSDME book but it has not arrived.
 
Hi Deltafarmboy......My wife and I have been to Curacao many times before going to Bonaire and enjoyed the island very much. Now onto Bonaire. Have been twice over the past 12 months. It's more compact then Curacao and less busy on the roads. Bonaire is a diver's island with over 60 shore dive sites and a dive shop every mile (or so it seems). For me the easiest shore entry on Bonaire is Pink Beach. The other shore dives that I've done are a little trickier. One thing that I would STRONGLY recommend is that you all have sturdy dive boots the one's with the thick soles.

The freedom to dive motto in Bonaire is something that I've not seen on any other Caribbean island. Basically you rent a truck and decide on which dive shop you are going to get your tanks and then you go diving. There are a few dive shops with tank pick up stations that are 24x7.

I did my PADI AOW with a local guide, Paul @ BonScuba. Had a blast. I'd recommend at a minimum that you consider a guide for at least a 1/2 day or day.

Also note that you will have to do your check out dive and get your conservatory/nature badge. You can do this at your nearest dive shop or with Paul.

A few other recommendations.
- Dive Friends is an excellent dive shop and have numerous locations on Bonaire
- The Carib Inn has an excellent dive shop and the best prices on the island (my experience anyways)
- GIOs has great gelatos (at least according to my non-diver wife)

I really enjoyed my stays in both Curacao and Bonaire. Twin islands but different in many ways.

Have fun! and dive safe.
 
A few other notes. Bonaire's current on the west coast is usually mild. Hence, Bonaire is an exceptional place for beginning and novice divers. In Curacao I have dove in Westpunt, Blue Bay and the Sea Aquarium areas and always found the current to be a little more noticeable than Bonaire. Fish life and reef quality were about the same. My 2 Canadian pennies.

Ok finally, I was diving last April in Bonaire at the famous Hilma Hooker site and 2 of the biggest and meanest pick up trucks pulled into the lot with the largest LSU flags I've ever seen. So be careful about carrying any Bama or Auburn paraphernalia. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
# of dives are irrelevant....you good with a compass and underwater navigation? If so, then your golden. If not, take a speciality class in nav.

Enjoy..
 
Even though it's shore diving and 'supposed to be easy, the actual entry can be tricky depending on the footing, waves, and visibility. There are holes, ledges, plus coral and other obstacles both small and large to trip you up. If in doubt go in with mask and snorkel and without kit. Simply look around and get a feel for the footing and the wave power. Holding hands with one person moving at a time can be quite helpful.
Make sure to scope out EXACTLY where you get in from out in the water, preferably from different distances. Note carefully some marker and depth at the drop off to the reef so you can find it on the way back in.

Keep in mind nothing is very far away. If you miss your exit, don't panic, simply spend some time carefully finding another. Then ditch the kit and walk back to your vehicle.

Current is not irrelevant here, but generally it's not much of an issue at the usual sites. As you begin the dive note the direction and unless you have a definite reason to go with it, go against it to start. Let it bring you back for the 2nd half of the dive.
 
First day, first dive, go north and jump in at oil slick leap. It’s a few feet down, but nothing easier. There is a shallow bowel at the entrance to get your bearings and buoyancy. With lots of little stuff to see, once your comfortable, head out to the left past the bouy marker and have at it. Mark your depth at the bouy, I think it’s 32ft, and just come back at that depth, easy Peazy, and just climb up the ladder at the end.

Then drive south to bachelors beach, sandy entrance, easy dive.

This has been the way I start the last dozen visits. If you get started in the afternoon after lunch, you will usually be done at bachelors beach when the sun starts to go down, bring something to drink, put your toes in the sand, and enjoy.

Go back to your villa, straighten out your gear for the next day, take a shower, and head out for dinner.
 
Also note that you will have to do your check out dive and get your conservatory/nature badge. You can do this at your nearest dive shop or with Paul.
The Bonaire Marine Park tag can be gotten on-line at Bonaire Nature Fee | STINAPA - STINAPA. I believe this is the last year that the tags can also be gotten from a dive shop....it is a nice souvenir! The on-line version you just print out and carry with you. Chances of being checked that you have a tag/printout are fairly high.....
 
Get your tanks, etc. from Caribbean Club Bonaire. They're a sister resort of Buddy Dive so you'll be able to get tanks down there too. CCB is right next to where you're staying. fmerkel gave you good advice about trying the entrance and exit with just snorkel gear.

You can start with Jeff Davis and Witches Hut which are pretty much right in front of your condo. Oil Slick is even closer to you but I think a "conventional" shore entry is safer for your first few dives. When you do Oil Slick be aware that there is a lower jump off point just to the left of where people usually enter from. Just a bit less daunting.
 
I'd start with Witches Hut also as it's the closest thing to a sandy beach dive site that exists on Bonaire. Also dive the resorts - some of them are some of the better dives on Bonaire. Bari Reef may be the best - you can enter down stairs off Den Laman's dock or the little beach to the north in front of Sand Dollar Condos - both Dive Friends locations. Buddy Dive has a dock/stairs entry and there's a third location at Belmar Condos in Belnem south of town. Check-in at the dive shop so they know you're there, maybe rent tanks from them also?

Salt Pier is a decent entry although there is some reef just offshore - it would be an interesting shallow dive for all of you if no ship is loading. The dirty brown stuff is fire coral - don't touch!!

Obviously any boat dive is an easy entry. I recommend doing a few sites off Klein Bonaire that way.

Cliff is a scramble over the rocks ib front of Dive Friends but it's the only vertical wall that's easily accessible. Tne easy entry is to pay Habitat $5 and use their dive dock (go north) The $5 includes use of their locker room and IIRC tank rental.

some of this is a little dated but most sites have an entry photo. The easy way to dive south Bonaire is look for the sand channels between the ironshore - they go out to deeper water. You an see one on the Vista Blue page.
Scuba Shore Diving Region: ABC Islands

When you get in the water at many of the south sites it all looks really similar - low ironshore cliffs.And most of the "features" to help locate your exit point are bushes. At some it's permitted to park within a designated area along the water's edge so we used the truck as the exit marker. Also you can gear up on the bed and in a lot of cases walk 20' into the water. Past divers also have made small piles of coral rubble indicating a good entry point.

skip Karpata (near your rental) till later in the week.
 
Hi @Deltafarmboy

What operator will you be using for tanks/boats? Dive Friends has 7 locations, Hamlet Oasis would be closet to El Pueblo Villas, Sand Dollar is south of that. Both have good house reefs, Cliff and Bari Reef respectively. You will need to do your orientation dive somewhere to start. Dive Friends boats leave from Sand Dollar. Many other choices of operator. You will be pretty close to several good

I don't think there is a house reef at El Pueblo. Looks like it is near Kalli's Reef, this is usually done by boat, difficult entry, I believe no exit. Someone more familiar with El Pueblo could probably more help to you.
 

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