We were lucky to get in at Divi for february and the shop booked in Sept.
Bonaire diving and resort
- Thread starter rakay
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Tennessee Slim
Contributor
For experienced divers, Id recommend against buying guided dives as a practice. Instead, select an accommodation that suits your need for luxury, (non-diving) services and cost. Then rent weights and buy an all-the-nitrox you can suck package from whomever is conveniently located to your hotel. Anybody with a drive-thru tank change would be tops on my list. Drop in on BonaireTalk.com and browse some of the threads on favorite dive sites. Make a list of the ones mentioned most regularly.
Buy a copy of Susan Porters Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. Curiously, theyre available cheaper on the island than online. Burn photocopies of the pages about those sites youre interested in diving based on your Bonaire Talk research. Conventional wisdom is not to leave anything in the truck when youre diving that youd miss if it was stolen. Having photocopies lets you carry directions and descriptions from the guide book when you go to dive without risking losing the book itself.
So do your homework, plan your own dives, be prepared to search out the dive sites yourself (nothing short of GPS coordinates could make it easier), then go dive you tooches off, where you want, when you want.
For a different look at the island, dive with Larrys Wild Side. Most of the islands east side has never seen a diver and the reefs show it. Many more soft corals, lots of turtles and plenty of rays. Its also rough seas (interesting boat trip) and heavy surge. Larry and his mate Eddie will seem gruff to some but the diving is markedly more challenging out east and their do exactly what I say, exactly when I say approach keeps the danger to a minimum. Back on shore (or better still, at the nearby Jibe City Bar, where Larry has his own monogrammed bar stool), theyre both a hoot to hang out with.
Buy a copy of Susan Porters Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. Curiously, theyre available cheaper on the island than online. Burn photocopies of the pages about those sites youre interested in diving based on your Bonaire Talk research. Conventional wisdom is not to leave anything in the truck when youre diving that youd miss if it was stolen. Having photocopies lets you carry directions and descriptions from the guide book when you go to dive without risking losing the book itself.
So do your homework, plan your own dives, be prepared to search out the dive sites yourself (nothing short of GPS coordinates could make it easier), then go dive you tooches off, where you want, when you want.
For a different look at the island, dive with Larrys Wild Side. Most of the islands east side has never seen a diver and the reefs show it. Many more soft corals, lots of turtles and plenty of rays. Its also rough seas (interesting boat trip) and heavy surge. Larry and his mate Eddie will seem gruff to some but the diving is markedly more challenging out east and their do exactly what I say, exactly when I say approach keeps the danger to a minimum. Back on shore (or better still, at the nearby Jibe City Bar, where Larry has his own monogrammed bar stool), theyre both a hoot to hang out with.
We're in countdown mode here...counting the days until we are back in Bonaire.
First time we stayed at Buddy's--loved it. Couldn't get back in (they were already full by May) so this time around we are staying at Sand Dollar.
Unfortunately, we are in for hellacious flights both to and back--I'd love to take the red-eye, but we wanted to go for more than a week. Nine days of diving is still not enough! I keep hearing they are going to start with mid-week red-eyes, but the rumors never seem to pan out.
Bonaire is the only place we've done repeat (dive) vacations (other than the Keys.) Not that we wouldn't want to go back to any of the other places we've been to--it's just that we REALLY WANT to go back to Bonaire, if you see what I mean.
Also, if you travel during December-January, a lot of other Caribbean dive destinations just aren't dependable weather-wise; and if it's too rough to get out on the boat, what do you do? After spending months and months dreaming of and planning for a dive vacation, nothing's worse than to spend it sitting on shore. At least in Bonaire, even if it's rainy, you can always find some place to dive.
First time we stayed at Buddy's--loved it. Couldn't get back in (they were already full by May) so this time around we are staying at Sand Dollar.
Unfortunately, we are in for hellacious flights both to and back--I'd love to take the red-eye, but we wanted to go for more than a week. Nine days of diving is still not enough! I keep hearing they are going to start with mid-week red-eyes, but the rumors never seem to pan out.
Bonaire is the only place we've done repeat (dive) vacations (other than the Keys.) Not that we wouldn't want to go back to any of the other places we've been to--it's just that we REALLY WANT to go back to Bonaire, if you see what I mean.
Also, if you travel during December-January, a lot of other Caribbean dive destinations just aren't dependable weather-wise; and if it's too rough to get out on the boat, what do you do? After spending months and months dreaming of and planning for a dive vacation, nothing's worse than to spend it sitting on shore. At least in Bonaire, even if it's rainy, you can always find some place to dive.
Warmwater Wank
Contributor
DVRLIZ1 is much too modest--or else she is booked solid in January, because Liz & her husband Ed run one of the best deals in the Caribbean with Golden Reef Inn. If you get stuck at all, contact her. Even if you don't stay with them, she can be of help. (Heck, at least check out GRI's Monday night bbq and do have a big helping of Chef Gibi's goat stew!) Plenty of good advice here in this thread already, plenty more from over the years when you do a search. Oh and if you do stay at GRI you get to use Wannadive for your dive ops--great folks too. Jeez, the island is full of great folks. And great dives. Wonderful food. And...what am I doing here? I have to go pack for Bonaire...// ww
When you are boat diving, you rarely/never get a chance to do the rush hour dive--early morning or late afternoon--when there is so much more activity than at the times you're diving with the boat schedule. You're just not going to get that same experience at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m.
dvrliz1
Guest
WW....
You are too kind, thanks. We do have some room still open for Jan, but just a few....
Liz
You are too kind, thanks. We do have some room still open for Jan, but just a few....
Liz
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