Bonaire, Mar 14 - 21. Questions

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One more question.

Is theft from our rooms at Eden Beach Resort also something we need to worry about?

I know about expecting anything left in my truck to disappear. But, what about leaving my laptop, camera rig, or other stuff in my room when I'm out diving or out to dinner?
 
One more question.

Is theft from our rooms at Eden Beach Resort also something we need to worry about?

I know about expecting anything left in my truck to disappear. But, what about leaving my laptop, camera rig, or other stuff in my room when I'm out diving or out to dinner?
It is not a problem at Buddy Dive. I can't speak to other resorts.
 
Stuart, the best open-source bathymetry I've found is a combo of this one:
1646798252712.png


and this one:
1646798352851.png
 
The key to exiting the water is to take your fins off in waist to chest high water, otherwise you are going to have a very bad day (see link) if you are too shallow. We clip off our fins with a length of one inch webbing thru the heel straps with a quick connect (attached to an upper d-ring to mitigate wave action), so hands are free for cameras, gear, hand holds or support. Your reg should remain in your mouth until you’re on shore.


Leave your freediving fins at home. Speaking from experience, full foot fins are a PITA for shore diving Bonaire. We occasionally use a PVC “cane” at the shore (hat tip @AdivingBel). Very rigid, supports your weight and no investment. I was struggling to get my seashore legs exiting Andrea 2 when diving with @drrich2, so he handed me his trekking pole. I put some weight on it and it began collapsing just as he was telling it’s only for balance. Oops. Enjoy your trip!
 
We are in the camp of dropping below the surface as quickly as possible to explore as we make our way out to the reef (see link). Just last week we found a bait ball a few feet from shore at Vista Blue (north) with five massive jacks in pursuit.


Here are two pics taken in the shallows. So ask yourself which looks more interesting…

This?
5DF977D1-3454-4303-B74E-531458F33EDE.jpeg


Or this?
AD0F8AB8-B546-492C-B011-AEC7CAE3728A.jpeg
 
They are both in meters.

o_O Wow. Thank you!

At first, I assumed it would be meters. Then I looked at the numbers and thought "maybe it's in feet?" Wow. But, good to know we can basically get any depth we want very easily and with practically no swimming. :)
 
I'll use this photo taken as I was preparing to exit the Hilma Hooker dive site to show some practical concerns about entries and exits shore diving some sites in Bonaire. This photo is actually from a less hazardous situation, because the water is thigh-deep, and if she's wearing an inflated BCD a fall probably won't hurt her. Imagine if the water were just deep enough to cover her feet and she was at the shore's edge, and my concerns will make more sense.
IMG_8094.jpeg

Due to waves and surge disrupting the water surface, she can't see through the surface (except a vague perception of color pattern). She can't see clearly where the bottom even or uneven, or where it's reliably clear vs. having a piece of rubble. In shore diving here, you at times may take a 'leap of faith,' stepping down from a ridge like that about a foot or so into the water, onto bottom you're not sure of, wearing a metal tank, lead weights, etc... Stepping up onto that ridge coming out while in gear isn't a lot of fun, either. And a wave can hit you in the back, so be wary.

I also used my trekking pole to poke around and 'feel' the bottom, to help gauge how level and uncluttered it was.

You're not allowed to wear gloves and the iron shore is often quite abrasive, so just grabbing the ledge to steady yourself can cost you some skin.
 

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