Bonaire - the questions not asked or thought about?

[scubadada]

"Is one week long enough?"

and the answer is "no".

Just go ahead and suck it up now and book two weeks, instead of looking up on Friday and saying 'wait, what? It's over already? I'm just getting dialed in!!"

2-3 weeks, if you can work the time off and $s, gives you time to slow down and get the hang of diving freedom.

I just got back from our most recent 2 week visit, 44 dives, nearly 54 hours. Two weeks is not enough either

 

[Kharon]

Spring is not a good time to go. Continuous wind, poor visibility, and cooler water. Best month is October, but usually September through early January is fine.

For making entries easier when there is surge: Watch the waves and count. Usually there will be a pattern of increasing wave height with several much smaller waves following the largest. Once you figure out the pattern you wait for the largest and then enter as it's receeding. Quickly go out far enough to float (chest high) and put your fins on. Note: fairly hard soled boots are a must.

Soon as you get there buy a couple of 1 or 2 liter bottles of water. Remove the top drink a little and put the rest in the freezer. Bring it along and you will have ice water to drink after each dive. A 2 liter usually lasts me for the day.

If you want to dive Red Slave or Red Beryl it's best to do them when there is little wind. Here's a link to an excellent source of wind forcast:

Windguru - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba - Lac Cai

Look at the windspeed line.

Finally (boy I'm long winded) it's a good habit when entering a shop or before asking a question to greet with Bon Dia (good morning) Bon Tarde (good afternoon) or Bon Noche (good evening/night). It's curteous and people react favorably. In the USVI shopowners often won't even acknowledge you if you don't first say hello, how are you or good morning. By greeting Bonairians in their own manner it tells them you are trying to meet them half way.

 

[arcticat99]

for logistics i believe you have to fly in to Caracao and catch either a boat or puddle hopper to Bonaire .from Sask Canada there is no one day flight you have to overnight somewhere in the Caribbean

 

[Trailboss123]

for logistics i believe you have to fly in to Caracao and catch either a boat or puddle hopper to Bonaire .from Sask Canada there is no one day flight you have to overnight somewhere in the Caribbean

Delta, American and United all fly directly into Bonaire from various US cities. No need to go through Curacao.

 

[arcticat99]

Delta, American and United all fly directly into Bonaire from various US cities. No need to go through Curacao.

OK cool i stand corrected maybe its only Canadian flights that dont fly to Bonaire or at least when i checked into it.i was there in February from a cruise ship and will go back and spend more time there it is beautiful

 

[Ready4Launch]

Traveling solo and your first time, a place like buddys on a package hopefully including boat diving is a great choice. Do you solo dive and are you planning on solo diving at all?

Possibly in the future, but for the time being on reefs and shores that I am not familiar, no, I do not.

 

[Ready4Launch]

My first trip was a dive-and-drive package with Buddy Dive, and what I "learned" was that it all really was THAT easy.

OK - so, that's kind of it ... it seems too good to be true! And, as the saying goes...

 

[Ready4Launch]

"Is one week long enough?"

and the answer is "no".

Just go ahead and suck it up now and book two weeks, instead of looking up on Friday and saying 'wait, what? It's over already? I'm just getting dialed in!!"

2-3 weeks, if you can work the time off and $s, gives you time to slow down and get the hang of diving freedom.

Have you done 2-3 weeks there? What is your all-in cost for that? The $1800 for airfare, tanks, nitrox, accomodation, truck - everything! - really grabbed my attention.

 

[Ready4Launch]

I strongly advise that everyone goes the last 2 weeks of August.....because I will be there with the wife and kids and I’m happy to dive with buddies.

Unfortunately, I can't take my vacation during the summer this year. Otherwise, I'd be down.

 

[gbf]

Have you done 2-3 weeks there? What is your all-in cost for that? The $1800 for airfare, tanks, nitrox, accomodation, truck - everything! - really grabbed my attention.

Our first trip was 10 days. We suffered with DAE via Aruba for the Wednesday arrival.

10 days wasn't long enough, and since then we've done several 3-weekers and never less than 2 weeks.

I have some spreadsheets of costs - when you have a group of 4 it pays to do some forecasting and tracking. Besides, I'm just that kind of nerd.

I'll look back and see if I can find some numbers for you.