Buddy Dive tank fill quality & ease of getting tanks at Caribbean Club?

[wwguy]

Hi Gang,

We're looking forward to returning to dushi Bonaire soon for the holidays. Not to rub it in (well maybe a little) but this will be our 10th consecutive 3 week trip over Christmas and New Years and our 35th through 37th weeks overall on the island since our first visit in '97. But my wife will be the first to tell anyone that this old know-it-all doesn't really know it all and I'd appreciate any advice to have to offer on the questions below.

This trip we'll be renting a home in the Sabadeco neighborhood near Andrea I and II dive sites. Normally we stay in Hato or Santa Barbara and get our shore diving tanks from DFB at Hamlet, who has given us great service and consistently high quality and high pressure fills over the years. But with the location of this trip's accommodations it seems like it'd be more convenient to get tanks from Buddy Dive since they have the shop at Caribbean Club Bonaire for trips to the north.

Thus my questions for those in the know:

1. Does Buddy Dive offer tank exchange at Caribbean Club and Belmar too? (I'm almost certain the answer is "yes".)
2. If yes to the above, are there rinse tanks near the street at CC?
3. What are your experiences with the consistency of Buddy Dive's fill pressures? (DFB has been fairly reliable for 3000 to 3100 psi.)
4. What are your experiences with the consistency of Buddy Dive's nitrox blending? Does anyone know if their gas mixing process is partial pressure mixing or continuous blending? (The latter is much more accurate and consistent, but also more expensive.)
   
5. Does the main Buddy Dive drive through have rinse tanks? (I know about the tanks at the waterfront.)
6. Any other advice or recent experience with Buddy Dive's shore dive tank setup is welcome and much appreciated.

FWIW we've stayed at Buddy Dive several times and Belmar once, but the last time was in the early 2000's. We still occasionally stop by Buddy Dive for happy hour, dinner, or to visit with Murph. So we're familiar with the property and their operation in general. I just don't have any recent experience with their fills and interaction with other locations.

Thanks!

 

[darook]

We stayed at CCB over the holidays about 5 years ago. For people staying there tank availability was ok. I think they started to tell other folks to go to BD to get their tanks as they couldn't keep up. My guess is that what you will hear as well. They don't seem about swapping tanks at Belmar for non-Belmar guests. I think you would be better off at DFB as the Cliff is closer to where you are staying than BD. I can't speak to DFB fills as I have not used them but Buddy's are usually at least 2800. I don't think they ever overfill. This year since we are staying at BBB we will be using Wannadive. Of course they only have one location but their fills are usually terrific.

 

[tursiops]

3) Always 2900+, if they were filled. Sometimes a bozo will put a cap back on a used tank and it is still on a boat....but that is the exception.
4) Membrane filling. Very consistent at 31-32, calibrated. If the gauge is not calibrated, then the number might be anything.
5) Yes, there are rinse tanks there. The main drive-through is being totally rebuilt, but it looks like the tanks will remain. The purpose of the refurb is, in part, to support those who only shore-dive, so they are installing lockers too.
6) So long as people don't clog the driveway, it works fine. You can't fix stupid or mean.

 

[Doctorfish]

Last at BD in the summer. There were no problems with pressures or Nitrox levels.
There were always tanks available when I wanted/needed them.

 

[wwguy]

Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.

I sent an email inquiry to info@buddydive and received this reply from Buddy Dive Watersports (which is apparently a different business unit and operation from Buddy Dive Resort.)

If you are signing up with us you can only pick up tanks from the drive thru at Buddy Dive Resort, or from our shop in Playa (downtown, please see our address below). If you want to pick up/deliver tanks from Caribbean Club I suggest that you contact them directly, which is more convenient for you if staying at Sabadeco. We normally could provide tank delivery service together with unlimited air packages, but that particular week we are too busy with cruise ships and previous bookings, however you could still request that from them too. Please read below their website. If you are picking up tanks yourself we can happily help you, but I think that’s the best option for you.

My takeaway from that: Too complicated. We'll likely stick with DFB @ Hamlet.

I think you would be better off at DFB as the Cliff is closer to where you are staying than BD. I can't speak to DFB fills as I have not used them but Buddy's are usually at least 2800. I don't think they ever overfill.

DFB has always given us great fills. 3000 to 3100 is pretty common. 2800 is a rare exception but does happen occasionally. Caribbean Club is actually a mile closer to where we're staying, thus my inquiry. I was hoping to pick up tanks at Buddy Dive when diving south from our villa, and from CC when diving north. Basically, I was looking for convenient access to tanks whether turning right or left to dive.

 

[boat sju]

We usually stay at CCB and have no issues getting tanks. We haven't done it very often but we have gotten tanks at Buddy Dive's drive through. I don't know if things changed since two years ago but I suggest emailing CCB to see if you can't use BD's drive through any more. CCB's tanks used to come from BD.

 

[boat sju]

scroll down to "Tanks" This should be current info.

Diving at Caribbean Club - Caribbean Club Bonaire

 

[wwguy]

We usually stay at CCB and have no issues getting tanks. We haven't done it very often but we have gotten tanks at Buddy Dive's drive through. I don't know if things changed since two years ago but I suggest emailing CCB to see if you can't use BD's drive through any more. CCB's tanks used to come from BD.

Thanks for this. I also received this reply from the Carribean Club since my previous post above. (I only sent one inquiry to info@buddydive but apparently they routed it to both Buddy Dive Watersports and CC, which was helpful.)

If you are staying in Sabadeco, you are indeed close to the Buddy Dive location at Caribbean Club. If you sign up at the dive shop there, you would be able to get tanks there and at the Buddy Dive drive-thru, if you are diving on an unlimited air package. From what I understand in your email, you would prefer by the tank and that is also possible! It is $12 per tank. You can pick up tanks at Caribbean Club, where we would keep a list of the number of tanks you are using. At the end of your stay, we can then see how many tanks you used and make the bill. That’s how easy it is!