Safe to leave gear out over night on your patio?

[Bubbletrubble]

Since everyone's sharing, at home I leave all my wet neoprene gear outside on the back balcony overnight. I keep the regs, computers, cameras, and drysuits inside since I don't want to expose them to direct sunlight in the morning.

On Bonaire, regs, computers, and cameras are dried inside the condo/apartment ALWAYS. Wet neoprene is dried outside during the day. At night, all of the gear is locked up in a locker or inside the condo/apartment. On the first of our two trips to Bonaire, we encountered a couple who had all of their scuba gear (regs, BCDs, computers, cameras, wetsuits) stolen. The gear was hanging out to dry on the back patio as they were preparing dinner.

At home, I don't feel compelled to use a noise-making door alarm, locking lugnuts on my car tires, or leave the windows down/car doors unlocked when the car is unattended. I'd probably do all three in Bonaire if I ever decide to return to the island.

 

[Kilili]

Just don't, and keep windows closed too.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Your gear would dry a lot faster overnight in your cold dry air-conditioned room than it would outside in the humid air. IJS

 

[DiverVince]

Well, if the crooks are breaking into your rented condo, pulling the safe out of the wall, removing the battery and tires from your rental truck/car, my guess is leaving stuff out to dry, even for 30 minutes, is risky. Contrast that to Coz, Grand Turk and Saba, were I routinley leave stuff out to dry in the afternon sun.

True to form PF..I see you haven't lost your touch!

 

[idocsteve]

Well, if the crooks are breaking into your rented condo, pulling the safe out of the wall, removing the battery and tires from your rental truck/car, my guess is leaving stuff out to dry, even for 30 minutes, is risky. Contrast that to Coz, Grand Turk and Saba, were I routinley leave stuff out to dry in the afternon sun.

I never knew Bonaire was that bad!

Thanks for the information pilot fish, I'm canceling my trip to Bonaire this year and staying close to home.

I knew it wasn't safe to leave the US.

 

[gypsyjim]

As always, use your common sense, should you be lucky enough to have any.

In 7 or 8 trips to Bonaire we often have dried items on patios and balconies. Not high value items, and never without first looking the situation over for risks. Little has ever been left outside overnight, but again, that was just another common sense precaution.

Unfortunately common sense seems to be a lot less common than one would hope. IMO

Only loss I ever had on Bonaire was a skin once, and a wetsuit one other time, that disappeared from the gear room at an unnamed resort, only to reappear later, wet (Both times!)! Obviously mix ups, by other divers who were not being careful when they grabbed their gear for a dive.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Only loss I ever had on Bonaire was a skin once, and a wetsuit one other time, that disappeared from the gear room at an unnamed resort, only to reappear later, wet (Both times!)! Obviously mix ups, by other divers who were not being careful when they grabbed their gear for a dive.

As I recall I was bitch slapped when I mentioned that it is possible that fellow divers are responsible for at least some the thefts.......

 

[gypsyjim]

Your gear would dry a lot faster overnight in your cold dry air-conditioned room than it would outside in the humid air. IJS

Most dive destinations this is quite true, but one thing Bonaire does not have is humid air, most of the time that I have been there. What you say was certainly true on Puerto Rico, and St Thomas, where petty theft is more common anyway.

 

[gypsyjim]

As I recall I was bitch slapped when I mentioned that it is possible that fellow divers are responsible for at least some the thefts.......

WHAT!? You dare to say that you think there are AMERICANS, CANADIANS or EUROPEANS that are light fingered? When everyone knows that anywhere in north America or Europe it is completely safe to leave anything of value, sitting visible in your car on any street, and know it will still be there when you return in an hour or so! :mooner:

 

[gypsyjim]

I simply can't believe you said such a thing,Steve!

Everyone who has followed these threads knows by now that all crime, everywhere is simply an export from Bonaire, the crime capitol of the entire world!