Bonaire for a single diver???

[Defman]

Planning my spring trip, probably in April, for a week. I've got enough AA miles that I can pretty much go anywhere Caribbean. I'm thinking about using this opportunity to go somewhere new (I've been to CZM, Cayman, and Dom Rep.) and have always heard great things about Bonaire. I would probably stay at Buddy Dive, lots of good things said about them.

Here's my problem/concern... Bonaire is a shore dive kind of place and that doesn't lend itself to single diving too well. While I'm used to diving "alone" (meaning I'm in the water with other people but none are my designated buddy) I don't know that I would want to dive "solo". CZM is boat dives and my one short trip to Cayman was with a group, so I've never been on a shore diving trip alone. I know Buddy Dive offers three boat trips a day (plus some nights), but I don't know if I'd be taking full advantage of a trip to Bonaire if I was on a boat most of the time.

[LI Diver]

How about the two lovely ladies in your profile?? Seriously though the shore dives from the resorts it should be easy to find a group to hang with. Otherwise they also have a dive bus I believe that goes around the island diving different sites. Try bonaire talk website and see what other divers might be there at the same time or on this site as well.Wish I had more free time I'd go back to Bonaire in a heartbeat!

[tarheeldiver]

I think at Buddy Dive you can always find someone to do a shore dive with since everyone is just there to dive We dove a couple of shore dives with people we met there. I might suggest doing a boat dive at first great way to meet the other divers and line up something plus I really enjoyed the boat dives I did (never would have found the frogfish on my own)

[diversteve]

Originally Posted by ES601

Otherwise they also have a dive bus I believe that goes around the island diving different sites.

Unless you know something that I don't the Pink Divebus quit running around 2004...

But ES601 is right, if you can't find a dive buddy or two among all the Divers hanging around the bar and pool at Buddy's you're not trying. Or Capt' Don's bar next door. Or Bongo's a short walk south. At our condos I think everybody was a diver judging from all the trucks with tanks in back. Most people rent the standard 4-door truck so there's likely room for one more even if they're part of a group.

Worse case, most of the DM's freelance after hours and on off days. Last time we were there the going rate was about $20/dive for the piers. May be more now since it's an "official" dive.

But I can't imagine you'll have any problems finding someone to dive with. I was asked twice at one dive site while my buddy waited to analyze his tanks. And I met a woman at the rinse tank that I knew from posting on bonairetalk, she invited us to dive with them any time during the week...as well as to Gibi's bbq one night.

Post when you're going on bonairetalk and the ABC forum on Scubaboard. Somebody's always looking for a buddy.

Don't discount boat diving either, there's a dozen or more good sites off Klein. 3 or 4 of them I'd dive everytime: Forest, Hand's Off, Jerry's and South Bay. And Rappel is done by boat and I think it's one of the best sites on Bonaire. You can even do 1000 Steps off a boat and save that long walk up...

[Defman]

Originally Posted by ES601

How about the two lovely ladies in your profile??

Ahhh, the good old days!! The one on the left married a guy she met on that trip and moved to Denver I think. The one on the right was already married to a cop in Hershey, PA.

[LI Diver]

Originally Posted by diversteve

Unless you know something that I don't the Pink Divebus quit running around 2004...

But ES601 is right, if you can't find a dive buddy or two among all the Divers hanging around the bar and pool at Buddy's you're not trying. Or Capt' Don's bar next door. Or Bongo's a short walk south. At our condos I think everybody was a diver judging from all the trucks with tanks in back. Most people rent the standard 4-door truck so there's likely room for one more even if they're part of a group.

Worse case, most of the DM's freelance after hours and on off days. Last time we were there the going rate was about $20/dive for the piers. May be more now since it's an "official" dive.

But I can't imagine you'll have any problems finding someone to dive with. I was asked twice at one dive site while my buddy waited to analyze his tanks. And I met a woman at the rinse tank that I knew from posting on bonairetalk, she invited us to dive with them any time during the week...as well as to Gibi's bbq one night.

Post when you're going on bonairetalk and the ABC forum on Scubaboard. Somebody's always looking for a buddy.

Don't discount boat diving either, there's a dozen or more good sites off Klein. 3 or 4 of them I'd dive everytime: Forest, Hand's Off, Jerry's and South Bay. And Rappel is done by boat and I think it's one of the best sites on Bonaire. You can even do 1000 Steps off a boat and save that long walk up...

It's possible that I'm mixing the Bonaire trip w/ the Curacao trip which definately had one,but I could swear Bonaire had one too. It could have been just an isolated excursion from one of the hotels...... but... for some reason I'm thinking of the little shack (shop) it might be new just north of buddy dive.

[diversteve]

There's the Dive Bus on Curacao. (Blue van really...) Suzy's shop. Just north past Breezes. The Dive Bus - HOME

The Pink Dive Bus on Bonaire has been retired: Bonaire Talk: Final news about the Pink Dive Bus

for some reason I'm thinking of the little shack (shop) it might be new just north of buddy dive.

From Buddy Dive north is the old Lion's Dive property - now owned by Buddy Dive. North of that is Capt' Don's Habitat. Afaik north of CD's is condos.

Little shack sounds like the Curacao Dive Bus shack. Right next to Surf & Turf. Did you meet Suzy?

[LI Diver]

Originally Posted by diversteve

There's the Dive Bus on Curacao. (Blue van really...) Suzy's shop. Just north past Breezes. The Dive Bus - HOME

The Pink Dive Bus on Bonaire has been retired: Bonaire Talk: Final news about the Pink Dive Bus

From Buddy Dive north is the old Lion's Dive property - now owned by Buddy Dive. North of that is Capt' Don's Habitat. Afaik north of CD's is condos.

Little shack sounds like the Curacao Dive Bus shack. Right next to Surf & Turf. Did you meet Suzy?

We actually stayed at Breezes in 2005 but I don't think I met Suzy. I was told about the bus by a divemaster from Scuba Doo at Jan Thiel Beach. The shop I'm thinking about is right in front of a shore dive site and old lions dive rings a bell.
I think surf and turf was closed.We actually ate at a little snack bar adjacent to the public beach while trying to catch fish off of the little jetty. We bought raw shrimp for bait and the people thought we were crazy. I'm sure thats probably where I saw that particular dive bus.
I may have seen the remnants of the pink one in Bonaire as well and thought it was operational.

[Defman]

Thanks for all of the info, I'm pretty sure I'll be pulling the trigger on this trip in the very near future. Planning for April 11 thru 18, 2008 at this point.

[zannenj]

We just spent Thanksgiving week at Buddy Dive in Bonaire and there were lots of odd-numbers in the groups - and there was always a buddy to be had. Be sure to take in the NIGHT dive at the Town Pier, Karpata AND the Hilma Hooker. We did these as shore dives but you can do all of them as Boat dives (except town Pier) And for the Town pier you need special permission from the Harbormaster so make sure you keep on the dive shop to hook you up for that dive.
We are going back to Bonaire in Feb we liked it so much. But a word of caution - brings lots of bug spray!!