Won a trip for two to Bonaire!

[-Aaron-]

Well more specifically a friend of mine won the trip, but he has invited me to come along . I had to pay for my airfare, but the rest of the stay is covered. It was a last minute trip so now I am scrambling around to get everything in place. Here are the details:

We are staying a the Divi Flamingo Resort (http://www.diviresorts.com/diviflamingo/index.html) from December 11th to the 18th. The trip he won includes the stay and unlimited air fills, but not food or vehicle rental. The hotel looks to have a nice setup with a house reef, 24 hour fills, and unlimited Nitrox upgrades available. My friend has dove in Bonaire one time before, but this is my first time, I can't wait.

Now for the logistics. I know Bonaire is a popular destination for the board. I was hoping to get some help in getting the planning squared away for the trip.

First off we need a vehicle. Does anyone have suggestions for on a good place to rent from or a type of vehicle that works well for the area? Is it better to rent through the hotels or at the outside rental agencies?

Since we are one our own for food I believe the plan is to do a lot of grocery shopping. Any recommendations for good places on the island to get groceries? How about good and reasonably prices local restaurants to visit?

Next gear. What are people generally wearing for exposure protection? With as many dives as we will be doing I would think that some insulation would be nice. I generally am pretty warm in the water, but I am fair skinned, so I think at least a rash guard will be handy. I don't currently own a wetsuit. Is it worth it to try and buy something like a cheap 3mm suit or should I just rent? The other possibility is that I could rent a Fusion, I've heard some people say they like them in the tropics for multiple dives. Regarding the rest of my gear, I was thinking I would take along my backplate, wing, regs, computer, fins and mask. I don't have a tropical wing, but the DSS 35 is fairly low profile, so I think I can get by with that. With all the shore diving entries I was thinking maybe I would just get some neoprene socks and use my rock boots. I am on the fence a bit about my canister light, it is a 21 Watt HID. If I don't take that I have a few Ratt Jr. backup lights I can use for the trip.

I've heard people mention theft pretty often in reference to Bonaire. Are there any special precautions I should take for the trip. It looks like the rooms have safes in them. Just keep valuables in there and avoid keeping anything valuable in the car while we are diving?

Finally, dive sites. Any places I should make sure to visit? Is it worth it to try and do some boat diving or should be stick to the shore? My friend said that on his last week long trip to Bonaire he spend 35 hours in the water, so we are going to be doing a lot of diving. Would be great to mix it up and make sure we hit all the best spots.

Thanks to everyone for any information. It should be a great trip I am very excited .

[Tom Nic]

Congratulations on your trip!

Don't have lots of time to respond today.... if you do a search you'll find several threads on Bonaire that have lots of the info you're asking for. I'll try and get back and give you some specifics, and I'm sure others will chime in as well.

Also, check out Bonaire Talk for tons of good info, though you'll have to do a bit of drilling.

Congratulations again, and good luck!

[-Aaron-]

Tom,

Thanks for the heads up. This photo thread:http://www.bonairetalk.com/newsgroup/me ... 1284528262 on Bonaire Talk is what originally got me excited about checking the place out. I need to dig in to their message boards and see if I can find some good information.

It is nice to have a trip on short notice since I don't have long to wait, but still the next week is going to be rough, hard to think about anything else :P.

[-Aaron-]

Well looks like I have been put in charge of arranging the vehicle rental. Any difference between renting at the airport, hotel, or from a private place? Should I make sure and reserve ahead? Hate to get down there and have issues with something not being available.

[FlyinV]

You arrive the day I leave Bonaire... so by then any advice I have will be too late!
I am heading to the airport today to fly on down

See you in the Airport

[selkie]

Okay Jeff, now that I know were your going to dive I am envious and I forgive you for not going diving with us this weekend.

[-Aaron-]

Cool FlyinV, I'll give you a high five at the airport. You will recognize me by the pale Oregonian complexion :P Have a great trip

[scottsax]

Awesome! Divi Flamingo is a nice resort, and the house reef is great! If you're a hardcore shore diver, I'd recommend not worrying about their boat trips unless their going to Klein Bonaire or some of the more remote northern sites, and shore diving the rest of the time. If you have time, pick up a copy of Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy-it's a great book with great descriptions of the entries, which is key.

For truck rental, I'm not sure it matters all that much. I don't remember the Flamingo having a rental fleet-we ended up renting from a place nearby that was fine. That could have changed now. Go over the vehicle closely with the rental person beforehand to record ANY existing damage (even scratches) to make sure they don't spring surprise "repair" charges on you. Get the extra insurance, so you can drive it like it was stolen.

I'll think about it more and post if anything else comes to mind.

[waterdog]

We did Bonaire this spring, and had a blast. I will try to cover some of your questions.

What are people generally wearing for exposure protection

I wore a 3/5mil with a skull cap. We were in the water so much by the end of the week, the caps were a must. The water is pretty warm, but your body doesn't have time to recover if you are doing 3-4 dives a day.

Groceries are available at a couple places. There is two large grocery stores in town. You should be able to get almost anything you need. Business hours thee are a little different, so make sure you check the times. There are also several quick marts that stock some basic supplies.

There are so many good restaurants I don't know where to begin. We ate out every meal except breakfast, and never ate at the same place twice. The waterfront by the town pier has some great places. Good views, too.

We rented a truck from budget at the airport. Buddy dive has a huge fleet, but will usually only rent to its patrons. Budget is accustomed to renting to divers, and your vehicle wont have the huge "Buddy Dive" sticker on the door. That could make you a target for thieves, too. Besides, if you rent at the airport, you'll have a vehicle to drive to the resort with.

Gear;
sounds like your kit should be just fine. Back plate, harness, wing, good to go. Definitely wear rock boots, or thick soled booties. Everything is a shore dive, and there is LOTS of coral to walk over. Up in the park, there are some steep staircases you have to negotiate to get to the water. Good footwear is a must.
No DIN tanks on the island. If you have a DIN setup, I recommend switching it back to yoke for the trip. I used an adapter, but then it puts the 1st stage really close to my head. You have a little bit more flexibility in the tropics, and I found I kept banging the back of my head against the reg. YMMV

Lastly, bring some bug spray. We rented a house south of town, right on the water. The evening breezes were nice, but during the calm mornings, and at night, the mosquitoes were merciless.

US dollars are gladly excepted, and many of the ATMs give you the option of either Guilders or Dollars. Pretty cool!

As for dive sites, if you PM me, I will tell you where I took this picture!

[ORDiver]

I can't help with Bonaire info but wanted to say congratulations!

Aaron, I don't think you'll be cold. If you can spend an hour under water here with that crappy, thin undergarment with the hole in it I think you'll do fine there without a dry suit.

[-Aaron-]

Thanks everyone for the great information .

scottsax,
I appreciate the info on the Divi Flamingo. Looks like a nice place from the pictures, but great to hear from someone that has been there. Quick question do you remember what type of electrical outlets they used? Do I need to bring a converter? I think we will be doing the bulk of our diving from the shore, but we may take some boat dives to some of the better dive sites that are inaccessible from shore. I am definitely intersted in the "Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy" book. I checked it out online, but I think I am going to wait and grab it at the airport or hotel, since I'm not sure it will ship here in time. It looks like the Divi does now have a Hertz rental counter and Budget looks to be at the airport. The people on Bonaire Talk really seem to like a local place called Telerin Car Rental. I guess they pick you up and drop you off at the airport with no wait time. I sent her an email for a quote and I will see how the prices compare. I would imagine that Budget at the airport will be a zoo with nearly every single passenger getting off the plane renting a car :P.

waterdog,
So many great tips. I sent you a PM about that picture . I'm guessing we will do a mix of restaurants and grocery shopping for the trip. I'm emailing ahead to make sure we have a kitchen and fridge in our room. I will convert my reg back to DIN and stock up on bug spray, thanks for the heads up. I was curious how people are handling the money situation when out for dives. Do you just keep everything in the room safe and always come back before going out or do you use a small money case that you take in the water? Everyone says to avoid keeping any valuables in the truck.

ORDiver,
Thanks for the congratulations You have permission to slap me if I go on about the trip the next time we are doing a 2 foot vis dive on the Oregon coast :P You are right, usually I stay pretty warm in the water even with a thin undersuit and a shell suit. However, I was talking to my dive buddy for this trip and he said that he spent 38 hours underwater on his last one week long trip to Bonaire . Should make for a lot of great diving, but even with warm water I have to figure the cold will get to me after a while :P.

[waterdog]

[quote=]Do you just keep everything in the room safe and always come back before going out or do you use a small money case that you take in the water? Everyone says to avoid keeping any valuables in the truck.[/quote]

We took just a credit card and some cash in a plastic bag inside my wetsuit. You're right, i wouldn't leave anything in the truck that you can't afford to loose. Sandals and t-shirts were all we left.

We had no issues getting our truck at Budget, and you definitely want to get a truck. There were only three other people getting vehicles with them, and it went very smoothly. About 30 minutes if I remember. There are several other rental agencies right there at the airport, and they all had about 3-4 customers. No big jams at all.

No issue with power. Our house had normal outlets in it. They run slightly different voltage then we do; 127. Check your chargers and adapters. If they say 110-240, you'll be fine. You could bring an international adapter to be safe, but you wont need a converter.

Bring your can light if you have one. The better light you have, the brighter the colors will be. You won't be disappointed.



Have a great time!

[ktb]

If you can purchase the Bonaire Shore Diving book before you go and have it shipped quickly, I would. I don't remember seeing it on the island. There were brochures like it, but nothing as detailed.

[DiverBob]

If you can purchase the Bonaire Shore Diving book before you go and have it shipped quickly, I would. I don't remember seeing it on the island. There were brochures like it, but nothing as detailed.

Yes, this book is a must for diving Bonaire!

[lizard0924]

They sell Bonaire Shore Diving at most local dive shops on the island. Definitely at Carib Inn and Buddy Dive.

For car rental, you want a Toyota Hilux or something similar. They will all be manual transmissions, FYI. Take your AmEx and make sure you have the international car rental insurance coverage in place before you go, or else prepare to pay the insurance premium (which is around $11-18 per day).

Groceries can be purchased at Warehouse or Cultimara. They are both open seven days a week...shorter hours on Sunday, I believe. There are also a few smaller stores where you can get food supplies, like the Chinese grocer by Buddy Dive and a few other small local places.

Restaurants are abundant. Cheap eats include Pasa Bon Pizza, Bobbe Jan's (only open on weekends), Maiky Snack (lunch only) in the Kunuku. Most of the restaurants in downtown Kralendijk are great for a nice dinner out, just depends on what you want. Unbelieveables is awesome.

The only boat dive I would do on Bonaire is the Buddy Dive three-tank boat dive on their big dive yacht., because it takes you to sites not particularly easy to access by shore. Otherwise, the shore diving is as good as - or better - than any of the standard cattle boat dives offered by the local shops.

Have a great trip! We are back for trip #5 in four weeks. Can't wait.

[scottsax]

Thanks everyone for the great information .

scottsax,
I appreciate the info on the Divi Flamingo. Looks like a nice place from the pictures, but great to hear from someone that has been there. Quick question do you remember what type of electrical outlets they used? Do I need to bring a converter?

There was no issue with power-regular 3-prong outlets like in the US. If you have lots of rechargeables (camera, strobe, dive light, etc...), bring a power strip/surge protector. It'll be well worth the weight.

Water temps are around 78-80 degrees, IIRC.... Towards the end of both of my trips, I found myself getting slightly chilled toward the end of 60 minute dives in a 3mm full suit. In Hawaii earlier this year, I wore my drysuit hood with the 3mm suit, and that made all the difference in the world! (I also didn't have to adjust my mask straps-an activity that annoys me to no end.)

[Tom Nic]

Power - is abt 115 volts on the Island. For the most part it's quite safe, and a converter is certainly not needed. I would not, however, leave things plugged in all the time. The power is not the "cleanest" and there are surges.

We have found that bringing a good power strip with surge protection solves any potential issues, plus gives you the extra plugs for chargers, computer, etc.

[-Aaron-]

Sorry took me a while to post an update. I had an amazing trip. The diving was beautiful, the weather was nice (86 degree water air about the same), and I had a lot of fun. It was a pretty whirlwind trip, we were on the island for 6 days, with subtracting one day for no-fly before we left that gave us 5 total days of diving. We were able to get in around 35 hours of bottom time in 5 days, so about 7 hours a day underwater :P. I was pretty waterlogged by the time we hit our rest day, but it was great, we packed a few weeks worth of diving in a few days. This was my first trip using Nitrox. Aside from the obvious boost in bottom time and safety margin for repetitive dives I also noticed that I was doing a full day of dives and feeling so tired and nappy between dives. Compared to the Channel Islands trip where I dove on air I felt much more awake and alert through multiple dives. Anyway, Nitrox is definitely high on my list for future trips. I wore a 3mm shorty rental from a resort and my drysuit hood for the week. It worked out great and I wasn't cold at all, though I did leave my hood out one day and noticed some chills at the end of some of the long dives. Also a key piece of gear I got later was a pair of lycra socks, with all the dives and walking around in wet boots and flip flops I was really wearing some holes through my feet, the lycra socks really helped cut down on the wear and tear, I wish I would have had them from the start.

I just wanted to say thanks again to everyone for all the great information. Before I left on the trip I made myself a collection of notes from the posts here and in the other Bonaire threads on the board. From that I got a list of all the sites people has posted as their favorites and we made sure to do at least one dive at all of those which were: Alice in Wonderland, Karpata, 1000 steps, Margate Bay, Tori's Reef, The Lake, Windsock, The Invisibles, Witches Hut/Andrea II, Oil Slick Leap, Angel City, Red Slave (North and South), Hilma Hooker. We also hit a few other sites like Jeff Davis Memorial, Salt City, etc and of course multiple dives at the resort on Calabasas Reef. We didn't do any boat diving, so I missed out on checking out Lac Cai, though we did drive over and check out the bay on our no-dive day. Also, we weren't able to dive Salt Pier as it was closed for our entire trip. Mostly we bought groceries from the Kultimara and ate PB&J, Frost Crips, and Mac & Cheese for meals, saving a ton of money, but we did hit up a few of the recommended restaurants like Casablanca and the Rib Factory. The vehicle rental with Telerin worked out really well, the Hilux was in great shape (a 2009) and they picked us up and the airport with the paperwork ready, nothing needed but a quick signature and we were off to dive. It was nice avoiding the large lines at the car rentals and taking off to dive right as we exited the airport. We kept the car unlocked on dives and didn't have any problems with theft.

Mostly the weather was calm and the water was really clear, with very little current. We did get one night where a large storm rolled in and we had some pretty crazy waves, we could even feel the surge down at 50 feet on the reef; that dive we had a bit of a roller coaster nighttime exit on a rocky shore with 6 foot waves breaking around as, but emerged relatively unscathed. Over the course of the week we got a chance to see a great variety of creatures and see some really amazing dive sites. My favorite was probably the dive we had on Red Slave South. We had perfect conditions with a gentle current and crystal clear waters. Over the course of a nearly two hour dive we saw a large group of squid, a turtle feeding on sponges, several eagle rays, barracuda, and just about every specie of fish and coral the island has to offer. Also the topography let us do a reef / wall dive on the way out and a shallower coral field on the return swim.

Between my buddy and I we shot around 40 hours of HD video. I have been slowly working through it on and off over the last month and am nearly done editing it down to an pretty amazing 15 minute video. I will put up a video link when it is ready. My canister light and video reflector were a bit bulky to pack, but invaluable to have on the trip. For the day dives the light really brought out the colors of the reef, especially on video. It was unreal for night dives, creating a perfect smooth, wide, hotspot free cone of light that made the night time video really shine.

Anyway, I had a great impromptu trip and it was an amazing way to finish off a year of fun dives. I can't thank my dive buddy Stosh enough for inviting me along on his trip. Thanks again everyone for all the great advice. I look forward to making it back to dive Bonaire again in the future.

[Tom Nic]

Yay Bonaire!

Yay Nitrox!

Thanks for taking the time to write the trip report.

Glad you had a good time - man I miss that island...

[-Aaron-]

Just thought I would post a quick update with a link to the video thread in case anyone was watching here.

http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php ... 44#p174744