Northwest Dive Club

I'm heading to Bonaire in September (during the coral spawning) with my buddy. It'll be our first time there, and there appear to be a LOT of shore dive sites. Even with a stiff Nitrox tank, I'm a little doubtful that I can dive all 60+ shore dives in just eight days.

Does anyone have favorite Bonaire dive sites they can recommend? And any thoughts on the best way to see the coral spawn? I am staying at Buddy Dive, and they recommend just shore diving the house reef during the coral spawn.

Thanks!

Greg

Oh you're gonna have a ball if you hit it at the time that the coral spawning takes place. Don't worry about hitting all the dive sites, it's not about the quantity but rather the quality. I can't remember off the top of my head which sites are my favorite, but you can ask Tom Nic or Lizard on this site and they're both very knowledgeable about Bonaire diving. Also, just chat up some divers who look like they know what they're doing around the island itself while you're there. Great way to get current info and also to make friends

Congrats on a great dive destination choice!

If you love DIVING then you will LOVE Bonaire. There are more luxurious destinations, and better party destinations, but for critters and diving when and where you want, Bonaire can't be beat. 6 nwdiveclubbers will be on island June 2-9. This will be my fifth trip (or sixth, I'll have to check) and I just can't get enough.

For the coral spawn be prepared to do multiple night dives - at least if you want to maximize shooting the spawn. It can make for some long days, but way worth it.

As for favorite sites you will get many opinions, so I will give you mine. LaDania's Leap is my current favorite site - the 130' vertical wall and the abundant life in the shallows keep drawing me back. In the south I LOVE the sites between White Slave and Red Slave - start in the middle (Fish Hut?) and work your way out. The surface swims are a bit shorter, there seems to be some hard rock bottom and so the reef starts shallower, with fields of soft coral gorgonians and sea fans in 15' of water.

All that being said, there isn't a bad dive. I just linked to some photos posted by Wannadive from Eden Beach's Front Porch where we do our check out dives. It is a bit beaten, and I tell people it is the ugliest dive they will do all week - yet it is loaded with life and has a couple of wrecks and lots of bottom structure.

Order the book 'Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy' by Susan Porter before you go. It isn't a picture book, but it is the Bonaire shore diving bible. I have three dog eared, written on copies.

Bonaire is amazing - you will love it!

Something Special and Salt Pier were my 2 favorite sites. Unfortunately I didn't get to Salt Pier until my last day. I would have done it over and over. (We did do Something Special over and over as it was close to our lodgings, and awesome.)

Both sites are listed here:
http://www.infobonaire.com/divemap.html

It says that you must get a permit or something before doing Salt Pier but that did not appear to be true when we were there. Ask your dive shop, though.

Have fun!

I think Karpata is my favorite, did it several times. I enjoyed White and Red slave too, but they were definitely ball busters. I did the Hilma Hooker a few times, being a wreck fan. I felt the salt pier was a little over hyped. I get enough junk dives in Seattle. There's not really a bad dive. That said, Something Special isn't really all that ;-) My other favorite dive was the one right out the front door... you can waste a lot of time driving all over the place to see the same stuff.

You're going to have an awesome time!

When I was at Salt Pier the junk was not the main attraction. I have never seen so many fish, so densely packed, outside of an aquarium. It was astounding. YMMV.

Hilma Hooker is a very nice dive too.

If you are comfortable with current (there WILL be current), waves/surge, exposure, long swims, low viz (on the way out) and have access to a good sized tank (100 minimum) you might try Cai on the windward side. It does have shore access, actually the easiest access on the island-but that's the end of easy for the dive.
Nothing like the protected side at all. Totally different terrain and some different fish. If you Google [Dive Lac Cai] and follow some links you get some decent info.

NOT A DIVE FOR INEXPERIENCED DIVERS, WEAK SWIMMERS, AIR HOGS, OR THE ANXIETY PRONE! I thought it made Day Island seem mostly pretty tame and I do DIW frequently. This is a serious dive. All the windward dives are serious it would seem.
There are charters that will take you out on a boat there, or to White Hole nearby if you need that support.

Thanks everyone, I can't wait!

Did 27 dives in 6 days this year, at Bonaire

BASSMAN wrote:Did 27 dives in 6 days this year, at Bonaire

Impressive!

BASSMAN wrote:Did 27 dives in 6 days this year, at Bonaire

Nice...we only did 22~!