We will be heading to Bonaire on March 13 with our 11 year old son. The 3 of us just got certified last November and have about 20 dives each. Can anyone recommend the names of some of the easier shore dives? And which ones should beginner divers definitely avoid...esp. ones with strong currents?

Eileen,
I would suggest the first thing you buy when you get to bonaire is a little yellow book called
"Bonaire Diving Made Easy" By Jessica Armacost. It is really informative and does a far better job then I could do telling you about the dives.
It came in real handy when I made my frist trip to Bonaire last year. I might actually cross paths with you as we are arriving on the 10th.

Scott

There really aren't any strong currents on the calm side to speak of. In roughly 50 dives in two trips, I've only done one dive (i call it the Karpata Maytag) where there was substantial current and it was mostly surge. I should have avoided it but it was my last day this past trip and I was not to be denied......i did though, call the dive at around 30 minutes. Scott is totally correct about Armacost's book, it'll tell you way more than all of the collective wisdom of this board (and THAT"S A LOT). Most dive shops have em for like $10 US, darn well worth it and she rates the dive sites for beginners, intermediate, and advanced.

Welcome to Bonaire Talks

Cheesy One

As a rule of thumb the sites near or at the far south and far north of both Bonaire and Klein Bonaire have the strongest currents. Just about all of the 'house' reefs have no current. Some resorts have an open entry for divers who are not staying at their operation, others because of accessibility do not. This has been discussed on Diving Bonaire: Captian Dons - Home of Diving Freedom - I don't think so !!!

Oops, calm side vs rough side, I guess I should explain. The west side of Bonaire is almost always calmer than the east side and is where the marked shore dive sites are at. East side should only be done with a guide or if you're way experienced. I dove it with Bas and it was great but I wouldn't do it by myself on a bet.

forgetcheeser

Eileen, go to www.shorediving.com, click on "Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire" then click on Bonaire...it is a great site with lots of information about each site and they rate it beginning, intermediate and advanced.

Have a great and safe time!

Eileen, this is actually a better site...it give more in depth reviews...it was a great help my first trip to Bonaire!

http://www.skin-diver.com/bonaire/main.html

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all the information. Cynde, those sites were esp. helpful...I love getting a look at the places before we even get there!!!