By Liz .... back to Bon 3/29-4/4. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #249) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 12:31 pm: |
I know most people do this dive, but so far I have not....there is something intimidating to me about the location (mostly the possibility, however remote, of being swept out past the end point of the island). It seems so exposed at that site.
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By Marcus L. Barnes (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1098) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 1:40 pm: |
Dove it the first time with my brother-in-law in the afternoon - ripping current!! Started diving it in the morning and the current each time hasn't been nearly as bad. My wife dives it with me now as long as I dive it in the morning. My advice is dive it in the morning and be prepared to abort if the current is something you're not comfortable with once your on the dive. Shouldn't be a problem though in that I only expirienced the strong current that one time. Viz can be an issue in the shallows intially and the shallows drop of deep quicker here than other sites. Once your deep enough on the flats prior to arrival on the wall, the viz gets significantly better.
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By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #355) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 1:44 pm: |
Like Marcus says , this site takes a little planning . We had to abort due to very strong current . I am trying again next week .
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By Nicnac (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 1:50 pm: |
Ditto on the current. We successfully dived it, but would have ended up being swept way past the trucks if one of our group hadn't run out of air very quickly; fortunately we decided to ascend as a group rather than leave him and his buddy to return early and we all ended up in the right spot - we just couldn't believe we'd been returned there so quickly.
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By Edward Mizell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #128) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 2:56 pm: |
We dove Red Slave in September when there was practically no current. I know this is a favorite site for a lot of people, but I really don't know why from what we saw. We went north after entry, so maybe going south would have been better. It seems like we went to forty to sixty feet and swam over a series of narrow coral islands that run perpendicular to the shore. We did get to watch a shoal of squid from very close up, which was cool, but the coral and fish life in general were not as impressive to us as most of the other dive sites on Bonaire.
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By Michael (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1299) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 3:44 pm: |
We dove Red Slave years ago with a group through our local dive shop. Half of us got in and headed north along the shore, the other half (led by a much less experienced DM) went south. When we came back to the exit point there was no sign of the rest of the group. They had, in fact, gotten caught in a current that pulled them a fair ways south before they were able to get out. They ended up hiking about 1/2 mile back to where they were parked to pick up the trucks and go back to get their gear. At least one person in that group vowed she wasn't getting back in the water...ever.
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By Debbie B. ~ Jersey Gal (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8845) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 4:37 pm: |
We dove it the other day, wind had died down, calm there, it was early morning. Hardly any current, were able to go one way and return where we entered. Saw two eagle rays in the shallows and some nice size groupers and usual fishies there. Viz was really good for this time of year. I usually don't do this dive during the winter months, but couldn't resist with the sea as calm as it was. I did made hubby promise if current changed or picked up big time, we would head back in. I love diving Lighthouse too, really nice dive, different topography, but only in the summer/fall months when seas are like a sheet of glass.
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By Dan Jolly (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #711) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 4:55 pm: |
Have not had a problem yet at Red Slave but down at the south sites currents can be a real issue. We got caught at White Slave once and seriously feared we were going to float to Venezuela. The further south you go the more currents become safety issues. More central sites can have currents but you will generally parallel the coast and be rather close so safety is not as serious.
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By Kelly(*) (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5985) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 5:21 pm: |
Successfully dove it my first trip to Bonaire; but had a mishap coming out and have a nice scar on my knee as a lasting memento. I need to work on my dismount, apparently.
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By TRACI THOMPSON (BonaireTalker - Post #26) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 6:12 pm: |
It had a pretty strong current the first time I did it in August. But once I was down deep enough it did not seem like such a problem.
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By Michael Stanfield (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #166) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 9:28 pm: |
For Red Slave may I suggest walking the shore toward the light house and beyond to decide if you are comfortable exiting along that shore line. Currents going north are not a problem. You could ride the current back to the Hilma Hooker and still be able to exit most anywhere but if the current is going toward the light house your exits become limited after a while. My wife and I dive the site and always drift dive regardless of the direction of the current but we do preplan how far we want to drift.
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By constance (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #134) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 11:28 pm: |
Michael, as I tell my husband, just as he sets out to walk for the truck, this is why women get married. Just to have someone go get the truck after drift diving. ;-) Oh, and to get a dead mouse or a bat, or...anything icky...out of the house.
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By Michael Stanfield (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #167) on Thursday, February 19, 2009 - 10:14 am: |
Constance,
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By Jenni Stanfield (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Thursday, February 19, 2009 - 4:03 pm: |
Constance,
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By Gail T.** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3787) on Thursday, February 19, 2009 - 5:03 pm: |
Welcome Mrs. Michael S.! We have some fav's in common. BDI. Al. Rona. Emily! I remember Rona telling me that Emily once chided Michael for wearing the same shirt two days in a row - as a 3 year old should be so cognizant! But Rona said Michael went up and changed his shirt. Good thing it wasn't my hubby. His fav shirt was "Same shirt, different day" We keep trying to find another each year, but they tell us they sell out as soon as they come in. I missed seeing our little Em last year.......
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By Krispi ... feeling the love... (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5060) on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 4:06 pm: |
We dove red slave in October. The wind reversal was still strong. The current was heavy. We went north into the current then decided to play in the sand flat and watch the passer-bys. It was still a nice dive, saw some very large rays, a barracuda, Snapper...the drift does sound less stressful!
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By constance (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #135) on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 11:00 pm: |
Oh Jenni, What a great idea!! Love it. Can't wait to share that with my dear/poor husband.
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By Steve Clark (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Saturday, February 21, 2009 - 5:43 pm: |
Liz, Red Slave is about our favorite southern site. My wife & I dive it every trip at least once. It's a morning dive and better an early morning dive as Bonaire's wind often pick up during the day. We always check the wind first for a safe entry. Also, expect the wind to be a little stronger when you come up for your exit. The only time we aborted Red Slave was because of wind on the entry. Once in the water at depth, follow your training, start into the current and when you turn, you will always ride the current back. Sometimes the current is stronger than others, but nothing we felt was unsafe. Remember to stay low and close to the reef in current and try to avoid any surface swimming. We always try to come out where we entered cause we've already picked that as an easy path through the rocks. Red Slave also has a nice shallow sandy area to come up in. Have fun.
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By David Johnson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #505) on Sunday, February 22, 2009 - 2:21 pm: |
Liz:
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By Liz .... back to Bon 3/29-4/4. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #258) on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 3:40 pm: |
Thanks, everyone, for your responses. Appreciate your comments. Looks like at least one very early morning for us, coming up.
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By Dan Jolly (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #777) on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 5:15 pm: |
Liz - a sample of currents down south. but I have seen these at Yellow Sub as well so it can vary widely.
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By Liz .... back to Bon 3/29-4/4. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #259) on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 6:27 pm: |
Dan, thanks for the pic......I am going to be using my leg muscles, huh? Tell me I'm at least going to see something unusual (dare I say....pelagic) for all that current!
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By Jason (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #240) on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 9:30 pm: |
Hey, if that is going North that could be a lot of fun.
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By Ashley Perry (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Monday, March 2, 2009 - 2:28 pm: |
I just dove Red Slave last week (2/24) and took the advice I had seen on here and dove it first thing in the morning. Probably 8:30 or so when we went in. Little to no current and the entry wasn't bad at all. It ended up being one of the best dives of the trip. We saw three spotted eagle rays, one of the largest green morays I have ever seen, and a small turtle besides all the usual stuff you see on the Bonaire dive sites.
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By Tom Nic (BonaireTalker - Post #45) on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - 6:36 pm: |
I dove this site in September of 08, and did NOT do it first thing in the morning. We felt surface current as we swam out from shore, and that should have been warning enough. The current was ripping, and we ended up ducking into the little "valleys" that run perpendicular to shore to get out of the "wind", then would kick up and over the ridges and duck down in the next valley. We still ended up with a 36 minute dive, but not what I want on Bonaire! All in all a nice dive, but I don't like working that hard for a good dive, especially on Bonaire!
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By Ashley Perry (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - 9:06 am: |
Tom, we had to do just what you mentioned and abort a dive there two years ago. We were doing it in the afternoon and after about 5 minutes of a really stiff current, we called it quits. Too many other great sites to have to fight your way thru a dive.
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