Hi All,

Very helpful site - we are really looking forward to our first visit to Bonaire in April! I'm looking for some advice on snorkeling equipment and sun protection:

Is it necessary to arrange equipment rentals in advance or can we just show up at a dive shop?

Is children's equipment readily available (two boys, 8 and 11)?

Do most snorkelers wear body suits for sun protection or just lots of sunscreen? My kids are very fair-skinned and have never been to the tropics. Are the suits available to rent?

Do you recommend any dive shops in particular?

Any help is much appreciated!
Thanks, Mike

Welcome to Bonaire Talk Michael,
First off Bonaire is about 3 feet from the Sun so please protect those kids with more than just sun screen.. a full skin would be great and then they should watchout around their necks.....the skin not only protects from the sun but from any other marine problem that may occur...
Not sure about the equipment as most people take their own equipment but I am sure you can rent at any dive shop.. where are you staying??

Freddie, thanks for the response. We're staying at Lighthouse Beach resort from April 12 - 19.

Michael, YGM. Also, if you take a snorkel cruise it includes all gear. If you live near a Costco you can check there, they have inexpensive 3mm wet suits and snorkel equipment for kids. Sun Screen needs to be applied often, my kids are dark skinned and tan easily but still need lots of protection when on Bonaire!

Welcome to BT Michael. My first response was to send you out for equipment but kids that age grow like weeds. Which makes you somewhat dependant on the quality of the rental stuff. I would plan on looking around the first day for some good rental stuff that fits and rent it for the entire time there. They have to have masks that do not leak or it will ruin the experience. They will also need booties and open heal fins, the water is loaded with cutting/stinging stuff.

Michael, welcome to Bonaire Talk You might email Carib Inn (you can find their email at www.infobonaire.com and see if they rent snorkel gear for you and your kids. If you come up empty handed there, try Wannadive (you can find them through the link as well). You really need water shoes, or booties on Bonaire as the entries are coral rubble and hard substraight, bare feet would get cut up. Another option if you have full foot fins is to wear your shoes out to the water and clip them to something on your person while snorkeling.

Also, may I suggest you purchase the book, Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy, for divers and snorkelers. Snorkel sites are rated in the book as well. www.bsdme.info is where you can find more info about the book.

Have a great trip

I was going to say the same thing as Cecil, but after some thought, I have had three kids snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean all new at one time. I would suggest that the very least you get face masks and snorkels for the kids as they do not all fit the same for kids. Yes, there are "some" available on island, but they have to fit "right" and kid's heads are not the same as adults. Snorkels, well, I would most certainly find room in my suitcase for one. I don't care how much disinfectant they use, do not rent that. Yuck! A local dive shop can help you out with that. Renting all that stuff is going to be pricey, but since you noted first timers, then rent it, but wet suits are very inexpensive here in the states, like my 12 y.o. does not like the full skin, but wears a shortie, 3mm, and you can get them for under $50 at a Club like BJ's, Sam's Club, or a Costco, you will pay that much in rental fees, so up to you, my son went through two sizes last year, yes they grow like weeds, but with his skinny butt and waist, I have never found a wetsuit that is rented that fits him good, so I always make sure we bring one for him. Just my two cents. For you adults, you should be fine finding rented equipment that fits o.k.. I remember that the Plaza's dive shop had a big selection of kid's stuff for sale and I think maybe that place would be your best bet for kid's stuff. I would suggest calling there and talking to them prior and give them your kids bootie size, measurements for a wet suit and ask if they have fins for them as well once they have all the information. If so, then you can rent it from them and relax knowing they will have what you need. If not, then buy the kid's stuff in the states and rent yours. You see you will pay almost the same if not more renting, so it really doesn't matter.

Michael, Cover up the kids as much as possible! Full suits, sun block (45 minimum). Without protection they can go to the hospital with savire burns! I wear a Do-Rag when diving for the first few days as I have burned my scalp to the point of terrible pain! Have fun but be aware of what is happening... Ron

Thanks for all the advice! We've decided to outfit ourselves up here before we go to avoid any problems with rental equipment. I've also got my copy of the Bonaire Shore Diving guide, so we're all set there. Cheers, Mike.

Great news, Michael! Now, you can relax and enjoy your vacation with no worries! You got the important stuff covered now, the rest is a piece of cake or shall I say piece of paradise?

Michael,
Having grown up in your area I know there are dive shops in Branford and Guilford on Rt 1, and they are expensive...Since you have some time, try leisurepro.com or joediveramerica, etc and look for their specials. The equipment is at your house within days.

Quick and seemingly silly question... My partner and I are extremely excited about our upcoming visit to Bonaire, as well as all the fabulous snorkeling we've been hearing about. One thing, though... as much as we love snorkeling, we're both very timid swimmers.

I know Bonaire attracts very experienced divers and snorkelers, so I've made it a point to find out if the local shops provide flotation equipment for rent. Since I've not found a definite answer so far, could someone please humor me and confirm that we can rent them while we're there? It would definitely ease our minds. (We plan on buying our own after this trip.)

Thanks!!

I would suspect that you should be able to rent snorkel vests but I will tell you though that if you rent a 3mm wet suit - much more than likely - you'll float without that vest. And don't confuse experienced divers with swimmers - they aren't the same. My husband is a very good diver but he struggles greatly with swimming. I'm not a great swimmer either (I manage but I'm not great) but I am an excellent diver and instructor. The biggest suggestion is - RELAX - breathe in DEEP, breathe out SLOWLY, enjoy the sites and RELAX.

And tell us all about it when you return. We LOVE trip reports.

Thank you for the swimming versus diving explanation. I've never really thought about it that way, but it makes perfect sense.

I think the vests are more for reassurance than flotation. I'll definitely try out the wet suit idea, especially with my mid-Atlantic (not to mention Celtic) skin.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. We will definitely post a report.

Hi Deb, my in-laws are snorkelers and not the best swimmers either, but this year we bought them shortie wet suits and they loved the fact that it did give them added sun protection, more buoancy in the water which gave them a much more reassurance of staying afloat with less effort. Also gives you more protection of jellies, but of course a full skin is the best for that. Dive shops will have shorties and full, you may want to try both on to see how they feel comfort wise. Now, I snorkel and dive, but in the beginning when learning to snorkel, I was petrified of sinking, so hubby got me a snorkel vest. Well, the top half sorta keeps you afloat, but the rest of you just sinks and I felt like it chocked me. The wet suits would work better than the vest from my experiences, but it is you who must be comfortable with what you choose. On Bonaire, you don't have to go deep to see lots of fish, that's the beauty of the island! You can see so many fish in less than 12 feet of water and less. Enjoy your trip, look forward to hearing how it was when you get back!

Don't Dive or Snorkel in a "shortie" unless you want burned up legs and arm's! Bonaire is 3 inches from the sun!

I agree with Ron. Bonaire is 3 degrees from the sun and you will burn easily. Wear a full suit if at all possible and plenty of sun screen on any exposed skin. a 3 mil dive skin will give you plenty of floatation. We are both divers and love it but we still do some snorkeling also and in Bonaire it is easy. You really don't have to be that great of a swimmer to snorkel there. You will love the island, her reefs, wild life above and below water and her people (they are the greatest)

Yup, I agree with Ron and Andy/Dave on the full skin. I wear one myself and am quite comfortable in it. Hubby and son like the shorties though. We go three or four times a year and they use lots of sun screen to avoid getting sunburned. Hubby tried the full skin, but doesn't like the feel as much as he likes the shortie. Each to their own.

I would find wetsuits or dive skins for the kids in the US. We realized 2 weeks before our trip this year that my nearly 10 year old son had grown out of his shortie wetsuit. I brought home 3-4 different wetsuits from LeisurePro (1 subway stop from my office) and nothing fit his long, skinny body.

We went to Bonaire with the plan to buy something and were disappointed:

- 1st stop Caribe Inn. No kids wetsuits. (although we did buy my 14yr daughter a very nice Henderson adult small dive skin for the same price as we see then in the US)
- 2nd stop Plaza. Lousy selection of wetsuits & no kids gear. Rental stuff didn't fit either.
- 3rd stop Buddy's. Found rental shortie that fit. They wouldn't sell it. Rental cost = $55 for the week. Wish we had found one in US to buy, which would have been about the same cost & he would have it for the summer when we go to Dutch Springs.

If you're interested in the now too small wetsuit, send me an email.

Depending on shoe size, you may need to go with full foot fins for the younger one - I've never seen booties/strap back in small sizes.

Thank you all for your wonderful responses. You've been incredibly helpful. We arrive in Bonaire tomorrow!

I am officially jealous!!! Have a GREAT trip and enjoy yourselves.

In lieu of my written report, I'd like to offer to all of you our photos so far. We're snorkeling again today, of course, and will do our first dive EVER tomorrow.

Here are the photo links:

Underwater:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2penguins/sets/72157600060065933/

Above water:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2penguins/sets/72157600056057954/

We're not taking the camera today, but we definitely will tomorrow.

Again, thanks for your help and advice!

Deb, Welcome to the world of "Dive Junkies". Are you certified? Are you doing a Discover SCUBA? Your profile dosen't say that you are a diver.

Have fun in any case and keep a log book forever to look back on your joyous times... Ron

Michael - my boyfriend and I have had good success buying dive/snorkeling gear at a dive shop in Old Saybrook. It's good to be able to try stuff on. The store has very helpful, knowledgeable (sp) people. Also, they sell kids' stuff.

Ron, I'm not a diver... yet. We do our very first lesson/dive tomorrow. All the photos are from snorkeling.

By the way, I wanted to thank all of you again for your advice. We've been using wet suits and have LOVED them. (We have shortie tans, but who cares?) We snorkeled in a pretty choppy area up north... don't have the map at hand... but we just floated on top the whole time. No need for jackets. It's been wonderful.