Hi. My husband and I are coming to Bonaire on Feb. 8th for the 1st time. We just became certified to dive through PADI. This is going to be our first dive trip! We are staying at the Divi Flamingo. Is this a good place to stay? Should we rent a truck? Is the shore diving from Divi easy to do? As I said, this is going to be our first dive after being certified. I am so excited, I can't wait !!!! If anyone has any tips or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated!! Oh, if I want to take pictures underwater, do the disposable underwater cameras work well? Thanks! Andrea

Welcome Andrea!

Rent a truck. It's a must IMO. I have never stayed at Divi but have heard it is great and the house reef there is easy to do. Be sure and take these things with you:
1. Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy(book)
http://www.infobonaire.com/bsdme/
2. Hard sole booties.
3. Bug spray
4. Patience

Others will add some things but when you boil it all down, it's simple life and simple diving on Bonaire so keep it simple. You are about to become a spoiled diver right out of the gate by Bonaire!

Andrea, welcome to BT. In addition to the excellent tips from "Smack" I would add ...
1. If you are newly certified divers get in some dives to work on all your skills before trying to add a camera into the mix. Then, if you choose to take photos, why not rent one from one of the shops on island as the underwater disposables will not work well.
2. In restaurants you will not be given a check until you ask for it.
3. Dollars are widely accepted but try not to use large bills at smaller places. Change will be given in the local currency.

Bonaire is a great place for new (and not so new!) divers. Have a great time.

Andrea:

I will add to Susan's comments that in Michael Aw's Essential Guide to Digital Photography He recommends a diver have logged at least 50 dives before attempting to add underwater photography to their diving resume. Work on being comfortable and relaxed and on the buoyancy skills you learned in open Water.

And Enjoy Bonaire. My last 250 dives have been on Bonaire. It is a great island with great reefs and great people.

Jim

if you really must take pictures why not take a day and snorkel with your little camera??look at these pictures that were taken while snorkeling..
Click here for Darlenes trip report

The disposable underwater cameras will leak when diving! Don't waste your money. Calabas is the house reef of the Divi. Easy in and out will be the call of the day for you guys. A dive truck is a must, unless you don't plan on diving different reefs. Plus you shouldn't miss the rest of the Island! Andrea, you might want to rent your truck ahead of time, as there are only so many trucks, and alot of Divers!
Have a great time on Bonaire, and be prepaired to book your next trip real soon!!!

welcome to bonaire talk

if you decide to get an underwater camera there is a cheap one available at carib inn (next door to the divi). my sea and sea flooded a few years ago and i bought the one at carib inn to use for our last few dives.

since you are newly certified it might not be a bad idea to do a few boat dives before you do any shore diving. that way you are with a divemaster who can help you if you have any questions or problems.

we'll be on bonaire at the same time. maybe we'll see you at gibi's or somewhere.

Hi Andrea, welcome to BT!

Excellent info and advice above. If you want to see a huge list of to-dos for a first timer in Bonaire, BT's beloved Tara got some great suggestions from some of the most knowledgeable people on BT. You can read them them at http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/23830/330372.html

Andrea,
If this is your first dives since certification do a few boat dives before doing shore dives. this will get you oriented to the diving on Bonaire. Also talk to the dive shop staff they are very knowledgable about the island and where new dives will feel the most comfortable. The first year we went we did a lot of boat dives but haven't done any since. The shore diving is easy and safe as long as you are comfortable in the water and know that you don't have a dive master with you. Keep asking questions as you think of them BTer's will answer, I think we love to talk as much as we love to dive/snorkle.

Andy (short for Andrea)

Thank you all so much for the AWSOME tips! I can't wait to go!!! I have always been a lover of the sea, it's where my soul is!! O.K. so have I missed anything:
1. Bug spray is a must.
2. Do a boat dive first to get used to Bonaire's diving.
3. Don't buy a disposable underwater camera.
4. Don't even bother to take pics while diving as i'm a novice and need to focus on diving.
5.Rent a truck beforehand. (should I call before getting to Bonaire?)
6. Use small bills and ASK for the check.
7. What is Gibi's?

Again, thanks for all the tips!! I'M SOOOOO EXCITED!

Your first dive will probably be right off the divi dock. They give you the marine park lecture and then say,"go dive. come back and get your tag (and pay the fee)".

I have found that holding a camera is a great way to learn not to use your hands while diving.

Wow, I'm so excited. I've been coming back and forth to this site all day long. Just to read the posts. You all sound like such great people! I can't wait to go there, I already know i'm going to fall in love with Bonaire !!! I just know that one week is going to go by way too fast!!

you're right. one week is never enough. our first visit was about 8 days and it keeps getting longer. we're up to almost three months now and it's still not long enough.

start right now to make a list of things for your next trip.

Andrea..If the sea is where your soul is, you'll really want to be on Bonaire for sure. Most of us on this board are afflicted by the malady commonly referred to as PBD. Temporary relief can be found in planning another trip (usually longer in duration then the preceding one).

As others have suggested, I would definitely not endorse doing a boat dive first. Too many kinks to work out & being on a boat is NOT the place to do it. That's the purpose of the check out dive which should be made at a calm seaside beach or pier
location when you have all the time in the world & can move at your own pace. Enjoy your trip.

As far as renting a truck, this should be set up prior to your arrival. E mail is a convenient way. Just go to the available website.

OHHHHHHHH - and another absolute MUST is a trip report when you get back. I'm sorry but that is the price that you must pay in order to get our "wisdom"... ;-)

Have a GREAT time.

Yes, reserve a truck and since you are leaving soon I would take care of that now.

I agree with Vince about boat dives. Boats are on a schedule and time can play a part in the process. New divers sometimes feel rushed. I have seen a few become very uncomfortable.
An easy shore dive on your own time where all you need to concentrate on is what you are doing makes more sense. Set your gear up, check your buddies, have him/her check yours(ALWAYS do an air check), get in and find your comfort. All on your schedule. Save the boat dives for after you settle into your "zone".
IMO, new divers should not task load which, among many things, includes cameras. U/W photography requires good buoyancy skills AND situational awareness. I would set aside the idea of a camera until you are confident and proficient in your skills. One dive trip may not be enough to get there.

M2C

I'll also echo those who said not to do a boat dive for your first dive or so. You will grow much more comfortable if you do things at your own pace.

If you really want to take a few underwater pics for memories, try taking some in the shallower water. By sticking to shallows you can avoid accidentally bumping any reef. There is still plenty to see in the sandy areas. I would certainly get a few dives in without the camera first and not attempt to take the camera out to the the reef.

Don't forget to take plenty of pictures above water, around the island.

Boat diving on Bonaire is pretty much laid back. The dive masters will work with you so you are comfortable. Due to a bad back I have trouble doing a giant stride off of a boat, dive masters worked with me so I could sit down at the ladder and ease into the water and then they helped me get out again. In the water you can follow your own dive plan or go with the dive master, the only thing they asked of us was to be back at the boat within an hour. I have never found nicer dive professionals any where, those on Bonaire rock.

Andy

i guess it depends on the dive operator. when we did boat dives with carib inn they never gave us a deadline for getting back on the boat.

Yeah !!! One month from today and counting !!!!

we'll be there four weeks from tomorrow....yeah!!!!!

Pat,
I left a word out I should have said "try to be back in an hour". I think that is because that is about as long as most of the divers on the boat lasted. As Dave makes air, instead of using it,If they hadn't given us some kind of time frame he would have been down 1 1/2 hrs or more.
Andy

we dove with someone like that before....turks and caicos maybe. the rest of us were on the boat in about an hour and one guy would be under the boat forever while we toweled off and caught some sun. he was from colorado so it might have had something to do with being used to the thinner air where he lived.

> 1. Bug spray is a must.

After eight trips, the most recent being October 2007, I have yet to ever need/use bug spray.

As far as "must haves" ... I'd rate sunscreen much, much higher on the list than bug spray.

i spoke to one of our bonaire neighbors yesterday who was there over christmas and new years and he said he's never seen so many mosquitoes. and also has rarely seen the island so green. lots of rain during the present rainy season i guess.

also, since other posts have discussed the outbreak of dengue on the island, i'd definitely err on the side of caution and apply lots of repellant. i dont' get bit much either but my wife gets eaten alive. ironically, our friend who got dengue there four years ago didn't remember getting bit at all.

I was in Bonaire in December - and brought bug spray I would also highly suggest long pants at night the buggers are nasty even with bug spray. I forgot the spray one night and ended up looking like a polka dot.

Andrea,
My husband will arrive on the 9th and also staying at the Divi, novice divers also, may see you there. Have a wonderful time

dbil,
That's wonderful !! Our flight lands in Bonaire on Feb. 8th at 8:55pm. I can't wait, i'm so excited!! Hope you guys have a wonderful time in Bonaire and hope to see you there!!
Andrea

The Divi dive boats ARE very time-minded. Go on some dives from the dock first!

Hi Andrea,
My husband and went to Bonaire for a week (over Christmas) 2007. We too are novice divers. We highly encourage you to go to the dive site called Oil Slick. It has an easy entry and exit due to a small wooden deck and metal stairs. We did a giant stride to get in. Look under the stairs at the side of the rock wall. Big puffer fish live there. We also saw Hawkbill turtles twice at this site.
Be prepared to have your trip to Bonaire surpass your wildest expectations. We wanted to go on a special dive trip before my husband deploys for a year in Afganistan. Bonaire is wonderful. Have a great time!