Our family of four are heading there in June for a week. We want to have the right stuff, but after purchasing passports, extra luggage, expensive airline tickets!, etc. money is becoming an issue.

So, do we really need skins or a rash guard? We're used to snorkeling/diving in warm waters like the Keys with only our swimsuits, but I've picked up on several comments regarding stinging nettles or some kind of stinging thing in the water which required protection. Is this the case in the Summer months? I understand using skins as sun protection too, but is this necessary if you're only in the water an hour or two at a time with thick waterproof sunscreen on? We'll buy them if really needed, but as of now I need to buy two new sets of fins with straps and 3 sets of hard-soled booties (none of this needed before)

Also, I heard somewhere on here that underwater lights shouldn't been too bright that they actually scare of the underwater life. What do you experienced Bonairians use? We've never snorkeled or dived at night (older daughter 19 dives with my husband and younger daughter 14 snorkels with me) I hear we must dive/snorkel at least once at night near one of the piers.

Any other suggestions on what 1st timers should bring? From everything I've read on this great site - we can't wait!!! My older daughter is in college studying to be a marine biologist, so this trip is really special for her.

HI Gina,
We have gone to bonaire now going on 3 years and snorkeled we only had one day the first trip where the stingy jelly fish were out and last year it was pretty much the same. I personally was fine in my one piece and did not get cold but since now getting certified I am noticing that after an hour and I am starting to get cold underwater. If you have not yet purchased botties yet check a site called divers direct we got out booties at a very reasonable price from them.
Also we spent money on this stuff call seasafe and tried it on the day was things in water and it did not work so dont waste your money.
Once suggestion I might make is dont buy but if you find that you need it and dont think you will ever use it again you can always rent those items from dive shops on bonaire.
Also you might want to email Bruce from caribinn and find out his prices on those items you want because when we were looking at dive equipment w as less expensive but the same items in the state and you would be helping the economy on bonaire which is an added bonus.
Also if you want to do just one night dive dont go to expense of buying underwater flashlights you can also rent them. When are you going in June? I have a 14yr old daughter and a 17 yr old and we are going to be ther june 26 -july 7,

Welcome to the board Gina.

Personally, I much prefer using a dive skin over any kind of sun screen. No matter what kind you use, it will wash off or you miss a spot. You are a lot closer to the equator and the sun is intense. Jellyfish stings are not that common and unless you are allergic to them, they are more of a nuisance than anything else.
As for UW light, I have not seen any marine life that reacts too much to lights. UW lights are expensive so I suggest you rent them there. I would also suggest you email the diveshop you intend to rent from because some shops do not include batteries with the lights. Batteries on Bonaire are rather expensive so bringing your own can save you some money.

Hi Gina,

Welcome! Ok, I have to tell you I wear a skin. It is not about the body tempature thing, but about the fire coral thing! Not that there are loads of it, but in the shallows, especially when you are so into the snorkling and watching EVERYTHING else, there is always the chance of hitting some fire coral. It does leave a nice little welt...stings too. Also, There have been a couple of times when I made entries or exits on the south end where it tended to be a little rougher, so if I got knocked over by a wave and their was a little dead coral pieces, etc., the skin prevents scrapes, etc. I agree with everyone else to rent the dive lights. They are not expensive. You will also DEFINITELY need booties, or something with a harder bottom sole.

You definitely will want to bring some OFF or other type of bug guard (we use Skin So Soft Bug Guard by Avon, no DEET, and works great!) At dusk the little "no seeums" tend to attack from the knees down.

Definitely think about bringing a disposable underwater camera for snorkling or rent a camera for the dives, definitely worth it and the digital are so easy to use!

Good luck and enjoy.

Liz

"As for UW light, I have not seen any marine life that reacts too much to lights"

Well, since they were long gone already, Herman,I guess not.

The good thing is a nice 4AA UK dive light is about twenty bucks. Buy a couple and give them over to the divers in your family when you're done.

As a bit of a mossback, I remember that during my earlier dive trips we used leotard leggings and long sleeved t-shirts to dive in for skin protection. Check out your local thrift stores for cheap t-shirts that you won't mind throwing away at the end of the trip. Leggings can be found at your local W-M, K-M, or Target stores for a song. Save your money for the fins and booties. I wouldn't buy them online unless you have checked out the size and types you want in person. You may even want to wait and buy them at the Carib Inn or somewhere else on Bonaire.

This board is so great. Thanks for all the advice. And, Christine, sorry but we're there the week of June 12 - 19th. Too bad, the girls might have had fun together.

Hey, I heard mention also of a kayak trip through the mangroves. Anyone have advice on this? My family is very nature oriented and loves to gunkhole! Sounds like it might be up our alley.

Bonaire Dive & Adventure (at Sand Dollar), among others does the mangrove kayak/snorkel thing.

I dove for years on Bonaire with a long sleeved chambray shirt and dungarees. Some for warmth and mostly for abrasion avoidance. I used the same clothes for years of diving, so they need not be throwaways. After all, they are being cleaned while worn!!! :–) A shirt also eliminate any chafing by a BC.

I have to agree with Seb about long gone life using a bright light. The water is so benign with no overheads or silt that I often just use a MityLite, with 2 AAA batteries. I also agree that renting lights first, perhaps more than one size, can help you learn what you want to buy. Keep trying less light until you are happy.

And I concur that Bruce @ Carib Inn generally has prices as good as the States.

And do the night dives/snorkel early in the trip so you have a chance to do it again-- you will want to. In the sand shallows from Kralendijk north past Habitat, the snorkellers can follow over the divers and all enjoy the many fish in the shallows. Little fish up to snook. Out a little deeper up there, maybe the snorkellers can watch Charlie the Tarpon with the divers. So many good things!!

Ok Seb, what animals am I missing?

Copper lobsters, orange ball corallimorphs, basket stars, tube dwelling anemones, and bioluminescent critters off the top of my head Herman. There are no aircraft landings happening underwater I am aware of, so a light bigger than your head is not required. That may not the case in murkier waters,I don't know, but it's always held true by my observations in the Carribbean. I don't know of anything alive underwater that's not affected by light. Many's the time I've turned on my light after having it off for a while, and I see all manner of creatures high-tailing it for cover. That's how we found the mysterious chains of light.

I use a 4 AA UK40 with my fingers over the lens which make a highly effective douser. My backup, in case I need to summon the Marines or find the vehicle from the water, is a four C cell flashlight, and at least one more UK40. UK (Underwater Kinetics) has thus far always repaired or replaced without question when they failed or corroded.

Seb

I agree, I use two 4 AA UK40 lights attached to my camera as primary and backup. They give ample light and burn time is over two hours.

The funniest thing I have seen in Bonaire was a guy shooting video with 2 Car headlights rigged to his housing. - It was brighter than diving at noon. We saw a lot of coral spawning acivity that night by keeping away from the light pool.

Another animal you will not see with large lights is the Flaming Reef Lobster. They are about the most shy things there but they are there. I have seen one back away into its hole in the reef when I turned on my MityLite from 15 feet away.

Almost all, if not all, night crustaceans try to hide from white light. Sometime try putting a deep red filter over the lens of a light, block direct light from the filament (it still is pretty yellow/white) with a small circle of alum foil and use that red light on a night dive. All the crustaceans just sit in place as you come right up and even touch them. Good for still photography because they usually don't flinch from a strobe..

How big are they Glenn? I have to go look them up in the book. We saw the copper lobster at Oil Slik Leap, he sure looked like the pic in Humann.

The Flaming Reef Lobster (Enoplometopus antillensis) is a clawed tropical Atlantic lobster about 10 inches long, claws to tail tip, maybe a bit larger. Very distinctive: clawed, bright orange in a 'white' dive light, with white bands on the claws and a white bullseye sort of pattern on the sides of the carapace. As I remember, the second edition of the Humann/DeLoach crustacean book has an entry; the picture was taken under the south end of the Town Pier. It looks like this:



(Message edited by glenr on May 12, 2004)

Since your daughter is studying to be a marine biologist, I strongly recommend a visit with Caren at Sea and Discover - www.bonairenature.com/seandiscover/
She is a marine biologist herself who offers kid's programs and some adult programs on Bonaire. My 16 year old daughter just loves her and your daughter, I am sure, would enjoy talking with her.

Glen, I've only seen the blurrrr of the butt end of the Flaming Reef Lobster as it scurried away from me (never did know what the heck it was). Impressive that you were able to take such a great photo 'up close and personal'.
Mary W

TKS, Mary. More persistence or stubbornness. It was at 2 am near the end of a 2 hour dive (shallow water!!), solo (no one else that crazy). Holding a Nikonos cum flash mostly with the left hand and the right hand holding my trusty red-filtered MityLite and working the shutter release. The white strand across the lower left is a Banded Coral Shrimp antenna-- it just sat there and I didn't notice it until I looked at the slide. The lobster went about its business in the red light and only retreated if I moved enough to send it a pressure wave. Again, TKS.

Where did you see your lobster??

We were at Oil Slick Leap (August 2001) on an evening to night dive. We were in about 15 feet of water in the short part of the reef with our lights off. We were doing our safety stop and Seb noticed this red blur.
I may have seen one in Dominica (July 1997) again on a night dive with no lights. I was startled to see a red lobster, a small one at that. At that time I was a rather newbie diver and did not realize the significance of what I saw.

I have a copy of the paper by a Smithsonian scientist that defined the E. a. and it listed sightings of adult or larval forms from around the tropical Atlantic: west to Panama; east to the Gulf of Guinea, west Africa; south to the island of St. Helena and north to Bermuda. A few years ago Alert Diver printed the picture above as their Creature Feature and I got responses of sightings from several Caribbean Islands, including Bonaire. Sipke Stappert, when he was working at Sand Dollar, saw 'many' along the west side. He even found the moulted shell of one which I ended up with, courtesy of Caren E. I am convinced they are relatively common but very shy (I believe that 'cryptic' or 'light shunning' is the scientific term) so they have hidden before the beam of common dive lights ever reaches them. Where I have seen one in the same place day and night, in the daytime it was well back under. Fun to look for. Worth having a red light.

Glen, thanks for sharing.
For those without red filters on their flashlights, diving with a full moon with no flashlights will do.
Mary W