By Heather Laird on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 3:10 pm: |
Hello all,
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By Susan Bolin on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 4:48 pm: |
Hello --
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By mary pequinot on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 7:24 pm: |
Windsock is a great shore dive for a beginner. Having just been certified in Bonaire, it was my first shore dive with the exception of Bari Reef, right at my hotel. Invisibles and Angel City are also pretty easy, as are many south. North entries were more difficult-the most difficult for me was Nukove, where I literally had to crawl along the coral. Thank God I was wearing a full wetsuit! Weber's Joy, which is north is a reasonably easy entry. You'll love it-I was nervous at first as well, but with my husband a very experienced diver, I soon felt at home. It's an unstructured way to enjoy diving at your own pace. Have a great time!
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By J Rushman on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 8:00 pm: |
I dive with full-foot fins so my entries are either barefoot or with Teva's. But I highly recommended getting booties and open-heel fins for shore diving. (I'm just cheap)
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By Kelly on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 8:05 pm: |
Jeeez, you did't leave anything for us to say (grin)
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By Barry Gassert on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 9:08 pm: |
This is a good time to bring up something very important here.
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By Kelly on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 9:13 pm: |
Okay Barry so there was more to say, and well said too!!
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By herman mowery on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 9:22 pm: |
Hi Heather,
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By Barry Gassert on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 9:41 pm: |
Heather... Tori's reef is good, as well as Angel City, Alice in Wonderland and the sites in that area. They are shallow and have a high diversity of corals and those fishy looking critters.
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By DIVER DEBBI on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:32 pm: |
Theres a great book out called Bonaire Shore Dives..available on Bonaireinfo or I'm sure they will have it at the airport giftshop upon arrival..I personally would'nt reccommend Karpata, very hard to get in and out of... and of course Thousand Steps is alittle harder to get up and down for the first time diver with tanks on their back (only 80 steps)
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By DIVER DEBBI on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:33 pm: |
Oh yeah forgot SHOREDIVES.COM also great reference to all the shoredives in Bonaire you can actually see them
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By John P. Wahlig on Tuesday, August 21, 2001 - 2:49 pm: |
For fun you can do Oil Slick Leap. Litterally, you do a giant stride off the "cliff" 10 feet above the water. It's fun. There is a ladder for coming back.
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By Heather Laird on Wednesday, August 22, 2001 - 1:36 pm: |
Thank you to everyone for the all information! I really appreciate the thorough responses--I'm definitely a "planner" and like to be prepared.
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By mary pequinot on Wednesday, August 22, 2001 - 6:08 pm: |
Barry, I guess I should clarify it was DEAD coral I crawled over. Although I am a beginning diver, my husband is very experienced, and led the way out and back. It took us around half an hour to go from hip deep water to the shore. We were very careful. I never would have tried it without an experienced diver as my buddy.
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By Susan Feldman on Wednesday, August 22, 2001 - 9:19 pm: |
Heather,
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By Glen Reem on Thursday, August 23, 2001 - 11:29 am: |
Susan Bolin,
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By Susan Bolin on Thursday, August 23, 2001 - 3:13 pm: |
I have just been using regular tanks, so I guess that would be 80 cu. I don't know how much those tanks actually weigh, but it feels like 80 pounds!
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By Glen Reem on Thursday, August 23, 2001 - 4:33 pm: |
Yes and yes. Also shorter, which I think you will appreciate. Check it out at your local dive shop.
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By Mike Endrizzi on Thursday, August 23, 2001 - 6:07 pm: |
One other tip that I picked up during my first trip to Bonaire:
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By Meryl Virga on Thursday, August 23, 2001 - 6:29 pm: |
Heather,,,1000 Steps,,,,Ol Blue...Something Special.....are also great easy sights to enter....We found Pink Beach (only time we tried} and Alice in Wonderland to be alittle currenty...You will know as soon as you get in if it is right for you...there are so many you are sure to have a wonderful time! Enjoy
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By Susan Bolin on Friday, August 24, 2001 - 12:48 pm: |
Heather, I obviously have no idea what size you are, but if you are on the petite side then I really recommend looking into these smaller tanks. With boat diving it doesn't matter so much -- you take a couple of steps and then splash. But with shore diving you need to be fairly agile even after you are geared up. A smaller tank could make things easier and allow you to dive sites that are more difficult to enter/exit. Best wishes!
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By mary pequinot on Friday, August 24, 2001 - 6:12 pm: |
I am not on the petite side, but I'm not a big air sucker either. I used a 60 tank when doing my checkout dives. I really liked them. I used 80 when we were shore diving-I'm glad I did, because some of the exits took awhile, and used air. But give a 60 a try. It makes a difference in how easy it is to transport.
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By Julie on Tuesday, September 4, 2001 - 11:35 pm: |
Lots of good suggestions - especially John's on how to find your way.
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By freda armstrong on Sunday, September 9, 2001 - 12:20 pm: |
Responding to Mike about the booties, sand and ripped skin issue. It's awful! However, our solution to the problem and it eliminated the problem totally, is to WEAR SOCKS in your booties. I assign an old pair of socks for the whole week and throw them away after the trip. NO MORE BLISTERS OR SKINNED TOES. And you're right about booties and open heel fins for shore diving. How are you going to walk across coral rubble in bare feet? Tevas seem too much trouble.
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