We are due to arrive Oct 11 and I need to know water temps! What would everyone recommend for a jumpsuit? I am nervous I wont have enough with a microprene!

As it appears you might tend to chill, I strongly suggest your have a 3-mil onepiece jumpsuit. The water temps will be in the 78-80 degree range.

We were in Bonaire September 12-19. Water temps were 83 degrees -- 85 on Klein Bonaire. We used and 2.5 mil shorty during the day and a 2.5 mil full suit at night and were fine. Some in our group used no wetsuit at all and seemed to do fine also. It really depends on the person and how well you tolerate the temperatures. Of course, it may be a little cooler in October but shouldn't cool off that much. You can check for water temps in the western hemisphere @ turq.com.

I have been in Bonaire in Sept,December, January, February and March. I have always needed a 3 mil shortie and I only snorkel, but stay in the water quite a lot. My husband on the other hand, just wears his bathing suit. I guess it just depends on how fast you get chilled.

Meredith, I agree with Marvin. It is a very individual thing. I have been in July and September, and wore my full 3mil both times. This last July I even wore my skin under my suit. I was quite comfortable on our 60 minute plus dives. Kelly, on the other hand wore a skin the whole time and she was perfectly comfortable. My husband when on Bonaire dives in shorts and a t-shirt...so you can see, it really is an individual thing. If you tend to get cold, better to go with a full 3mil. You can take a skin in case that is too much. Just my 2 cents worth, oh, and have a great time!

We always go in October and the water temp is 83+ and kind of like a bathtub for most people. But after doing a few dives one loses body temp. I get cold below 80 (7m suit). In Oct I dive with only a full 2 mil. suit.

I have been to Bonaire in October, and my dive group goes every year (in Oct.), and I have confirmed that none of them ever recall water temps being under 80 degrees. It was 83-85 when I was there in Oct. I wore only a dive skin, and a shorty over it at night if I got chilled or if there was a really strong breeze. Purely an individual matter of choice.

It was 82 on Saturday. It has been a cooler summer in terms of water temps this year. Good for the corals!

okay, my curiosity is piqued.... C. Kritagent... have you been to Bonaire and do you dive? I can't remember from other postings, and it only says "experienced" under level of dive certification on your profile. Just being nosy.

Oh Linda.... 82 degrees... that sounds just wonderful. Quarry diving this weekend yielded the warm bottom temp. of 50 degrees. Yikes!

It won't be long now and I will be giant-striding off the dock...

Kelly, I have been to Bonaire a number of times and I do indeed dive. Not nosy, just curious and that is a good thing. C.K.

Kelly, my turn to be "curious"... what in my posts would have piqued you to inquire if I had been to Bonaire and if I dove. To expand on my experience I have rinsed my gear in the hot tub at the Sunset Beach Hotel, bathed in the rinse tank at the Sunset Beach Dive Center and was among those good people that made the last official dive from the SB Dive Center. I know Sarah and miss the Green Parrot terrible.. my collection of carved critters have all gone to children. I have climbed Wilemstad Lighthouse, dove the channel (bothways) at Nukove Beach, used baby dock at Capt Don's before they had to charge a fee (and did a group dive from Don's to Sunset with air to spare). I hate to snorkle so only go to Pink Beach to tan.. I knew Pink Beach when it had sand and the party barge stopped there. I know Capt Mike and his lovely First Mate Jewel of the S/V Mistress. Yes Maam, I dive and I have been to Bonaire

Hey! .... I've got a feeling that I just had my "SmartA$$" crown wrestled from me.

There's no way that I'll give up my "Fancypants" tag so easily though.

Trust me Andy, there was no SmartA** intended... AND even if there was, I simple could not hold a candle to you.

I wuz just answering a question.

I was curious because of the dive certification thing on your profile, just said "experienced", I didn't know that was a certification. Also your profile said noladiver, which could be interpreted as "No LA Diver", which made me think maybe you didn't dive. Either that or maybe your name is Nola??

I also know Mike and Jules... I did my birthday sunset cruise with them two years ago with our group of 16. What a night that was! It was the best birthday I've ever had, bar none. They were awesome and it was just a perfect night.... ahhhh now I'm missing Bonaire...

Andy! Nice to see you again. My favorite fancypants.

Kelly,
NOLA is New Orleans, Louisiana.

It's also the name of a great restaurant in the same city, owned by Emeril LaGasse...we had our pre-Wedding lunch there and no one had an appetite for the reception dinner!

You know what Susan, I remember that now! I remember reading somewhere (maybe on your webpage?) about your wedding in Nola... and looking at your pictures. Okay... it's all making sense now.

Oh, candleless King (Queen?) C, your final sentence would've done nicely .... "Yes Maam, I dive & I have been to Bonaire"
But maybe you're right & I'm still SmartA$$ Numero Uno..... amongst the impressive list of achievements in the preamble to your answer, I'd have had to have lain claim to free diving the Windjammer.

Kelly, you're such a tease.

On this side of the pond, Susan, "NOLA" stands for "Naughty Older Lady Available" in our newspaper "Personal" columns.

That puts a whole new spin on C Kritagent's profile name...

Andy...I miss your wit Oh, and STILL waiting for installment number 13 you smart !#$% You think Kelly is a flirt, you're right...just ask her how she manages to get the shirt off a man's back by twirling her hair and batting her eyes (could have been the painted dive flag on her toes as well)...I'm a witness to the whole thing

Susan, ROTLFMAO...that kind of has me gigglin'

Keely you bass tard. Here I sit checking email every 5 seconds, on the edge of my seat, looking for a mail from you. and here you are..again.

Lets see, must stay OT. tee shirt and shorts year round for me. But you might not need as much. My background blood alcohol content is .078.

evening Ladies.

voort

Hey Dave, long time no hear from. You should let everyone know of your next visit to Bonaire, as I'm sure many a travel plan will be changed just to bask in the glow of your sparkling wit.

Cynde, shhhhh... we must never speak of this... thou shalt not givest away thy secrets of thy friends. Although it has been suggested that I write a How-To Manual of some sort. Hmmm. [reflective pause here]

Andy, if the tease fits.

Hello Harley,

Man, I wished I still loved diving as much as you. a Quarry dive. hard core. I once dived the Kentucky river. it was about 30 deep with 2" of vis. there was a thermocline at about 29' below which the viz was about 10 feet. so to see anything I had to be inverted with my head just in the muck of the bottom. It was a grand upside down view of more greenish brown muck. The dive lasted an astonishing 30 minutes. I actually logged it.

ah the good ole days.

voort

Dave have you ever dove the Cooper River? Almost no viz, like 2-3 feet in some places. I haven't done it yet, but several of my dive buddies go there regularly. South Carolina I think? There are (prehistoric) sharks teeth buried in the muck/clay on the bottom and there's a very strong current. You have to jam something in the bottom, and hold onto it while you're searching, so you don't get moved along down the river. If you haven't done it, it definitely is something that someone called "GeologyDave" should add to the dive log!


To stay on topic, in October you need a full wetsuit for this one. LOL

Yep, and the Edistow river as well. Rented tanks from a place called "buddy line divers". Don't ask the stupid question as I did, something to the effect of "What kind of name is that for a dive shop"

Anyway, they are neat dives provided you have a six foot length of hauser line to keep track of your buddy, slack tide seemed to last for 20 minutes and then it can really rip.

Good stuff to be found in the muck, the fossils and civil war junk as well. I found a pabst blue ribbon can which after careful study and research have concluded it is from the battle of bull run, at least it tasted that way.

Lots of Gators in the edistow river and bull sharks in the cooper, not to worry tho, you'll never see 'em.

and OT, the gators appeared to be diving buck nekid. hope I can say that.

cheers
voort

Don't know of anyone who has dove Edistow, but it sounds interesting. Every time they go to Cooper though they come back with literally a bag full of shark teeth. Amazing. I'll get there someday. They are going again in Oct., but I have the Bonaire thing in Nov. I have to work some time I guess.

The Edistow dive sites as they were explained to me are limited to just two places, under an existing state route bridge and a location about 300 yards upstream which was the location of an old RR bridge. it's one of three of four dives I've aborted. would make a good place for some speciality training...turbid tanic gator cottonmouth diver.

Just the thought of it makes me want to have a drink.

I gotta run, if you see Keely in here tell him I called him a bass tard.

Kelly, if just the thought of Edistow and Copper rivers want to make Dave have a drink...I think you better pass...I don't want nothin' to happen to my best dive buddy (thank goodness Michael doesn't read BT! LOL)

Cynde, I've almost gone a few times, then backed out at the last minute. I don't think even the nekkid gators would intimidate me as much as the lack of visibility. I like to SEE, I'm funny like that.

I've seen bass tards before, in the quarry where I dive. Large Mouth Bass Tards. Ick.

No! Dave! Please don't go.... you just got heeeeeerrree.....

Large Mouth Bass Tard. Thats it then.

LMBT

I'd like you gals to know that I am new proud owner of "lounge pants" that make LMBT's look like formal wear.

Got 'em from a catalog titled **** you never knew existed and now can't live without.

and they offered no wetsuits, so whatever need you have for Bonaire this time of year, you won't find it in this catalog.

Dave, I think we need to see a picture to see how they compare to "fancypants." Now, you being the rugged man that you are, I imagine they would look something like these?


I nabbed these from www.webundies.com BTW, just in case you need another source for your new addiction.

BTW, love your new profile info

P.S., appologies to Meredith, we have obviously gotten WAY off topic due to Keely and Dave rearing their heads in this thread

Signed,
Polyrealisticanna

(Message edited by cyndelee on September 26, 2003)

I dunno, it's a funny old life ...

one minute, (as Lord Keely) I'm riding high with all around me tugging their forelocks (yep, forelocks) respectfully. Then, in the blink of an eye, I'm LMBT & I'm down in the gutter, & doubtless only a whisker away from a return to the mire of Community Chat.

Come on then Geologyjoseph, let's see these amazing technicolour dreampants.

Yes, sorry Meredith ..... personally I'd go with C's 3mm recommendation. Having said that, I never dive in anything thinner these days ..... without the support of a little neoprene aound my once adonis like carcass, I take on the appearance of an assortment of spanners loosely suspended in a sack of custard.

Talking of carcasses, Cynde ... did your missing feline drag the deer home yet?

Crikey! It's all happening here..

Hello C.Kritagent;-)

Hey Sarah! Where have you been?

Andy, got to keep those "adnoids" warm! No feline Still checking the rescue website daily....

Hey Cynde! Well, I have just returned from a coastal ecology study in Wales. I am now up to my eyes in data! However, I do try to pop in and catch up when I can. What's this about your feline?

ps: should we be in CC on this one?

Sarah, I think this thread has taken a turn like so many others! LOL! Saco, my favorite and only cat left disappeared a couple of weeks ago Have been very sad Your studies sound interesting!

Hey Sarah...welcome home.

Thanks, it's good to be home!

Cynde, I am so sorry to read that. I will keep my fingers crossed for you. It wasn't long ago when Steffi decided to disappear on me. She had been missing for 48 hrs (very unlike her). Anyway, she was hiding in an empty house at the bottom of my road. When I saw her, she looked at me as if to say "yes, is there some kind of problem here"?!

Yes, the trip was interesting. Got lots of work done. I am now paying particular attention to the River Pelenna Wetland System in South Wales. Since the closure of the coal mines there (water pumps get shut down), iron pyrites are brought into solution and make their way into nearby rivers and streams (all sorts of environmental problems). However, the reed bed system is proving to be effective, but now the problem is what to do with the accumulated ochre before it overwhelms the wetland. Inverts and verts have returned to the river (so that is good news).

Do keep me posted.

x

We were there Sept. 14-23. Water temps were 82-84 the whole time. We did a night dive on Bari Reef and the water was warmer than the air. We wore dive skins or just swimsuits the whole trip, up to three dives per day. The only time we felt any chill was during a rain storm while diving The Invisibles, but then we're from Chicago and don't seem to chill as easily as others. We were definitely in the minority--about 3/4 of the divers on our boat dives wore wetsuits--one woman even wore two and was still cold at Ebo's off Klein.

by golly the red coats are here, hello Sara.

and for my favorite bass type fish



Now Cynde, please refrain from painting anything purple on it.

Maybe we should cancel any planned future meeting?

I don't think we'd be good together.

LMBT

Andy, I think you are right...good lord dave, to quote Andy "amazing technicolour dreampants"...so now we have a fancy pants and a dream pants (aka ATD)...WHERE on earth did you find those things? I think I need to order me a few pair of those...as long as the sizes are in American [wink]

Wowie Zowie! Themz are some kinda pants, there, fella!! Definitely will brighten up your day. I like them very much....needs a headdress to go with it, tho....American Indian style? Carole

Looks like a deadhead wannabe to me.

No Andy, I bought these specifically for our encounter. I must admit tho, the "earth first, we'll mine the other planets later" tee looks better with the britches. so do you want the damn uc article or not?

AH...the one which deals with proper THERMAL protection.

Cynde, these came from some gag gift catalog, "Johnsons" I think

Carole, you're right. a head dress and I have one too, somewhere. think I even posted a pic of it somewhere in here what seems like half a life ago.

Linnea, that's OT. do you dislike me because I'm from Japan?

ahgaygato,
Voortsan

That's it. It's settled. I love him. I mean, really, would you LOOK AT THOSE PANTS! From one fashion-rebel-deadhead-wanna-be.... you're the coolest!

Now if we could just get on island at the same time.

Dave, I want to see the shirt that says "Earth first, we'll mine the other planets later." Oh, and if you do get on island the same time as Ms. Biker Babe...I would keep a close eye on your shirt AND the pants

Cynde, something tells me DAve would not mind "surrendering" his pants to Kelly! I don't think there would be much resistance at all.......just MHO. What a match that would be, eh guys?!! LOL. Carole

Jesus Keely, say something here will ya. I'm at a loss for words, other than no matter how I might feel about harley, I don't think my spousal unit "barristersue" would get off on this match too much. But it is a great honour none the less.

ah so
voortsan

and I forgot to add that she is in 3mil shortie, year round on Bonaire

Voortsan...after I posted that and my edit time had past...I realized that of course, all you dirty minded folks would let your imagination go wild...That wasn't what I meant...I was referring to the fact that MS. Biker Babe loves to collect t-shirts, and has been known to persuade the owner of said t-shirts to surrender them...I was thinking that those would be great pants for her to "nick." NOT what you all thought...now, get your minds out of the gutter folks LOL! I feel like I'm trying to work my way out of my "come candle" mistake in our trip report! LOL!

Vort, you know you can't just taunt me and say:
"Now Cynde, please refrain from painting anything purple on it."

I never get to have any fun. ;)

Oh my goodness....apologies to Ms. Voort! Had no idea. Just kidding, young lady!

Cyn...I can pass another shovel to you if you need some more help! LOL. CArole

Carol, ya want to do some shoveling with me? I could use some help!

You really think that a guy wearing pants like those is going to be even remotely interested in women, Kelly?

Sorry Voortsan, I've been so rude... I'd love you to send me the uc article. I'll mail you an address.

Yikes! Where have I been!