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Diving Bonaire: Easy entry points for senior diver.
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2004-02-16 to 2004-08-14: Easy entry points for senior diver.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Edward Stewart (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Thursday, June 3, 2004 - 1:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'm meeting up with my father and brother the 21st thru 28th staying at Happy Holiday homes.
our first trip to Bonaire

We will be exclusively shore diving for our stay.
pops is 74 a advanced diver in good shape.
but we share less than good back's.
request advice on easy entry dive sites for day
and night

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Wood (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #114) on Thursday, June 3, 2004 - 1:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Ed....you've picked the right place to dive, Bonaire is incredible. As far as easy entry goes, I'm sure you'll find plenty to choose from. One of my favorites from my last trip was the Salt Pier...great dive, and just a walk in entry off the beach, couldn't get any easier. You do need permission to dive it, but its worth it.

Mike

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Ryan Goodman (BonaireTalker - Post #47) on Thursday, June 3, 2004 - 1:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Oil slick leap - jump off the rocks & use the ladder to exit. very easy - no waves or rocks to contend with.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Smits (BonaireTalker - Post #74) on Thursday, June 3, 2004 - 2:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It must be wonderful to be able to go diving with yr dad when he's 74 yr old!!

My father was a little younger (60) when he came with me to Bonaire.
He loved Slagbaai beach, but also the Washington park with all it's animals.
It's a long and warm trip. It will take you about 6 hours. But if yr father is up to it, you will have a wonderful time. Bring a LOT of water.

WIndsock has an easy entry. Bongo's is OK. Plaza is VERY easy to enter.
Pink beach is OK 2.
At the diveshop Yellow submarine you will only have to make one step to get into the water.
On every beach you have to walk around to find the easiest entry spot.


But why not boatdiving? Is that not easier on yr back?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry Besco (BonaireTalker - Post #40) on Thursday, June 3, 2004 - 4:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Edward try Calabas reef just north of the Divi Flamingo it is the easiest shore dive on the island and a great night dive also. 18th Palm at the Plaza is also an easy entrance use the north point just after coming thru the gate. Bachelors beach and Andrea 1 & 2 are great also.
Good luck and enjoy!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Stigaard (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #152) on Thursday, June 3, 2004 - 7:46 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It is also great to dive with your son. I am trying to get mine to Bonaire this year. We did our AOW together five years ago.

Both the Sand Dollar and Buddy dive have easy entry/exits for Seniors. Buddy also has a large Tarpon that will join you on the night dive.

Get a trip report from you Dad. I would like to know the easy entry points too.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1620) on Thursday, June 3, 2004 - 8:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Edward, I think maybe a combination of boat diving and resort dock diving would fill your bill. That way you can get in some nice night dives from a dock. Who are you diving with, Photo Tours?
Recently it has been posted around here that some people carry their gear in by hand rather than on one's back, I guess it would surely lower your center of gravity, I may start trying it out on my shore dives this Summer.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #361) on Thursday, June 3, 2004 - 8:38 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Edward ... great spot for a family trip and your dad is an inspiration! In addition to all the easy entries mentioned above you might want to purchase Jesse Armacost's book Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy. It gives great descriptions of sights and their entries and exits. It is available at dive shops and Chat N Browse on the island and also on line from the Bonaire Reporter. Have a great trip!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Hastings (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Friday, June 4, 2004 - 12:36 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I second Jesse's book. I recently purchased it from Bonaire Reporter and it's such a gold mine of helpful information that I order 2 more copies for my brothers in anticipation of a late summer scuba trip to Bonaire. Jesse's book does not have pictures, and I've been enjoying reading her book while comparing notes and checking out pictures in George Lewbel and Larry Martin's "Diving Bonaire," and Jack Jackson's "The Dive Sites of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao" (got both of them from Amazon).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #363) on Friday, June 4, 2004 - 7:13 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

You can also see photos and descriptions on line at www.shorediving.com

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Edward Stewart (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Saturday, June 5, 2004 - 10:36 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for all the great advice.
I have assembled gear in the past and doned it in
shallow water, easier on both our backs.
I will get the book also
thanks again
see ya on the bottom sometime
Ed

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Meryl Virga (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4083) on Saturday, June 5, 2004 - 5:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Buddy's Reef, Bari Reef (off Sandollar) Divi's Reef, Carib Inn's Reef, Yellow Submarine, Windsock, Ole Blue, Andrea II (great entry now!) Coconut beach dive site by Plaza resort. Tori's Reef has an easy entry.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ed Stewart, Sr. (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 10:03 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

As a post script to all of the above our trip was incredible. My two sons were what made it possible for me to dive. As it turned out we dove at just about any site we felt like diving. The guys carried my gear into the water and helped me put it on and checked me out. We had absolutely no technical problems at all. We would stay on the surface to the drop off and take a short break then do our dive. Most of our dives were in the neighborhood of one hour. I would return to shore under the surface. I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was to dive with my two sons and appreciate how well they took care of me. The highlight of our trip was that we spotted a Whale Shark on our dive at The Jeff Davis Memorial. See the separate posting by Ed Stewart, my son, for the 24th of June titled "There are Big Fish in Bonaire.

 


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