Has anybody had any luck contacting Larry via email? I've tried a few times with no luck.

Are there any other charters that also offer diving on that side of the island?

If not then does anybody know what days Larry operates? Are reservations with Larry mandatory or can they be arranged once you're on the island?

Has anybody tried diving this side from the shore line and if so how was it?

Thanks for the help everybody,
Mike

His web site is www.larryswildsidediving.com and e mail lwb99@hotmail.com

Thanks for the information Michael

I have dove with Larry on three different boat trips, two on the East side. Judging from what I saw, taking a boat with Larry is a good idea. It is possible to dive the Blue Hole from shore, but I wouldn't even attempt this.

It is always a good idea to give him a heads up on when you will be down there and what days you want to dive with him, but I think he is flexible.

On a side note, Larry is a great guy who is very safety conscious, excellent diver...he has got something very special going on with his East side diving....gives you a very different look at what Bonaire has to offer.

In fact, my buddy and I will be diving with him in little over a week...can't wait.

Jason

Jason,
Thanks for the information. When will you be in Bonaire? I'll be there August 21st to August 28th. If you don't mind me asking, how did you arrange your trip with Larry? I sure would like to give the east side a try this time around. I have a feeling that this will be last time to Bonaire for a while.

Thanks again,
Mike

Mike, I sent a PM to you!

I'll be staying at Capt Don's if you want to stop by and say hello...look for a very obnoxious male/female pair.

Jason,

I'll be sure to tell Larry that you sent me his way. How many dives have you done on the east side? See anything of interest over there? I've heard the coral and sponges are phenomenal
and there's an opportunity to see something on that side of the island that you wouldn't normally see in Bonaire. So I'm pretty excited about it (as you might have guessed).

Well, if you get bored and feel like sending some recommendations, feel free. This will be my second trip and I'm going to try and milk it for everything it's worth.

Once again,
thanks for the help,
Mike

Jason,

I'll be sure to tell Larry that you sent me his way. How many dives have you done on the east side? See anything of interest over there? I've heard the coral and sponges are phenomenal and there's an opportunity to see something on that side of the island that you wouldn't normally see in Bonaire. So I'm pretty excited about it (as you might have guessed).

Well, if you get bored and feel like sending some recommendations, feel free. This will be my second trip and I'm going to try and milk it for everything it's worth.

Once again,
thanks for the help,
Mike

Mike, you remind me of myself...its funny.

I didn't go to the East side until my 3rd trip, had a buddy that I was real comfortable with and that was up for the challenge.

We did 4 dives over there with Larry, 2 seperate days. There is a spot just out of the bay with a place to tie off to..the water was a tad rough, but no biggie. Saw a couple Eagle Rays drift on past, very different look and feel to the coral and topology on the west side. Had a feel like you could see some bigger stuff that way...

The other 2 dives we did were done in the Blue Hole..which Larry navigates to from the same bouy the boat is tied off at...this dive maxes out at 30 feet but is very cool. You come over a ledge and there is a vast area of sand surrounded by coral ridges that go up to 20-25 feet or so...so you settle into the hole and swim around it....we saw a school of about 20-25 tarpon, an Eagle Ray kepy making a pass thru the center of the hole so we got to see him.

Larry says he sees a Nurse Shark every now and then over there, but like any dive, you just dont know..right? Here are a couple pics I took on the East side in the blue hole. Excuse the quality, these were taken with my camcorder..




Well, I talked to Larry last week and there are some more sites he does visit, but we are probably going to do atleast 2 full days with him again this time around on the East side.

More questions? Ask away...I enjoy answering them because it makes me remember those dives more.

Jason

Ok, now you got me looking at my pics from those dives...hehe..this is the last one..promise.

Jason,

Thanks for posting the pictures.

I guess, I have just one more question. How's the visibility on that side on the island? Other than that, you've sold me and we will give the east side a try.

I imagine that you must be starting to pack your bags for the upcoming trip, so... good luck and I hope you have a great trip.

Mike

Mike,

One of the dives we did had so-so viz, Larry had a explanation at the time...he said it happens every now and then. Could have been weather related? I forgot.... I think the viz was around 50-60 feet though..kind of fuzzy at times. Then again, I've seen the same on the West side too. Expect the same viz, but healthier reefs.

Yes, the packing is actually beginning tonight. Got all my gear rinsed off and drying outside, have all my camera equipment sprawled out in my room. I am a true stroke.

I'll be posting pictures on my website when I get back..about the time PBD kicks in.

Jason

Another option is to look up Bas Tol at Photo Tours. He can take you on the East side provided you're capable of the types of shore dive entries, and weather permitting. Bas is a great divemaster, has great enthusiasm for the wild life, is very laid back, and very safety conscious. You'll probable get a 1 to 1 1/2 hour dive with him (Larry's boat went out twice while we were on our dive at Cai).

Another option is to look up Bas Tol at Photo Tours. He can take you on the East side provided you're capable of the types of shore dive entries, and weather permitting. Bas is a great divemaster, has great enthusiasm for the wild life, is very laid back, and very safety conscious. You'll probable get a 1 to 1 1/2 hour dive with him (Larry's boat went out twice while we were on our dive at Cai, which was our second East coast dive that day).

The only shore entry is at Blue Hole.Most of the time it is a nasty entry and exit unless there is a wind reversal (that's the "weather permitting" part of John's post).. The purpose of boat diving is to open up east coast diving to more people all year long. Larry has several drift dives that are along reefs that are not accessible from shore. As his business grows,he told us he will be exploring other sights further along the coast. He is working closely with the Marine Park and as sights are charted and determined, buoys will need to be installed. This east coast diving by boat is in it's embryonic state and a very positive contribution to the future of Bonaire.

No, you are wrong. There are plenty of shore entries. I refer other readers to Jake's post financial stake of some sort in Larry's Wild Side Diving.

I've personally made shore dives on the East (wild) side at 6 different locations, and I know of at least 2 others I haven't been to yet.

Please don't try to discourage others from trying all the other options. Larry's (your) boat is NOT the only way to see the beauty of Bonaire.