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Diving Bonaire: Water Temperature at Depth
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2005-06-05 to 2005-08-03: Water Temperature at Depth
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Brunton (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 5:13 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi

We are planning our first Diving trip to Bonaire in October. I notice from the web Cam that the water temperature is currently 28 deg C. How does this temperature vary with depth? At 20m to 30m does anyone know the approx temperature. I am trying to work out what size wet suits to pack.

Thanks

Neil

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jeanine Clark (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #492) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 6:29 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Neil! I'm sure some of the more experienced Bonaire divers will chime in, but here is how it went for me last November. We dove 3-4 times a day, not once did I hit a noticeable thermocline. My max depth for the trip was 97 feet. I dove mostly with a 3 mm full suit, except for the day I left my suit hanging out to dry on the boat doc (by accident) and that day I dove a little past 65 feet (I think) without any problems or a wetsuit. I also did two boats dives with my core warmer only. I stopped doing that because my BC rubbed my arms and the core warmer provided no protection.

I have heard all types of recommendations, with all of them ending in "wear what you are comfortable in." Seriously, I met people with 7mm, 5mm, and even skins. It seemed to vary based upon the number of repeat dives per day and the person's own personal body temp loss while diving.

This trip (5 more days), I am taking only my 3mm full suit. I will also be using a hood and gloves this time, but that is due to allergies and not because of water temperature.

I hope this helps and I also hope the more experienced Bonaire divers chime in for you. You will love Bonaire - as everyone does. Hopefully the UW cam begins to work again so you actually get to see the wonderful aquatic life before you head out to Bonaire.

Cheers!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Walt III (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #242) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 6:39 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thursday @ 200 ft/60 meters temp was 73F/22C The surface temp was 84F/29C. The thermals were below 100ft/30 meters.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lydia S. Segal (BonaireTalker - Post #73) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 6:45 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

On five trips: Feb/March and Aug time periods,
water temp between surface and 100 feet or so has been pretty consistent 82f or so with at most one degree drop closer to 100ft or at the occasional thermocline. So my experience matches Walt's comment above. The drops start lower down. Hope this helps.

(Also, I get cold easily, and more so with more dives in the day and later in the trip, this is pretty standard.) Hope this helps..Lydia

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Brunton (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 6:48 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jeanine

Thanks for that. I don't think I will have any problem with my 3mm Shortie as I carry my own insulation but my 13 year old son who will also be diving, eats like a pig but is all skin and bones. He also has a 3mm shortie which we will be taking.

As long as the water temperature doesn't drop too much at around 20m I think we will be alright in shorties.

Thanks

Neil

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1129) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 7:08 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Neil

We also used to dive in 3mm Shoties but we also got cold at the end of the day. We have switched over the few years to our 3mm full suits now, much better if you are speding a long time in the water.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #328) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 7:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Neil,
At a depth suitable for your son to dive, you will not experience thermoclines on Bonaire.
During the last week, my computer has registered no temperature (down to 90 feet) lower than 83 degrees F. Should be about the same in October. I wear a 2 mm shortie all year round here. I am a Bonaire resident.
You will love Bonaire!
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Brunton (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 8:20 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks everyone for your help. It looks like we will both be taking 3mm shorties. We don't plan to dive much more that twice a day and will be sun bathing between dives.

If he does get cold then I am sure we can buy a full 3mm suit for a good price on the Island.

Thanks

Neil

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andy & Dave Bartlett (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #336) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 11:35 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

We both dive in Polortec full suit or .5mm full suit. we take both just in case. Both of us have plenty of natural insulation so don't need anything heavier. Have not found much if any thermocline. If I remember right the lowest temp we have recorded is 80F. We usually make between 3-4 dives per day. If I find myself getting chilly I will put on a hood and that is usually all I need. You may find you are doing more than 2 dives a day. Have fun with your son.
Andy

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Gould (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #227) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 5:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Do yourself a favor and wear a full suit cover of what ever you like. The sun is intence on the Island and any part of your body that is not protected from the sun will burn..Ron

(Message edited by ronindiana on August 1, 2005)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #329) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 5:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Excellent suggestion, Ron, but Neil can do that with a dive skin rather than a wet suit. :-)
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Halkyard (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 5:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'm a skin person - have been diving Bonaire for years in all seasons, never been uncomfortable - hate the constriction of even 3mm of neoprene. My wife, on the other hand, needs 3 inches of neoprene in 82 degree water!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Brunton (BonaireTalker - Post #11) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 5:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We are used to wearing a 7mm suit with 7mm oversuit plus gloves and 7mm hood here in the UK so a 3mm shortie will be luxury.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Gould (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #228) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 8:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We use a 3m Polartech wet suit and that material doesn't change your buoyancy. Keeps your core warm after many dives and dries quickly... Ron

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dr. Director (BonaireTalker - Post #90) on Monday, August 1, 2005 - 11:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Water temps in October tend to be 82 - 84 F depending on the year, and when in October. I usually just dive with a lycra skin at that time of year (mainly for sun protection, plus protection if we brush anything), while my wife usually uses a 3/2 Seaquest wetsuit (3 mm in the torso area and 2 mm in the arms and legs). This past October, with the water a consistent 84 F, she shifted to just a skin and a 1 mm sleeveless vest and found it just fine. No noticeable water temperature difference with depths to about 70 ft.

In many years of diving Bonaire at various times between April and October, we only experienced a thermocline once (and then quite mild), plus one time found what one might call the opposite of a thermocline: patches of very warm water (in the high 80's) near the surface (~10 - 15 ft depth). That was also the only dive we ever got hit with "sea lice", which was more likely some thimble jellyfish or their equivalent, and apparently occurred in one of the "hot spots".

(For what it is worth, for our May trips, where the water tends to be 80 - 82 F, I either use just the skin or sometimes a 1 mm sleeveless vest, and my wife uses her 3/2 full wetsuit. It really depends on how easily you get chilled.)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Randy P (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #364) on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 - 1:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

As a fellow 7mm Farmer John wearing cold local water diver, I wore a .5 mil full suit and a beanie and it was just about perfect for all day diving. I also brought along a 3mm shortie just in case for night dives.

Temperature tolerance is such an individual thing that it's pretty much impossible to recommend what somebody ELSE should wear to be comfy.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cam (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #458) on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 - 7:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Neil
If you are used to "Cold Water" diving at all...a 3 mm is all you'll ever need.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Edison (BonaireTalker - Post #69) on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 11:36 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

In late September/early October, the temperature was 82-84F down to 99 feet. We wore skins or just T-shirts and were comfortable for 3-4 dives per day. My wife got a little chilly after 5PM and during our night dives, but even at night, the water was warmer than the air temp--you notice right away if you're standing around the dock in a dripping dive skin. After struggling into a 7mm farmer john with 30 lbs of weight to certify in an Illinois quarry, I swore off anything but tropical diving. I might invest in a 3mm for Hawaii or the Bahamas. Then too, I might feel differently if I lost 20-30 lbs. of insulation.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jason Puskarich (BonaireTalker - Post #96) on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 8:01 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

At 500ft the water temp was a tad chillier.....

Ok, I'm not even on the island yet and certainly can't go to that depth...I just wanted to top Walt. :-)

Maybe he can teach me to go that deep....hmmm...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Walt III (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #243) on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 9:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

At 425 ft we recorded a temp of 63F. Even in my 5mm semi-dry with hood and gloves it was damn cold.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Freddie Hughes (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6347) on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 9:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

WaltIII don't tell me you are a woozie warm water deep diver??? LOL 65 degrees today at 50 feet for 1 hour 10 minutes in a 5mil and hood/gloves and toasty!!! If we hadn't been in the ocean I would have gone without a hood...{beach dive to 30 feet} I am a deep water woozie that doesn't mind the cold shallow water...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2135) on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 - 9:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'm with you, Freddie (before my 1/4 inch Farmer John shrank around the waist). We never had 63 degrees on the surface in high summer in MA. Walt has been in the tropics for too long!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jason Puskarich (BonaireTalker - Post #97) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 12:12 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well, a 5mm semi-dry even with hood/gloves at 63F is not enough protection IMO. I'm sure you werent at depth for any length of time...but thats atleast 7mm hood/glove material.

Walt, I'm not familar with the dive profiles...it may not be worth the trouble of a 7mm if your at that temp for a couple minutes or so. 63F in Bonaire....that just doest seem right....HA

J

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Brunton (BonaireTalker - Post #13) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 2:45 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I did my Advanced Open Water last weekend with my 13 year old son. The first day was in a 6m lake for the Navigation and the water temp was 62 degrees. For this I had my 7mm Farmer Giles bottoms and just a 3mm shorty on top. No arm cover and no hood and I was fine. For the second day we went to a different lake that drops down to 40m. For this I wore 7mm bottoms + 7mm oversuit + hood. We did a 22m dive and and at exactly 13m we hit a major thermocline and the temp dropped from 62 degrees to 43 degrees. This was cold. My son was shivering like mad and his lips went blue. Luckily we only stayed down for 5 to 10 minutes before slowly ascending. The feeling at 13m when coming up was fabulous.

This was the main reason I started this thread just to check that there was nothing on a smaller scale at Bonaire that may catch us out.

Neil

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #354) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 7:45 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Neil,
The comments on this thread about cold temperatures concern diving in locations other than Bonaire (plus some jokes about very deep water diving).
Diving at 100 feet or higher on Bonaire, you will not encounter any major thermoclines. If you start out at 84 degrees, it will remain pretty much that throughout your dive.
Glad to hear you have both earned your AOW.
Enjoy Bonaire!
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jason Puskarich (BonaireTalker - Post #98) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 10:31 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tish,

Way to get the thread back on track......although...ohh nevermind. :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Walt III (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #244) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 2:43 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tish I don't joke around about deep dives here is the download of a dive we made to 393 ft./120 m. The temp on the bottom was still falling (notice the temp line is a spike it had not leveled out yet) as we started our ascent but was reading 68F/20C. This dive was done Oct. 2nd when water temps are at there warmest. Temp of water above 120ft./36m was 84->85F/29+C.

Yes it is cold down there but at those extreme depths out bottom time is very limited usually 10 to 12 minutes max. It feels like swimming in a hot tub as you come back up though the thermals into the warmer water.

Computer download 393

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #14109) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 3:00 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Walt, as always, a pleasure to see you pop in:-) Find anything new or interesting down deep lately? Have any cool pics you'd like to share? I always love the pics you get:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cam (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #478) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 3:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Walt
That is one wild dive profile...what do you see at 400 ft.?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #14112) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 3:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cam...did you see Walt's profile pic?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cam (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #481) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 3:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yeah...looks heavy....I'd kill myself trying to get into the water...where's his thong?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Baum (GDLW) (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2979) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 3:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Walt our tech diving hero... nice to see you pop in!

Hope you'll join us on Oct. 11th at the Golden Reef Inn. Cynde and I will be fighting for your airspace. lol.

We're not worthy. We're not worthy.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #361) on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 4:43 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

No, Walt, I did not mean you were joking about your deep dives. I know you're a tech diver.
I meant you were joking about Neil and his son diving that deep. Neil wanted to know about temps at recreational depths. Remember, they just earned their AOW certifications.
Just making sure he understood that he did not have to bring wet suits to Bonaire for the temperatures at your depths, or for that matter the temperatures back at his home dive sites.
Great fun looking at your dive log!! :-) Thanks for that pic!!
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Brunton (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 2:12 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I don't think that we will be doing many 100m dives during our visit. The deepest dive I have planned is Hilma Hooker at 30m. This should test the limits of my experience.

Thanks for all the advise I now know that I will only need to pack 3mm shorties for our trip.

Neil

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #14117) on Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 10:42 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Neil, have a great trip, and please let us know how you like Bonaire! One of the best things about diving the hooker (as a cold water diver you will appreciate this) is that when you are doing your safety stop, you can see the wreck crystal clear 80 feet below you, so it makes the time fly as you have lots of things to see!

 


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