At Divi Flamingo

We are arriving @ hotel around 3pm, does this mean we have to wait until am to do our check out dive before we can go in the water?

Gosh, I hope we dive the day we get there (saturday the 8th at Buddy) How else will we get 18 dives in in a week? lol

Bev, check out dives are done in the morning at 9 am. The Divi runs 3 boats a day normaly and extra night dive and special dives all the time.
John, you will have more then enough time to get in your 18 dives. You get 6 dive days a week not counting your arrival day and your departure day.
Three boat dives a day is enough. Save some of that energy for some shore diving lol.. Ron
PS - your check out dive will count as one of your boat dives.

Hi Bev,

Indeed "you have to wait" till the next morning before the diving will start. When arriving on Bonaire your vacation has started and through your suitcases in a corner of your room and run of to the diveshop to get started does not sound like a wonderful start of any vacation to me, so, if I may make you a suggestion, it might be nice and comfortable to "explore" your hotel a bit first, have a swim in the Caribbean sea, have a drink and some dinner and relax a bit and try get used to our climate here.

The next day you can dive all you want after the check-in procedures at the diveshop, so no worries ....... you will be offered the opportunity to "stay wet" the rest of your stay.
Have fun !!

Buddy Dive's check out dive is usually at 9:00 a.m. They do an orientation, go over the rules, and show you where everything is (tanks, lockers, drive through tanks, etc.). Then you do a dive on your own off of their dock. I guess if you do a boat dive as your check out dive, it would count against your boat dives, but otherwise, its just part of your unlimited shore diving.

Ed, the reason for a check out dive is to check your buoyancy. The first dive on the Island is counted as a boat dive if your dive package consists of boat dives... Ron

Ron, I understand the purpose of the check out dive. I have stayed at Buddy Dive twice, and my checkout dive has not counted as a boat dive. If you have stayed at Buddy Dive and your check out dive has counted as a boat dive, you might want to ask about it next time. Maybe you have stayed somewhere else where they charge your check out dive as a boat dive?

Ron...huh? I've never had my check out dive count as a "boat dive"...mine have always been a "shore/dock" dive on the house reef...

Bev, John, Menno is correct. Go for a night snorkel your first night (or day snorkel) ;-) Bonaire's waters are a protected marine park, so it's necessary to orient all divers to the rules, regulations, and dive information as well as purchasing your park tag and getting your bouyancy correct. No one "watches" you on your "check out dive" but it's a good way to let all divers new to the island (or returning) how to keep the marine park pristine and the fish safe from dangling gear and reef bouncers!

Divi Flamingo Beach Resort Bonaire Bonanza Six Days 3-Tank Boat & Unlimited Shore Diving Package
Dive Destination: Bonaire Dive Travel, Dive Resort: Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino
Dates: Travel Jan 2 - December 18, 2005
Price: From $849 standard room 4/4-12/18/05 or $899 standard room 1/2 - 2/6/05
Dive Package Includes: Package includes 7 nights accommodations, breakfast daily, round trip airport hotel transfers, 3-tank boat diving daily (except 1st day due to Marine Park orientation shore dive) with unlimited use of tanks for shore diving and all tax and service charges. Bonaire is consistently voted one of the most spectacular dive destinations in the world. Bonaire's extensive reef system is prolific in numbers of both soft and hard corals and sponges. The visibility averages 100’ offering brilliant diving with the highest diversity of reef fish in the Caribbean. On almost any day, divers may see hawksbill and green sea turtles, rays, tarpon, reef sharks, seahorses, frogfish, and even the occasional whaleshark.

Ron, I take "3-tank boat diving daily (except 1st day due to Marine Park orientation shore dive)" as being you get 3-tank boat dives daily except the first day when you only get 2...I don't read it as your check out dive "counts" as a boat dive...guess it's all in interpretation

I would read Divi's package as including a certain number of boat dive, I suppose 17. Buddy's offers 6 boat dive and 11 boat dive packages. I'm sure you can buy additional if you want, but the checkout dive does not count as a boat dive at Buddy's, where John is staying. I can't imagine any dive shop selling unlimited shore diving with limited boat dives, and charging a checkout shore dive as a boat dive.

Thank you everyone for your help.

OK ... at Divi;
First .... the first day you do a check out dive off the dock while the 2 dives (2 tanks) boat goes out.
After that ... You can then do the afternoon 1 dive (1 tank)boat if you want.

next day and subsuquent days you can do the 2 dives boat in the AM and the one dive boat in the afternoon if you choose to.

At least at Divi, if you have been on Island in the past year and can show that you went through the orientation then, you don't have to do the orientation.

My understanding from many Divi orientations, is that the check out dive is to check your bouyancy, get the right weights, and to check that your gear is working as expected. :-)
Denise