Sorry if this posts twice - but my first attempt didn't seem to go through.

This will be our third visit to Bonaire and we were wondering about diving on the east side of the island this time around. Any tips, information or recommendations?

I went with Larry's Wild Side in May http://www.larryswildsidediving.com/
and would highly recommend him. Given the choice on the second dive of doing the "Blue Hole" or another drift dive, I would opt for the drift dive. We saw numerous turtles, rays and green eels on that dive. Larry is also super big on safety, always a good thing.

Hi Bill and Janelle! We dove with Larry last time and can recommend him highly. It was a great two dives and I do agree with Ron...do 2 drift dives if possible. Larry has a custom zodiak that he takes you out in for the dives. If you want to shore dive the east side, contact Bas through the board or via his email which I believe is loonybin@bonairelive.com. He is wonderful as well and really takes the time to speak with you and to learn your abilities. Either one would be great, just depends on if you want to shore dive or boat dive. Have fun!

I haven't dove with Larry, but I have dove with Bas. If you are looking to do a shore dive on the East side, he is your guy.

Menno, at Deep Blue View also has a boat and takes folks to the East side I believe. I've heard some really good things about him as well.

Have fun, and let us know how you like it!

I can vouch for Larry! I have dove with him. Definitely worth it when preferring to do the east side by boat. I have heard very good things about Bas as well.

My husband & I dove with Larry in February. Loved it. I'll disagree with Ron, as I liked the Blue Hole better than the drift dive. (both were awesome, but if I had to choose, it would be the hole).

The turtles & ray swam within 5-6 feet of you and were oblivious. The huge school of tarpons were awesome.

Probably the most unique dive I've had in Bonaire in the 4 years we've been going there. (It was also my 100th dive, so it was quite memorable!)

If you have any problems with motion, take a Bonine the night before - the surge was evident.

Bill and Janelle,

I always use Bas....email me if you want more info.

Tip....Book early. I will be diving with him in Dec. :-)

Yana

Wannadive does a Lac-Cai dive every week.
http://www.wannadive.com/news.aspx
We will try it at the end of our vacation!!
I will tell you all about it when we come back.

I've heard great things about east side diving in general so on a related note does anyone have pictures from the east side that they would be willing to share? Perhaps post a few on a new thread here in the diving forum?

We're hoping to go back in April of next year and REALLY want to get out and dive the east side as well.

Michael

Michael if you go about half way down this thread there are a few shots from Lai Cai with Bas. I did two dives there. In this thread, I describe the two shore dives.

If you are a good diver, you really owe yourself a trip there. As good as the west side is, the east is even better. Be prepared for some cuts, bruises and contusions but they will be worth it. And for God's sake do not do it without a guide.

Actually, Cecil, this is a question I have been wanting to ask. Does anybody just go dive these spots using his or her own experience and common sense? Believe me, I have no illusions about being SuperDiver, and I'm plenty humble about my abilities relative the ocean's strength. But I'm pretty used to diving in somewhat big surf, and I've left enough of myself behind on branching coral to know what it's gonna do to me. On a decent day, does anybody with similar experience just go diving? Are the sites really hard to find? The entries hard to spot? The currents hard to judge?
I kind of cringe asking this, expecting to get pretty solidly skewered, but I'd love some information about why a guide is absolutely necessary, and comments from anybody who has gone on their own. Anybody?
Ok, I'm going to work and will look in with trepedation for advice upon my return.

I hope what you mean "on their own" is with others but not a guide. You can go by yourself but a guide knows where to enter the east side sites (there are only a few good spots - not like the west side). If the surf is up (and it usually is) then the vis will be down since the surf kicks up the bottom. I have done it both ways (without a guide but only after I went with one so I knew where the entries where). If you can go drift diving from a boat that would be my choice since the entries are really not very good - and a couple are either long walks or long swims - and say a prayer for light wind the day you choose to go.

Michael, Barbara,
I am with Cecil GO with a GUIDE. :-) My concern is the possibility of bad weather and surf changes while I am diving on the east side. A guide should know where he can get you out of the water SAFELY without all the cuts & bruises. A guide should know not to take you in/out over fire coral and sea urchin land. I believe that, Bas, is such a guide. He has been diving the east coast of Bonaire for 14 years. I have quite a few dives on the east side with Bas and on occasion we have had to come out of the water at a different site because of a current or weather changes. Bas has always briefed me on the different exit sites we may have to surface to make our exit SAFE. I do not want to take the chance of hurting myself for the price of a guide and cutting my dive trip short.:-)
Just my 2 cents.

Barbara, it's not the exits/entrys that worry me as much as the navigating with the currents. The structure on the east is very different. There enough to deal with over there to not also having to watch way points and where is the good stuff. Let someone who knows deal with that.

Now between you and me could I do it, yes, but I will not. It's not worth the risk for a small amount of money saved.

I'd agree with Yana. Not only can conditions change while you are down, topography in some areas is not like it is on the West (straight coast line and easy to navigate). Lac Cai for instance, there is a particular place to enter, and then to get to the outside reef, tricky navigation. You also need to be able to conserve air, as it's a long way out to the reef, and back in. There have been folks who have died at lac cai. The one time I went with Bas, when we got out of the water, there was a couple that thought they saw divers signaling distress. There was one truck that was unaccounted for (no people to match with it) so we knew someone was in the water. They called the search boat and they came and searched the channel for quite a while with no luck. The folks finally surfaced about an hour after we got out of the water.

You do need to be a strong swimmer, but the reason for the guide is the topography, and conditions (always changing). Visibility in the shallows is often not good because of all the sand that gets kicked up with the surf.

Hey Yana. Nice talkin' to ya at the Belmar in June. We're headed back to the Belmar 17 - 24 Sept and divin' with Wild Larry this trip! Anybody know the name of the site Larry goes to for possible sharks and rays? Thanks in advance.

Hi Barbara,

I advise you to go with a guide, at least for your first time. If you go with Bas he will give you tips and advice what to look for. If you have done it a few times you know which spots you can dive safely on your own and when.
Have fun!

Hi Marcus, I don't know the name of the site, but I did dive with Larry and it was the first site we went to that right before we in, he told us the hand signals for shark, turtle etc. and then we proceded on getting the dive started. Not even 5 minutes went by and I see the hand signal for shark. Yup, saw my first nurse shark not in captivity with Larry. It was awesome! She was just sleeping on a ledge there.

Debbie, glad the nurse shark was not in captivity with Larry...that might be scary...sorry, couldn't resist...heh heh...

OH, and Barbara, and you didn't get skewered

Thanks Debbie.

Thanks, folks, for a reasonable (and humane) explanation of why a guide is a good thing. My reservation comes less from the price of a guide than for my love of, ahem, Diving Freedom.
I seem to recall some sensible person saying "In a new location, spring for the two tank dive, ask the guide where and how to be safe, then use that info to dive within your comfort zone.". Oh, wait...IT WAS ME...to a class. Doh.

Barbara, if you use Bas as a guide, he will map out the dive in the sand before the dive, so you know exactly what to expect. It certainly helped at Cai...