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Diving Bonaire: Large dive groups and boat availability
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 2008-2009: Archives - 2008-01-01 to 2008-02-29: Large dive groups and boat availability
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mel (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Monday, January 7, 2008 - 7:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'll be on the island with a large group (25+) in a couple of weeks, and over the last couple months I've read some posts from people complaining about dive boats being unavailable because large groups have booked them. I doubt that we'll all be diving as a group, and don't even know how many will be interested in boat diving, but if a bunch of us do sign up for a boat diving package, how do we avoid creating a scheduling issue for others? It seems like it's up to the dive shop to manage their charters, and it bothers me to feel like I'm part of the problem just because I came with a group. What are some of the options?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fid Chinoy (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Monday, January 7, 2008 - 7:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

You can't please everybody all of the time. You should let the boat operators worry about keeping their customers happy and just enjoy your vacation.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #167) on Monday, January 7, 2008 - 9:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I come twice a year with a group that size, and just work it out with the diveshop. We tend to schedule 2-tank dives, alternating mornings and afternoons, partly for the variety. If we happen to have any empty slots (the boat dives are not required for the group, after all!), we offer them to others that we've met during the week. We do this at Buddy Dive, and they have several boats to juggle the whole thing. Sometimes they have two or three largish groups sharing the boat use.

As far as I know, it has worked out pretty well. So, I wouldn't worry about it unless you are going to a place with only one or two boats.

As a group leader and instructor, I really like having our group together like this. It builds the camaraderie quickly, we have a lot of fun, it never feels like a cattle car, it makes my teaching easier, and we get a lot of repeat customers.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bev Delarue (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #308) on Monday, January 7, 2008 - 9:48 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

When are you going down Mel. I also have a group of 10 staying at the Divi Jan 21st to Feb 3rd?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #168) on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 - 10:37 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

OK, this is going to be confusing! The Original poster is named Mel (username: Scubapride), and so am I (username: tursiops).

Bev, to whom was your question directed?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Boat Chick************** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4104) on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 - 11:24 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Off Topic: Mel B....you're an Oceanographer AND live in Alexandria??? I am a tad jealous!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bev Delarue (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #312) on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 - 8:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I was asking the Mel whom is taking a group of 25 down. It is not real important anyway. The ocean is large enough for us all. Just curious.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mel (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 - 9:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Does it really matter whether 25 people going to the island travel together as a group, or whether they arrive as a number of discrete couples or families? It's not like there are bunch of "extra" people descending upon Bonaire and crowding out everyone else. I apologize for being defensive - it just seems like I sometimes sense the same "pod people" attitude toward the larger dive groups that stay on the island as I do regarding the thousands of cruise ship passengers who are there for the day. For the record, we're with the dive shop in Eugene, Oregon, and will be staying at Buddy's Jan 19-26.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #169) on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 - 10:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Boat Chick, I understand being jealous of someone in oceanography (grin), but living in Alexandria? Why is that so great?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Boat Chick************** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4114) on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 - 11:01 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mel B...the best clam chowder in the world:-) And a pretty little town:-) I lived in Burke Va in the 80s, and we loved going to Alexandria to shop, eat, etc...maybe it's changed in 25 years??? lol:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #170) on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 - 8:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well, BC, you and I have got a problem here. I lived on Cape Cod before I moved to Alexandria....so it's kind of hard for me to talk about Alexandria clam chowder...

Alexandria is a nice place, but the traffic is getting horrible and the diving here is ...uhhh...not world class.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Boat Chick************** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4121) on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 - 9:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mel, to a So Cal girl, it was awesome (the clam chowder)...I bet it has gotten crowded...diving the Potomac isn't world class diving? lol...

 


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