We're staying at Sand$ 20 Dec - 27 Dec (can't wait!!!!) and diving with BDA. Just learned today that they don't offer boat nightdives.

Is there anyone y'all would recommend?

Thanks,

John

Any reason not to just step off the house pier and explore Bari each evening? It makes a WONDERFUL night dive.......actually any time of the day or night it's a great reef IMHO.

No navigation worries, lots to explore, pick your depth and enjoy?

(Message edited by chicagorandy on December 13, 2008)

We're planning to dive the dickens out of Bari - just curious about other options. Couple of years ago, a group of us did a boat nightdive with Toucan. It was fun, so I just wondered who else might offer something since BDA didn't. You know, just in case...

I have used Buddy Dive for the last three years, although we do not stay there. Our group of 8 gets a boat to ourselves. Of course, this is arranged in advance.

Buddy Dive doesn't offer any night boat diving.

Don't really know of any dive shop that offers night boat dives but you can surely inquire.
Have a wonderful Christmas in Bonaire!!!!

Buddy Dive has a normally-scheduled night boat dive on Mondays, and so long as you have enough people (4 or 6, I forget), will do one pretty much any night.

Buddy does good night boat dives as Mel said, generally over to Klein. But lots and lots of opportunity to night dive from shore - Buddy's Reef, 18 Palms, Andrea I and II, Angel City, Alice, etc.......... A couple of years ago one of the dive mags did an article on a couple who came to BON, dove all night, slept all day. ONLY did night dives from shore all week. Their most fascinating story was a free descent to Hilma without lights then turning on lights only when there felt they were at the Hilma. Spooky I am sure. Hilma is a great night dive.

Cut and paste from the Buddy dive web site:

"Guided day and night dives are also arranged to great sites such as the Salt Pier or Town Pier, which have become a mecca for photographers. Even Klein Bonaire is visited at night on a regular boat night dive."

As a larger group (8) we have had no problem getting a boat to ourselves for dives to Klein. Last year we did Small Wall as a night dive; not easily done from shore and a terrific night dive. Check with Agusto or Sandra to make arrangements.

We once took a night dive to Klein Bonaire with Caribe Inn.

2 years ago 8 of us did a night boat dive with BDA to Small Wall. We had to have a min. of 6 and $40 usd a piece. I haven't heard they are no longer doing this.

Toucan Diving out of the Plaza does night dives once a week, or at least they have in the past. We went out to Klein and it was a pretty good dive.

Buddys did a night boat dive at least once during the week we were there in March of 2008.

You might want to email Bonaire Dive & Adventure (they're the outfit that had the dive operation at Sand$) at

info@bonairediveandadventure.com

and see what it would take to get them to run a night dive.

i believe divi also will do night if enough people sign up.
es

Thanks for the suggestion, Carl. I did e-mail BDA and it was Catherine who replied and informed me that the only night dives they did were on the Bari Reef. It may be that if I approach them with a group (which I don't have yet, but who knows who'll we'll meet after a couple of days there) - well, with a group, they might arrange something by request.

- and thank you to all the rest for your helpful ideas.

Peace,

John (B minus 6 and counting!)

Hi John,

Based on our experience about 4 years ago at Sand Dollar, we were able to do a night boat dive (and it was on Klein Bonaire). While there, we asked about a night dive and were told that they would put up a sign-up sheet for a night dive (about 3 days in advance) and if there were 6 people that signed up they would do it. We had 10 people sign up and the dive went off w/out a hitch (well, it did leave late).

So, based on this it might be well to just wait until you were down there and request a night boat dive.

I was nosy and went to FAQ & TIPS section of Bonaire Dive Adventures' web site. Look what is said:

Do you have boat night dives?
Yes, when we have a minimum of 6 divers, we will be happy to schedule a night boat dive.

I think you need to give them a call again and remind them of what their web site says.

Thanks, Carl. That's where I started before sending my inquiry. I guess I should have remembered to always quote folks back to themselves when asking about things... It's been a confrontational semester, so I put off getting back in touch with them - but I think I'll do so, if for no other reason than to alert them to the inconsistency. Thanks again.

Peace,

John

Have a great time John. Sorry we'll miss each other - we're arriving January 10th and staying at the Sand$.

John,

I did 8 night dives off the docks at Buddy Dive last week and saw different stuff each night. Found 4 octopuses one night. I have done 274 dives on Bonaire and I bet at least 80 have been off the docks at Buddy Dive, Captain Don's and Sand Dollar. The reef along that stretch has all kinds of good stuff to see. It's an ocean. It is always different.

If you are looking for other easy shore dives at night, a couple that I have done are:

Bachelor's Beach. Swim out to the mooring line. It is close enough to the top of the wall that you could probably find it pretty easily on the return swim but I always attach a strobe to the rope about 7 feet off the floor to make the swim back to the mooring easy, then just navigate back to the stairs or do a surface swim.

Yellow submarine area: very easy entrance and exit. Don't have to worry about your footing in the dark.