Is there any word if a post Omar version of Shore Diving Made Easy will be released (more importantly released before March 5th)?

I don't think its quite that easy , takes a few days to do and document all that dive info . Are you listening Susan?

i think it would take a lot more than a few days...a few months maybe. but i'd still use it as a general guide, knowing that some of the entries might have changed a little. maybe you can email or talk to susan after each dive day and fill her in on what you noticed at the sites. we plan on doing that in a week or so.

"some of the entries might have changed a little"

From the reports on here, it sounds more like many of the entries have changed a lot!

i just remember the post somewhere on BT with the brown and blue colors....start on the brown, go into the blue...at the end of the dive, reverse the process. trying to keep it simple. i'll find out in a week

Pat:

The only problem with that simple rule is in the double reef system. I have heard of folks go up the outer wall thinking they were headed to shore only to find themselves in deeper water even farther from shore.

When I teach classes I use Bonaire's double reef system as an example of needing to know basic compass navigation. Take a heading to the east and you will almost always get back to shore.

Dan, the second reef is in great condition, from the Lake, all the way south to Alice in Wonderland.

I'll not speculate, however, I would imagine that over the next few months, things will continue to change. It WILL take more than a "few weeks" to update the guide....

We were on the Island this week Oil Slick was fantistic for dive and snorkel. Buddy Dive was taking trips to something special, it was great too

Nice to hear the double reefs are in good shape. It's also good to hear something special is in good shape. SS is my favorite frog fish hunting grounds on the island.

Ernest, had you been to Oil slick before Omar? We dove it last week, and it was nothing like it's former self...compared to what it used to be, it was horrible.

OH NO!!! Oil Slick is one of our favorites! How is it different Tink? I guess Omar came and went and I am just now hearing about it....now that we are planning on going back to Bonaire in March. What a shame. I am just now "getting back into" the Bulletin Board to see what is going on lately on Bonaire. Topside, docks are down? What about under the water though? Coral? Fish? Is it all over the island, or centralized?

Speaking of Oil Slick, if it wasn't for the drop of water on my housing this would have been a great pic. Could have been used in a NAUI book for perfect form.

John, "good form"...when was that taken? because that ledge is no longer there...it's a pile of rubble in the sea right below it.

Jane, in the shallows...nada...zip, zilch...even to 45 feet or so, lots of coral damage, not the pristine reef anymore at this spot. It was heartbreaking...

Note, as of the 25th, there was still a run missing on the ladder, toward the bottom, so if you are short like me, it can be an "issue" when you go to get out!

Tink,

What is your opinion of the condition of other dive sites you visited on your recent Bonaire trip?

Thanks.

Blue

Cynde...the ledge is still there. It is the road leading up to the platform that washed away. So the entry is still the same...the shallows are not unfortunately.

hmmm...when we dove it, the "jump" wasn't so much of a jump anymore, the cliff that came down, made it much more "shallow."...when we exited, I was concentrating on getting up that missing rung on the ladder...LOL!

Blue, Oil slick was the most heartbreaking...we didn't dive Andrea II, as we heard it was even more heartbreaking...I just couldn't do it.

All in all, it was a LOT better than I had expected

Thanks for the update - I'm really glad that there is some good news! I've been hearing and reading all kinds of things...both scary and hopeful.

I'm getting a bit confused with the info about changes at sites, post-Omar. We were in Bonaire for Omar, did a few dives afterwards, then left. Will be back in March. Would love to read a summary of which sites (and entries) are relatively unchanged, and which are in worse shape.

Tink...sorry...but it really is exactly the same ledge (unless you jump from a different place than me). There always were two spots that had some concrete/cement put in to level them...these two are still there. Judging by the picture that is also exactly where John's buddy jumped.

Sorry to be nit-picky ;-)

Bas, no problem you ARE OB1 and should know better than I. We looked at the jump spots, but they seemed to be different (I could have put my glasses on)...lol! So, all the rubble to the left of the ladder (if you are looking at the ladder from the sea), do you know where that came from? Someone said that it was the cliff that came down....

If my memory serves me correctly the picture is from December of 2006. I believe the spot Amanda is making the leap from is the leveled spot just North(ish) of where the ladder is.

Out of curiosity does anyone on island have any info if there are any plans to replace or repair the ladder at Oil Slick. My dive companion is a bit "vertically challenged".

Vince, I told Roland at Wannadive about it, and thought they should mention it in their dive orientations. He said that he had heard it was fixed...I told him it definitely was NOT...you can even ask Kiwi...LOL!

Roland said he was going to let the marine park know. I'd ask your dive op when you are on island next, before you take it on.

Thanks Cyndee. Jumping in is the EZ part at Oil Slick. I would imagine if you can't get out that would present a bit of a dilemma. Of course ditching the tank & BC may be a solution but then guess who would have to go in & retrieve it. Oh my, life can be hard on Bonaire.

Vince, what's funny, is on our way in, we went down the ladder, when I "hit" the missing rung I was like "whoa, there's a rung missing" didn't think another thing about it until it was time to exit...I guess the other alternative would be to drift to another site...problem was, the current was running North that day...I would have had to go all the way to 1000 steps!

Or, take my bc off...poor kiwi...I can understand why he'd want me to hump up the ladder!

I have had numerous e-mails asking about updates to the 5th edition and/or when the 6th edition of Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy will be available. It takes time for me to visit and chronicle each site mentioned in the guide. The entries/exits and reefs are still evolving since the storm of October. I am in the process of putting together some updates, such as the rung missing from the ladder at Oil Slick and the very south entry to Ol' Blue/Tolo, which will be posted on the web site. Be assured that the folks on Bonaire Talk will be the first to know when the new edition is available.

susan, if you need help with it mary and i will be glad to help you out at various sites. hope to be there tomorrow night.

Is the current version of this book available on the island? I am heading down Saturday and don't think I will get the book in time. I also don't use paypal....

Thanks,
Jeremy

Jeremy:

Welcome to BT. YES - the book is available on the island at many dive shops.

Susan - Thank you so much for the update. It would be greatly appreciated if you could post the updates to your website prior to say......March 4th.