By karen b (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 5:19 pm: |
This April, me and three buddies are coming to Bonaire for the first time. On another site I was told there was massive damage done by Omar, and to come here to find out more. I still am finding mixed messages.
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By Kelly (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5971) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 5:25 pm: |
You will love Belmar and you will LOVE Bonaire. Promise. No worries.
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By mary pequinot (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #743) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 5:26 pm: |
We had a wonderful experience at Belmar. Don't stress over Mother Nature. Enjoy your trip for what it is. You'll see plenty!
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By Dan Jolly (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #557) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 5:26 pm: |
Karen - welcome to BT and all things Bonaire. Study some of the threads and pics and I think you will very happy with your diving. Omar did damage stuff. I was there right before Omar so can't personally comment.
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By *Freddie* (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11462) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 5:39 pm: |
Welcome Karen, we were there in Nov. right after Omar.. the sites to the South and on the West side are still good.. The sites North took a beating.. You will have plenty of places to dive..and You will have the time of your life and become a Bonaire lover like everyone here..
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By Freddie {Moderator} (Moderator - Post #687) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 5:41 pm: |
Karen I am going to move this thread to Diving as it is a more appropriate topic for your question..
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By ****Tink**** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8550) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 5:48 pm: |
Karen, welcome to Bonaire Talk. I just got back a week ago, and it was my 10th trip. I've stayed at Belmar twice, you will love it!
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By karen b (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 5:59 pm: |
Thanks Freddie for moving the thread. I didn't even notice a the thread topic until AFTER i made the post. Still feeling my way around
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By pat murphy (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1967) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 6:13 pm: |
karen, welcome to BT. Don't worry, you'll have a great time. as i understand it most of the damage from omar was to the shallower corals. even after lenny in 1999 most of the coral at 40 feet and deeper was unaffected. when are you arriving on bonaire? we'll still be there in april and should be able to give you updates before you arrive.
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By a retired Grunt, back in May (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #730) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 6:33 pm: |
Lucky you! Being the planner means you get to be the hero for bringing everyone to Bonaire. The great diving and ability to dive anytime 24 hours a day cannot be beat.
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By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1981) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 7:03 pm: |
Karen..Welcome to BT!! Frankly, you're going to have a wonderful time at Belmar. I just received e mail from the head divemaster there and was informed the smaller pier is still completely functional..And, you'll be perfectly situated to take advantage of the southern dive sites. Please make sure you do a trip report when you get back as we love to hear from first time visitors. And do not fret.You made a great choice .
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By karen b (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 7:14 pm: |
thank you
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By *Freddie* (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11467) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 7:27 pm: |
Karen in my post above I meant to say that diving on the EAST side was still good as well as the southern sites.. it is all good as far as I am concerned cause I like the rubble diving in the shallows...Much to see all over...
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By Mitch Dial (BonaireTalker - Post #29) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 7:57 pm: |
Karen I will also be on my first trip to Bonaire same dates as you. One thing I have always looked at even if it is damaged a little still better than my local dives in north Alabama (or here in Kosovo). and just the amount of diving really excites me.
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By Liz ... yes, I dive with pink fins. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #207) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 8:09 pm: |
Along the same lines of this post, I just read the latest Undercurrents newsletter last night, and there was a scathing 'report' from a guy in California about the quality of Bon diving. He claimed not to have seen a single frog fish, seahorse, or anything bigger than 6" during his recent trip. He listed other stuff that was 'missing' but I can't recall them right now.
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #202) on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 8:31 pm: |
Karen, welcome to BT.
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By Bas Noij (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #343) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 2:03 am: |
Leo.
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By pat murphy (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1975) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 3:02 am: |
gee bas, it's past your bed time and up getting ready to leave for bonaire. i'll be a zombie when we arrive tonight (it stopped snowing and i'm more hopeful but my fingers are still crossed...and will be till we arrive). i agree about the circle of life. lenny and omar aren't the first storms or surges to hit the area and won't be the last. it just happens and will continue to happen...
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By Dan Jolly (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #565) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 8:14 am: |
Bas - thanks for the good words.I left right before Omar so can't speak to the reef conditions.
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By Cecil* (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7268) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 9:23 am: |
Bas nailed it, it is just way to subjective. Let's go pick a hotel based on Trip Advisor, we know how well that works. In the way of another example, I can not count the number of times I have read bad reports about the dive at Eden Beach. Yet every time we go, we do that dive two or three times, not because it's there and easy, we could go anywhere. It's because we like it, rubble is amazingly fascinating. In a way of quantifying it, I always take about 4 times as many shots on a rubble dive then a reef dive.
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By karen b (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 9:52 am: |
HAH!! Cecil, while I appreciate your generosity and caring, as I said in my original post NOT A CHANCE!
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By Bas Noij (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #344) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 10:01 am: |
Pat....welcome back (I presume you're on Bonaire by the time you read this. Maybe we bump into each other under water. I am easy to recognize under water...I'll be swimming in front of the group with all the funky UV lights :-)
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By ****Tink**** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8555) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 11:03 am: |
Bas, well said
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #203) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 12:15 pm: |
Bas, I am all in favor of an objective, quantifiable rating system.
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By Natalie S (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #181) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 12:20 pm: |
Next month I'm bringing 4 people who have never been to Bonaire with me; it'll be my 4th trip. I think that even with the storm damage they will be impressed by the reefs and sea life here. We all went on a trip to the Bahamas last summer, and I was really disappointed by the barren moonscapes (reefs) we saw there; yes, some of them were that bad. I like rubble dives (Bari and south of Bari, Tori's Reef), so I'm not too concerned about the damage. In the Bahamas, I was still finding some of the little stuff I liked, but I had to look really hard. I always look forward to Bonaire because there is so much to see. Yes, some of my favourite sites will not be the same, like Oil Slick Leap. Yes, some of the creatures I see will be different. But I'm sure I'll find some new favourites this time. Bonaire is like an old friend: every time you see it, it changes a little, but the heart is still the same.
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By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #159) on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 4:34 pm: |
For all of you who love Bonaire's reefs, even though they have been compromised by Omar, and think the "heart is still the same," consider all the sewage that is seeping and being dumped into the sea, eroding the reefs even further and perhaps preventing them from a full recovery from Omar.
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By Bas Noij (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #345) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 1:26 am: |
Pauline. Although I agree with you that reef protection is extremely important, that was not the subject of this thread. I'd prefer to stay on topic.
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By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #381) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 9:47 am: |
Bas, so list those exceptions, please.
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By Dan Jolly (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #573) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 10:18 am: |
Bas is right. All tropical dive sites have risks and damages from storms regularly and all over the world. It is a normal thing and has always been. Cayman gets hit far more frequently and violently than Bonaire but it seems no one worries about the diving there. Same with Turks and Caicos which took a huge hit, couple of them, this year but I hear nothing about their problems. Bahamas are more in the target center than Bonaire is but people still are eager to dive there even though it's best is no where near Bonaire IMHO.
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By Bas Noij (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #346) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 10:54 am: |
Mel...of the top of my head:
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By karen b (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 11:05 am: |
I cannot tell you how EXCITED we are again! We knew we would enjoy ourselves and the diving but with negative report after another, well.. this thread has been a tremendous shot of good!
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By ****Tink**** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8560) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 11:21 am: |
Karen, if you night dive, you simply have to do the UV night dive with Bas.
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #205) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 11:38 am: |
Bas, I agree with everything that you said. I was in Bonaire last month and I enjoyed diving post-Omar as much as I did before Omar in August 2008. I am coming back this may.
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By Tom Schamp (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #188) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 11:47 am: |
Maybe this could be setup as a bunch of pages on WikiPedia.
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #206) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 12:42 pm: |
Tom, I think the technical part is the easiest challenge in this endeavor.
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By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1983) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 12:54 pm: |
Interesting debate here, but (again) I'll refer to an old saying: "too many cooks spoil the stew"..
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By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #382) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 1:00 pm: |
Bas, very helpful. Thanks. This is the kind of info that helps me help my group, in four more weeks. Factual changes from BSDME#5 are a good start.
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By Bas Noij (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #347) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 1:00 pm: |
Leo...I can explain why. You have been infected by 'the bug'. Happened to me the moment I set foot on Bonaire for the first time and there is no remedy except regular immersion in Bonairean waters...LOL
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By *Freddie* (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11472) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 1:00 pm: |
I agree Vince.. One man's junk is another man's treasure... just like the posts here.. what one thinks is a great dive others may not.. Susan is the expert and it is in print and I am sure there will be a volume 6..
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #207) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 1:14 pm: |
Bas, I agree (again) that the shorediving website is a very useful tool. The challenge is to convince more Bonaire divers to spend some time there and provide some feedback about their experience.
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By Liz ... yes, I dive with pink fins. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #210) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 1:22 pm: |
Well said Freddie and Vince!
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By Debbie B. ~ Jersey Gal (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8806) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 1:31 pm: |
Karen, I totally recommend buying Susan's book. It is STILL a wonderful guide to the dive sites, sure "some" sites are changed from Omar, but then some are still right on. Gives you a base to start from.
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By ****Tink**** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8561) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 1:31 pm: |
I believe Susan is going to have updates on her website, until the new addition comes out.
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By Bas Noij (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #348) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 2:12 pm: |
Liz...if sites like Taylor made and Candy land open up to the masses it might spoil it for those that know the ins and outs of those more 'secret' sites ;-)
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By Liz ... yes, I dive with pink fins. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #211) on Friday, February 6, 2009 - 2:15 pm: |
Good point, Bas.
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By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #741) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 12:23 am: |
Bas,
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By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #742) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 12:25 am: |
PS Karen, you are going to have a blast!
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By David Johnson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #504) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 1:17 am: |
I dove Bonaire well before Lenny and I was on Bonaire during Omar. I also tend to dive my favorite sites over and over. I still think the diving is of good quality.
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By Liz ... yes, I dive with pink fins. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #213) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 3:55 am: |
David F. - thanks for mentioning that you will follow up with Undercurrents. Reading that inaccurate "report" really made me wonder how many other inaccuracies we've read in Undercurrents over the years (or even how valuable the subscription is).
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By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #323) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 5:44 am: |
Any of us that have been diving longer than twenty years know the story , the oceans are suffering , every year they seem to deteriorate a little more . Here at home in the pacific northwest , south pacific , Caribbean , chances are if you have done a dive and come back a year or two later the reef will not look as good . Less visibility , less fish , less non-swimming critters. Since the day I was certified I have never seen improvement , only deterioration.
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By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #744) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 10:04 am: |
Liz, I did sent a note to the editors with a link to my pictures from Dec-Jan. Note that this report was a paragraph quoted from a reader, not a full report or article. If you read the Undercurrent CHapbook, you sometimes wonder how different people will have such disparate opinions of a destination, resort or liveaboard.
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By karen b (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 10:10 am: |
wow! my cup runneth over!! thanks to all of you. i just KNEW if i specifically asked for something good that i would get some feedback but this has been exceptional!
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By Dan Jolly (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #593) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 10:17 am: |
Karen - GREAT! Get used to it here on BT. The family of BT talkers and the family of Bonaire are truly fantastic. Oh, and BTW - the diving is pretty darn unbeatable too !!!!
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #208) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 10:23 am: |
David, I've seen wide variations here on BT as well. For example, your assessment of the Lake states that "[t]he second reef here is all but dead" while another diver wrote (about the same site) that "[i]f you didn't know about Omar, you wouldn't see much difference in the reefs".
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By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #383) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 11:04 am: |
Which issue of Undercurrent was this report in?
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By NoGoSlo (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 11:51 am: |
It was in the most recent issue of Undercurrent. I received mine on Wednesday.
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By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #384) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 12:38 pm: |
I can find nothing in the (current) February 2009 issue nor the January 2009 issue. Perhaps someone can provide a more detailed citation? Like, date and page number?
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By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #745) on Saturday, February 7, 2009 - 12:49 pm: |
Page 5 under the heading, What Is A Marine Park?", in the article "Cabo, Cozumel, Dominica, Naples".
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By karen b (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Monday, February 9, 2009 - 9:58 am: |
I got a response back from Susan that she would NOT have the 6th edition ready before our trip, so I went ahead and purchased her 5th addition
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