Steel rods about the diameter of a pencil and 12" long are popular in muck diving sites in Indonesia to help keep you off the coral and are great for stabilising yourself when taking pictures. Just stick it in the sand or on a rock. Are folks using them responsibly in Bonaire?

Never seen this. Could be a good and responsible idea but like many things - it depends on who uses the technique and how they do it. I would hesitate to recommend any method other than good buoyancy and the standard no-touch policy.

And welcome to Bonaire Talk Chris. You will find much information and great folks on this board. It can be rather addicting. I find much information useful in other locales and activities from BT.

Chris, on our trip last year, there was a guy who had a stick, used for the same purpose, called it something else, anyway, the DM on the boat took it explaining that such things are not allowed, and being as he was staying at the same resort as the boat, they kept it in their office till his trip was done.

Welcome to BT, Chris. No steel rods on Bonaire and I suspect if anyone saw you carrying one into the water, you would get reported to STINAPA. The big difference on Bonaire is the almost total lack of current and surge so keeping still for photo's is not that tough.

I knew I'd be opening a can of worms here. I've never seen on in our three trips to Bonaire but saw a ton of them in Bali a couple years ago and then in North Sulawesi last year. In my experience, they don't do any damage at all when used properly. I wonder what the "official" policy is?

I just emailed STINAPA for clarification. I imagine they are like a lot of other things: Great in the right hands - not so much in others.

I first ran into these last year in the Phillipines. Chromed, telescopic, small diameter-ed, with a ball on the end.
Don't think they're meant for Bonaire!

The official policy is very clear, very narrow-minded, and very insufficient. It is narrow-minded in the sense that it assumes all divers are dolts -- perhaps even malicious dolts -- and can't be trusted to protect the reef, and it is insufficient in the sense that (1) even with the policy, there truly are a bunch of dolts out there screwing up the reef, and (2) the damage to the reef from pollution and overfishing is at least equal to that caused by divers. But the policy says don't touch, not don't poop or don't fish.

I too have seen those steel rods in Indonesia; they are not reef hooks (they are straight, not curved), and are used more for pointing and stabilization than holding position in a current. I teach a coral identification class, and pointing out things is really tough. I'd be in less danger of harming the coral if I could use a pointer than trying to use my finger. At night, I can use a light (or even a laser pointer), but it's tough in the daytime.

Thanks, Mel.
We're both on the same page here.
A few clowns spoil it for the rest of us. These devices - my wife calls them "poker sticks" could keep a ton of people off the reef but a few idiots who don't know a sponge from coral from rock would be tearing the place up.

Well said Mel. We are all on the same page. And the major reef damage issue other than dolts and idiots is pollution with pollution on the top of the list.

So long as those sticks can be fitted with a barb to spear LIONFISH with, I'm all for them...

Tom, I'd want one longer than 12 inches, but I'm with you! One of the possible approaches in the Bahamas in a catch tournament...wouldn't it be fun to be in the first Bonaire Lionfish Tournament?

I'm planning on going on a Sept trip to the Bahamas with a local diveshop to learn how to catch Lionfish for dissection, study.
http://atlanticedge.com/travel_lionfish.shtml

Steel rods w red tips are available at Radio Shack.... replacement antennas!! I used to take about a dozen for the dive crew everytime I went to KBR. Personally I havnt found much on Bonaire that responds well to the red dots and for some strange reason the DMs get pretty pissy when you skewer the seahorses with them ))))))))

Used chopsticks for a while cheap and disposable. Then one time literally found a nudi crawling up the back of a leaf scorp.... even hanging off its nose. Great photos... but for 2weeks on the Bilikiki Newberts crowd roasted my rear end for having used the chop sticks. Needless to say no one ever believed me that I just found it there ((((((

A test.

Find the phrase that doesn't fit:

1. "the DM on the boat took it explaining that such things are not allowed, and being as he was staying at the same resort as the boat, they kept it in their office till his trip was done."

2. "No steel rods on Bonaire and I suspect if anyone saw you carrying one into the water, you would get reported to STINAPA."

3. "BONAIRE, the home of diving freedom"


I have one of those rods. They are typically made from steel, aluminum or fiberglass. A car antenna works but I suspect they are prone to rust and to break. I am sure a muck stick is more useful in muck than around coral, but...

I have used it for steadying myself in strong current by sticking it in sand.

I have used it as a pointer to show something to a buddy without having to get too close or put my finger near some critter or object.

I have used it as a tank banger.

I suppose, if I was ever about to have a collision with a coral head I might use it to push off, and thereby have a much smaller point of contact than if I used an arm or hand or fin. I don't anticipate doing this, though, and having a muck stick won't make me more likely to do so.

Before anyone gets out the tar and feathers, I didn't bring it with me when I was on Bonaire and don't anticipate bringing it next time. On the other hand, I have just re-read the rules and see nothing that would prohibit a muck stick in the marine park.

Well said. Common sense dictates no need for tar and feathers. I never dive with a guide so I'm thinking of the "beg for forgiveness" school of thought since only I know how I truly use it and do so with a clean conscience.

Cecil said "Tom, I'd want one longer than 12 inches, "

Yeah, I hear that a lot, but usually it's 3 inches, not 12.

I believe a pointer /muck stick used as a pointer only has less effects the then idiots that don't know how to tuck in their gear i.e. regs, gauges all over the place generally dangling down dragging on the coral,sponges and bottom. I have done many a boat dives in Bonaire filled up with these kind of creatures.

I would rather see someone use a muck stick than damage things with fingers. fins, etc. I always dive with a knife on my leg primarily to take care of idiot and careless divers who should never dive Bonaire again !!! LOL. Actually I do use the knife as a muck stick. It has a sharp end so it's point of contact is miniscule but serves the same purpose - ON DEAD CORAL, ROCK OR SAND ONLY.

well said Angie--thats the most intelligent post on this thread!!! If we could fix those cretins no one would care about "muck sticks"

Then again, we had two idiots with "pokey sticks" on lanyards on 2 charters on Maui and the damn things kept getting dragged all over the reef when they weren't being held. Then they would get wedged into an elkhorn coral or in the rocks and the idiot divers would simply keep swimming, trying to pull them free....doing all sorts of damage the process. My husband freed them twice (and we witnessed at least 3x more by others) and swore if he had to do it again he would free them with a knife!

I can't blame STINAPA from having very strict rules about stuff like this, particularly since too many divers see nothing wrong with dragging stuff on the reef, touching critters and coral, laying on coral and sponges, being totally unaware they have just kicked a 3' coral head over....etc., etc., etc.

Unfortunately, rules are made because of the worst, not the best.

One way to find our dive guide in Indonesia was to follow the lines in the sand from the steel stick. Useful in the Lembeh straits with all sand but not so good on coral but let's not talk about the DM's feeding the ribbon eels. They had them in Bunnaken National Park and they had great coral walls and that was not good. How do you coach a moray out of coral head, yep they use the stick to push the moray out. In the right hands a useful aid but the majority of cases an undesirable tool used to injure critters including coral. Would I buy one, Lembeh Straits yes to hold station in the current, Bunnaken No way and Bonaire NFW. STINAPA has this right.

I don't think there is a rule about this, is there? I keep seeing comments about STINAPA being "right" but as far as I know, there is no rule on this. If I am wrong, could someone point me to the rule? Just curious.

I sent STINAPA an email the same day I started this thread but haven't heard anything back yet.

I think new type of orientation is in order - posted at each dive op that would include guidance on how to tuck in gear regs, gauges, tablets, lights. This would be in addition to a list that ops should post on what is not allowed including pointers. Some people and you know who you are think touching is physically with your fingers and or body parts not what is attached to your BCD etc. If I reported every person I saw that had their gear hanging and "touching" I believe the reefs would relatively diver free. Maybe that is the key have them reported - Have their tags confiscated go through training they have to pay for and/or fined - dollars collected could go to reef preservation or other worthy cause. Then maybe they will learn from the errors of their ways, and become more responsible divers.

o.k. sry guys/gals got on a soapbox.. off it now..

There just needs to be consequences. I saw a person first stand on a huge brain coral then physically try to rock it back and forth. I swam over, yanked them off, then followed them the rest of the dive to where they got out. I won't name the resort but it's very well known and I spoke to the folks in the dive shop about it. I saw them spend about 30 seconds with the diver and that was it.

They need to be reported to STINAPA. No one wants to play the snitch but people have to wake up to the facts at the current rates of the reefs dying off for one reason or another we as divers must do what we need to do to try to protect the underwater world - If we dont who will?

I found the following article from the Bonaire Insider quite interesting to read: click here

Stinapa policy is "no-touch" period whether its hands, gloves, fins or a stick. Pretty simple. Them's the rules.

A very telling article. thanks.

Thank you for your post, Martin. That sort of diver publicity is just the sort of thing which can tip the scales when weighing pod-ship vs. diver economies...If it becomes common belief that the divers are the ones who are harming the reefs, then we lose a great deal - not least the ability to claim that we are the ones who 'most love' Bonaire. And things are made even worse when dive operators rent computers and BCD's which don't have enough places or clips to secure gear...

Most BCD's have the necessary spots for gear to be tucked properly - the owners have to adjust to it. for your alternate for those that still use double hose/regs - ring or pocket is generally on shoulder - pinch hose to U shape and tuck it in they do stay in place and are easy to remove if needed in emergency. As for gauges - tucking in/under BCD clip that you use to secure it on you works wonders. People just have to use a bit of thought on the how to's or ask any other diver you see doing this or even your DM'S Im sure they will help you. Or for the people that need an excuse to by new gear - a very inexpensive item it the retractable clip. Tucking in your gear will prevent accidents on reef and actually save your gear on exits/entrances on shore dives. Less chance you gear regs/etc will be dragging in the sand/rocks coral.

I agree. If we all took a second to point that out to fellow divers with dragging gear, the reef would be a lot better off.

I may add you can't blame the operators for their rental gear - a diver must be responsible for themselves. I bought my own clips after I became certified - my instructor demanded we know how to tuck in our gear and made it part of our passing our course something he did on his own. It should be a requirement for every agency. So whether you are renting or own your own as I do now - I still have my own clips and gadgets to maintain my resolve not to be one of "those" divers that do not care about what they are doing. A 5.00 clip is a small price compared to 100 years of growth ruined in a matter of milliseconds.