Any thoughts on how to bring belongings with us on the dive (cash, license, etc.)? I read that vehicle theft from dive sites is an issue. I am not aware of a "dive bag" that we can take down with us, but I suppose a zip lock bag in my pocket could work!!

Tim, we have a small waterproof case for license cash etc. that just clips on the waist. It works great for us. Our cameras go in the water with us and we leaved nothing in our truck. Last year we were told by AB car Rental to lv veh. wide open so they weren't broken into, but I recently read a BT thread where they were having battery theft problems and now want to have it locked. We'll be there in 5 days ( NEVER, will 5 days take so long!!!!), so I guess we'll find out then lol

Did I really type 'leaved' in that post???? I guess those 5 days are going to be really long days!

Baloney about battery theft, that's absurd. A broken window costs lots more to repair. Leave the windows down and the vehicle unlocked. You'll be fine...

I use a small "Pelican type" case to hold my room and truck keys and enough guilders for a beverage or lunch. It has a lanyard that allows you to wear it around your neck.

I also have a similar case for my prescription glasses.

I rarely carry my drivers license while diving. Never been questioned.

You can also check out the otter box~ http://www.otterbox.com/waterproof-cases/otterbox-1000/

I don't take my license with me when diving. If you feel funny about not having it, just make a copy of it and leave it in the glovebox, leave the original in the safe at the place you are staying.

There are lots of cheaper waterproof cases you can get. Check out your local dive shop too, they will have some there.

Tom, I was just repeating what I had read on an earlier thread. My advice to anyone renting is not to do what you want but to do what 'they' the rental company wants. Much less of a hassle in the end imho

I use a large (8 D cell) underwater light as my dive safe. Without batteries, of course. Big enough to put vehicle keys, sunglasses and a couple of other small items. Completely waterproof and I just clip it on to my BC and go.

You don't need to carry your license with you and I haven't had anybody turn down wet money. Take your keys with you diving also. We have left small coolers in the truck with lunch and beers for after that last dive also and didn't have any problems.

Tim..The simplest solutions really are best. Put a small plastic baggy in your BC pocket, put your keys in same perhaps with a couple of 5 NAF coins & a plastic credit if you feel you must & you're good to go. As Debbie indicated, make a copy of your drivers license & just leave that in the glove compartment. It's really simple.

I have had very good luck with this.
http://www.punkapacific.com/proddetail.php?prod=seeitsafe

How true. Everyone takes wet money. We're proof. We usually bury the keys under coral near the underside of our truck.

Also note: If your truck keys do "happen" to get wet, please remember to rinse them with fresh water too. Take it from me, starters do not like salt, I know most of you rent vehicles, I happen to own my own truck and learned this one the hard way.

I hook my rental truck key on a metal ring on the front of my BCD and have no problems at all.
Debbie probably does have a point in that a key dripping salt water put into the ignition will probably build up an accumulation of dried salt after a while and gum up the works before long. I wonder if car rental companies on Bonaire spray out their ignition locks once in a while?

Tom, I would think the rental companies do that, but just thought I would throw it out there as salt did "gum" up our starter after a while. It would be nice if everyone rinsed their keys to avoid an unpleasant experience. We found out cause we have the truck all the time. Definitely a good thing to do is rinsing them off with fresh water. No problems since we started rinsing off the keys.

Ok...I gotta throw this out there. Last May/June Warehouse refused to accept wet coins as they "tarnish." I had no problem elsewhere, but I was out right refused at Warehouse.

Tribs...wow

I know. I posted about it last year while I was on island. I was floored by it.

Better to stay on the safe side and bring NOTHING!!! It has picked up again at the southern divesites. The northern sites are frequently checked lately by the police, but the south not, so......
It will also be very hard to report this the proper way for insurance purposes; Please find underneath the true story about 'Mister X' and his effort to do the proper thing.....
Mister X is not his real name. You all better believe it, the rest of the story is true in detail:
What happened;
Mister X went nightdiving at Tori's reef and found his car broken into upon return. The next day Mister X went to the police station.....

Mister X: I like to report a break-in in my car.
Officer: One moment please.
.
.
(30 minutes passed by)
.
.
.
Officer: What is your name?
Mister X: Mister X
Officer: Excuse me?
Mister X: Mister X
Officer: How do you spell that?
Mister X: M-I-S-T-E-R-X.
Officer: Can you please write that down for me?
Mister X: Sure, do you have a pen and paper?
Officer handed over paper and pen.
Officer: Where do you stay?
Mister X: Deep Blue View.
Officer: Excuse me?
Mister X: Deep Blue View
Officer: Hope do you spell that?
Mister X: D-E-E-P-B-L-U-E-V-I-E-W
Officer: Can you please write that down for me?
Mister X: Sure, do you have a pen and paper?
Officer handed over paper and pen.
Officer: Where is that?
Mister X: Republiek.
Officer: Where is that.
Mister X: On Bonaire.
Officer: Where was you car broken into?
Mister X: At Tori's reef.
Officer: Excuse me?
Mister X: At Tori's reef.
Officer: How do you spell that?
Mister X: T-O-R-I-S-R-E-E-F
Officer: Can you please write that down for me?
Mister X: Sure, do you have a pen and paper?
Officer handed pen and paper.
Officer: What it that a Tori's reef?
Mister X: A divesite.
Officer: Where is that divesite?
Mister X: In the south side of the island.
Officer: Oh! (heh, don't think so bad now....) Officer again: Thank you for reporting this.
Mister X: Don't you want to know what was stolen from my car?
Officer: No.
Mister X: Can I get a copy of this report?
Officer: No.
Mister X: ?????
Officer: This is just a short report. Long reports we do on Wednesday's and then we ask what was stolen and can you get a copy.
Mister X: When?
Officer: Wednesday.
Mister X: How do you spell that....... ah, leave it. Thanks so much and have a good day.....

Only time I had a theft was when a small, cheap, plastic box was taken at Karpata from our truck. Inside was a tampon and two advil. Hah!

Menno, still LMAO!! How true. When I got robbed at the Dive Inn, years ago, that was pretty much it.

Chris...LOL! Bet they were surprised!

Yeah, but not as surprised as the little punk was when I chased him. I had drifted north and walked back to the truck. Oh to be a teenager again...

Not sure about the advice above advising not carrying your drivers license since I do not know how strict the police are. However, twice last month they had road blocks up near Pasa Bon Pizza and were stopping cars and checking registrations and drivers licenses. One local told us that if you didn't have your papers, they hold car until you return with them. We had ours so no problem.

First I have heard of the traffic stops. I really never carry my license on the island. Guess that will change now.

The idea of making a couple color photo copies of your driver's license + passport works for me...

if all your papers are not in order and that includes a driver's license in your possession .. the vehicle will be impounded on the spot ..and you walk ...

Yes Menno - LMAO !!!

The police do not accept photo copies.

Strictly speaking, I'm sure the local authorities demand the original driver's license and/or passport when they stop your vehicle for whatever.

But there's no way in heck that I'm taking any valuable items like those with me when I'm off to do a couple shore dives in my rented truck. And I'm not taking them in a waterproof case under water with me either, they'll stay in the safe in my room.

The photocopy idea is merely a nod in the direction of having some ID in the vehicle rather than nothing at all.

But let's stop the speculation and have some FIRST HAND REPORTS from folks who encountered police action on Bonaire while having no driver's license on them, preferably while shore diving.

Cut a color photo copy to the same size as your driverslicense is and I bet you the police wouldn't even see the difference......

We were wondering what the police roadblocks were all about. We were right in there- in line with all the traffic and they waved us (poor tourists that we were)right on through- we thought that they were just targeting the locals. I didn't have any ID with me when we went up to Washington park (don't know what I was thinking) and they still let us in.

It's common in February & July for the police to stop & check vehicles without the current road tax sticker, that's probably who they were targeting. When they stop you, you're checked for everything: license, insurance, spare tire, etc. I would hope that your rental vehicles would have the correct tax stickers on the license plate. Road tax is due in January for full year & June for half year, hence the traffic stops after the deadlines.

Great report and brings back memories of our 4 hours at the Bonaire police department a few years ago. I had on my swimsuit & shorts, my husband had on a tee shirt with his swimsuit. The little room they escorted us to was freezing cold! It had the best A/C on the island...

We had about $1,200 worth of gear stolen - not from our truck, but from a "locker." We knew we had to report it in order to submit an insurance claim back home.

The policeman writing the report spoke Spanish, we spoke only English, and he had to file the report in Dutch. We experienced the same kind of questions - "How do you spell that?" It was amazing we got the report filed at all!

We don't leave anything but water & sandwiches in our truck, as we know people who have had even tote bags stolen. We bring zip lock baggies with us from the States for this purpose. Keys, glasses & money go into waterproof cases and we take them on our dives.

We haven't had our water or food taken and we've been to Bonaire 5 times - 3-1/2 weeks last year.

Expect the worst and be happy when nothing bad happens - it's worth it!

In response to Tom Schamp's request for direct experience with being stopped and having no driver's license, I can speak to that. On one of our July trips we were returning to Hato from a dive and were waved into a police inspection spot by Curoil. We showed the officer our rental agreement which was in the glove box and explained that we did not carry a driver's license with us when diving but would be happy to go to our apartment and return with it. He glanced in the back, saw our gear, asked where we were headed and told us to have a nice day. He did not say we were required to have it.

We are in Bonaire now, and for the first time in 4 years had some things go missing from our truck too. I guess the donkeys were hungry and couldn't resist the stroop waffles. They must have had a headache too because they also took the sunglasses.

I read this thread with interest because I'm planning my first trip to Bonaire June 28 - July 5. Aside from training, I've only done boat dives. So I was really wondering what to do about keys and cash.

I just ordered one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/PakPak-Waterproof-Wallet-Boating-Kayaking/dp/B001E5OWHC/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

Mostly I did it on the strength of this review:

http://www.divemagazine.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=2514&SP=&V=6

Otherwise, first-hand experiences seem pretty sparse.

One thing that bugs me about the car-theft issue is I'd like to bring along the surf-diving guide book. I get lost easily.

- Gus

Gus-
The theft thing is WAY overblown. I've spent a total of six weeks in Bonaire over the years and only had an issue once. Leave your windows down, don't leave valuables in your car/truck and forget about it. I recently left an expensive pair of Tevas and a $150 pair of sunglasses in the car every day for ten days with no problem.
Don't worry!

We don't want to encourage folks to start leaving quality merchandise like that in vehicles on a regular basis.
We need to think "ratty" when it comes to stuff to leave while in the water...

Good point. I probably was tempting fate. My wife and I both agreed to bring cheap flip flops and sunglasses on the next trip.

Mostly I'm thinking about car keys and cash. Leaving the keys in the car seems like an open invitation to car theft.

- Gus

Car/truck keys generally come with a split-ring between the key and the plastic part.
So just clip that securely onto your BCD before you get wet.

Most island dive trucks do NOT have remote-entry battery-operated fobs, so you don't have to worry about killing that in the water!

You don't need much, if any, cash while diving. I usually had $5 or so in my RATTY shorts that I tossed in the truck bed after suiting up. It never got taken...

I bought a cheap, credit card size dry box from my LDS for about $7. Held a few guilders for lunch, my condo key, and driver's license. Car key went into swimsuit pocket.