Hi,
I am looking for a private guide to help me get back into diving after a bad experience last year. I have seen Bas N mentioned in the archives. Can someone help me contact him and/or recommend someone? Many thanks in advance.

Hi Chris, where ya staying?

Chris, you've got mail.

For others wondering: bas@noij.com

Hello Chris,

I guess, after having a bad experience, you probably feel uncertain and sometimes fear. I find it brave that you mention this on a public thread and that you step into diving again. Since i have not been in a diving accident I cannot grasp fully of what you have been through but I can say what I might would do.
For an extra safety feeling I would consider to go back in diving via a dive shop I know. Maybe you already had good experience with a dive shop on Bonaire? The dive instructors and dive facility I would be comfortable would be BDA (Bonaire Dive and Adventure). The instructors or guide I would fully trust both work there, Dianna Rybak and Waldo Wolff. Both are committed, patient and serious divers. I would also trust them because of their ability to listen. The other instructor/guide I would trust and know that he would listen to my concerns and fears is Tommy Kurtz from Div'Ocean, his expertise and knowledge in diving would might help to ease a way back into diving.
But indeed, this is just an opinion and I name those people because I know I could trust them fully, it eventually depends on what you had experienced as well.
Up to now I did not have the pleasure to dive with Mr. Noij.
Good luck Chris and I hope that you will find your way back into diving.

I had a bad experience a few years ago. I approached the folks at my dive shop, explained the problem and did a guided dive. Problem solved.

Hi Chris! There are lots of wonderful guides on Bonaire. Bas is highly recommended! Just be honest with what happened and I'm sure he can work through it with you.

If you cannot connect with Bas, I would recommend Chrissy at Belmar. She is fabulous! The guys at Wanna Dive are great too.

I choked my first attempt to learn to dive. I didn't trust the equipment and when it came to back rolling off the boat, I freaked out. It didn't help either that when I finally got into the water my BC inflater failed. I gave up and came home uncertified. About a year later, I got certified at home where I could walk into the water. I think part of my problem, besides not trusting my equipment, was getting over my lifeguard training. I "knew" people died under the water. I'm so far past that now it is pretty funny, but when we have a previous lifeguard in a class, I'm usually the DM assigned to them. Honesty....no mater what, is always the best policy. My only regret is losing that year that I could have been diving.

I would look at doing some training/practice in a pool back home. Just get your self comfortable underwater in a controlled environment. Then you could do some guided dives when you get down there. I think that the more comfortable and confident you are before you go back in the ocean the better off you will do. Good luck.

I think all of the above recommendations are good. I obviously feel that I am qualified to help you out Chris, but the other people that were mentioned are also very good. The one thing that in my opinion you should make sure of is not being put into a group for your first dives. I think that is the reason why you were asking for a private guide and it is the way to go. In a 1 on 1 situation I am sure that within a few dives you will be back into the comfort zone. I dive regularly with people that had bad experiences and Bonaire is the perfect place to get those behind you.

You could consider Ryans suggestion of doing a pool session at home but rest assured that any diving you would do here on Bonaire is also in a controlled underwater environment that will make you feel right at home.

Good luck and you know where to find me.

Bas

Oh...and Silvia...I am here if you want to have the pleasure of diving with me

Silvia is in Europe and I am sure will be back sooner than later!

Rightfully suggested so my dear Michael, thanks for the invite Bas!

Hi,
I am a long time reader, first time "poster". I and my wife went to Bonaire last October for the first time and we absolutely loved it (in matter of fact so much we are going again in August). During our stay we had the pleasure to dive with Mr Bas Noij aka OB1. We did 2 day dives and the UV night dive. Bas was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable, a known seahorse finder , his familiarity of the dive sites, the islands history, nature and local cuisine were very beneficial to us. We highly recommend him as a guide.

Hi Chris, So glad you are going back to Bonaire, wish we were going at same time. Bas is who Jim & I did two dives with last year that we raved about, we did the UV night dive that was unbelievable & I am not crazy about night diving. Bas is very patient & easy going, I think you would feel safe and comfortable with him. Have fun!

Thanks so much to all of you who answered. I think I have a lot to work through - I loved Bonaire, it was the most wonderful place. I did do a one-on-one check out dive here at Harbour Village with Will, who was very patient and knowledgable. I then did my first dive at the Knife at Klein, a lovely, no stress dive. I have bben told to limit my depth to no more than 60 feet (easy here) and I have been advised to take a day off between each dive and only do one dive each day(I had the pleasure of visiting the decompression chamber my last trip- I can assure you all that the medical care here is superb). I am a fairly new diver (27 dives), but absolutely love to dive - so I am hoping that with more education and little more confidence, that I will be okay. Jim and Pat - it was so nice to see your post! You really rescued our last vacation with your patience and caring about me! So far all is wonderful - had great pizza last night at Pasa Bon Pizza, so hopefully all will continue to be well! I am absolutely overwhelmed with all of the kind repilies and caring thoughts.
Kindest regards and many, many thanks, Chris

Chris, who was it that told you not to do more than 1 dive every two days? I do think that it is sound advice to get back into diving at a slow pace but I am wondering whether there is a medical reason behind this. Just out of curiosity. How long ago is it that you wound up in the decompression chamber?

Happy diving!

Bas.

Hi Bas,
I have spoken with so many docs and divemasters...I think that it was a summary opinion of all discussions. There is no "Little" DCI, (just as not a little pregnant!)so I am very hesitant to repeat the experience. It was last August, and this is the firsat time I have been in the water. I decided that if I could do this again, I would be very conservative. So far, I am eternally grateful to Will for helping me find the joy that I had in diving - of course I am wanting to dive and dive some more, but as kind as everyone was. it is NOT an experience I ever want to repeat!
For anyone who is interested, I was told that I was very dehydrated, and that sstrongly contributed to the DCI (my tables were actually okay). I did 2 dives on my first day, and two more the next and that was the end. I have since read on DAN that you shouldn't dive on the day you fly IN as well as out - something I didn't know.
Thank you again,
Chris

Thanks for the info Chris. And good to hear that you are enjoying Bonaire again!

Chris,

Multiple dives on the same day you get OFF a long-haul aircraft should be perfectly fine, so long no other factors, like over-tiredness or dehydration or alcohol consumption, are present.

I'd be interested in seeing the DAN info you mention, if you can post a link, thanks...

This is all I could find: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.aspx?faqid=56. Maybe there is another article?

Diving Medicine FAQs
Diving After Flying

Q: It takes most tourists 24 hours to get to our resorts here in Thailand. I notice that many tourists begin diving immediately when they arrive and often start drinking quite a bit of alcohol. Aren't they at greater risk for decompression sickness after their long flight if they begin diving right after they arrive? Shouldn't they wait one day before they begin diving?

A: Mild dehydration can occur on long flights, especially when travelers cross several time zones; alcohol consumption can also contribute to dehydration. Generally speaking, dehydration is thought to predispose a diver to decompression illness because the washout of inert gas (nitrogen, in diving) is less effective in a dehydrated individual.

If there were a relationship between diving after flying and DCI, we would expect to see a great deal of decompression illness on the very first day of diving -- indeed, some data suggests that there are more accidents on the first day of a planned multiday dive trip. Of the 88 cases reviewed from the Caribbean for 1994, 33 -- or 37.5 percent -- occurred on the first day. The remainder occurred on days two through seven. Given that there are thousands of tourist divers who fly to Caribbean and Pacific dive sites, these numbers are far too small to establish a cause and effect.

Although no one can insist upon a 24-hour waiting period after flying, such a conservative approach to diving after flying is a reasonable idea -- it gives divers an opportunity to rehydrate, adjust to a new climate and time zone, and rest up after a long flight.

Flying the CO red-eye flights to Bonaire is most relevant example here, arriving on-island at 5 AM.

I've not done this flight, but if I did, I suspect my first day's diving would be less than usual due mainly to lack of sleep the night prior, not to any major concern about DCI.

Tom, that is why one week is not enough time on Island! We fly the red eye, and the first day we just rest up and start our diving the next day... Ron

Headed to Bonaire Friday evening - arriving on island Saturday morning on the Continental red-eye. Planning to start diving Saturday afternoon with Bas on a check out dive for our underwater park tags and to take advantage of his island orientation.

DAN noted that the small sample size of their post-flight DCI cases does not allow a cause and effect determination. Over time enough data may be collected to show a high correlation between DCI and diving soon after flight. But I expect DAN is also looking at other factors that could contribute to a diver getting DCI after flying. I've met a number of divers that were starting a week-long dive vacation after having not been diving for several years. These divers were less confident and seemed more prone to erratic acsents, going deeper than planned and just generally not being as safe at the beginning of their trip, as they were at the end. During the week they got reoriented with diving and didn't make the same mistakes they did on day one.

Anyway - only three more day's until Bonaire and we can hardly wait. Bas - see you Saturday!

Looking forward to it Neil. Just make sure you relax a bit after the flight and drink plenty of fluids (water, juice etc). The tap water on Bonaire is 100% safe and tastes great. See you saturday afternoon!

Bas.

BAS is amazing, We did the UV night dive with him and he's the best I would highly recommend him and refer students to him.....Thanks for a great time BAS!

Stephanie Baranko
PADI Instructor
MSDT