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Diving Bonaire: Dive Orientation
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2002-05-24 to 2002-11-25: Dive Orientation
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Renea on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 9:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My husband and I are returning to Bonaire this month for the 4th time to stay at Buddy's also for the 4th time. We are experienced, advanced divers (over 250 dives each) and dive all summer....so it has only been well, 1 day since our last ocean dive! Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew if there was any way Buddy's would do the orientation the day of arrival? We arrive on a Saturday at 2:00. We really wanted to start diving as soon as possible and would like to pay for the extra day to dive the day of arrival.

Any information is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By herman mowery on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 11:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Best way I know to find out for sure is to email them at diveshop@buddydive.com

Herman

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Feldman on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 9:27 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Also, if the last time you were in Bonaire was sometime this year (2002) you can dive without doing the orientation again - the Marine Park tag is good for the whole year.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By kristine swyers on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 6:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Go with Bon Bini Divers next door to Buddy's. They did ours the evening we arrived. Plus the dive staff is friendly. This was our 6th trip to the island and Lion's Dive/Bon Bini is our favorite (since the demise of Sand Dollar dive shop)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stephanie Caviness on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 10:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dumb question, but is the dive orientation simply watching a video and then a buoyancy check? Thanks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glenn Fager on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 8:14 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Stephanie-

That's not a dumb question. At least at Capt. Don's, the orientation consisted of the DM explaining the do's and don'ts of the marine park, followed by a question and answer session. Then you gear up and jump in the water to check your bouyancy. Nobody watches you do this, you're on your honor. Once your weighting is correct, most people proceed to do a shore dive but that is entirely up to you.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter - NetTech on Friday, August 16, 2002 - 9:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Actually, you are technically required, as part of Bonaire Marine Park rules, to do a check-out dive at the dive shop where you got your dive tag ($10 annual license to dive the Bonaire Marine Park). The check-out dive is self-guided, and is intended for people to get acclimated to their gear, buouyancy in our waters, temperature, etc. For those dive shops without appropriate shore entries, alternate locations are acceptable.

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem on Friday, August 16, 2002 - 3:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bonaire Dive and Adventure (was Sand Dollar Dive & Photo) also does a live orientation lecture on the Marine Park and Bonaire diving (as opposed to a video). I don't know if there is a requirement for a checkout dive after the orientation or if it is required that the orientation be done before any dives.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By jeff on Tuesday, August 20, 2002 - 2:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I dove with Buddy's last year after having dove with them 5 months prior. They let me skip the whole orientation, but said I owed them a case of beer if I asked any questions about the dive shops procedures (hee, hee).

They wanted me to do a dive out front, but when I told them i was diving alone, they said not to. I have dove there alone many times, however.

 


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