We have a group arriving on April 9th and was just trying to get a water temp and bug report? In years past we have always planned our trip late summer so this will be our first spring trip. Can't wait to finally see the island at spring time!!!

The water temp will always be 77-80 degrees, and there will always be "bugs"...!!!!

That's a bit too broad a statement, Brandon.

I will say that the ocean is likely to be a few degrees cooler in April than in late summer, so be prepared for that. Temperatures of 84 or so are common during hurricane season, but not so much in April.

Bugs apparently vary as a function of recent rain. My past few trips they were a minor issue, so good luck with that...

Thanks for the reports! I know in years past the bugs have been terrible on some trips and not so bad on others. We were just trying to be prepared but not over pack on extra wet suits and bug spray.

I went in February, and there were lots of mosquitos, but the upside was that the island was GREEN! I'd never seen it that green before. I also find that it's noticeably cooler in the water in the winter/spring months. September and October is like climbing into a nice warm bathtub! lol

Tommy..just came back from 3 weeks on island. the water temp read 79 F on my Oceanic Pro Plus computer. Mosquitoes? I really didn't notice any but was prepared with Deep Woods Off which I applied daily.

We have dived Bonaire in March a few times and September many times. Water temps in March tended to be 78-81 deg. F, requiring (for me at least) a 3mm wetsuit.

In September we always get 84-86 deg. F, so I dive in bathing suit & rashguard. As Kelly stated ... bathwater !!

Hi Tommy, am on the Island at the moment and after 10 days - not 1 bug bite, that's a record! Water temp is 81 degrees, weather has been great, just 1 rain shower and if you like it, plenty of breeze. when we leave on the 5th back to the chilly UK it's bound to get even better for you :o) have a great time.

I just got back, we were there all last week. The water temp was fine (I don't have an exact reading, but around 80) - one guy dove in shorts the whole time, I only wore a skin, I wore a 1mm for night dives but could have gone with just the skin.

The mosquitos were bad. I am lucky that they don't bother me, but my traveling companions were dosed in deep woods off every night. I never used it, did get bit several times, it itched and then went away. Others weren't so lucky. I think it depends, since everyone's sensitivity to the bites might be different.

If you drink tonic water, G&T, it helps keep the bitting bugs away. This is what we drink in Africa when we go. It may be a bit if a wives tail, but it works for my fam.

We just got back as well and all my dives registered 75-77 degrees on my Oceanic Geo and Data Plus. We dove various sites south and central island, nothing up north. I was freezing! But after the ultra-warm water last year and the subsequent coral bleaching, I wasn't going to complain about being a little cold.

Mosquitos weren't bad by the waterfront due to the wind, but when you're anywhere else off the water, they are. I would highly recommend bringing and liberally using Deep Woods Off. We have friends who live there and warned us that the officials aren't declaring it yet but dengue fever has appeared in Bonaire, so better safe than sorry.

Angela...75 to 77F? Just curious.. Are you sure the temp gauges on your computers are accurate? As I indicated above, we just got back from a 3 week stay and after 30 mins in the water the water temps read 79 on my Oceanic Pro Plus 2.
Question..
1. How old are your computers?
2. Were they in air conditioning for a long time prior to your dives?

I believe March is the coldest month for water temps. From here on in the waters start to warm, but hopefully not to 84 which it reached last summer!

LOL Vince, yes my computers are fine, One is about a year old, the other is older which is why it's a backup. And no we did not store them in AC, they are stored outside with the rest of the gear.

We were in the water for 12 days of diving and just got back 3 days ago. I should clarify that 77 degrees was the final average temperature on both of my computers. My reported range of 75-77 is from the fact that every time I checked my depth and air, I checked the temperature. Also, our shortest dive was 56 minutes, the longest was 1 hour, 47 min, so the computers had plenty of time to calibrate.

Finally, both of my computers, my husband's computer and the reports of 2 friends who live on island all agreed. I am glad we had friends on-island who reported the cooler temps (again, average 77) before we came so I could bring my thicker wetsuit. Even so, I was cold on some dives.

Our differing temp reports could have to do with the dive sites, depth, currents, time of day, # of dives per day, length of dives, etc. Either way, no one can argue that the water temps are definitely cooler right now so people should be prepared with the proper thermal protection.