BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Diving Bonaire: Diving East Side?
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2002-11-26 to 2003-04-30: Diving East Side?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Christin Helander (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Tuesday, March 11, 2003 - 10:49 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

We will be returning to Bonaire at the end of September for two weeks. I keep seeing and hearing of diving on the "east side". How does one find out more about this, are there certain operations or people that can take you there? What is different about the diving? Thanks in advance!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde Lee (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5786) on Tuesday, March 11, 2003 - 10:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

christin, the difference in diving are huge waves on the east side. generally, most folks only dive the east when the winds change. we have pretty good size waves here on shore dives, and when we drove to the other side of the island, no way...although, there are folks on this board who have taken the challenge:-) maybe they can comment.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DIVER DEBBI (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #221) on Tuesday, March 11, 2003 - 10:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I understand you can't dive the other side till the winds die down..Bas says that is November

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4022) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 10:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Right now the East coast is well neigh impossible to dive safely - strong winds creating big waves. However, when the winds drop a bit, you can dive there even this time of year if you have good balance (for getting in and out with wave action around).

Some dive shops offer guided dives on the east coast, and Larry Baillie, formerly of Carib Inn, started his own dive charter business - http://www.larryswildsidediving.com

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Christin Helander (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 2:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Jake! Linked right to Larry's site and I actually did many dives with him the first time I visited Bonaire and stayed at the Carib Inn. He was great. I sent him a note, and will look forward to hooking up with him in September, sure makes sense that he started his own business, he had some pretty neat "off the beaten track" dives for us last time. You have been very helpful.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #290) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 3:38 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jake is right.. it's pretty rough today. Safety is important and apart from that it's about having a good time. It's not a bad thing to push your limits a bit once in a while, new experiences, take a challenge and pick up some new diving skills but for me it's important that after the dive you feel great, not happy to be alive ;-)
I'm having a lot of fun doing all the guided east side dives for Photo Tours Divers. I'm out there at least once or twice a week all year, only from shore. I know 24 entry and exit spots between the north/east tip of the island and red slave. North of Lac Bay most of the dives are in/out at same place, mostly from boca's. South of Lac Bay they are all drift dives.
The differences are many. You're much more likely to see some big(ger) fish in bigger numbers. Like big grouper, tarpon, rays and sharks. Example... 89/90 dives at Lac Cai with eagle rays, anywhere between 1 and 24 in a single dive. 100% school of Tarpon at Cai. Sting ray at Baby Beach 166 out of 172 dives with sting ray (1 to 14) Also the best chance to see black tips, about 4 out of every 10 dives at baby beach. Also you'll find different sorts of drop off's and reef structures. Some reefs steep with no coral until 50', just macro algea on the top part, caverns at the bottom. Hang on to the rock doing your safety stop, look up and see the waves crashing under the overhangs above you... awesome sight!! Other reefs with a very gradual slope.. very very wide reef covered with fields of fans, untouched, big and healthy corals. When you are at 100' in the sand at the bottom of this reef you are a long way from shore.
Drifting these reefs is like flying an airplane over a forrest, endless fields of fans. Only when you look straight down you'll see through and see all the other corals and fishes between the fans. All these fans are swaying in the surge. In one direction reflecting the sun light, in the other direction they turn darkish creating waves of light area's traveling over the reef. Kinda like the amber waves of grain. Soak up the reefs ambiance... Float past the biggest barrels sponges, size mini-van!! Going back to shore riding the surge in the shallows... shoot 15 foot forwards, hang on the the rock while the surge is running against you, let go and another 15' ride... like underwater surfing. The rarest underwater encounter would be other divers. Yup, diving is certainly different there.
To keep things safe and more enjoyable I take only small groups, sometimes down to 1 on 1 depending on the conditions. Require a certain experience level. You need to be in good shape, flexible, agile, have a good feel for balance. That is hard to judge sometimes. Some people do a great job at getting in and out and others just can't do it eventhough they may have lots more diving experience. I'll work people up to be able to make a certain dive by doing a few easier dives first gradually making it more difficult. A detailed and accurate briefing before the dive discussing escape plans, separation plans, air saving diving skills, how to tackle the entry and exit. Know what to expect. For some dives I like to use a map so you know where you are in the dive, what you have to do and why you have to do it that way. Tell you what not to do, how to keep your gear together etc etc. all very important.
In my opinion the east side is best done with a guide. Not because I am one. Because it's safer, no worries about navigation, waste no time/air finding the reef. He can prepare you for the dive. Your guide knows where are the caverns, anchors, cannons, hot spots for certain sealife, best entries/exits. He knows the currents and how to use them instead of letting the current bother you. Currents can be tricky on the other side. Not only strong but different ones during the dive (off shore-, deep-, surface- and shallow currents that can play a mayor part in the dive) Your guide paces the dive so you don't get there too quick or too slow. You'll learn new skills. You dive longer thus seeing more of what you came for. A good guide spots things you may have missed simply because he know's where and how to look. He knows the right actions in case something does not go according to plan. Disadvantage... takes away the fun of discovering yourself and yup, it costs money too.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By bob neer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #856) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 4:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

...just happy to still be alive? wonder who said that;)

didn't realize it was you last time but looking forward to meeting you and perhaps doing a guided dive.

see ya in a couple of weeks!

spongebob

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #218) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 4:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I can not wait until November! Planned this trip to Bonaire (my second in 2003) for November hoping to dive the east side:-{)}

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Renea (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 5:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

This might be a stupid question but does anyone ever do any boat-diving on the east side? Just curious....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By bluetang (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #321) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 6:30 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

bas, thanks for the nice virtual tour:-) like your new profile pic (well, i haven't looked in a while)...martin was telling me he wanted to do the guided lac cai dive...sounded cool...glad you popped in.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4028) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 7:52 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Renea,

The only one who does boat dives with any regularity is Larry, mentioned earlier in this thread. Reason is that you're frequently dealing with really large swells - not fun getting off (properly) or on a boat in those conditions.

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #291) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 11:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Bob, what do you mean.. didn't realize it was me ??? did you give me a ride back to my car on the east side?
Just happy to still be alive.. I heard that a few times when I talked to people about diving the east coast. They went on guided dives but were not very well prepared.. no or poor intructions on how to tackle entry and exit, had to fight touch currents. They just had a bad experience and did not want to do it again because it's not worth it. I hate to hear that because it IS worth it!! So I offered them to take them for free just to show it's not that hard and bad. With succes! Some of them still come back and make a few dives with me.
The best part of these dives are the divers reactions after the dive. Just great to see everybody happy and satisfied. It's not hard to let someone with 20 dives have a great dive but to hear someone with 2000 dives all over the world say that it was probably the best dive ever is quite a compliment. Great stuff!
Boat dives are possible but there are no moorings. Keeping track of your divers from the boat can be tricky in the big waves. It's also a long ride around the southern tip to get on the east side. And to get to the reefs that are not possible from shore period (north of Lac Bay) would be a very long boat ride. But I have some ideas and I am working on it. Can't say much about it now but when plans materialize more I will certainly post it here. However, even then those dives are no walk in the park.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Niki Harris (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #693) on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - 11:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It's great to hear from you here again, Bas! Your descriptions are great. It's also great that your excursions with divers have grown more and more successful. Bob and I feel fortunate to have had the pleasure of your diving company last year. Hoping to see you in late May,... :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Martin de Weger (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2325) on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 1:46 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bas, good to "see" you. I can't wait to get in the water on the east side! See you in about 12 weeks!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John P. Wahlig (BonaireTalker - Post #84) on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 11:36 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes Bas, good to see you "surface" again. See you in August. Still thinking about the Cave Rave?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Cowperthwaite (BonaireTalker - Post #40) on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 2:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bas,

So great to hear from you again. Liz and I really enjoyed our dives with you last October, and will be returning (after our wedding!) this October for our honeymoon and another glorious 9 days of diving. We will certainly be wanting to dive with you again, should you have time and availability this year :~), maybe east side for Eagles! Anyway, you look healthy and happy, as do your spotted friends.

Take care and keep smiling, it's infectious.

John

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Goodwin (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:23 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bas,

Next time I'm on Bonaire, you'll hear from me. We want you as a tour guide!!

And we tip VERY, VERY well!!!!! (but unfortunately, it's all bad advice.....)

Watch for us.

-dave.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Russ Coash (BonaireTalker - Post #65) on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 4:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

what is the likelyhood of diving the east side in mid november? or early/mid december? when is the best time?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Karen Courchaine (BonaireTalker - Post #35) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 9:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My husband Garry and I just returned ~today~ from Bonaire. The highlight of our trip was a dive on the east side with Bas as our guide. What a glorious afternoon! Thanks so much again, Bas. Once I get unpacked and all I will write up a more detailed trip report. Major PBD already!

Karen

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bud Gillan (BonaireTalker - Post #69) on Tuesday, April 1, 2003 - 9:01 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hues of Blues,

With good reason the Bonairean East Coast is called the "wild side". It has great wildlife.
While Bonaire is known for its amazingly clear and aquablue waters, the east coast water has always had numerous and very special hues of blues. The hues change all day too. Its clarity (helder the Dutch say) is mindnumbing at times. Here are a couple of cool places to see hues of blues on the Bonaire East Coast.

1. Inside or Behind the Sorobon Reef. Three hues here:
First is in the shallows facing directly out as the water rushes over the reef. It is coming in straight from the deep blue sea and is breath-takingly clear and sparkling. This in a few ft. of water.

Second, is way down the reef as the water is getting deeper and staghorn/elkhorn coral start to show up. There are some "cuts" or avenues you can snorkel up into and see some of the best living coral on the island. The foamy wave action adds to the hues and the water coming is a lot deeper but amazingly clear. Great fish life too. Personally, if I was a polyp on Bonaire and I wanted to start a reef family on Bonaire, this is where I would do it. Some of the cuts far enough down the reef also lead out to sea and provide an alternative route to going to the White Hole or Udo's Elbow. You can always swim south to the "beach" area to get out if get you lost in the hues. We usually see nurse sharks here and even a bull shark too. But the water here is really a treat, even by Bonaire standards. Near here we found the only triton I have ever seen on Bonaire.

Third, of many hues are the ones you see in the shallow waters at 4 o'clock. These later afternoon hues are seen as the acute angle of the sun cuts through the water in a way that even the photons of light travel uninterrupted until they strike those incredible colors and textures of the sea life. You see why black urchins are really dark purple. And why yellow (baby blue) tang are almost glowing. Or the clear iridescent, globe-like octopus eye as it watches you intently. This is where chromatophores are king. The hues here are on their own electromagnetic spectrum. I have seen colors in this reef's backyard that I have never seen anywhere else on earth.

2. Outside Sorobon Reef.
The first time you stick you head under on an east coast snorkel or dive and see this blue hue, you know you will come back. It is the basis for the wonders and life it holds, and serves as subtle but potent backdrop for seaward adventurers. The blue hue here comes up from deep, deep places in the ocean, even from thousands of feet down, this water is really an abiotic treat straight from the Bonaire Trench. Sure this same water surrounds the whole island, but this is where it first hits the island and once this blue hue gets a hold of you, it calls you for a lifetime.

3. Malmok.
This is in Washington Park at the farthest northern point on the island. Just southeast up the coast from the lighthouse is an area where the cliff is easily climbable down (and up). Here is a new blue hue. The powerful surge flows in and out through the platforms and nooks and crannies of fossil limestone reef. Deep blues that penetrate the depths here over the edge of the clff like its music's namesake penetrates your soul.

Malmok's end points out to sea and the blue water are uninterrupted for over a thousand miles to the northern Caribbean Sea. Sometimes watching the Gulfstream run past our shores here in southern Florida, when the coastal waters turn aqua as can sometimes get, I know some of this blue hue came up from the currents from the southern reaches of the Caribbean, even from Malmok.

4. Sea Urchin Heaven.
Just south of the green obelisk on the east coast is a zone of surf as rough it gets on Bonaire. The Antilleans called it "suplado", where strong wind, rough water, and firm fossil land meet. This is an area where the hues are articulated with white froth of foam and make sea urchins meet their Maker. This is the same foam from Amstel's seawater formula foam and coat so many lips and gullets of relaxing divers. Froth from the sea.

The east coast of Bonaire is clearly a place of wonder and hues. Don't leave home without seeing it.

Bud Gillan

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Darryl Vleeming (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #201) on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 1:54 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well,
I'd certainly vouch for Bas as a guide. We did a couple of dives on the East side that were fantastic! Sharks, rays turtles, and no injuries! Also did some great night dives.

Darryl

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration