With so many people raving about the awesome diving and the great accommodations, I can't help but wonder if the dives sites are crowded, or can one actually feel the "freedom of diving" and not as though there is a "diver's jam"?

We were there during Coral Spawning in Sept and there were no jams...The only place you might have more than four or six divers is at the town pier on any given night.. Just remember the sea is a BIG place even when there were other divers we rarely saw them!!!

Hi T&L,

I'm by NO means an expert, but after two trips and 55+ dives on Bonaire you will be as alone as you'd like to be. Heck I even did tons of dives right at the resorts house reefs and had it pretty much all to myself. On the off resort sites, and there are many, you can always find a spot for solitude. If however you want the company just pull in where someone is already parked. But with so many miles of reef to explore, and so few people actually ON the island as tourists in any one week, and many of those not even scuba divers, the quiet beauty and tranquility are there for the asking.

You are going to fall in love with the place, in my opinion.

If you like diving with a crowd, and aren't travelling with your own crowd to keep you company, then Bonaire isn't the place for you. In all the diving we've done on Bonaire, sightings of other divers while underwater have been few. Probably the most common would be seeing a few other divers off the house reef at Habitat, and even then it's mostly at night when you might see others' lights off in the distance.

Bonaire's underwater world is as all-around good as diving gets. No crowds, lots of critters, decent visibility, lots of diversity. There are other places with better wrecks, visibility or large fish life, but Bonaire offers a mix that's hard to beat.

Tom & Linda -

With the exception of a few brief periods like the (now extinct?) Nikonos Shootout, solitude is almost the name of the game. Bonaire is a unique diving experience which almost instantly becomes addictive to virtually any casual diver (i.e not hardcore/gorilla diver - and maybe even to a few of them). Shore dive sites on Bonaire are "quiantly" marked with rocks (breadbox size) painted yellow with the site name painted on in black. Drive along the shoreline and check out the sites (south of the airport, for instance, it is seldom more than 25-50 yds from the roadside to the water and the marked dive sites are maybe 1/4 mile or so apart); if someone (usually a couple or two) is on the site you were heading for and you REALLY "...vahnt to be ah-lone" move on to the next site - very good chance there's noone on it! Read some of the posts and check out the archives to get a full taste of the island, its diving and its charms...then book your flight!

DSAO

Hi Randy! He is right-occasionally there will be another set of divers at the site you've chosen, but it is NOT crowded. And check out the reef Randy is talking about in front of Buddy's, Lion's Dive & Cap'n Don's-Bari Reef, and really wonderful dive site.

You will experience real diving freedom. Enjoy!

T&L check out this link and you will see what we all are talking about..Dive and Tour Map

Even on the boat dives you can spread out. There is no dive guide in front taking you where they want to go and one in back making sure you don't stray off on your. In other words, no herd diving. You listen to the dive briefing, jump off the boat and head into the "current". No waiting for everyone to get in the water. Just be back at the boat within the time limit stated, no problem.
If you want to follow the dive guide if there is something on the site that he/she knows about, go ahead and follow until then and then go off on your own.

"current" is in quotes because most of the time, you will have to look hard to figure out which way the current is running. Only a couple of spots ever have much of a current running.

To Everyone who replied:

Thanks so much for you your input, we're making our plans to go and are really excited about it.

Tom and linda

YES: With FISH! ;-)
(Sorry I'm late on this answer...)
No, really, the most crowded dive you'll experience will probably be a boat dive where you jump in with, oh, maybe 6 other people, give or take a few.

Fish outnumber divers by around several thousand to one.

another thing to consider is this....bonaire has excellent vis (often 100' plus)...still, if you are more that 200' from another diver you will feel alone even when diving the same site. on boat dives we often stay near the divemaster who can point out things we would have otherwise missed. but i have never ever seen another diver while doing shore dives.

Hi Tom and Linda,
I was in Bonaire last month, and I'm in agreement with all of the other posts. The only time it got a little crowded was on the night dive at the Town Pier. We went in early, at around 6:45 or so, and saw no one for about the first half-hour. After that, large numbers of divers showed up, and it was hard to keep our group together. Aside from the Town Pier, none of the other sites were crowded at all. We did several shore dives, and dove the "house reefs" at the resorts, and only saw a few other divers. We stayed at the Plaza Resort where we did a one-tank boat dive each day, and the dive boat was never crowded--there were no more than 8 divers on each dive. Have a great time! Robyn

I will be diving in Bonaire for the first time in early May. I have a number of questions. Your answers will help me with my packing challenges.
I have had numerous experiences in Grand Cayman and The Bahamas where I have done repetitive dives wearing only a protective skin. Most of the divers I see in Bonaire water seem to be wearing wet suits. My instructor here, who has been there a few times, says it is because you can become chilled after repetitive dives throughout the day.
Here are my questions:
Should I take my lightweight wet suit, FJ and jacket, or rent one there?
My wife (who is the user of this chat) does not dive, so I need to meet others with whom I can dive. I like diving with photographers because they do not engage in "power swimming" and neither do I. Where can I go to meet others? Will the dive shop or hotel introduce me?
Should I pack my BC or rent one there?
For night diving, I have only a "household size" light. Should I bring a powerful light or rent one there?
Thanks for your help.
Brian

Brian, I use a 1/2 mil neoprene, which works well. I do suggest full protection-especially if you're shore diving. Some of the entries can be treacherous. When we were last there, the water was 78-80. Once in a while, I would get chilled, but was mostly ok.

Just check with your dive shop for buddies, or ask on this website. Often divemasters at the shops will dive with you when they're not working. I don't think you'll have a problem hooking up.

My suggestion is to take your own BC. You're familiar with it, and therefore there's less hassle. Either bring a more powerful light or rent one, if you'll be doing night diving.

You will have a wonderful time-guaranteed. Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions about the island. We've been there 3 times.

Brian,
I use a fleece lined skin and at night a bennie cap. That seems to be enough thermal protection for me. IMHO, the bennie or a light hood is worth a lot more than a heaver wet suit and is a lot easier to pack. If necessary, you can always rent if you change your mind.

As for a flashlight, while a huge light would be nice, I use a 3 cell light with a halogen bulb. It does a nice job and is not nearly as heavy as a bigger one. I also carry a backup. By using a smaller light I can carry both with less weight than one big light. If you take a light, remove the batteries, the TSA likes it better if you do and there is no chance of it comming on accidently (batteries are not cheap on Bonaire and they don't need the waste).

I am all for taking your own equipment. I don't like rentals and I know exactly how to weight mine for perfect trim.

Tom & Linda,

My wife and I just got back (see dive report 4/11). There were 6-12 people on a boat. They don't go to a mooring if another boat is nearby. If you're on a boat, you'll always find a buddy. If you're shore diving, chat with your local dive shop.

With so many dive sites around the island, you can go a whole day without seeing another dive boat!

We wore 3/2 wetsuits and the water was 81. We dove multiple times per day and (as crazy as 81 degree water sounds) we got a bit chilly. Remember you're core is 98.6.. so any sustained exposure will chill you off a bit.

Have fun!

Wet suit - if you plan repetitive dives and have a tendency to be chilly I would recommend a wetsuit. I ALWAYS dive with my lycra (to help getting the suit on), my 3 mil suit and a beanie (to hold the long hair in place). If you get too warm (it's never happened to me because I do photography so you're not fast moving) you can always unzip a bit and let water in.
B.C. - by all means I suggest taking your own as you are familiar with it. We take all our own equipment as we own it and are comfortable with it.
Lights - although we own the big honkers, we have been using the smaller hand held (almost fits in your palm) for years because we find the big ones too big. I would suggest using yours for a dive and if you find it inadequate you can always rent a larger one.
Dive buddy - you'll never have problems finding one - on the boats just dive with the dive master, at most of the resorts they have a board you can post a request for a buddy.

When are you going? Where are you diving out of? We leave this Saturday and will be there for 2 glorious weeks. We are diving out of Buddy's but not staying there.

With wetsuits, the REAL issue is this: Does it fit?
A baggy, saggy 6.5 FJ can leave you chilly while a snug (but not constricting) 1.5 can keep you toasty warm. In Bonaire I wear just a .5 neop. full suit that fits so closely that it takes several minutes (not just seconds) for water creep up the legs and down the back. My wife wears a 1.5mil Henderson that is super-snug in "most" places, but due to her normal female shape she has to live with a bit more water circulation inside her suit. She also has another 1.5mil that is now a bit loose (she bought it when she was a slight bit larger), and the last time she tried wearing that suit she got blue-lipped after 30 minutes.

So, if you have a really good fitting warm-water suit, take it. Rentals are available, but taking the time to pick out something just right for you is better done before departure, IMO.