I think diving bonaire is an excellent opportunity for many divers to build confidence in themselves and shore dive alone alone, being without a dive master holding their hand. Oct 02, 2014 magnificent bonaire stands firmly on a pinnacle, reigning supreme over all other shore diving destinations in the world. In particular, it shares the easiest entry and exit points. You will be able to find free maps on the island that may suit your needs just fine. Bonaire is a caribbean island just north of venezuela, politically part of the netherlands. Apr 05, 2018 the newest edition of the popular diving guide, bonaire shore diving made easy, by susan porter, is now available for purchase. This guide is an excellent tool for those who want to enjoy the freedom bonaires shore diving offers. Practical guide to shore dive and snorkel sites of bonaire fifth 5th edition at. Beautiful bonaire, in the southern caribbean sea, provides an ecological paradise for nature lovers above and below the water. The newest edition of the popular diving guide, bonaire shore diving made easy, by susan porter, is now available for purchase. Shore diving is a must at captain dons habitat and around the island of bonaire rated as the top shore diving destination in the world.
Susan porters bonaire shore diving made easy is a perennially popular guide written by a local diver and updated fairly frequently. Having a map of the dive sites with descriptions and recommendations for every experience level really helps you to make the most of your bonaire diving vacation especially if it is your first trip here. Bonaire is the shore diving capital of the world, so that is what our guided dives are all about. For example, shorediving sites such as karpata on bonaires northwest coast should be done as early as possible. You get a package for unlimited tank fillings and a rental pickup. We dive at the most beautiful dive sites of the island, which we select specifically based on your own wishes and dive experience. Front porch, sunset beach sn truly an easy dive, with light to moderate currents, front porch is located at the sunset beach resort. As a padi 5 star padi idc dive center, we cater to divers of every skill level, from bubblemakers to instructors and everything in between. We had a great time scuba diving in bonaire and, of course, we did lots of shore diving. Box 603, bonaire, caribbean netherlands, phone 599 7964055. In anticipation of our first trip to bonaire, have bought 2 ebooks tropical snorkelings bonaire snorkeling guide, reef smart guides bonaire, and 1 paperback bonaire shore diving made easy. Jan 14, 2019 bonaire is the shore diving capital of the world, so that is what our guided dives are all about.
Bonaire shore diving made easy, 7th edition about the author, susan porter i have spent all of my life on or close to the ocean and learned about conservation at an early age. Bonaire shore diving made easy, bsdme, author susan porter. Bonaire has been widely recognized for many years in the diving community as one of the worlds best shore diving destinations. Bonaire shore diving made easy, nikiboko, netherlands antilles. This site is a favorite of underwater photographers.
Once you experience a taste of diving freedom, you wont want to go anywhere else. Im going back to bonaire in a few weeks to complete my padi divemaster training. We have found them in shallow fire corals at boka onima. The island is entirely fringed by a healthy reef system, and is widely recognized as the fish capital of the caribbean because it offers the highest diversity of fish species in the region. In previous years i went out with larry on his boat and did the mouth of lac bay and the white hole, but this trip i wanted to experience something different. Bonaire snorkeling guide ebook bonairesnorkelingg book. Almost all dive sites are on the leeward side of the island, so there are little to no waves. I have read incredible stories of how awesome bonaire is, but the wife is a bit concerned about shore diving alone. When sport diver asked me to choose 10 of my personal favorites, i had to throw in one bonus site. Get the bonaire snorkeling guide ebook to find the best snorkel spots and. Debbie, he might also want to watch calm waters at night for another species added this year, atlantic tripletail. Bonaire shore diving made easy book page 3 scubaboard.
Beautiful bonaire, in the southern caribbean sea, provides an ecological paradise for nature. Buddys is an unhurried, unspoiled and natural paradise that offers spectacular sunsets, gentle breezes and crystal clear turquoise waters. You might get a little light chop at some of the sites on kline bonaire, but even that would be very light most of the entries are rocky, or broken coral, or ironstone, so you will probably want booties and openheel fins, but other than that, the entries should be very easy. The reef drops off gradually to another sandy plain at about 140 feet. Here are some tips we have that could make your bonaire shore diving trips a bit easier. For a more comprehensive list and description of sites, be sure to pick up susan porters bonaire shore diving made easy. I have spent all of my life on or close to the ocean. Gear tips for bonaire shore diving bonaire travel news. Bonaires calm west coast waters make entering the water for your dive safe and easy. Youll want to get a jeepstyle vehicle or pickup truck if you plan to dive bonaire s washingtonslagbaai national park, as the dirt roads make the driving experience extreme. Dive resorts make tanks available 24 hours a day for shore diving among the islands 60plus dive sites. Shallow reefs and calm waters make it ideal for beginners, while there are plenty adventurous sites for the more advanced divers. Even if it has received the number one spot in the aspect of shore diving destination in the caribbeanatlantic in scuba diving magazines annual readers choice awards.
As an arid island, bonaire experiences little rainfall. And with a fringing reef no more than a 50 yards off shore, surface swims are kept to a minimum. Imagine being able to dive whenever you want to, on nobodys schedule but your own. A popular night dive, with friendly tarpons darting back and forth in front of your light beam. The best dive sites in bonaire still offer visitors that feeling. Jul 27, 2015 thus far, all our diving has been with a dive master or guide along with us. It has been voted the best shore dive destination 22 consecutive times by the readers of scuba diving magazine the majority of the tourist that come to the island do some for scuba diving.
Yellowpainted roadside stones show the location of each dive site. It was 8 bucks and shows the location of the dive sites as well as the common fish found in bonaire and the street names for kralenjik. But there is no shortage of great dives that are easy to access for divers of all skill. But what makes bonaires shore diving a favorite among scuba divers. Box 603, bonaire, caribbean netherlands, phone 599 796. The shore maps in dive guides for bonaire show about 80 locations you can get in. Save your fullfoot fins for the dive boat because without a rugged pair of dive boots preferably with a thick, nonslip sole your shore diving could be over before it begins. Bonaire is exceptional in the caribbean because of the large number of shore dive sites. Arranged by dive sites from andrea 1 going down to salt pier. Along with its neighboring dutch islands of aruba and curacao, it forms the abc islands, though it is much quieter. With yellow submarine, port bonaire, hamlet oasis, and dive.
Unlimited use of tanks and air fills are a part of most multiday bonaire dive packages and this unlimited shore diving aspect to a bonaire dive vacation is what sets bonaire apart in the dive travel world. Each dive site is marked with a yellow rock on shore and a buoy in the water that indicates where to descend, making selfguided diving relatively safe and easy and ideally suited for beginners. Bonaire buddy dive resort bonaire madness special deep. Angelfish, rock beauties, and butterfly fish make their homes in the rocky reefs. With the continuous efforts, bonaire has been successful in carrying activities to make tourism sustainable.
Most shops offer tanks for shore diving 24 hours a day, with easy driveup access. For starters, there are a lot of options when it comes to shore diving in bonaire. Bonaire shore diving made easy sixth edition by susan porter. Twinhorn blenny susan porter bonaire shore diving made easy showed us how to reliably find these fish. These features combine to offer what is undoubtedly the best easy shore diving in the caribbean. The home of bonaire dive guide the beauty of bonaire and. Given how easy it is to dive here, its considerably harder to narrow down the best dive sites in bonaire. I did two shore dives on the east coast of bonaire with bas tol from bonaire adventurous scuba diving startpage. Although bonaire is well known for its easy shore dives, dive. One side of the 26mile long island is always in the lee of the constant 16mph trade winds, so the surface close to shore is normally as placid as a swimming pool. Bonaire shore diving made easy, 7th edition by susan porter, is. Having said all that the diving in bonaire is mostly very easy. Bonaire snorkeling guide ebook tropical snorkeling.
More than 60 dive sites with shorediving access surround bonaire, where divers will find more than 300 species of marine life and thriving coral reefs. Bonaire s calm west coast waters make entering the water for your dive safe and easy. Jul 24, 2016 rental pickup trucks have tank racks and some resorts feature drivethrough tank delivery. For decades bonaire has been voted best shore diving destination of the world. Practical guide to shore dive and snorkel sites of bonaire fifth 5th edition. Anyhow, shore diving bonaire, with or without that guidebook, is an adventure. A visit to the wildside of bonaire resulted in a twohour dive in the surge, but we got the longhorn blenny.
All thats required to take advantage of it is a rental car and tanks. Practical guide to shore dive and snorkel sites of bonaire fifth 5th edition susan porter on. Bonaire shore diving made easy, 7th edition by susan porter. The next book which we found indispensable is bonaire shore diving made easy by susan porter. Almost every one of bonaire s major dive sites, including the hilma hooker, angel city, 1,000 steps and the deep reefs at washingtonslagbaai national park, can be dived. Bonaire s marine park offers a total of 86 named dive sites and is home to over 57 species of soft and stony coral and more than 350 recorded fish species. Following accepted safe diving practices, you can grab a tank and go. You can purchase this guide online in advance of your trip or locally once youre on the island.
With a decidedly rugged character, this charming dutch island in the. But there is no shortage of great dives that are easy to access for divers of all skill levels. I found the information misleading in many cases and inaccurate in others. Am finding the eguides though cheaper are hard to readnavigate. Jan 10, 2010 i recently bought frankos guide map of bonaire on amazon that i think will pair well with bonaire shore diving made easy.
Most of the diving is done on the west leeward side of the island. If you have something to add to the list, please let us know. I am dedicated to posting information relating to all things shore diving. There are two really good ones, bonaire shore diving made easy and bonaire dive guide. The majority of the best dive sites are available from shore or boats. Were able to navigate, but we have never made it a basic practice as were usually just tagging along the group while diving in cozumel. To make the most of each dive, its a good idea to ask a divemaster when to head to the sites on your list. Bsdme is a small book describing 75 dive sites in bonaire. With our eight locations and four retail stores, youre just a doorstep away to your ultimate bonaire diving adventure. Do you recommend the bonaire shore diving made easy guide. Typically, bonaire s small beaches continue under the water in sandy plains dotted with a few corals that slope down to 30 feet.
When few were thinking of underwater conversation in the 1960s, captain don stewart decided this reef was something special, so he and others lobbied for a ban on spear fishing. Instead of having to follow a dive leader, you can swim at your leisure and marvel in. Officially, there are 63 dive sites in bonaire not counting klein, so the book more than adequately covers most diving spots. Rocky entries with sea urchins lead to many of bonaire s best shore dives. Most shops offer tanks for shore diving 24 hours a day, with easy. Practical guide to shore dive and snorkel sites of bonaire fifth 5th edition porter, susan on. There are two printed guides available for what you describe. Bonaire shore diving made easy, 6th edition scubaboard. The entire coastline is protected as the bonaire marine park up to depths of 200 feet, encompassing reef systems that provide excellent snorkeling and shore diving locations. You might consider getting a copy of bonaire shore diving made easy by susan porter for lots of entryexit info. It is a mostly flat, riverless coral island renowned for diving, windsurfing, and bird watching particularly flamingos. Shore diving is the norm, though most resorts offer boat dives and some sites are easier to dive from a boat than from the shore.
Along with all my gear, one thing ill be taking is the book bonaire shore diving made easy bsdme. Plus, we wont want to travel around with ereaders or phones due to theft concerns. Bonaire is one of the most respected diving destinations in the world. Bonaire shore diving made easy, 7th edition by susan. Susan porter was certified in 1970 and author of bonaire shore diving made easy, since 2005.
Macro photographers like me are content spending hours in the shallows hunting for miniscule creatures. Free copy of bonaire shore diving made easy for the group leader. Jan 15, 2015 bonaire is exceptional in the caribbean because of the large number of shore dive sites. Diving bonaire overview one of the three dutchowned caribbean islands off the coast of south america, to many visitors, bonaire s attraction is shore diving, not only in front of their hotels but also via rental car to one of a score of marked sites but keep nothing in those cars and never lock them as many get broken into while you are underwater. In previous years i went out with larry on his boat and did the mouth of lac bay and the white hole, but this trip i. This easy shore or boat dive, with light currents and a depth of 20100 feet, offers novice divers a chance to see mountainous star coral with abundant fish life. Sites can be advanced or easy for various reasons, usually current variable and difficulty of entry. Not valid in combination with other specials or promotions. As an arid island, bonaire experiences little rainfall, which means waters that are exceptionally clear of silt.
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