ABC's of Diving Bonaire

Our first date (Marc doesn’t like to claim it was a date but that’s what it was) was at a hole in the wall bar on the famous Burnet Road in Austin called Pour House.  For those of you that know me, know that this is one of my favorite bars in Austin and for those that haven’t been, check out this little gem! Marc and I were sitting on the patio enjoying the cool November air and decided to challenge one another at a game of Cornhole (the bean bag game). After a couple games, we agreed to a bet that if I win, he would have to go on a dive trip with me for my birthday (which is in February) and if he won, I’d have to do the limbo in front of everyone at the bar. Not wanting to lose because first I had the travel bug and second I’m the most uncoordinated person on this planet and I didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of everyone, especially him, I put my game face on and won! A couple months flew by and my birthday was coming up. Having remembered the bet from day one, we decided to go to Bonaire.

Bonaire is a Caribbean island that is part of the Netherlands. Together with Aruba and Curacao, it forms a group referred to as the ABC islands (get the title?!).  It is known for some of the best shore diving in the world.  It’s also a great spot for those diving on a budget and wanting to get a lot of dives in (which was our case).  Continental United has a direct flight out of Houston! Yahoo for no layovers! After countless hours of research online, we booked our stay at Caribbean Club Bonaire for 6 nights.  The hotel is located north of Kralendijk-yeah I had to look up how to spell it and don’t ask me how to pronounce it- near some of the best dive sites on the island.  The rooms range from quaint budget studios to two bedrooms to the luxurious penthouse. All rooms come with a kitchen and patio and cable tv, but who really needs tv when you’re in paradise. As for the diving setup, you pay $200/week for unlimited tanks with a free nitrox upgrade and rent a truck with slots in the bed to place your tanks. Caribbean Club is partnered with Buddy’s Dive Resort so you can pick up/drop off your tanks at either place. Let’s get to the good stuff: the diving!

As mentioned, Bonaire has some of the best shore diving in the world comprised of about 80 different dive sites. It’s an environmentally conscious island with strict laws against dive gloves and knifes that’s doing its part in keeping the reef system alive and healthy. I highly suggest purchasing “Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy” by Susan Porter as it goes into descriptions of each dive site, the topography and marine life.  You can find more information about the book here. All dive sites are marked on a yellow painted rock with the site name written in black along the road. You then just park on the side of the street or, in some cases, on the beach.  Just a little tip: leave the windows rolled down and don’t leave anything valuable in the vehicle as theft is frequent. Or just hide your stuff so it’s not in sight! The great thing about Bonaire is the “dive freedom”: you can do your own thing, on your own schedule. Gear up and get in the water and EXPLORE! Most reefs are about 100 yards off shore and have a mooring line.  The visibility is excellent-80+ feet and the reef system is quite healthy.  You’ll see eels, lobster, tarpon, grouper, turtles, lion fish, reef fish, drum fish (juveniles) among many other things. You can rent an underwater camera for the day at Buddy’s Dive Resort for fairly cheap.  Below are some pictures we took-by no means professional but rather a work in progress! 

Marc and I did 4 dives a day with a couple night dives. We went all over the island, including Washington National Park. Having a truck is a must as there are no paved roads in the park. With that said, the views, diving and birding are exquisite in the park. The surge is rough and there is a current but you’ll see rays, turtles, and possibly sharks. It’s a full day but definitely worth it.

There are many other activities to do on the island besides diving. Bonaire is also known for its world-class windsurfing and kite boarding.  The winds on the east end make it an utopia for windsurfing and there are hundreds of windsurfers of all different levels. We wanted to take lessons but didn’t have enough time.  Further down the road are the kite boarders. Marc and I sat on the beach and watched for a good hour as the boarders practiced their tricks as the sun began to set in the distance. This place is definitely for water adventure junkies!

The main town is your typical beach town with souvenir shops and restaurants. We cooked a couple nights and went out on the town other nights. The town has a supermarket that carries pretty much everything you can find in the States among many other things. There’s an excellent Peruvian place that many tourist know of (I’m sorry I can’t think of the name) near the end of the strip.  Buddy’s Dive Resort has good food and a nice bar on the water as well as Captain Don’s. There isn’t much of a nightlife but with all the diving, neither of us had the energy to get too crazy. Our last night we watched the sunset from a dock down the street from the resort then went to town to splurge on a nice Italian dinner.  With just a few hours to enjoy paradise before boarding the plane back to reality, we reminisced about the week and the amazing diving we had experienced. I couldn’t have picked a better dive buddy and think it was fate that I won the bet on our first date.