Dive Buddies first trip to . . BONAIRE
The planning for this trip started last year and since this was going to be our first visit, I had researched many different places (here included). We had initially looked into staying at Buddy Dives . . . but a good friend highly recommended Captan Dons so Dons it was. We had a group of ten with two being non divers.
The trip down started out . . (well started is not exactly the right word) . . with us being at the airport at 3:30 AM . . . (dang that was EARLY !) . . to which we were immediately told that there was going to be a delay of . . . 5 HOURS !!! Seems the Air Jamaica Flight had broken down down south some place and they were attempting to bandage it back to health so it could make it way up to us. Well needless to say, this blows out Jamaica connection to Bonaire and they put us up in a fairly decent hotel with claims of chartering a jet for tomorrow at 11:30 am (yep . . an other day basically shot !).
Took off the next morning and hurried to Captan Dons to see if we could plead to get out Checkout Dive over with that afternoon . . . well they came through and we were ready for the boat dives the next morning . . YEHAAA !!
Captan Dons is a nice place and has a lot to offer. Besides some minor quarks here and there (will get into later), we survived the week and brought home some good memories. The island is very DUTCH in nature as can be seen in the architecture and colors of the down town area. Its colorful stores are mostly small, but many as they set there sights on the Cruise Ship cliental that stream into the area periodically. Restaurants are varied and we had no problem different selection each night for a good meal (RICHARDS was our last nights outing . . MMMMM !).
OK, now as to the DIVING . . . well I was told the island is know for its MACRO . . and that is fairly true as we saw lots of little guys that challenged out cameras macro shooting skills. One suggestion when shooting in macro . . shoot LOTS of pics and cross your fingers . . :o) The reefs were healthy with a good variety of corals to be seen. One dive even had us swimming amongst stands of Black Coral that was really great to see !! We were fortunate enough on one boat trip to come across a school of Dolphins that wanted to play in our wake . . . words just can not describe how beautiful these creatures are . . . there grace in the water is so incredible as they swam with us for a good ways. The walls were mixed from easy sloping sections to sheer drops down into the deep blue beyond. The Hooker was a treat, and boy is she BIG !!! From one end, her hull stretches off into the distance as you see her graceful lines and curves (this is a dive you do not want to miss). We dove the house reef many times and each was just as enjoyable as the last, but hold it . . maybe not the first dive (let me explain). On that first dive we were introduced to Tunicates . . . LOOOOOOONG lines of them floating in trains in front of you. You had singles here and there, but most were trains of these transparent creatures that were many feet long. At first your mind said Jelly Fish and you tried to avoid them, but the water was teaming with them and after finding out that they do not sting . . you would simple just push them aside . . again . . and again . . geeesh there was a BUNCH !!! Once we droped down a ways they thined out, but we still had to pass back through transparent mine field in the end. As I mentioned, we found lots of little stuff, Fire Worms, juvi Spotted Drums (and a BIG adult on one dive), Morays of many colors, and the list is quite long !! All in all the reefs looked healthy, just not much was seen of the larger fish species.
The week passed quickly as most vacations do, but we did come away with lots of memorable dives. I mentioned in the beginning of this report about a few quarks and I think its only fair to give both sides of the story to better form a complete picture. To start with, well airlines are airlines and as we all know are as predictable as the weather, so I will leave it at that !!
Captan Dons has a nice operation, but a few wrinkles I guess are to be found any where. Our room were nice and comfortable as long as you did not breath. The aroma from the bathrooms gave the bedrooms that it leaked into a fragrance that would remind one of an old out house, but with the window left open, it brought it down to a level of toleration. Now as to the dive operation . . . well they have three one tank boat dives going out each day, 8 . . 11 . . and 2. I guess I have been spoiled over the years with other operators as we have mostly done two tank dives on any boat trip, but the spacing of Dons dives left a little bit to be desired. There changing area is just far to small when twenty or more divers are trying to get gear and suit up for either boat or shore dives . . there just was no room. The small lockers were ok for your main gear but the pieces of string around the outside walls were the only place to hang any wet suites and again, these were full most of the time. Now I know the island is designed for loading up your pickup truck and driving to any number of shore dive sights . . and for some I am sure it is GREAT !! We had talked about doing this but after looking at the rocky shore entrances at many sights from the boat, we resisted the concept for fear of taking a fall and ending out week. Having not done much shore diving, I was hoping for a sandy entrance, but suiting up and walking down rocky slopes with fins and camera gear in hand as I did my best to carefully watch my step on the slippery rocks brought forth a strong feeling of self preservation. . . so we stuck to the boat dives.
Well all in all we enjoyed our selves as our group of 10 came home with lots of good stories to tell. Would I go back . . . maybe some day . . but my list of new locations yet visited is long . . . so we will just have to see. We did take the time to venture next door to Buddy Dives and take a good look around (Dive operations and rooms) and if we return some day . . . we all agreed it would be to Buddy Dives.
Well we already have our next destination picked for next year but we just have to nail down the week (or maybe two). Yesssss . . . for some that is just to far off . . . but for myself it keeps that hope and dream of far away places strong in my dreams !!
The planning for this trip started last year and since this was going to be our first visit, I had researched many different places (here included). We had initially looked into staying at Buddy Dives . . . but a good friend highly recommended Captan Dons so Dons it was. We had a group of ten with two being non divers.
The trip down started out . . (well started is not exactly the right word) . . with us being at the airport at 3:30 AM . . . (dang that was EARLY !) . . to which we were immediately told that there was going to be a delay of . . . 5 HOURS !!! Seems the Air Jamaica Flight had broken down down south some place and they were attempting to bandage it back to health so it could make it way up to us. Well needless to say, this blows out Jamaica connection to Bonaire and they put us up in a fairly decent hotel with claims of chartering a jet for tomorrow at 11:30 am (yep . . an other day basically shot !).
Took off the next morning and hurried to Captan Dons to see if we could plead to get out Checkout Dive over with that afternoon . . . well they came through and we were ready for the boat dives the next morning . . YEHAAA !!
Captan Dons is a nice place and has a lot to offer. Besides some minor quarks here and there (will get into later), we survived the week and brought home some good memories. The island is very DUTCH in nature as can be seen in the architecture and colors of the down town area. Its colorful stores are mostly small, but many as they set there sights on the Cruise Ship cliental that stream into the area periodically. Restaurants are varied and we had no problem different selection each night for a good meal (RICHARDS was our last nights outing . . MMMMM !).
OK, now as to the DIVING . . . well I was told the island is know for its MACRO . . and that is fairly true as we saw lots of little guys that challenged out cameras macro shooting skills. One suggestion when shooting in macro . . shoot LOTS of pics and cross your fingers . . :o) The reefs were healthy with a good variety of corals to be seen. One dive even had us swimming amongst stands of Black Coral that was really great to see !! We were fortunate enough on one boat trip to come across a school of Dolphins that wanted to play in our wake . . . words just can not describe how beautiful these creatures are . . . there grace in the water is so incredible as they swam with us for a good ways. The walls were mixed from easy sloping sections to sheer drops down into the deep blue beyond. The Hooker was a treat, and boy is she BIG !!! From one end, her hull stretches off into the distance as you see her graceful lines and curves (this is a dive you do not want to miss). We dove the house reef many times and each was just as enjoyable as the last, but hold it . . maybe not the first dive (let me explain). On that first dive we were introduced to Tunicates . . . LOOOOOOONG lines of them floating in trains in front of you. You had singles here and there, but most were trains of these transparent creatures that were many feet long. At first your mind said Jelly Fish and you tried to avoid them, but the water was teaming with them and after finding out that they do not sting . . you would simple just push them aside . . again . . and again . . geeesh there was a BUNCH !!! Once we droped down a ways they thined out, but we still had to pass back through transparent mine field in the end. As I mentioned, we found lots of little stuff, Fire Worms, juvi Spotted Drums (and a BIG adult on one dive), Morays of many colors, and the list is quite long !! All in all the reefs looked healthy, just not much was seen of the larger fish species.
The week passed quickly as most vacations do, but we did come away with lots of memorable dives. I mentioned in the beginning of this report about a few quarks and I think its only fair to give both sides of the story to better form a complete picture. To start with, well airlines are airlines and as we all know are as predictable as the weather, so I will leave it at that !!
Captan Dons has a nice operation, but a few wrinkles I guess are to be found any where. Our room were nice and comfortable as long as you did not breath. The aroma from the bathrooms gave the bedrooms that it leaked into a fragrance that would remind one of an old out house, but with the window left open, it brought it down to a level of toleration. Now as to the dive operation . . . well they have three one tank boat dives going out each day, 8 . . 11 . . and 2. I guess I have been spoiled over the years with other operators as we have mostly done two tank dives on any boat trip, but the spacing of Dons dives left a little bit to be desired. There changing area is just far to small when twenty or more divers are trying to get gear and suit up for either boat or shore dives . . there just was no room. The small lockers were ok for your main gear but the pieces of string around the outside walls were the only place to hang any wet suites and again, these were full most of the time. Now I know the island is designed for loading up your pickup truck and driving to any number of shore dive sights . . and for some I am sure it is GREAT !! We had talked about doing this but after looking at the rocky shore entrances at many sights from the boat, we resisted the concept for fear of taking a fall and ending out week. Having not done much shore diving, I was hoping for a sandy entrance, but suiting up and walking down rocky slopes with fins and camera gear in hand as I did my best to carefully watch my step on the slippery rocks brought forth a strong feeling of self preservation. . . so we stuck to the boat dives.
Well all in all we enjoyed our selves as our group of 10 came home with lots of good stories to tell. Would I go back . . . maybe some day . . but my list of new locations yet visited is long . . . so we will just have to see. We did take the time to venture next door to Buddy Dives and take a good look around (Dive operations and rooms) and if we return some day . . . we all agreed it would be to Buddy Dives.
Well we already have our next destination picked for next year but we just have to nail down the week (or maybe two). Yesssss . . . for some that is just to far off . . . but for myself it keeps that hope and dream of far away places strong in my dreams !!
