Buddies Shore diving at Buddy Dive
Bonaire diving is about access — and is it ever easy! The fact that most of Bonaire’s dive sites are accessible from shore makes Bonaire a truly unique destination in the scuba diving world. Knowing the dive package ropes will help you sort out your Bonaire dive trip planning, budget and where you should stay.
In this article, we’ll play with the typical one week travel scenario that us working Joes here in the U.S. affectionately call a “vacation” (I can hear our global brothers and sisters laughing).
Bonaire Unlimited Shore Diving Packages
Every Bonaire dive operation provides a multi-day package of tanks, weights, belts, with all the airfills you can polish off. Access to filled tanks can vary on a 24 hour basis — some dive operators will ask you to get your tanks for after-shop-hours diving prior to closing so you can stash them until use; others will make tanks available at specific secure locations all day and night. But suffice it to say that you can dive all the time on Bonaire.
If you are on a typical 6 days unlimited Bonaire shore diving package during your 7 night stay, and staying at an oceanfront location with onsite dive shop, you can dive your brains out with a minimum of effort (walk out of room … walk to dive shop … don gear … fall into Paradise … repeat as needed). And if you have a vehicle, then you are the captain of a “dive boat” that goes out whenever you load up and turn the key (and you’re a quick and easy drive from dozens of sites). Costs average around $140 per week for an unlimited shore dive package with some shops offering free upgrades to NITROX (if you’ve been certified for it) as a bonus. You can typically purchase boat dives a la carte from your dive operator at a prefered rate (since you’ve already paid for the tank and fill anyway).
If you are comfortable being your own divemaster and “boat captain”, then this is probably the Caribbean’s best dive bargain. In the parlance of Captain Don’s Habitat, DIVING FREEDOM. Now that sounds pretty American to me.
