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Bonaire Diving

Bonaire Diving Overview

Bonaire Diving Operations

Bonaire Marine Park

Scuba Divers and Free Divers have been raving about Bonaire since 1962 when the first dive lodge opened on the island. The attraction was the same as it is today--calm, clear water along the leeward shore and a dense, healthy fringing reef. It starts in just 20 feet of water (and in several places right at the surface) on a shallow sand flat that explodes with active coral. About 35 yards offshore, the reef suddenly drops off into the deep blue, becoming a dense reef slope punctuated by occasional miniwalls.

The best Bonaire scuba, windsurfing and snorkeling vacations, plus resorts & hotels at the lowest price with the best reefs and diving.


	My wife and I just returned from Bonaire and I just wanted to let you know we had the best time ever!!! You guys did an excellent job putting this together for us. Thanks! M. Hastings

Because of this, it is perfect for snorkeling free divers and scuba divers from novice to advanced in skill. Visibility ranges 60 to 90 feet with occasional peaks of 100 to 120 feet.

In all, there are more than 90 recognized dive sites and, because the reef is so close to shore, you can explore the majority of them without ever boarding a dive boat. Just pick a spot, gear up and wade in to a spectacular dive. There are even yellow marker stones along the leeward road to help you find choice spots.

While you could go the entire trip without boarding a boat, you'll want to, especially if it's headed to Klein Bonaire.

This small, uninhabited island, located three-quarters of a mile off the leeward coast, shields many of the coastal sites from ocean conditions. It's also ringed with spectacular dive sites that have never suffered from silt or runoff. In addition to Bonaire's last undisturbed turtle nesting sites, Klein Bonaire also boasts some legendary Bonaire sites -- Carl's Hill, Forest and Sharon's Serenity, to name a few.

The entire leeward shore and Klein Bonaire are part of the Bonaire Marine Park, and before you can dive here, you'll need to purchase and attach to your gear a Marine Park tag. The $10 tag is good for a year and it helps support reef conservation.

Before you hit the water on your first day of scuba diving, you'll be given an extensive briefing on the rules of the marine park:

No spear fishing
No taking of shells or marine life
No touching the reef
Maintain neutral buoyancy
No gloves, except when diving the Hilma Hooker wreck.
Report any infractions to the Bonaire Marine Park at 8444.

Then it's time to gear up and go for a checkout dive off the dive shop's pier. Divemasters will check out your skills and offer free buoyancy workshops. Swallow your pride and take them. Even if you've been diving for years, you may be amazed at how a few adjustments improve your enjoyment of diving -- and you'll be doing your part to help protect the reef.

You won't mind this checkout dive, either. The "house reef" is usually as spectacular as other dive sites--in fact, Bari Reef at Sand Dollar Condominium Resort is the most biologically diverse reef in the entire Caribbean. According to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation database, Bari boasts 254 separate species of marine life. In all, there are 31 Bonaire dive sites in the database that have 140 or more species of marine life.

Courtesy of Rodale's Scuba Diving web site

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Dive Packages

Most dive shops offer 3 different packages. All include tanks, weights and belts. Additional dive equipment can be rented along with photo gear, and most shops offer a full range of instruction and courses.

A. An unlimited tanks and airfills package for shore diving. This is also included with any boat dive package. If you buy the unlimited shore dive package, you may book a la carte boat dives with the dive shop for a discount.

B. A boat dive package of typically 1 boat dive per day (1 tank) with unlimited shore diving.

C. A boat dive package with 2 boat dives per day with unlimited shore diving. These are typically 1-tank and operate in the morning and afternoons, although a few shops offer a 2-tank morning boat dive.

If you are staying at accommodations that do not have a dive shop on-site, we can arrange a dive package with your choice of several dive resorts and shops on Bonaire. We'll be happy to suggest a dive operation that's close to your accommodations or meets your special interests.

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