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Dive Review of Bonaire East Coast Diving in
Bonaire

Bonaire East Coast Diving: "Bonaire's Other Side", Nov, 2017,

by Blake Hottle, CA, US (Sr. Reviewer Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 7 Helpful votes). Report 9990 has 2 Helpful votes.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations N/A Food N/A
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation N/A Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was the 3rd time my wife and I made the short trip to Lac Bay on Bonaire's East Side to take a two tank morning dive trip with Bonaire East Coast Diving. The windy east side of the island looks different above and below water. Above, the almost constant waves make shore diving much more difficult than the popular leeward west side. Below, the attraction is big stuff. Rays, Sharks, Tarpons,Turtles and huge sea fans.

These are drift dives over sometimes pretty choppy water, but the rigid hulled inflatable handles the ocean well. It's a backwards roll to enter the water, and a ladder to get back in the boat. It's easy to get back in because they have a very cool removable section of the inflatable wall of the wall.

Martin, the captain, and Kim, the guide were simply outstanding, as were Fred and Bob two years ago.

Safety is a big concern on rough water, and Kim and Martin managed convey a lot of important information without making it a lecture. There are a number of rules to insure safety of the divers and protection of the wildlife. We have always seen lots of wildlife. Swimming into a school of over 60 tarpon at White Hole. Sneaking up on very large sleeping green turtles at Turtle City.

Because these are drift dives, you do need to stay together as a group. The sites are just outside Lac Bay, so you are not spending a great deal of time on the boat. It is a very different side of Bonaire that we can't wait to come back to.
Websites Bonaire East Coast Diving   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Bay Islands Honduras, Bonaire, Hawaii, Virgin Islands, Belize, Oregon, Washington, Southern California, Raja Ampat, Bali
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy Seas choppy, surge
Water Temp 80-82°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 75-100 Ft/ 23-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Depending on the particular location you can dive your own profile to an extent. But this is drift diving. There is time to poke around in certain areas, but sometimes, and you will be warned ahead of time, you have to move with the group for safety reasons.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters N/A Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 2 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments I brought my own cooler with water for my camera. They made room without complaint. It's 8 divers on a fast and light inflatable, so I did not fault them for not having a rinse tank for cameras.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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