Dive Review of Buddy Dive Resort in
Bonaire

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Buddy Dive Resort, Jun, 2005, by Diane Kipp, FL, USA . Report 1818.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Pack light, quick dry stuff, only a dive skin or .5mm (no sea lice encountered). Water shoes/booties a must for sharp coral. Casual, laid back. Don't bring dressy stuff. We took Amer.Air from Miami and a fast connector from Curacao. No problems with security, luggage or flights. We reserved 6 nts. at Buddy Dive in a 3 br. unit w/kitchen. Only upstairs brs. are AC'd. No AC in living room/kitchen which is needed. Ask for a fan if you're not cool. 3br. units don't face ocean breezes;others do. Rooms are adequate, clean, furnished kitchen. Not a 4 star, but comfortable. Housekeeping service daily. Front desk is excellent as is dive operation and instructors. Rental gear well maintained and gear storage available (we have diving family of 5 from ages 12 to 55, beginners to adv.) We recommend rental truck which has AC; vans do not. Island is easy to drive and tour. Food is expensive. Water is safe; when touring we brought water and our own snacks to avoid buying. (We pack 1 large duffel bag of food items to bring over on plane). We recommend a kitchen unit and bring over easy/fast meals to make in-room. Kids take note: pizza and hot dogs are harder to find. There's only a small refrig./no dishwasher. The a.m. buffet is nice, relaxing w/view, enough items to satisfy, but the same menu every day. Try the Dutch cheese! Buddy Dive food was ok. Next door, Lions' Den is better but more $$. On-site dive shop well stocked and helpful. Everything you need steps away from rooms. Views/sunsets gorgeous. Nicely landscaped grounds, small but relaxing pool. What Bonaire lacks in posh upscale resorts/shopping/amenities is soon forgotten when you see it underwater!! Area restaurants are close by, good quality, but $$. Recommend: tour Slagbaii Natl. Park (by rental truck), allow min. half day, more if you plan to dive. Remote dive spots in Park are awesome & easy to locate, but keep in mind safety, as you are far from the entrance and help. Unpaved, rough roads but worth the drive..bring your dive gear! Kids loved the surreal "old west" look, caves/bats, huge iguanas, 20 ft. cactus trees, ancient Indian carvings, wild pink flamingos, surreal terrain. The park is a must see,especially for kids....pass on the touristy dive spots and tour the natl. pk. Last dive in the Natl. Pk. must be done by 2p.m. We made 8 dives in 6 days, wished we had done more. Many divers we met are "return-ees". We'd love to go back. No theft problems topside or at the resort. In-room safe. Truck stayed unlocked. We felt very safe; locals helpful. No traveling/communication problems. Buddy's drive-thru is unique. Dive 24/7 w/refills, air/nitrox avail., good rinse tanks, staff helpful. Kids saw nearly every variety of reef fish and coral in their ID books. No large sizes, no sharks, but saw turtles, tarpon, barracuda, eels of every variety, squid, tons of reef fish, and a scorpionfish. Touring topside is interesting: wild donkeys, goats, salt mountains, wild cactus frontiers, colorful island houses, beautiful beaches and a unique culture/history. Great for families who don't mind roughing it a little. Our 12 yr. old, recently certified, made his first wreck dive on the Helma Hooker. Watch your depth gauge...great vis. makes going to deep depths quick and deceptively clear/easy. Shore diving in Bonaire is the greatest..easy drive up, gear up, walk in and enjoy! Waters are relaxingly warm, great vis to 100', full of life in every direction. A family experience of a lifetime!! I highly recommend Bonaire if you don't need "uptown" and Buddy Dive if you are used to the usual diving accommodations and fare. Since we didn't utilize boat diving, only shore, can't comment on that, but others seemed satisfied. Over 60 shore dive sites, all clearly marked with easy access, so if boats aren't your thing, Bonaire is for you! Check out uninhabited Klein Bonaire which you can see from your a.m. buffet breakfast table...10 min. boatride.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	51-100 dives
Where else diving	Florida, Bahamas, Grand Cayman
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, dry	Seas	calm, noCurrents
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	0
Water Visibility	80-100 Ft/ 24-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Mandatory orientation/checkout dive at Buddy Dive on house reef. We did not do any boat diving; only shore diving without a dive instructor. Must purchase U/W marine park tag and wear on BC.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Finding big pelagics to photo might be difficult. Tons of reef critters and nice corals. Not much current; great vis/clarity. I used a Sea & Sea 5000G housed digital camera with a Y-25 strobe; my first U/W digital. I'm not a very experienced photographer, but I thought the quality and variety of U/W life on Bonaire would please just about anyone. Adequate rinse tanks, and electric for rechargers.

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Dive Review of Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire

Buddy Dive Resort, Jun, 2005,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Buddy Dive Resort in
Bonaire