Dive Review of Dive Friends Bonaire/VRBO in
Bonaire

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Dive Friends Bonaire/VRBO: "Great Dive Operator, Sparse Marine Life and a Healthy Crime Rate", Sep, 2015, by Kent O. Bonde, FL, US ( Reviewer 3 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 8380.
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
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We just spent a week diving in Bonaire and can't say enough about the very unique and convenient approach with which Dive Friends Bonaire has established to provide tank rentals to its customers, with multiple and conveniently located drop-off and pick up locations around the Island. We opted for the unlimited air and nitrox package, providing us six days of unlimited tank rentals at a very reasonable price of $175. The staff was super friendly and went out of its way to ensure that I had my own private stock of DIN-valve tanks for the duration of the trip. With regard to the quality of the diving, the corals appear to be healthy, but like many other Caribbean destinations of late, there is a noticeable absence of marine life, due in large part to unmitigated over-fishing and despite the establishment of marine reserve status. Gone are even the lobsters, which up until a couple of years ago were quite abundant, but according to local scuttlebutt, have been heavily harvested by locals to satisfy restaurant demand on the island. On the other hand, petty crime appears to be a healthy pastime of the island, as you are discouraged from leaving anything of value in your rental vehicle while diving or out to dinner. Most just leave cars unlocked and windows down to prevent damage to the vehicle. If diving, suggest carrying a small dry box to carry your car key, spare camera battery, credit card, etc., as these items will likely be gone when you get back to the car. We lost a pair of sandals, shorts and a tee-shirt. However, the crowning blow came when the house we were renting was burglarized while our group was out to dinner, resulting in $3,000 worth of lost computers and electronics. The home, which was rented through VRBO, was supposedly located in one of the safer neighborhoods on the island. If the quality of the diving continues to deteriorate as dramatically as it has since the last time we were here, so will go Bonaire's economy, while crime will continue to flourish unabated.
Websites	Dive Friends Bonaire
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Australia, Mediterranean, Pacific, South Atlantic and the Caribbean
Closest Airport	Flamingo Airport Bonaire	Getting There	Insel Air/Air Aruba from Miami via Aruba
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm
Water Temp	82-83°F / 28-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	All diving we did was shore diving along the leeward side of the island. While drop-off profiles could bottom out as deep as 120+ feet, the more prolific coral and marine life was located between the 20-60 foot range.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
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	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Great macro opportunities on shore diving; but not convenient to carry spare batteries, SD cards and/or other spare equipment in rental vehicles between dives, due to the high frequency of thefts.

Subscriber's Comments

By Robert S Kuhn in IL, US at Oct 02, 2015 11:13 EST

Did you report the crime to the Police? If you can not control crime on an island with a small population and limited outside access, you have a real problem. Until the locals realize tourism is their #1 industry and get serious about stopping crime, the problems will continue.

By report author: Kent O. Bonde in FL, US at Oct 05, 2015 11:56 EST

Yes, the police showed up promptly, took our report and went about investigating the scene. They also informed us that while we didn't hear it from them, that these kinds of occurances have become fairly common. It appears that enterprising criminals are casing known rental properties and monitoring the comings and goings of renters to plan their hits.

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Dive Review of Dive Friends Bonaire/VRBO in Bonaire

Dive Friends Bonaire/VRBO: "Great Dive Operator, Sparse Marine Life and a Healthy Crime Rate", Sep, 2015,

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):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Dive Friends Bonaire/VRBO in
Bonaire