206 replies to this topic

[Mermaid Lady]

I need to let them know you are doing it but you can pay on your room once you are in Bonaire! -ww

OK. Few more questions tho. before I decide.

Will I need any special equipment or gear modifications?

Also I have only an air computer. Would diving nitrox tables give me that much of an advantage over diving air?

Are Nitrox computers available to rent, if so how much?

How many people are diving air on the trip. Would diving only air put me at a disadvantage?

Thanks in advance

[WreckWench]

Boat dives...

Hey just heard from the dive operator and here are our choices for boat dives this week...our pkg includes 1 boat dive daily and unlimited shore diving! (The house reef is awesome!)

We can offer your group a boat to yourselves with your own crew at either 1:30pm for a 2-tank dive (3
afternoons) or a 1-tank dive at 2:15pm every afternoon for 6 days.

Having our own boat is REALLY NICE!!! Let me know if you have a preference to do 2 boat dives every other day or 1 boat dive daily! Thanks...-ww

[scubafanatic]

I need to let them know you are doing it but you can pay on your room once you are in Bonaire! -ww

OK. Few more questions tho. before I decide.

Will I need any special equipment or gear modifications?

Also I have only an air computer. Would diving nitrox tables give me that much of an advantage over diving air?

Are Nitrox computers available to rent, if so how much?

How many people are diving air on the trip. Would diving only air put me at a disadvantage?

Thanks in advance

Hi Teresa,

....... I spent a week last July shore-diving ( 23 dives ) in Bonaire, so let me touch on recommended gear:

1) you might want to consider a dive skin, something light you can wear all the time to keep the sun off.......Bonaire is very sunny, essentially no tree or other protection, at a minimum bring lots of strong sunscreen...... you wouldn't believe how much of mine I loaned to the other divers in my group.

2) get hard-soled booties, you'll be walking / climbing over rugged shore / cliff entries, trust me, you'll need them.

3) if you can , wear some nice diver's polartec dive socks...they really help cushion your feet, I wear them on ALL my dives...they're great!

4) take advantage of the discounted NITROX and NITROX certification being offered......the class is 'free' as normally the NITROX by itself will cost you $100 or more.

5) I don't know if your chosen resort rents NITROX computers.....it's likely they'd have them for rent for their NITROX students, they might even be included within the $ 99 special price........otherwise to be sure you can get one you might rent one from your LDS and bring it down with you.

6) ....you won't need to make any modifications to your regulator to dive NITROX, you'll be diving a standard recreational mix of 32%, premixed, so none of your gear is ever exposed to 100% oxygen.

7) To me, table diving is too much work......relax and let the computer track all that.....moreover you will be able to 'hang' with the rest of the group on computers, with table-diving you're asking your buddy or the rest of the group to do least-common-denominator diving and cut dives short to satisfy the tables.

8) when you go shopping, buy LOTS of bottled water, shore divers provide their own supplies....... remember to stay well hydrated at all times, dry scuba tank 'air' and the arid, sunny climate will dehydrate you.......that and using NITROX are great ways to improve safety and comfort.

Karl

[chinacat46]

I might also add that at BuddyDive they offer both 32% and 36% nitrox.

[WreckWench]

I will see what the price for rental on a nitrox computer is.

Not sure what everyone is diving...air or nitrox...I think we have a number of nitrox divers.

[Mermaid Lady]

I will see what the price for rental on a nitrox computer is.

It's be extra special nice if it was included in the $99 price too, but that's prolly pushing my luck.

Not sure what everyone is diving...air or nitrox...I think we have a number of nitrox divers.

If there are other air divers I will proabably just dive air too, but I'll decide for sure by early morning

Edited by tuttt, 07 June 2005 - 05:46 PM.

[finGrabber]

I agree with Karl about the extra strong sunscreen...I was in Aruba several years ago and used 32 spf...I use 4 here in Dallas...and I had a tan when I went down there!

and I can't stress enough drinking enough water...the sun is brutal down there and you will get dehydrated faster than you think

wish I was going :dltears: :dltears:

be safe and have a great time!

[DivingDolly]

I got my itinerary and will be getting into Bonaire on Air Jamaica flight 0066 at 2:30pm. Who else is on this flight. It would be nice to connect up in Montego Bay.

Kamala, I emailed you about my return flights. The return flight I'm supposed to be on shows unconfirmed and there is another flight itinerary showing confirmed that takes me to a totally different airport. I'm driving to Newark where I flying out from and I'm parking in long term parking, but the confirmed return flights show me going to JFK. I have no way of getting from JFK to Newark for my car. Please let me know what to do.

3 days and counting. This time on Saturday I'll be in the air.

[Seahorsewrangler]

Boat dives...

Hey just heard from the dive operator and here are our choices for boat dives this week...our pkg includes 1 boat dive daily and unlimited shore diving! (The house reef is awesome!)

We can offer your group a boat to yourselves with your own crew at either 1:30pm for a 2-tank dive (3
afternoons) or a 1-tank dive at 2:15pm every afternoon for 6 days.

Having our own boat is REALLY NICE!!! Let me know if you have a preference to do 2 boat dives every other day or 1 boat dive daily! Thanks...-ww

I'm in different to either but I guess I'll lean towards the 2 boat/tank dives..

Edited by Seahorsewrangler, 08 June 2005 - 06:53 AM.

[Meteora]

I'm also for 2-tank every-other-day plan, and I plan to dive Nitrox (mainly for the increased safety - I tend to be gas-limited, not bottom-time limited)

As for flights, I'm flying on American Raleigh-Miami (6:15 - 8:15am) Miami - Curacao (11:02 - 1:56pm) and then on Dutch Eagle Express from Curacao - Bonaire (3-3:30pm)

Lookin' forward to meeting all of you!

[DivingDolly]

I'm ok with whatever the majority chooses for the boat dives. I do agree that our own boat does sound great.

Tuttt, I hope you'll be able to join us with Nitrox, so far I haven't seen anyone not using it on this trip as I've read thru the postings.

Kamala, I just wanted to say again last Sunday. It was great for me to go to SeaSpace and meet you, Sandy and so many other SingleDivers. See you Saturday

[Mermaid Lady]

Kamala go ahead and put me down for the nitrox class. $99 is too good to pass up.

[Mermaid Lady]

Tuttt, I hope you'll be able to join us with Nitrox, so far I haven't seen anyone not using it on this trip as I've read thru the postings.

Frankly I wish more people weren't diving Nitrox. I was perfectly happy to dive with air. Getting Nitrox just to keep up with everyone else is costing me a lot of extra $$ I would rather have spent on other things.