Best Bonaire Boat dives?

I've been asked to come up with a list for our small group for some boat dives for a trip next month (March 29-April 6th). I think we have 6 dives in our package from Buddy Dive.

I'd like to go to places we can't get to otherwise; ie the north end of the island and Klein Bonaire??

Also a few don't miss shore sites would be great to hear about...

If you have some specific sites that are great photo dives, please let me know. The group has mixed abilities, but that's what DMs are for.

TIA,

Jack

Bonaire has too many great dive sites. Up north I like Country Gardens & Rappel. Salt Pier is great day & night but you have to plan ahead & hire a local DM. Klein has great dives such as Forest, Rock Pile, Nearest Point etc. Carl Hill has a mini wall. The big wreck, The H Hooker, is a must. Dive the East side with Larry on his boat. It's an experience! There is too much to see in Bonaire!

Hi Jack,

You probably want to do the H Hooker as a boat dive. Up North I'd watch for dives to LaDania's and Rappell. The sites around Klien are all good. Most of them are pretty similar so I wouldn't recommend any one in particular. Unfortunately many of the very best Klien sites were devastated by Hurricane Lenny in 1999.

Some of the closer sites that are are little difficult to get to because there's no direct shore access can be very productive. Sites like Something Special, Small Wall and Petrie's Pillar can be very good for macro subjects and could warrant a boat dive. Petrie's Pillar was my favorite site on our last trip: 3-4 turtles, 2 seahorses, 2 frogfish and a nurse shark on one dive...not bad.

As far as must do shore dives, you probably want to arrange a dive on one of the piers. Either a dusk/night dive on the Salt Pier or a night dive on the Town Pier. Most people rave about both while others don't much care for them but they are signature Bonaire dives and you should check them out. There is also an area of unnamed sites north of Bopec that have spectacular coral. Drive to the Bopec (oil tanks) gate and turn right on the dirt road. Follow the road around Bopec until it descends back to the shore and continue north. You will come to a track consisting of broken coral that forks off to the left - there are some tires there that look like someones marker. Turn left down the track for a few hunded yards until you get to a small tree that the path circles around. You are now at Taylor Made. The entry can be tricky, especially with cameras, since you have to traverse a barrier of elkhorn coral so only attempt this site if it's calm. If you go too far north on the road after Bopec you get to the named site Nukove which was trashed by Lenny. You've gone too far.

Here's a photo from Taylor Made:

My favourites are Rapell for its shear beauty - boat access only. From the shore White Slave or Red Beryl down South for the good chance of Spotted Rays. Bit more of a swim than most out to the drop off though.

Not sure what everyone sees in the Hilma Hooker. Certainly not much of a photo dive imo.

We're there March 17th - 31st

Thanks! Keep 'em coming!

I dove NuCove years ago on my last trip, sorry it got trashed. Going to be interesting to see all the changes...

Jack

I am just back from Bonaire and loved it.

I would recommend visiting Bonairetalk.com

You can find a lot about dive sites and places to eat, etc. I found this site from references there.

I asked considerable questions at that site and answers were fast and very helpful. I have only been one week so am far from an expert. That web site will be far more help than I can be.

Many there talk as if 1000 steps is a good dive and its hard to do the stairs with gear - a good boat dive selection. I never made it there (except on land) so I cannot speak on it directly.

THe North spots were too rough after 10 while I was there so you might want to consider an early attempt at them.

What I noticed was the large number of Spotted Drum that were not deep in caves and not shy about divers getting fairly close for photos. They were near deep spots in the coral but still reachable and lovely.

Patagonia had the best Filet M. I have ever had, which says a lot being a midwest guy that has tried a lot of beef. There are many great places there. Jealous already.