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plan on going to bonaire in may with family and try scuba diving (all family members already snorkel and love the experience). here are my questions?
1.anyone know of captain don ? i read that he is the guru of scuba diving and can certify .
any advice on him ? or can anyone recommend other scuba outfitters that teach?
2.my wife may back out of this adventure which means i need a resort with a beach. i know most of the island is rocky coral but any suggestions would be appreciated.
3.i have a free time share at the divi but i am willing to stay at a hotel if scenario #2 occurs.
any feed back on the divi? any ideas about a place close to town for eats?
even if this scuba adventure does not pan out i heard that the snorkeling is fantastic . please confirm.
all the help i can get is greatly appreciated.
see ya underwater thanks
places to stay/dive recommendations?
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We will be in Bonaire this winter for the first time, staying at Harbour Village, which is supposed to have a nice beach. We are snorkelers - not divers - and we have arranged for some guided trips to get oriented at the beginning of the trip. I hope to post a report when we return.
"Alles Gut!"
thanks for the response. please let me know how the harbor village resort treated you. can wait to get feed back . this really helps out.
I was primarily a snorkeler for 10 years until I got scuba certified 4 years ago. I visited Bonaire about 3 years ago and stayed at the Divi. A great resource for all things Bonaire is bonairetalk.com . Here are my thoughts on your specific questions:
1)As for Cap'tn Don, stories about him are legendary. But I doubt if he's teaching anymore. My recommendation would be if you want to get certified in Scuba, take classes at home, and then do your "referral dives" in Bonaire. Otherwise you'll be using a lot of your precious vacation time dooing class/book work and drils that can easily be done in a pool at home.
Most resorts with have PADI instructors who can certify you. Bonairetalk would probably be best for advice from others with direct knowledge.
2. Nicest beach/resort is at Harbour Village but its pricey.
3. We stayed at the Divi - in a waterfront hotel room. We like it fine. The accomodations were kind of tired (the bed was old!) but the rest of the resort was good. The Chibi Chibi restaurant did good breakfast and lunch and town is only about a 10 minute walk from the Divi so you could eat at many places without renting a car. The Divi does have a small sandy beach - maybe 100ft. It may be good enough for your wife - especially if its FREE!
rumrita,
thanks so much for the info. i believe courses at home will give KEY VALUABLE time to vacation (sound advice). also since the divi is free WHY NOT!