Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘Bonaire’

20
Jan

Bonaire Trip Update #3

Bonaire diving has to be some of the easiest anywhere….just ask anyone who has been here before. Today we dove the wreck of the Hilma Hooker, a confiscated freighter that was intentionally sunk in 1984 after being abandoned in the harbor. It sits in about 99 feet of water, and is totally intact, lying on it”s starboard side. Even though the dive is relatively short (about 20 minutes, more for nitrox users), it is still a great dive. We saw tarpon inside the holds and at the reef area surrounding the wreck. Parts of the wreck allow divers to enter and swim through with relative ease.Here are some sample photos from the dive today and yesterday:

A few of our group rented cars today and toured the island….lots of interested photo opportunities, especially on the windward side, where the waves can reach over 30 feet. We did have a few brief showers, but nothing to interfere with our fun! The only thing the rain did was make things more humid. Last day of diving tomorrow, then it’s time to pack and head for the cold!

20
Jan

Bonaire Trip Update #2

Fantastic weather, warm, clear water and gorgeous reefs…what more can a diver ask for? We have had some really great dives over the past few days. The conditions have been superb, the dive crew has been great and the hospitality excellent. Everyone is having a great time, diving a lot, learning a lot about diving (we have some brand new and relatively inexperienced divers in our group) and enjoying each others’ company.

Some of our group went shore diving away from the resort today, and came back with dive reports. Some of the sites they chose had less than ideal entry conditions, so they changed and went to other, less challenging sites. That’s the beauty of shore diving on Bonaire….find a site that looks up to your skill level, and go for it!

During our boat dives today, one of our rental Sealife DC1200 cameras was used by Margaux Huismann…here are some of the shots she took:

The Sealife DC1200 sure is an amazing camera system. Even though a lot depends on the skill of the photographer, this camera makes it easy to get good snapshots with ease. Adding the external strobe makes all the difference, to bring out the true colors of the subjects under water.

Anyway…current dive conditions: water temperature consistently 81-83, visibility anywhere from 80 feet generally to well over 100 feet at the dive site called “Rappel”.

17
Jan

Bonaire Trip Update #1

After a nervous couple of days thinking about the weather in Chicago and Atlanta, we finally made it to Bonaire and the Divi Flamingo Resort. Thanks to Serge, the dive operations manager, we got all checked in, got our gear lockers assigned, dive paperwork completed and then it was off to happy hour at the beach bar. Needless to say, everyone was ready for some adult beverages after getting up around 230am to catch the flight out of Chicago! Early to bed, and then get ready to start the diving week on Sunday.

We did the mandatory orientation dive to get gear checked, weights adjusted and for some, their first dive in the ocean. After the check-out dive, we had lunch and then an afternoon boat dive at Klein Bonaire at a dive site called “Keepsake”…lots of beautiful orange sponges, clouds of small tropical fish, and good visibility. The water temperature has been a steady 82-84, with the warmer temps in the shallows. Today (Monday), we did two morning boat dives, then some afternoon dives for fun and also teaching the PADI Digital Underwater Photography course. Here are some of the shots we took today:

These were all shot with the Sealife DC1200 camera and external strobe….not bad for some first attempts at underwater photography! More to come….stay tuned.

Tomorrow we will finish the formal photography coursework, then then it’s on to shooting and reviewing everyone’s photos at the end of the day.