Which dive operator does Holland America use in Bonaire please

[Cruizann]

Which dive operator does Holland America use in Bonaire, does anyone know please. We want to dive there in January with the ship but there is an age limit of 65 for some reason which we cannot fathom. Thank you for your help.

[LindaSSF]

They are using dive friends. We went a couple of weeks ago. Boat dive to Klein Bonaire. First dive is a "nothing" check out dive. Second was great on a wall. Definitely timed, not based on air use.

 

Gear was good quality for the folks who didn't bring their own. Nice dive boat with 15 divers. Second boat with 10. We had divers older than 65 from our ship...

 

Like most Carribean dives, it was heavy on service/valet diving. They picked you up & dropped you off by boat next to the ship's gangway. All gear was carried to boat & you set up the tanks yourself - help for those who needed it.

 

The DMs were young guys who travel the world to DM in different places. None were what I would call a knowledgable local guide.

 

After the dives, you could rent tanks & do a shore dive on their house reef and walk back to the ship (15-20 min walk) or catcha cab.

 

There are better and worse dive trips & vendors on Bonaire.

 

 

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[icsys]

They are using dive friends. We went a couple of weeks ago. Boat dive to Klein Bonaire. First dive is a "nothing" check out dive. Second was great on a wall. Definitely timed, not based on air use.

 

Gear was good quality for the folks who didn't bring their own. Nice dive boat with 15 divers. Second boat with 10. We had divers older than 65 from our ship...

 

Like most Carribean dives, it was heavy on service/valet diving. They picked you up & dropped you off by boat next to the ship's gangway. All gear was carried to boat & you set up the tanks yourself - help for those who needed it.

 

The DMs were young guys who travel the world to DM in different places. None were what I would call a knowledgable local guide.

 

After the dives, you could rent tanks & do a shore dive on their house reef and walk back to the ship (15-20 min walk) or catcha cab.

 

There are better and worse dive trips & vendors on Bonaire.

 

 

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Thanks for this info on Dive Friends.

I was considering the ship excursion but as they take up to 16 divers I thought it may be crowded.

I was told that one DM is at the front and the other is at the back so I guess you are shepherded together?

You say the dive is timed. How long?

 

With regard to the 'nothing' dive, I believe it is marine park regulation that all SCUBA divers must attend an orientation with their dive operator, even if they have dived there previously.

[LindaSSF]

Yes - you are part of the herd with a DM in front & back. They really didn't spend any time pointing out anything particular, so I wouldn't call them guides. They were very helpful if you wanted to hand up weights & tanks before going up the ladder!

 

The first check out dive was 40 min. The second dive was 50 min. I started with 2800 psi and ended with 1900 first dive, and 2900 psi start for dive 2 with 1600 to finish. We certainly didn't dive the air we had. Max depth was 66', though the wall dropped off far deeper.

 

I would have preferred to hop off the doc for the weight check rather than have a short dive over sandy bottom. Felt like a waste of the short time we had.

 

 

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Edited December 20, 2014 by LindaSSF