Diving by yourself on a cruise

[mac66]

I've dived in Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao a few times always off a cruise through a dive vendor/shop.  The Bonaire and Curacao dives have always been shore dives.

 

Just got back from a cruise to the ABCs but decided to spend time with the wife touring the islands instead of diving. On Bonaire we rented a golf cart and went all the way around the island stopping at beaches and snorkeling along the way. Every beach we stopped there were divers coming and going. Some were dive shops many were just people with dive gear going out.  I stopped and talked to a couple at the Salt Pier who said they rent a place every year and just drive around diving off the beach. 

 

On Cuarcao, I dived at tug boat beach and off the shore about a quarter of a mile from the ship port. Too far to walk because its' not a straight down the beach route. They send you on circuitous route to get out of the port. Probably a mile or so. But you could rent a car or taxi.

 

So the question is this,  could you just bring your own gear, and/or rent a tank and gear and go diving on your own? You can download diving locations.  I'm still a relatively new diver so I wouldn't go out by myself and my wife doesn't dive. But if you found a dive buddy could you just go out and dive?

[omeinv]

@mac66

 

Absolutely you can do it.  However, Diving independently while is port for a day requires a lot of planning, and unguided diving from shore means you are taking responsibility for everything that you're usually getting from your dive operator.  For example, last time I was in Bonaire on a cruise, four of us rented a truck and then rented tanks, and dove ourselves.  It's important to note, all of us had dove in Bonaire before; I have guided many dives, and specifically many in Bonaire, and know most of the dive sites there. 

 

Issues: 

 

You must rent a vehicle.  It took some doing to find a single day truck rental. Most of the rental companies want at least a three day rental. In my instance, I dealt with a company I'd used when on previous week-long stays on Bonaire, and they still wouldn't commit to the one-day rental until a few weeks before the date of the trip, as they woudl have rented to a longer term customer if they had one.  Picking up and returning the rental truck takes some of your time. 

 

Presuming you have your own equipment, you'll still need tanks and weights.  This is pretty easy on Bonaire, harder most other places.  In Bonaire Dive Friends has 6 or 7 locations, one right by the port, where you can pick up and drop off tanks and weights, at a reasonable price. 

 

Navigation on shore dives is a bigger issue than most people realize.  The typical shore dive, you submerge as soon as you're able, follow a compass course straight out to depth, then either make a loop from initial depth out to maximum depth, then continue your loop back to the point where you reached initial depth, then follow the compass course back to the entry point.  If there's much current, then it's compass navigate to maximum depth, dive against the current until you reach half air, then let the current bring you back to the starting point, where you compass navigate back to the entry point.  Since there's current, you have to account for that in your compass navigation legs.  In either case your ability to return to your exact entry point is not as easy as it may seem using underwater landmarks.  That being said, Bonaire in particular seldom has much current, and there are excellent guides to shore diving there (the best is the Reef Smart Guide to Bonaire, which is worth buying anyway.  It's available on Amazon.  https://a.co/d/hH5wSpd)

 

The advantages to diving on your own are that you choose your sites, and you can get a bit more diving in the day, and you may (or may not) save money.  With four of us, our cost for the truck (about $100) was split, and the tanks/weights were about $25.00 per person total.  And we were able to get 3 dives in, and still get back to the ship for a relatively early departure.  Compare this to VIP, where you 2 guided dives with air, weights, a guide and lunch, at a cost of (last time I checked) $150.00 per day.  Even if you had just two people, your financial benefit would be there, as long as you're willing and able to take on the tasks you're typically paying a dive operator for. 

 

Curacao is another Island with a fair amount of shore diving, but the traffic, and locating the dive sites make it a losing proposition in my eyes. Especially since Hans at CURious2Dive will come get me at the port, and take care of all the hassles. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[mac66]

great info Harris as usual.  I was thinking that transportation would be the biggest obstacle but navigation could be a big issue particularly if not used to navigating under water. 

 

However, when we were snorkeling at the salt pier we saw lots of divers. Looked like a pretty easy place to dive.  Some of the other places off shore, not so much.

 

I think when it comes downs to it (in Bonaire anyway) transportation is going to cost you $100 ( a golf cart is $100 for the day) and then equipment depending on what you have. Tanks and weights were $25, a BCD would be more. Ultimately it would probably be easier to just go through a dive shop.

 

Third strategy would be to make friends with someone who dives and lives or stays on the island.  Let them know when you'll be there and have them pick you up from the pier. LOL

Edited February 29 by mac66

[omeinv]

@mac66

 

 For one person, you’re correct that you’re likely better off just going with a dive operator resolving all issues.  
 

Bonaire certainly has sites, like Salt Pier, where navigation is eased by landmarks.  Bonaire is generally easy to shore dive, hence the popularity of shore diving there.  However, if your underwater navigation is not on, you end up making unnecessary ascents, and swimming on the surface.  
 

If you can find friends that are in Bonaire and will let you join for a day that would be ideal.  Good luck with that! 😁

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Bobroo]

As Harris has illustrated, scuba on a non-ship excursion requires a lot of planning. Going this route can be really rewarding, more so than with diving with "cruise ***** divers".

 

I would recommend you do some easier solo dives before studying Google Maps for potential cool offshore dives close to a port stop. By that I mean, nearly every Cozumel dive shop has a house reef. And some dive shops specialize in easy house reef dives, specifically I am thinking of The Dive Bus in Curacao--which is an excellent shop BTW.

 

 

[ABQrobin]

Bonaire is the SHORE Diving Capital of the World.  We have done 2 week-long trips there, and averaged 3 dives per day.  Its nice to stay at a hotel that has a dive shop, so you can get tanks and do boat dives if you want.  Those hotels usually have a nice house reef right off their pier also, so we do a dive there every day.  If you love to dive, its a great place to do it.  Food isn't cheap so most people go to grocery store to get stuff to make sandwiches at your room to help costs and time.  Some resorts also include breakfast, some even have rooms with full kitchens.

We like Buddy Dive resort, but there are so many there to choose from!