January 2012    Download the Entire Issue (PDF)

Vol. 27, No. 1   What's this?

Bonaire, Caymans, China. . .

a dangerous Baja dive shop, and what, no octopus for your buddy?

from the January, 2012 issue of Undercurrent  

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Bonaire Crime Cautions. As idyllic as Bonaire seems, it has had crime problems for more than two decades, more so than any other Caribbean dive destination we report on. Reader Mark Kimmey (New York, NY) tells us that "when picking up a compact pickup, the rental car companies will warn you not to leave valuables in your car and not to lock your doors. They will push you to take the extra collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance, but be aware that it doesn't cover glass. Apparently, they know that thieves will break the vehicle's glass to take whatever's inside. We were hit while diving The Invisibles south of Salt Pier, as was the truck parked next to us. We did not have valuables in the cab, but that didn't stop the thieves from taking our (resort) beach towels, shirts, hats and prescription glasses. We tried to laugh it off, but were a little unhappy when Captain Don's charged us $20 for each of the towels because we didn't file a police report. Who is going to drive into town in their wetsuit to report stolen towels? Another reason to take the CDW option from the rental company: Your credit card may not cover trucks under any sort of rental car insurance they offer. Our truck was hit in the parking lot, but we had declined the CDW, believing that our credit card would cover any damage. We were charged $365 for a small ding in the rear fender when we returned the vehicle, and when we got home, MasterCard told us they wouldn't cover it because it was a truck!"...