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Dive Review of Belmar Apts - Buddy Dive in
Bonaire

Belmar Apts - Buddy Dive: "Wonderful Bonaire", Aug, 2018,

by Robert Van Calcar, HI, US ( 1 report). Report 10627.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food N/A
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 5 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments 6th trip to Bonaire and the Belmar Apartments. We love diving there. Also enjoy some Dutch culture (family is Dutch). We do all our own food shopping and cooking. Great markets and can get most groceries at close to US pricing. Helps that they use US $ as their currency.

We don't do any Buddy Dive boat diving. Tried it a couple of times and did not see any value for the experience. Suggest taking one boat trip to Kline Bonaire for the experience (Belmar will arrange) and stick with Shore diving for the rest of your trip. Watch the wind situation and stay off the boat if it limits where they can take you. Otherwise, when windy, they will take you to sites you can easily get to shore diving.

Recommend felt sole booties for shore diving. Sturdy booties at least.

We love the large green eels, Tarpon, big lobsters and mix of soft and hard corals plus lots of fish. Water temp in Aug around 82F so we don't use wet suits. Recommend using skin suit for night dives (easy to do at Belmar) and the Tarpon will give you a trill. Not much current, but be aware that it can make you work harder from time to time.

Bonaire is a desert Island, not much to see and can be well explored in a couple of days while off-gassing. Roads are OK, not much traffic. Most Belmar dive deals include a small pickup truck which is great for shore diving and looking around the island.

From the US once a week flights so you stay a week or two. Recommend two weeks.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Hawaii Indonesia Thailand Philippines Florida Keys
Closest Airport Getting There Long trip from Hawaii (Big Island)

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy Seas calm, no currents
Water Temp 81-84°F / 27-29°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions None except Reef Preservation Rules
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities 4 stars
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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