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Dive Review of Buddy Dive Resort in
Bonaire

Buddy Dive Resort, Feb, 2012,

by Richard Sziede, VA, US (Reviewer Reviewer 4 reports). Report 6486.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food N/A
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 5 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Bless me oh Dan, for it has been three years since my last dive.
Something always preempted dive plans. Such a long layoff.
Doubting my dive skills for another high adventure outing, we
opted for a Dive Shop group trip to Buddy Dive on Bonaire. Tame
and safe.

All went well. Buddy Dive is well run. The dive shop and the car
rental belong to Buddy Dive. (This latter is important. The
captive car rental means they won't try the scratched bumper scam
that sadly, one sees even at major car agencies.) John and Susie
Wall, former owners of The Dive Shop in Fairfax VA, are now
semi-retired running the photo shop at Buddy Dive. The close
relation between shop and resort makes all smooth.

Rental truck, buffet breakfast, 2-bedroom condo, 3 boat dives,
unlimited air or Nitrox were all part of the package. Didn't opt
for additional boat dives, because shore diving is the thing at
Bonaire.

As in most of the Caribbean, reefs have taken a beating from over
use and/or global warming. They seem to be holding their own
compared to my last visit 10 years ago, but are sadly diminished
from the abundance of my first Bonaire trip, 20 years back. No
more storms of Creole Wrasses, few big critters.

Lion Fish abound. Thus there is a new wrinkle at Buddy Dive. A
Lion Fish hunter course and rental spears. The mandate is kill,
kill, kill. No limit. One even gets to wear gloves. Heavy
gloves. One happy note. I saw a Yellow Tail eat a slain Lion
Fish. One hopes that the effect will be to train a Lion Fish
predator. I watched our Yellow Tail for several minutes after he
ate the Lion Fish. He seemed to suffer no ill effects.

Another wrinkle new to me. A florescent night dive. Not
phosphorescent, florescent. You carry a blue/UV flashlight, and
wear a yellow, polarizing filter over your mask. The flashlight
is polarized. The filter attenuates the polarized light.
The non-polarized florescence from the corals, jellyfish, and
even fire worms comes through. Way cool light show!

The dive boats are well-run if a tad crowded. The whole crew is
friendly, capable, and quite trim. Wore bikinis like the one
recently on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Don't know how they
stayed on.

Give extra props to the bar/restaurant at Buddy Dive. Food is
quite good. That is unexpected for a captive beanery.
Websites Buddy Dive Resort   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Caribbean, Truk
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather windy Seas calm
Water Temp 80-81°F / 27-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 70-100 Ft/ 21-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities 5 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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