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Dive Review of Buddy Dive Resort in
Bonaire

Buddy Dive Resort, Oct, 2013,

by D. S. Davis, CA, US (Reviewer Reviewer 4 reports). Report 7333.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 4 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Although this was my first visit to Buddy Dive Resort, I have made several trips to Bonaire over the last 20 years. Buddy is the best operation that I have encountered during that period, and I will definitely stay with them during my next visit.

The dive operation is well-run, although there is, in my opinion, one aspect that could be improved. Instead of pre-assigning divers to specific dive boats, they use a first-come-first-served sign-up board. While this does, in principle, allow divers a great deal of flexibility in choosing their schedules, in practice it doesn't always work fairly. For instance, during my stay, there was a large group of divers who had a non-diving proxy simply sign them up for almost all available slots as soon as they became available (including multiple boats departing at the same time), leaving few if any options for other divers. Then, just prior to the boats' departures, some members of that large group would cancel, leaving everyone else to scramble at the last minute for spots on the boats. A more equitable process for allocating the boat spaces would have been most welcome. In all other respects, I rate Buddy's dive operations as first-rate.

Bonaire's reefs have recovered quite a bit from the damage that they sustained almost a decade ago. There is a good variety of typical Caribbean reef fish and invertebrates. There are particularly robust populations of green morays, turtles and tarpons.
Websites Buddy Dive Resort   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving California, Mexico, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Caymans, Belize, Honduras, Bonaire, Saba, St. Lucia, Chuuk, Palau, Fiji, Indonesia
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, rainy, cloudy Seas calm, choppy, currents, no currents
Water Temp 84-84°F / 29-29°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 40-90 Ft/ 12-27 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Bonaire Underwater Park regulations
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 1 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

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

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