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Dive Review of Harbour Village Beach Club in
Bonaire/west shore and Klein Bonaire

Harbour Village Beach Club: "Harbour Village -- again", Jul, 2016,

by Ernie Feleppa Casuarina Aquat, NY, US (Reviewer Reviewer 5 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 9220 has 1 Helpful vote.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude N/A Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 4 stars
Snorkeling 4 stars
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments My wife and I have been diving in Bonaire for well more than 2 decades, and have enjoyed every trip there. I have been bringing groups of divers to Bonaire for nearly that length of time and have stayed with the group at Sand Dollar, Belmar, and Harbour Village resorts. Our favorite is Harbour Village. However, all were very accommodating and capable, providing excellent service and facilities. This year, my group of approximately 30 adults and children included more than 20 divers. With Chris, who very capably manages the Harbour Village dive operation, Great Adventures, we arranged to do two boat dives each day, departing at 9 AM and typically returning at about 1 PM. This schedule left plenty of time for lunch and afternoon shore diving, and even a drop-off from the dive boat in order to dive the superb nearby adjacent shore-dive site very appropriately called Something Special. Harbour Village has three interesting shore-dive attractions: a series of 16, large, man-made rock piles paralleling the shore in 8 to 10 feet of water on which a fascinating population of creatures ranging from shrimp-filled anemones to moray and sharp-tailed eels and scorpion fish has settled; an old but fish-filled wreck in about 40+ feet of water; and a coral "farm" on which staghorn coral is being cultivated and used to restock the wild reefs. The dive crew was generally very attentive and friendly, but tended to get too far ahead of the group when leading it underwater. They were very intent on -- and successful at -- finding neat stuff for us to observe. Dives typically started out at 60' into the current and returned at 40' or less with the current. Turnaround typically occurred at 30 minutes into the dive or 1,500 psi, which I thought was a little risky in terms of allowing for contingencies. But we had none. So all went very very well. And the food was good at the on-premises La Balandra restaurant, and the resort accommodations were first class in the rooms and 1 and 2-bedroom suites we occupied. Restaurants in town are superb, e.g., Mona Lisa, Capriccio, Sea, Sonja Home, Raining Fishes, etc., and Between 2 Buns can't be beat for lunch. Recently, the group has asked for Bonaire 2 years in a row, as in 2012 and 2013; so we may be there again in 2017. We'll see.
Websites Harbour Village Beach Club   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Grand Cayman, Providenciales, Curacao, Finger Lakes, Narragansett Bay, Long Island Sound, various quarries
Closest Airport Flamingo Getting There United from Newark; Delta from Atlanta

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm, choppy
Water Temp 83-85°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions turnaround at 30 min or 1,500 psi
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

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

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars 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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