Dive Review of AB Dive/VRBO in
Bonaire

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AB Dive/VRBO: "Bonaire and traveling with Pandemic", Nov, 2021, by Steve Dussault, NH, US ( Contributor 18 reports with 4 Helpful votes). Report 11743.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation	N/A	Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Finally after canceled and rescheduled trips over the past 20 months, we decided to venture to Bonaire for a week of diving. There are so many shores dives on Bonaire to choose from, and we like the flexibility of doing the dives on our schedule. We elected to do only shore dies and not to do any boat dives so as to limit our exposure to other people. The biggest challenge in going on a dive trip now is traveling to your destination and the COVID-19 testing requirements. Bonaire requires that you have a PCR test no more than 48 hours prior to your departure for Bonaire. In researching on where to get a PCR test, the test results are generally available in 1 - 2 days. We were concerned about getting our results in time and decided to be safe and did the PCR test 3 days before our departure. We spent the night before our departure at a hotel near the airport. We were having an enjoyable dinner when we received an update from American Airlines that our flight the next morning was being delayed 2 hours. This delay would not allow us to make our connecting flight in Miami to Bonaire. We finished dinner and drove to the airport to see what could be done to resolve the issue. The very helpful agent called the support center, and the agent was able to rebook us onto an earlier American Airlines flight. The agent told us to arrive at the airport at 3:30 AM for a 5:30 AM flight. When we arrived at 3:30 AM as instructed, we found a long line in front of the American Airlines check-in counter. Because we were traveling internationally, it required us to stand in line to be checked in, have our Covid documents checked, and pay for our bags. There were only 2 agents processing international check-ins. The check in process took 1:20 minutes and then there was a delay in going through security. We arrived at the gate a 5:22 AM for the 5:30 AM departure only to find the gate closed. American Airlines has a policy that boarding stops 15 minutes before departure. Several other customers began showing up to gate for the flight to Miami and their international connection. The agent called and asked if the door could be opened for all of us and was told no. The problem with missing the flight to Miami was that there were no American Airlines flights to Bonaire until Tuesday. The agent tried to get us seats on a Delta flight that would arrive in Miami in time for us to connect to the American Airlines flight to Bonaire, but Delta would not release seats to American Airlines. We then used the Delta app on our phones to purchase one way tickets to Miami on Delta. Our luggage was on the flight we missed, and the American Airlines agent said it would be loaded in Miami for Bonaire. We arrived in Miami with little time to spare and made the flight to Bonaire. In Bonaire they checked the results of our PCR tests and noticed that the test was not done within 48 hours. The agent then took us out of line to a COVID testing office where we had to get an Antigen test for a fee of $50. The results were available in 15 minutes, a form was completed, and we were then allowed to enter Bonaire. Thankfully our luggage was there. We used AB Dive for tank rental and was very impressed. NITROX was a free upgrade, and they have DIN valve tanks available. Once our account was set up it took less than 10 minutes each day to analyze and pick up new tanks each day. All of the employees were extremely helpful and friendly. There are many shore dive sites on Bonaire to choose from. To dive on Bonaire you need to purchase a Marine Park Tag for $45. This can be done online in advance of your arrival or at any dive shop, and the tag is good for one calendar year. If you are up for the drive, the dive sites in the Washington Slagbaai National Park are very nice. The day we went we could see the waves on the surface from 100’. There are two challenges to doing shore dives in Bonaire. 1. The beaches are rocky not sandy which can make entry and exit difficult. 2. Being able to navigate back to where you started. Many of the dive sites are adjacent to each other. There are moorings/buoys marking each dive site that are typically anchored in 15-20 ft of water, and if you time your out and back accurately you will come back to the same buoy.
Websites	AB Dive
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	US, Canada, Alaska, Caribbean, South America, South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Indian Ocean, Indonesia
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	81-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	60-199 Ft/ 18-61 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
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
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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Dive Review of AB Dive/VRBO in Bonaire

AB Dive/VRBO: "Bonaire and traveling with Pandemic", Nov, 2021,

Photos Submitted with this Report

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of AB Dive/VRBO in
Bonaire