Dive Review of East Coast Diving in
Bonaire

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East Coast Diving: "Great operation to dive the east coast", Jun, 2018, by Mary McCombie, CT, US ( Sr. Contributor 27 reports with 17 Helpful votes). Report 10312.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Harris and I got off our duffs and went diving on the east coast with East Coast Diving last week, and really enjoyed it. I'd known the operation when it was run by Larry, a previous owner, and though the boat he designed really works well in the rough conditions, he was not much fun personally. The two guys running it now, Martijn and Bob, are terrific. Both are excellent naturalists, instructors and captains, and they are warm, pleasant, and easy-going. Indeed, we have known Martijn for years and really like him, which is why we decided to give it a try. We arrived at Sorobon to meet the boat at 7:45AM, about a 25 minute drive from most resorts. The boat is a rigid-bottomed inflatable with an ingenious feature, a section that can be deflated and removed so a ladder can be attached for divers to enter the boat after the dive. Martiijn gave a thorough briefing as the boat puttered across Lac Bay in quiet water. When we crossed the surf line to enter the open water, no conversation was possible--it was seriously rough! Bob brought the boat to the first dive site, Funchi's Reef, where we backrolled into the water and grouped behind Martijn. The reef was lush with stony and soft corals, really stunning, and we drifted slowly down it. There were a number of large green turtles cruising around, but my favorite sight were eagle rays in singles and groups. We were instructed to become still if we saw a ray, so the creature wouldn't be spooked, and it worked. The rays cruised right by us. For the second dive, Bob and Martijn flipped roles, and we motored to Turtle City, just north of our first site. It was aptly named--the place was lousy with green turtles, sleeping and cruising, and I stopped counting after 40. The reef was again lush and healthy, and near the end of the dive, we drifted to The Fingers, a site with massive dense ridges of stony corals. It was great to see after diving the west coast, where storm damage and runoff has had its predictable effects on the reef. We also saw a hogfish, a common sight in the northern Caribbean, but profoundly rare on Bonaire. It cost $120 for two tanks per person, plus tip, and was well worth the price. Nice operation, gorgeous reef, and some big animals--what is not to like? Though we did not see sharks this trip, others report shark sightings.
Websites	East Coast Diving
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	all over the world
Closest Airport	BON	Getting There	AA, Delta, UA
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy, surge
Water Temp	78-79°F / 26-26°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	20-60 Ft/ 6-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	One hour limit
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters	N/A	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 East Coast Diving in Bonaire

East Coast Diving: "Great operation to dive the east coast", Jun, 2018,

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 East Coast Diving in
Bonaire