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Location: Parrish, FL | Anyone been there to dive? Where'd you stay, which company did you dive with. Any particular think 'not to miss' while there?
Thanks,
Blues |
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Location: NJ | Miles'd be the person to ask . . . |
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Posts: 3969
| Haven't been there in 15 years, but I used to lead dive trips there, went there nearly 20 times. Most sites can be reached from shore with a short swim, but you'll need to sign on to a charter to visit the sites around Klein Bonaire (the small island just to the west). Many killer dives, but I heard that some storms over the past few years damaged some of the sites.
Here's a pic from back then:
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Location: Feeding Hills, MA | Make sure you go down on the Hooker! Its about 110' dive that you can do from shore, but is obviously easier from a boat. They used to sell t-shirts to proclaim the accomplishment at most shops...still have mine although it seems to have shrunk over the years! Wish I was going with you.
Have a great time, and don't forget to post some pictures!
Mike... |
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Location: Feeding Hills, MA | Hey g8r,
Thats about the same timeframe that I was going there. Any idea what happened to the Bonaire Beach Hotel? They had the best (only) sand beach at the time.
Bluesailor,
Where are you staying?
Mike... |
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Posts: 119
Location: everywhere | Originally posted by 2stix:
Make sure you go down on the Hooker! Oh yes. what fun that would be. I can see it now ... |
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Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | WHo needs warmth and beaches? Come dive the Puget Sound.
Seriously though, it was Jacques Cousteau's second favorite location in the world.
As for going down on the hooker, um... Really, you should draw the line somewhere, and it should be WAY before that! |
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Location: Jet City | At least shoot up with some penicillin before you do |
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Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | g8r ,
That's a great pic! Did Damon take that one too?
Besides sucking at guitars, underwater photog is another challenge. I just can't justify the proper fla$h for what little time I spend in $CUBA gear.
What was that depth? |
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Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
g8r ,
That's a great pic! Did Damon take that one too?
Yes as a matter of fact I did. Sergio Caballero is just an alias. :D |
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Posts: 1132
Location: Parrish, FL | Mike,
It is looking like Captain Don's near the 'Cliffs' but we haven't made the final reservations yet. I thought I'd get some input from a bunch of people I don't know so that I could make an 'intelligent decision'. (It's worth a shot!)
I'm pretty pumped for the trip. My 2 teenage kids and wife will hold freshly minted dive cards so it should be a great experience for them. Our whole family have been water junkies forever and have snorkeled heavily while we were living in the West Indies. You should have seen the double takes on the SCUBA divers at 35' when my 10 yr old daughter snorkeled down to see what was so interesting.
Should be a great trip.
Blues |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by BluesSailor:
35' when my 10 yr old daughter snorkeled down to see what was so interesting. 
Damon, without the red blanket, I wasn't sure...  |
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Posts: 143
Location: Feeding Hills, MA | Blues,
35' eh, must be nice to be young and indestructible. In case you want some history on the Hooker, here is a link:
http://www.caribinn.com/hilmahooker.html
There are also several youtube videos of dives on the Hooker, just search Hilma Hooker. I visited Cap'n Don's once during one of my trips there. Thought it was nice at the time (see the 20 year reference made earlier). Back then, there were only three main places to stay. Now there are quite a few. There are NO bad dive sites. Try to make a night dive if you can (assuming you have the experience)...it is absolutely spectacular!
Have you ever dove the caribbean before?
Mike... |
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| Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
g8r ,
That's a great pic! Did Damon take that one too?
Besides sucking at guitars, underwater photog is another challenge. I just can't justify the proper fla$h for what little time I spend in $CUBA gear.
What was that depth? Depth: about 60', Nikonos V, 28 mm Nikkor lens w/ SB102 strobe on an extension arm. I've made technical dives on mixed gas to about 240' on the wall at 1000 Steps, but on most of the dives you an deco at the top of the wall (30-40') and in the shallows approaching the shore.
The area north of Captain Don's is among the better diving, but part of it has a 40' cliff so it's a boat dive. Plenty to see on either side of the cliff, tho. Rent a 4X4 and take your gear north to the National Park for a day and do a couple dives up there, good chance of seeing a whale shark.
The area from Cap'n Don's south thru town to about the airport is so-so to poor. Avoid the Town Pier, even 'tho tour operators will try to sell you on a guided night dive of it. Garbage (literally & figuratively).
South of the airport the slope changes, you get a shallow rise, then a trench, then a drop-off. The Hilma Hooker is in the trench. Just south of Salt Pier is a superb dive with a garden eel forest in the trench.
I could go on and on, but I won't. World class diving, and among the easiest access.
Another crinoid: 
Orange cup corals that cover the piling of Salt Pier:
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Location: Parrish, FL | 35' isn't hard, you just can't generally do it on a weeks vacation. We had been in the Caribbean for 2 years and snorkeled nearly everyday.
We were traveling with another boat of dive junkies while in Tobago and snorkeled on a brain coral at 65'. It was surreal! The key is to have clear sinuses and the rest is pretty easy.
It's been a few years since I've been in the water so I expect some challenges this time around.
Blues |
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Posts: 1132
Location: Parrish, FL | g8r,
Nice pics. We'll look into the Hooker.
(soft lob)
Blues |
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Posts: 3969
| She's big - take a flashlight and wear rubber
(going, going, outta the park) |
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Location: Parrish, FL | :eek: :D :D :D :D |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | We haven't been to Bonaire.. but call The Brass Anchor Scuba Shop in Frederick Maryland http://www.brassanchor.com/ and talk to Terry or Judy, and mention Miles and Lisa. Terry and Judy and others from the shop go there a LOT. If you look at their upcoming trips on the website you'll see Capt Dons is the place they use, and that would be good enough for me, but give them a call. Good folks and they'll get a kick out of how you got their info via Lisa and I. |
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OT: SCUBA Bonaire
