Shore diving on Bonaire
Shore diving on Bonaire: park, walk in and the reef is there. The whole coast is a marine park, and most of our houses have a site within swimming distance.
Bonaire is rated among the best shore diving destinations in the world because you park, walk in and the reef is there. No boat, no schedule, no waiting for six other people to get their gear on.
The entire coastline is protected as a marine park, which is why the coral is in the condition it is in. Everyone entering the water pays the nature fee that funds it. If you do not dive, the snorkeling is just as good and in several places starts directly in front of the house.
How shore diving works. Yellow painted stones along the coast road mark the dive sites. You rent tanks from a dive shop, load them in the car and dive when you like. Buddy Dive has a drive-through station for air and nitrox, where you swap empty tanks for full ones without leaving the car. STINAPA asks every diver to start with an orientation dive after arrival and to dive without gloves.
Close to the houses. Punt Vierkant is where the double reef begins. The entry is sandy and flat, which is why dive schools use it for courses, and the reef runs from about 8 to 30 meters. Mi Casa has a staircase from the terrace into the water and the reef a few meters out. Windsock, across the road from the airport, is an easy entry for every level. Bachelor's Beach in Belnem has a short stairway down from the EEG Boulevard and coral from 2 to 30 meters deep.
Klein Bonaire, the uninhabited island off Kralendijk, is reached by water taxi and is worth a day on its own.
