Island Adventure

ISLAND ADVENTURE

With so many exciting activities to discover during your Caribbean vacation, we’re happy to offer great ideas and insights into learning something new, or exploring a sport you already love! For this issue, we’re making a splash with a sport that’s been around for more than 70 years and can be enjoyed at virtually any age, scuba diving. We know the best places to enjoy this experience on Bonaire and our other islands. Let’s dive in!

SERGE DE GROOTE’S EXPERT DIVING ADVICE

We’ve asked Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino’s highlyexperienced PADI five-star dive operation manager, Serge De Groote for his expert advice. Divi Dive Bonaire, located on Bonaire, has a full-service dive shop that specializes in instruction for all experience levels. The shop also supplies all necessary rental gear and has a fleet of five dive boats, making it easy to enjoy one of the world’s most renowned dive locations.

What’s the best way to learn the great sport of scuba diving?

The best way to learn how to dive is to visit a PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) fivestar facility and take a course. Divi Dive Bonaire offers Discover Scuba Diving courses for beginners interested in familiarizing themselves with the sport. You can also get your Open Water Certification here.

How long do courses take and what’s the minimum age and cost?

Anyone ten and up can learn how to scuba dive. I recommend beginners start with the Discover Scuba Diving course as it’s a half-day experience under direct supervision from instructors. The class, which includes one dive session and the use of all required equipment, costs $97.50. The Open Water Certification lasts about four days, but once you’re certified through this course, you’ll be able to dive anywhere in the world. This package includes classes, four open water dives and the use of all necessary equipment for $495.

How do the two courses differ?

With our Discover Scuba Diving course, you’ll get a short theory session and learn how to perform basic skills in shallow water, before enjoying a beautiful dive of our house reef with a maximum depth of 40 feet. The nice thing about our intro class is that in the event you fall in love with diving, you can decide to get certified later on.

The Open Water Certification contains full classroom lectures, five confined water sessions and four training dives. This certification is the scuba diving standard and is valid worldwide.

The Dive Shop

Do you actually get to dive with the instructors?

Yes, you do! All of our classes are led by highlyexperienced certified dive instructors, who accompany you on all class dives. It’s important to remember to never dive alone! For safety reasons, it’s vital that you always have a diving buddy.

What does Divi Dive Bonaire offer to those who have some experience or are already certified?

For experienced divers, Divi Dive Bonaire offers specialty courses, including Wreck Diving, Deep Diving, Night Diving, Multi-Level Diving and more. Divers can also earn other PADI certifications from Divi Dive Bonaire, including Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and Divemaster, upon request.

After you have your certification, what types of dives do you recommend on Bonaire?

One of the most beautiful dive spots on the island, the Calabas Reef, is just 20 yards from Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino. It’s very special and rare to be able to dive right from the shore, and you can access our house reef both day and night! Plus, Divi Dive Bonaire’s boat diving options are just as extensive. From Klein Bonaire to Karpata, and even down south, we cover all of the best dive sites. Our fleet of five dive boats range in size from 36 to 42 feet, making them some of the largest on Bonaire.

Anything else we should know?

Many of our customers are photography enthusiasts. All of our custom dive boats are equipped with large camera tables and freshwater camera buckets, making it a breeze to capture the perfect shot. Additional features such as comfortable dive ladders and wide swim platforms, make diving from our boats accessible for those with limited mobility.

Exclusive dive packages are available year-round at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino, which currently offers a seven-night stay, daily breakfast, 11 boat dives, unlimited shore diving, round-trip airport transfers and free Wi-Fi for as low as $1,070 per person. All-inclusive packages are also available. For more details, visit www.diviresorts.com/dive-divi.htm or call 800-367-3484.