CELEBRATE 40 YEARS WITH YOUR BUDDIES™JOIN US FOR A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
2020 was an extra special year for your Buddies™. This is the year Buddy Dive Resorts celebrates its 40th birthday. On August 19th, 1980 Buddy Dive resort opened its doors for the first time as a small dive resort with only 46 apartments, 20 rental trucks, and a small dive operation with 3 boats. At this time more and more divers started to come to Bonaire and tourists were starting to find their way to Bonaire.
In 2002 the current owners, the Van der Valk family, bought the resort and soon it became clear that they had big plans with the resort. In 2004 they acquired Lions Dive Hotel and therewith added 32 apartments to the resort.
Over the years they have kept growing and developing. Always keeping their focus on setting a warm and hospitable atmosphere. The main goal of the Buddy Dive staff is providing great service and making their guests feel at home so they can enjoy Bonaire’s crystal-clear waters and pristine reefs. Whether you are exploring the island by Buddy Dive pick-up truck to find the best shore dive spots or joining our dive staff on the boat to enjoy the convenience of boat diving your Buddies™ will do everything to make your dive vacation as memorable as possible.
Bill H., a repeat guest says: “ I have been coming to Bonaire since 2004. I have stayed at other places but I feel at home at Buddy Dive. It feels like family. “
Today Buddy Dive Resort has grown into a full-service dive resort. Including 73 apartments, more than 100 rental cars and 2 ocean view restaurants. The dive operation has grown and is now a PADI 5-star Career Development Center with 6 dive boats, a large range of diving options, courses, kids’ programs, and the largest technical diving facility in the Caribbean.
Martien van der Valk, head of the Buddy Dive Family, comments: “My wife and I look back on many memorable years. Now is the time that we proudly hand over the management to the next generation, who will follow in our footsteps and will pursue our mission of Buddy Dive Resort being the go-to resort and dive operation for your dive vacation and dive education.
We are also very proud of the number of guests that joined our Buddy Dive Family over the years and became a fantastic group of repeat guests, some of whom have been returning annually for 25 years already! The group is still growing each year.”
Resort – Then
Resort – Now
Restaurant – Then
Restaurant – Now
Diveshop & boats – Then
Diveshop & boats – Now
Drive-Thru – Then
Drive-Thru – Now
