Shore diving capital of the world;Bonaire

With as many as 60 officially listed dive sites on Bonaire, most of them easily accessible from shore, the island is known as the Shore Diving Capital of the World!

Bonaire’s sea abounds with beautiful marine life and a fascinating variety of multi-colored tropical fish, there is lots to see while diving on Bonaire. The sea is remarkably calm and conditions are superb for both scuba diving and snorkeling.
On average, while diving on Bonaire, the visibility exceeds 100 feet (30 meters) and our average water temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit (28°C). The fringing reef begins close to the shore, usually a short 30 feet (10 meters) swim or less, making Bonaire world-renowned for its ease of shore diving.
Bonaire’s waters offer something special for every diver. Novice divers will appreciate the calm waters, reefs that run parallel to shore, and minimal currents while diving on Bonaire. These conditions make it an ideal location to really work on improving those buoyancy skills! The shallow drop-off area of the reef slope with an abundance of marine life, allows a maximum bottom time while giving new divers an opportunity to develop a level of comfort and confidence in their newly learned skills.

To help us keep our reefs healthy for many years to come, we do encourage all divers traveling to Bonaire to familiarize themselves with the Marine Park regulations prior to their visit.

Best dive sites on bonaireAccording to some

Milou - Buddy Dive Instructor January '20

Salt Pier

Between the pillars of the Salt Pier, you don’t know where to look. It is full of life, the pillars are overgrown with colorful sponges, there are schools of fishes and little critters hiding between the corals. This divesite is a shallow playground for divers.

Dave - Guest November '19

Country Garden

This boat dive is one of my favorites! In the shallows you’ll find large boulders that fell of the steep shore once. Nowadays they are overgrown with coral and form a beautiful hiding place for fish. It is a super relaxed dive if you cruise slowly between these boulders looking for

Danny - Buddy Dive Instructor January '20

Karpata

The shallow plateau with lots of gorgonians and seafans is a great place to spot turtles. Once you come to the drop off you will find a stunning steep wall. You can look for the big anchors that lay there, they are covered with corals, but you can still see the shape. I am always amazed by this beautiful healthy reef.

Get the most out of your dive with aprivate dive guide

Are you an avid shore diver and wish to step it up a notch, or simply need an experienced Dive Master that can actively assist in gear preparation, shore entry techniques and yes, point out some neat critters?

At Buddy Dive we offer private dive guide services. Whether it is day or night, we offer a private dive guide to join you. The private dive guide service can be tailored to your experience, comfort level and other wishes.

The private dive guide service offers you flexible schedules and can be booked for just you and your buddy or for the whole family and helps you getting the most out of your dive holiday.

Bonaire has unique conditions for shore diving; calm seas and overall easy access. We have selected a few dive sites which are ideal to dive with your private dive guide; either because the sea entry is a little trickier or because the site offers some unique underwater features.

Your private dive guide is more than happy to show you our beautiful under water world. For private dive guide prices, click here

We are the world’s shore diving wonderland!