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Paklijst Duiken Bonaire

Packing list diving trip Bonaire

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What do you take with you on a diving trip to Bonaire?

A diving holiday to Bonaire means enjoying beautiful diving and laid-back island life. But before you leave, it's important to be well prepared. What should you pack in your suitcase? Below you will find lots of tips for the perfectly packed luggage, including a handy packing list diving holiday Bonaire that you can download as a pdf.

Will you bring your own diving equipment or will you rent?

This an important question to ask yourself, because if you are going to rent, you only need to bring a little diving gear and that saves a lot of weight and space in your suitcases. Personally, I want to dive in my own familiar gear. So I take everything with me.

I take all those extra kilos for granted, so I know I have good gear with me. The gear rented by the dive shops on Bonaire is fine by the way! I'm just attached to my own diving equipment! If you rent diving equipment, I recommend you still bring your own mask and dive computer. Your own mask is the most comfortable, fits best and does not leak, and your dive computer does not take up much space and saves you quite a bit on the rental costs.

Dive certificates and logbook

Make sure you have a physical or digital version (e.g. in the SSI app) of your diving licences at hand. This is asked for when renting equipment and also if you dive with a guide or instructor, they will ask for it. I have the certificates digitally, which is handy because that way I don't lose them and it saves on luggage!

I also leave my paper logbook at home. After all, every gram in your dive travel luggage saves! My dive computer stores and saves all dives. On my phone, I enter the date, place and details. When I get home, I write them down in my paper logbook. Just a reminder of the diving trip! But of course you can also just take a digital logbook on your phone, my Shearwater dive computer came with a really nice one that automatically synchronises your data from your computer. All you have to do is fill in the details.

Tips for your diving equipment

Als je je eigen spullen meeneemt, zorg er dan voor dat alles jouw naam heeft. Je zult verrast zijn hoeveel mensen er in precies hetzeflde duikpak duiken als jij.

Neem je ademautomaten mee in je handbagage. Ze zijn kwetsbaar en zijn jouw life-support onderwater, dus je wilt er voorzichtig mee zijn. Zelf pak pak ik ze wel in mijn ruimbagage, omdat mijn onderwaterfotografie apparatuur nog kwetsbaarder is en alle kilo’s en ruimte opslokt. Ik pak de automaten goed in, zodat ze goed beschermt zijn

Bedenk goed wat je nodig hebt. Ik duik thuis altijd met een lamp en losse accu. Die laat ik voor een duikreis naar Bonaire thuis. Scheelt me enorm gewicht en in het heldere water van Bonaire volstaat een normale duiklamp ook.

Wetsuit and dive boots on Bonaire

Bonaire's seawater temperature is around 27/28 degrees Celsius throughout the year. What thickness of diving suit you take for that depends, of course, on how quickly you get cold. On Bonaire, you will see all kinds of different thickness suits passing by, from shorties to dry suits.

I wear my 3mm myself wetsuit Proteus II from Fourth Element, which is a wetsuit for water from 23 and warmer. I really like that suit, supple yet warm enough. After several dives in a day over a long period in a row, I start to get cold faster anyway. I prefer something just on the warm side then. A suit with long sleeves and long legs is not only warmer, it also protects you better. For example, against a jellyfish or if you come out of the water a bit unhappy and stumble. (Happened to me a couple of times on Bonaire, just taking that step at the coral up the wrong way).

When diving on Bonaire, it is important to use sturdy dive shoes with good soles (and therefore adjustable fins with an open heel and a strap). Most shore dives require you to walk over sharp stones and pieces of dead coral to get into the water.

Packing list diving trip Bonaire

Are you properly insured?

It is always wise to take out good diving insurance before travelling anywhere, including Bonaire. While the chances are slim that you will encounter problems, it is nice to know that your medical expenses and any diving-related incidents are covered. For example, look at insurance from DAN (Divers Alert Network).

Also, make sure you have travel insurance that covers your luggage, especially if you bring your own diving gear or camera equipment. Losing or damaging gear can ruin your holiday considerably.

Camera and underwater photography

If you like taking photos underwater, there are a few extra things to bring:

  • Spare O-rings and lubricant: These are essential to prevent leaks in your underwater housing.
  • Stekkerdoos: Because you have so many things you want to charge, think camera and flash batteries, but also dive lights etc, it is handy to bring a power strip. That way you have extra charging options. I gladly sacrifice a bit of weight for that.
  • A world connector: zodat je je Nederlandse stekkerdoos kunt gebruiken. Dit is een aanrader, een wereldstekker én stekkerdoos in één.
  • Microfibre cloth: To keep your lenses clean.

Practical tip: Take a few test shots after each dive to check that everything is working properly, and leave your underwater housing open at night to avoid moisture and condensation. More information on taking your camera on a plane can be found here:

Packing list diving trip Bonaire

Other useful things to bring

  1. Reusable water bottle: Hydration is crucial during a diving holiday. Bonaire has drinkable tap water, so a reusable bottle is ideal. Once you are there, buy a normal, disposable soft drink/water bottle. When you've emptied it, you can refill it with water and freeze it. Then you will always have nice cool water after your dive to drink or to rinse yourself or your camera.
  2. Reef-safe sunscreen: Protect yourself and the coral reef with a sunscreen without harmful chemicals such as oxybenzone.Most standard creams are really bad for marine life.
  3. Eenvoudige strandlakens: Quick-drying, compact towels are perfect for between dives.
  4. First aid kit: Fill your kit with basics like plasters, disinfectant and something against jellyfish or insect bites. I always take a bottle of ear drops with me, too, because I do sometimes get ear problems after many and long dives for a longer period in a row.
  5. Cheap Sunglasses that you can leave behind in the car while diving. The internet always warns about theft on Bonaire. I've never had that experience, felt incredibly safe everywhere, but leaving your expensive sunglasses in plain sight while diving might not be practical either.
  6. A waterproof case For a bit of cash. Can have a nice ice cream on the way back at Gio's.

Money

On Bonaire, you pay with US dollars. It is handy to always have some cash in your pocket. Prefer not to change your euros at Schiphol Airport, as you will pay a lot of extra costs there. Don't worry: there are plenty of cash machines on Bonaire where you can withdraw dollars. Check with your bank in advance what the costs are, because they differ per bank. Do not forget to activate your debit card for use outside Europe, otherwise you will not be able to withdraw money on Bonaire!

Mosquitoes on Bonaire

For the evening, bring long trousers and something with long sleeves. Not that it necessarily gets incredibly cold (although that is quite nice too) but mainly for the mosquitoes. A small bottle of anti-mosquito is also nice for the evening, but don't carry it just before you enter the water. It is usually toxic to marine life.

Of course you'll take your passport, driving licence, bikini, underwear, toiletries etc. with you. For that, I have a handy Packing List diving holiday Bonaire for you. Download it here!

What's not on your Packing List Bonaire?

  • Lead, of course. A waste of weight and unnecessary. Just rent it along with your tanks
  • Your diving tanks. See above😄
  • Anything you can buy there too, like shampoo and shower gel. Saves you weight in the suitcase!
  • Te veel kleding. Je bent toch zo veel mogelijk aan het duiken en daarna draag je iets wat lekker zit. Ik denk altijd: eentje aan en eentje voor als de ander vies is. (ondergoed uitgesloten😄 ) Ik neem dus niet meer dan twee korte broeken mee. Maar misschien ben ik te praktisch ingesteld😄
  • Looking for more tips on diving in Bonaire? Then read on here: Everything you need to know about diving in Bonaire.

I've created a handy packing list for your Bonaire diving holiday! You can easily download it here:

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