I travelled to Bonaire with a group of 9 dive friends. We really enjoyed our stay at Buddy Dive. Everthing ready for diving and the dive site at the hotel pier is fantastic! People at hotel is friendly and helpful and solved almost every little problem a group of 10 people had. Internet acess was a little expensive comparing to the connection provided (very slow!) But we could talk to our children through skype (turning the video off). We will certainly come back!

I returned yesterday from a fantastic dive vacation in Bonaire. My friend & I decided to stay at Buddy Dive for a relaxing week. Not much time to relax (self inflicted) since you can dive several times a day. The home reef was our favorite & we logged 8 dives on Buddy's reef alone.

Our first night was spent in a studio in the older section & it was just awful. It was too late to make a change, so I spoke with the manager the next morning. She upgraded us to a one bedroom with air throughout (not all rooms have air conditioning in the living areas). While I wouldn't say it was great, it served it's purpose. It was a bit worn, but our friends landed a room in the remodeled section & it was nicer and updated. We had a much better view from the upstairs balcony & could dine & relax overlooking the water. The kitchen is tiny, but had a full size fridge, micro & stove. We didn't spend much time in our room, as you go to Buddy to dive!

The dive staff is amazing. Everyone is very friendly, but professional with safety in mind. We spent most of the week doing boat dives & only ventured out in the included truck once for a shore dive. In my opinion, it's quite a hassle to load everything in the truck & hike over rocks & sand & surf to get to the reef. They do have a convenient drive thru tank pick-up zone. We took a Nitrox course while we were there since it was only $99. The instructor's are very serious about their jobs & even though you are on vacation, they will make sure you know your stuff (Thanks Francesca!!). I also took a private underwater photo class with John. I highly recommend it & I learned so much. My picture-taking skills improved immediately & I've included a few for the divers to enjoy.

The included breakfast buffet was wonderful & the omelets are super yummy. We only ate in the restaurant once & I thought it was a bit overpriced for what you get (it's not owned by Buddy Dive). The entire staff at Buddy Dive was great. They really do make the place quite enjoyable & I would go back for that reason alone!

We stayed at Buddy Dive for 10 days, and had a great time. This was our first trip to Bonaire, and we will definately go back and most likely stay at Buddy Dive again. Bonaire is pretty casual, and the hotels seem really old and worn, so if you are looking for something really nice and fresh, you probably won't find it. We liked Buddy Dive because it is really a great place for diver's to stay. Our room had AC, which worked GREAT! It had a stove (two of four burners were operable) a microwave, toaster, coffee pot and big refrigerator. There was a small color TV in the room and a phone to contact the front desk and dive shop (didn't work) There was no wireless internet, which was a bummer, because we had to go downthe road to Chat N Browse when we were tired after diving to check our email and contact our offices via Skype. The hot water in the shower is wonderful, and it never ran out. The tap water is perfectly safe to drink, and it tastes good. We had a pretty good little truck, which was included in our package, and we drove it everyday. You NEED a vehicle to shore dive, so make sure you purchase the package with the car. The dive shop was great, and the entire staff at the hotel is terriffic!! The front desk staff, as well as everyone working there are all casually trilingual, and very nice! We did a few boat dives, and I had fun. The crew is EXCELLENT, all are very experienced divers and kept the ship running, well, ship-shape! Nitrox. is. free. everyday. anytime! You can simply drive through their convenient air fill station for your air/nitrox! VERY EASY!
The only negative thing about Bonaire is the crime! We were told not to lock our car, and leave the windows down. We were told not to leave anything in the car. I left my shorts, flips a towel and a pair of yucky sunglasses in the car, and they were always there when I returned from diving. Just be aware. I felt perfectly safe at Buddy Dive, and the room had a safe. The restaurants in town are all good, and there is a nice variety of delicious places to eat. FYI: We really had good meals at a place called Unbelievable. There is another place that serves the best Paella on the island (I thought) called La Guernaca. I highly recommend both places. Enjoy your diving! There is so much to see!

Buddy Dive is perfect for your first dive trip on the island. Rooms are just ok and really pretty standard for the Caribbean. Most divers package includes 1 meal a day, room, diving and truck. The ability to load tanks in the morning and just dive 3-4 different spots on the island is by far the upside to Bonaire.
We did at least 3 dives a day and did I mention FREE Nitrox.......
Having been there once now my second trip would be to rent a private home and do a truck/dive package seperate.

Buddy dive staff is very helpful......and the crew who work the dive center are fantastic.
I did my advanced open water cert on the trip, there was basically private instruction for half of what the group class was here in Florida. Take advantage of the great deals they offer on the diving instruction.

Driving around the island is a breeze, most people should be comfortable by the 3rd trip.
We had a quad cab pick-up, with AC and stick shift. Pretty standard there so make sure you can use the clutch.....lol.

The only trouble we had was the flight schedules. AA who served the island well cut back on their flights which caused us alot of problems. We also had the pleasure of being there during tropical storm Omar which did alot of damage to Buddy dives dock.
I'm sure it's been repaired by now.

Overall Buddy Dive is a great choice for most, I would stay there again no problem.