Bonaire conditions in Feb?

I'm considering either Bonaire or Cayman for a week in mid February.
Haven't been down there during that time of year before.
Planning a week of combo boat/shore diving...
Anyone know what the weather conditions are like?

"John & Jen" <jen@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:UU_Kb.776778$Fm2.753770@attbi_s04...
> I'm considering either Bonaire or Cayman for a week in mid February.
> Haven't been down there during that time of year before.
> Planning a week of combo boat/shore diving...
> Anyone know what the weather conditions are like?


With regard to Bonaire February is a**great** time to go. Air temps are in
the mid-80's, water temps in the low 80's. February is just after "rainy
season" (if anything on Bonaire could actually be called that), so standing
water is about gone and bugs are at a minimum. Even though it is still
considered "high" season most resorts have preferable pricing and the island
is not as full of visitors as other times of the year. I think February is a
great time to visit Bonaire.

As far as Cayman goes, if you are talking Grand Cayman, and not to be a
smart-ass, I don't think there is anytime during the year that makes Grand
Cayman a worthwhile visit. Brac and Little Cayman are another story but do
maintain "high season" pricing during February. Personally I like staying on
Brac and diving both LC and Brac from there as the diving on Brac is far
better than reported in most comments and conversations since Bloody Bay
seems to overshadow talk of diving anywhere else in the islands. In fact,
**overall** I like Brac diving more, with the sole exception of a couple
spots on LC. Of course this is a preference issue and other might disagree
with me (Bling-Bling can probably cite webpage that does), but I doubt
anyone would disagree with the notion that GC is pretty beat up and burned
out compared to the good and better diving found at either Brac, LC or both.
One caveat: last time I dived Cayman (Grand, Brac and Little) was in 2000
for a couple weeks.

"William Rampartson" <nosp@m.com> wrote in message
news:Dd%Kb.44$TJ5.83898@news.uswest.net...
>
>, but I doubt
> anyone would disagree with the notion that GC is pretty beat up and burned
> out compared to the good and better diving found at either Brac, LC or
both.

The East End of GC is not beat up and is off the beaten track. Hotels are
cheaper, diving is better and less restrictive and the area attracts a more
dive oriented crowd and is quiet.

Chris




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"Chris Pflaum" <cpflaum@everestkc.net> wrote in message
news:3ffcb8bc$1_3@corp.newsgroups.com...
>
> "William Rampartson" <nosp@m.com> wrote in message
> news:Dd%Kb.44$TJ5.83898@news.uswest.net...
> >
> >, but I doubt
> > anyone would disagree with the notion that GC is pretty beat up and
burned
> > out compared to the good and better diving found at either Brac, LC or
> both.
>
> The East End of GC is not beat up and is off the beaten track. Hotels are
> cheaper, diving is better and less restrictive and the area attracts a
more
> dive oriented crowd and is quiet.

Not to be argumentative, but when I said that I believed Grand Cayman was
beat up I wasn't excluding the East End. Back when Tzimoulis was calling GC
the "Superbowl of Scuba" the East End was the worst of it. Today it looks
good to some because of the precipitous fall of West Bay, South Sound and
North Wall.. If I was speaking in a comparative sense I would indeed say the
East is the best diving on Cayman. But that doesn't equate to saying it is
good diving.

I cannot, for any reason, think why anyone would choose Grand Cayman for a
dedicated scuba diving trip. That money would get someone a quality diving
experience in many other locales. But as I said to the original poster it is
indeed a matter of preference and perspective

"William Rampartson" <nosp@m.com> wrote in message
news:Ya3Lb.106$TJ5.137663@news.uswest.net...

> I cannot, for any reason, think why anyone would choose Grand Cayman for a
> dedicated scuba diving trip. That money would get someone a quality diving
> experience in many other locales. But as I said to the original poster it
is
> indeed a matter of preference and perspective

> indeed a matter of preference and perspective

Exactly.

Time and convenience are a couple reasons, much more important to me than
money. I can leave my house at 5 a.m. and be in Grand Cayman at 5:30 p.m.
the same day with only 5.5 hours of flight time and an hour layover in
Houston. That's why I'll be there for a 4-night "quickie" dive trip in
mid-Feb - the return flight doesn't fly out until late afternoon so I can
get in 3 full days of diving. And there's no way I can get away for much
longer right now or my partner would kill me.

As a west coaster, my other options for quick trips suck this time of year:
Cozumel gets its "northers" and way too many cruseros, Hawaii and Florida
are cold, and Baja California is absolutely frigid. The food is good on GC
(Papagallos for Valentine's is hard to beat), the hotels are nice, and the
diving isn't all that bad when I consider the alternatives. I saw more
pelagics on one dive off the north wall there than I did in 9 days in
Bonaire.

"Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> wrote in message
news:3ffd8807$0$75807$6c56adcd@news.qnet.com...

> Time and convenience are a couple reasons, much more important to me than
> money.

I didn't mean money in the sense of quantity but money in the sense of value
and return via quality of diving. I too agree Cayman is a great destination,
but I tend to think of it in terms of beach, accomodations and activities
rather than scuba. GC is a great beach vacation. If I was going to the
Caymans for a 4 day quickie *scuba* trip GC would be but a stopping point to
catch a hopper over to either one of the sister islands. Charter hoppers to
match your international schedule are very inexpensive if the scheduled
hoppers don't make sense.

> I can leave my house at 5 a.m. and be in Grand Cayman at 5:30 p.m.
> the same day with only 5.5 hours of flight time and an hour layover in
> Houston. That's why I'll be there for a 4-night "quickie" dive trip in
> mid-Feb <small snip>

> As a west coaster, my other options for quick trips suck this time of
year:
> Cozumel gets its "northers" and way too many cruseros, Hawaii and Florida
> are cold, and Baja California is absolutely frigid. The food is good on
GC
> (Papagallos for Valentine's is hard to beat), the hotels are nice, and the
> diving isn't all that bad when I consider the alternatives. I saw more
> pelagics on one dive off the north wall there than I did in 9 days in
> Bonaire.

I wouldn't go to Stingray City and then say I saw more coral in Bonaire. I
expect sand and rays at Stingray City, and I expect coral, tropicals and the
minutia at 1,000 Steps. We were covered with pelagics while diving the
Windward side of Bonaire. It is more than a matter of what country you
visit. You have island/country choice, then locale choice and then site
choice. What you see and experience often is limited or enhanced by your own
decisions. I also think what your appreciation of any locale or site is, is
molded by your overall travel/scuba experience.

"Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> wrote in message
news:3ffd8807$0$75807$6c56adcd@news.qnet.com...
> "William Rampartson" <nosp@m.com> wrote in message
> news:Ya3Lb.106$TJ5.137663@news.uswest.net...
>
> > I cannot, for any reason, think why anyone would choose Grand Cayman for
a
> > dedicated scuba diving trip. That money would get someone a quality
diving
> > experience in many other locales. But as I said to the original poster
it
> is
> > indeed a matter of preference and perspective
>
> > indeed a matter of preference and perspective
>
> Exactly.
>
> Time and convenience are a couple reasons, much more important to me than
> money. I can leave my house at 5 a.m. and be in Grand Cayman at 5:30 p.m.
> the same day with only 5.5 hours of flight time and an hour layover in
> Houston. That's why I'll be there for a 4-night "quickie" dive trip in
> mid-Feb - the return flight doesn't fly out until late afternoon so I can
> get in 3 full days of diving. And there's no way I can get away for much
> longer right now or my partner would kill me.
>
> As a west coaster, my other options for quick trips suck this time of
year:
> Cozumel gets its "northers" and way too many cruseros, Hawaii and Florida
> are cold, and Baja California is absolutely frigid. The food is good on
GC
> (Papagallos for Valentine's is hard to beat), the hotels are nice, and the
> diving isn't all that bad when I consider the alternatives. I saw more
> pelagics on one dive off the north wall there than I did in 9 days in
> Bonaire.

I really like the north wall on Grand Cayman. The island also has better
shore diving than either of the other Caymans, Cozumel, and/or any of the
Bahamas I'm familiar with.

Lee

That's a big part of it...
Coming from the San Jose/Bay Area (CA) it's pretty tough to get anywhere
other than GC, San Juan, or the Bahamas in a day.
The east coasters probably don't realize that it's cheaper to go all the way
to the Caribbean from here & dive for a week than go to Hawaii...
If I have only a week off & have to lose 2 days on each end due to travel,
that's a big consideration.
I'm having a tough time getting back & forth to Bonaire without losing a
couple of days.
It's a lot easier from the east coast, I'm sure.
If I could find someplace else that had decent flights, good diving, and
cheap prices, I'd try it in a heartbeat.
Spent a week at LCBR on Little Cayman last summer. It was terrific, but I
dive with my teenage son, & he may have been the only teenager on the
island. A couple of little kids with a family, but mostly an "adult" scene.

By the way, not to get off topic, but any comments on the weather mid-Feb? I
checked the weather today & it was 20-25kt winds - not great diving weather.
When does it start improving?

> > Time and convenience are a couple reasons, much more important to me
than
> > money. I can leave my house at 5 a.m. and be in Grand Cayman at 5:30
p.m.
> > the same day with only 5.5 hours of flight time and an hour layover in
> > Houston. That's why I'll be there for a 4-night "quickie" dive trip in
> > mid-Feb - the return flight doesn't fly out until late afternoon so I
can
> > get in 3 full days of diving. And there's no way I can get away for
much
> > longer right now or my partner would kill me.
> >
> > As a west coaster, my other options for quick trips suck this time of
> year:
> > Cozumel gets its "northers" and way too many cruseros, Hawaii and
Florida
> > are cold, and Baja California is absolutely frigid.

"John & Jen" <jen@yahoo.com> wrote

> By the way, not to get off topic, but any comments on the weather mid-Feb?
I
> checked the weather today & it was 20-25kt winds - not great diving
weather.
> When does it start improving?

When God so wills it. I wish he'd will it soon.

I presume we're on opposite coasts, but I'm having the same problem you are.
Wind and seas are no conducive to boating.

Lee

"John & Jen" <jen@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:6BrLb.4361$I06.40669@attbi_s01...
> That's a big part of it...
> Coming from the San Jose/Bay Area (CA) it's pretty tough to get anywhere
> other than GC, San Juan, or the Bahamas in a day.
> The east coasters probably don't realize that it's cheaper to go all the
way
> to the Caribbean from here & dive for a week than go to Hawaii...
> If I have only a week off & have to lose 2 days on each end due to travel,
> that's a big consideration.
> I'm having a tough time getting back & forth to Bonaire without losing a
> couple of days.
> It's a lot easier from the east coast, I'm sure.
> If I could find someplace else that had decent flights, good diving, and
> cheap prices, I'd try it in a heartbeat.
> Spent a week at LCBR on Little Cayman last summer. It was terrific, but I
> dive with my teenage son, & he may have been the only teenager on the
> island. A couple of little kids with a family, but mostly an "adult"
scene.
>
> By the way, not to get off topic, but any comments on the weather mid-Feb?
I
> checked the weather today & it was 20-25kt winds - not great diving
weather.
> When does it start improving?

Hopefully Feb 10, since I arrive the 11th. Mother Nature owes me one, so I
can almost promise you good weather for mid-February. But I'd disagree with
your Caribbean/Hawaii comparison when it comes to Grand Cayman. I don't
find it much different pricewise and I can easily get cheaper (and nonstop)
air to Hawaii. My problem with Hawaii right now is the water in the low
70s. I'm taking someone who hasn't been diving in a couple years, so the
possibility of easy and much warmer "refresher" dives at Eden Rock or
Stingray City is appealing to me, with the temptation of deeper wall dives
as soon as she gets the hang of it again. Plus I won't come back all banged
up, bug bitten, and travel weary like my recent visit to the wild jungles of
Bonaire.

I'd suggest Air Jamaica to you as a quick route to Bonaire, except that it
sucks. Next time I'm taking Contintental to Caracas or Aruba and making my
way from there no matter how much more time it takes.