When is the best time to dive on Bonaire?

We can be very brief about this: always! After all, the island is not called "Divers Paradise" for nothing. There is not a single "bad" diving period on Bonaire. And that has two simple reasons: the constant weather and the lack of mass tourism. There are roughly two (diving) seasons.

High season (November - April)
The high season on Bonaire runs from November to April. Due to the cold weather in the Netherlands and the north of America, many tourists come to visit the Caribbean sun during this period. It is of course busier in high season than in the other months. Yet you have little trouble with this. Mass tourism has not yet found Bonaire and a large part of the visitors are under water for half the day. And there we still have to spot the first traffic jam ;) The island has so many dive sites that you are often the only one at "your" chosen spot even in high season. And do you already see a car on the side of the road? Then you just grab the next dive site! The ultimate freedom of shore diving!

You are also good in terms of temperatures during this period. The so-called rainy season runs from mid-October to January. We say "so-called", because the rainy season should not have a big name with an average of 25 cm rainfall per year. When it rains, it is often a heavy shower in the morning after which it clears up immediately. The big advantage is that it is also a bit cooler due to the showers. Temperatures of 29 degrees during the day and 25 degrees in the evening make this a wonderful time to visit Bonaire.

Low season (May - October)
The low season is a great time to visit the island for completely different reasons. The hurricane season starts from June. Don't worry, Bonaire is outside the hurricane belt. This means that we only indirectly experience the effects of a hurricane. For example, storms in the region ensure that the wind is pulled away. On these windless days it is possible to dive on the normally rough east coast. Normally there is no diving on this side of the island because the waves hit the shore. On windless days, the sea is so calm that you can easily walk in and out of the water. The east coast offers some spectacular dive sites with untouched coral, large fish (such as nurse sharks and mantas) and huge flocks of turtles. A must for every diver with some experience.

So, in conclusion, we can say that you can plan your dive trip to Bonaire all year round with confidence. It is rare for a dive day to be canceled due to external factors. So check your calendar when it is convenient and discover why Bonaire deserves the name "Divers Paradise” for yourself!

photo credits: Andy (AB Dive instructor)