Sand Dog VIII on Bonaire - the details

[kgehring]

Shipping to Bonaire... 75% chance of not getting there! Ikelite has tried to ship products there to clients and over 50% of the time it never arrived.

[Nemrod]

How is the shipping to Bonaire? Are people planning on shipping their gear, taking it carry-on or checking it?

What are you planning to ship?

I would bring gear that is irreplaceable, like my camera rig, in carry-on and the rest in checked luggage. Outside the USA shipping gear is problematic.

You will not be able to ship tanks and things like that, I seriously doubt. I have tried moving heavy gear like that for other trips, nothing to do with vintage, it is not easy. This is a downside to having SD outside the USA, we will be quite limited as to the gear we can bring and use, I sure have no intention of shipping anything off value that I actually want to continue to possess. I will bring one set of vintage gear and the rest will be that gear in the picture a few posts back, the stuff I use and have spent several years making ultra-light and portable and reliable and comfortable.

Nem

[Creed]

Well, I was thinking of the BC and regulator. I was going to limit myself to my PRAM, mask, fins and possibly a BC. Hadn't decided on which BC. I have an XS back inflate which is nice, but some of the older wings and horsecollar BCs fold up smaller.

I'm really trying to make a go at attending next year. This year was our 15th anniversary, and I've decided that we should celebrate by going somewhere nicer than usual. My wife is looking at getting certified before the fall, so it may all work out wonderfully.

[Nemrod]

I think the standard travel procedure for most places via airline, Bonaire included, domestic or foreign, is to place your dive gear in a dive bag (or suitcase or other obscure looking bag that does not proclaim loudly--EXPENSIVE) and place your cloths in another suitcase and then check them at the counter and upon arrival you go to the baggage claim and pick them up and go through customs. Valuables, medicine, cameras, dive computers, laptops go into the two bags you are allowed to carry on the aircraft. You realize, you are allowed one carry-on suitcase/Pelican case/bag of dimensions that fit in the overhead and one personal item bag which can be your computer backpack loaded with stuff as a carry-on.

If you have bags that weigh over 50 pounds, the airline will charge 50 dollars each over weight charge and 50 dollars more for the second bag I think it is currently and this is each way for each bag.

Some years ago (long time ago) when I was in the Bahamas for several months with my former employer, I tried to have things shipped to me, heavy stuff like dive gear, I just went and bought more, charged it to PPco and went diving. Last year we all researched shipping steel 72 to UNEXCO, I don't recall anyone getting there with steel 72s?? Shipping dive gear to Bonaire makes no sense that I can see other than in the baggage hold of the aircraft you ship yourself to Bonaire in.

James

[Herman]

You guys carry too much stuff.
On my last trip I had 2 DH regs, 2 single hose regs, a spare 1st and 2nd stage, camera gear, 4 lights, batteries and chargers, 2 BCs, 2 sets of fins plus mask, clothes for 2 ( I am proud of the wife, she has gotten great at reducing clothes to a reasonable level) , 1lb of coffee, coffee creamer and several items for a local friend. I had them in 2 checked bags, 2 overhead carry ons and 2 "personal" items. The 2 checked bags were under 45 lbs each. I usually do not carry that much dive gear but I was carrying extra gear.

[Herman]

Here is a link to Buddy dive http://www.buddydive.com/index.php/home

I have a question for the group. Buddy has a news section and list up coming events. I was thinking they might want to include Sand Dog in their news letter and/or upcoming events section. Photos, event description and the like. Anyone have any feeling either way on this?

[Bryan]

Put it in there! Can't hurt a thing. There could be a diver on the island with a sealed case of Spaco Regulators that he wants to give away but is not sure who to give them to ?? He sees the Sand Dog notice and we all get a nice door prize when we arrive It would be great to ship the NAVED banner ahead and have it up at the dive shop too.

[Creed]

Put it in there! Can't hurt a thing. There could be a diver on the island with a sealed case of Spaco Regulators that he wants to give away but is not sure who to give them to ?? He sees the Sand Dog notice and we all get a nice door prize when we arrive It would be great to ship the NAVED banner ahead and have it up at the dive shop too.

I've always been partial to the idea of finding a box of Spaco's in the backroom of an old army surplus store somewhere on the coast.

[bbain]

I checked the Delta flights because I want to use frequent flyer miles on this one.
4/16/2011 DL 663 leaves ATL at 0940; arrives Bonaire (BON) 1359.
4/23/2011 DL 662 leaves BON 1459; arrives ATL 1924.

Both are non-stop.

An award ticket appears to be 60K Skymiles. I have a reservation on hold until 8/1 - I couldn't get any indication from the ticket agent about how many awards seats there were on the plane.

FWIW, the Travelocity price is $844 inc tax. Continental ($905 inc tax) doesn't have any direct flights -- they all arrive the next day, as well. Ugh . . . .

American ($586 plus tax) is 2 stops, wih the hop from Curacao to Bonaire on Insell Air. US Air goes to Curacao for $444, but you'd have to hop the last leg on Insell Air as well.

OK, I'm done surfing the Airline sites now . . . 260 days until Sand Dog VIII

[Herman]

Latest Update.
Sand Dog VIII now has rooms reserved! We have 7x 2br (4 persons) condos and 1 x 1br (2 person) condo reserved at Buddy Dive for April 16-23, 2011. I got the 1 br just in case we ended up with an odd pair or someone just wants a room to themselves. The resort thought it was a good idea to hold it just in case and I agree. We can add,subtract or otherwise rearrange the rooms as we need to until early next year....and you guys owe me $500....jusk kidding...kinda. I had to put a deposit down to hold the rooms but I am going so that will just go to my room cost.

We have gotten permission to use the beach bars grills one night for cooking of the traditional Sand Dogs.
For those of you who have never been to Bonaire, I have an introduction to Bonaire in the works. Things like what to expect, dining, money, driving, shore diving basics and the like.

[Nemrod]

I think the beach vs boat diving thing has been decided for me , I will not be cleared for hiking around in scuba gear for a full year.

Nem

[Herman]

Just thought I would ping the thread and keep it in the back of everyones mind.... I am already want to start packing...

[Bryan]

Rob and I are going tooth diving next month in Venice....I'm going to pretend it's Bonaire with a shorter travel time

[Robohips77]

Latest Update.
Sand Dog VIII now has rooms reserved! We have 7x 2br (4 persons) condos and 1 x 1br (2 person) condo reserved at Buddy Dive for April 16-23, 2011. I got the 1 br just in case we ended up with an odd pair or someone just wants a room to themselves. The resort thought it was a good idea to hold it just in case and I agree. We can add,subtract or otherwise rearrange the rooms as we need to until early next year....and you guys owe me $500....jusk kidding...kinda. I had to put a deposit down to hold the rooms but I am going so that will just go to my room cost.

We have gotten permission to use the beach bars grills one night for cooking of the traditional Sand Dogs.
For those of you who have never been to Bonaire, I have an introduction to Bonaire in the works. Things like what to expect, dining, money, driving, shore diving basics and the like.

Any info is appreciated especially for non divers. sleepless night again while trying to heel this broken hip/femur.

[JES]

Rob and I are going tooth diving next month in Venice....I'm going to pretend it's Bonaire with a shorter travel time

Tooth diving? Shark or Retiree?