the PDF file - Dive Friends Bonaire

News Splash
V O L U M E
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Digital Under-
1
water Cameras
Debris Free
1
Bonaire
What’s New at
2
Dive Friends
Karel’s Clean
2
Up Dive
Meet Tim @
3
Port Bonaire
Expect the
3
Unexpected
Letter from the
4
(Assistant)
Manager
Join our Mailing
List
4
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N U M B E R
1
W I N T E R
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Take only pictures, leave only bubbles….
Underwater photography is one of the most
popular diving specialties, and the rise of digital
underwater photography
has made it easier and
more fun than ever. If
you’ve ever been interested in trying it out, the
PADI Digital Underwater
Photographer course is the
best possible introduction
to today’s modern digital
equipment. You’ll learn about the different
types of cameras available if you’re wondering
what type to buy. Or if you already have your
own, the course can be modified for a point-and
-shoot snap camera or a sophisticated D-SLR
like the pros. Before, during and after this two
dive specialty, you’ll learn how to choose the
right underwater camera system for you, the
PADI SEA (Shoot, Examine, Adjust) method
for getting great shots quickly, the three primary principles for good underwater photos,
and you’ll have a great time while you’re at it.
The best part is that it's a great way to relive the
Debris Free Bonaire!
adventures you’ve had and capture images to
share with your friends and family. Inside of the
Bonaire Marine Park, you’re
pretty much always over the
fragile coral substrate so we recommend this course for divers
with top-notch buoyancy skills.
If you feel like you need a bit
more practice, there’s always the
PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course to improve your
skills. If you don’t have an underwater camera—no problem! We have Olympus cameras
available for rent. It’s a great opportunity to try
before you buy.
This specialty is one of our Instructors’ favorite
courses to teach so our students always have a
blast (and have the photos to prove it….) To
save time on your vacation, you can even complete the academic work in advance by using
PADI eLearning. Click here to sign up! For
more information visit www.dive-friendsbonaire.com or email [email protected].
With all of our fantastic volunteers, we are making serious
headway on the mess of Bonaire’s east coast! On December
11th, we had a group of 20 volunteers who were all working on the Holland America Noordam who came to volunteer. They filled the entire container AND the back of our truck in
about 1 hour! Then, on January 5th, a group of 14 divers from the Rochester Institute of
Technology had another massive collection. Please email
[email protected] or visit
www.debrisfreebonaire.com for more information.
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What’s New @ Dive Friends Bonaire

New faces! We’re happy to welcome Instructors
Michiel (NL), Lars (NL), Jessie (NL), Devin (USA)
and Christina (Austria) to our team.

We also have a few PADI Divemaster trainees
around. You might see Ashton (USA), Ingrid (NL),
Chris (Australia) or Linnea (Denmark) conducting rescue exercises or skill training around at the dive
schools.

It’s so hard to say goodbye to Patrick (aka Elvis),
Esther & Liz who are on their way to new adventures!

Our August PADI Instructor
Development Course is coming up
fast! Take the next step and sign up
now!

Stay tuned to the Dutch TV
show “Wij Nederland”
www.wijNederland.tv because you might see a familiar
face...our very own Asko Zuidam gave an interview for
part of their feature about Bonaire.

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Dive Friends @ Dive Inn will be offering addi-
tional Ocean Reef Full Face Mask training as an International Training Center. Ask about the PADI Underwater Communications Distinctive
Clean Up Dive @ Karel’s Pier
On Saturday, January 11, 2014, 122 volunteer divers
collected their free tanks from Dive Friends @ Yellow
Submarine and headed over to Karel’s Pier. Karel’s is a
very popular restaurant and night club located on a pier.
Every year, a large volume of beverage bottles and cups
are blown overboard. This site is also the subject of
some controversy. There are plans in place to construct
an additional recreational pier that has many island residents objecting to additional construction inside of the
Bonaire Marine Park.
Asko provided a safety briefing and dedicated the dive to
the recently deceased Albert Bianculli, a long-time resident of Bonaire and frequent volunteer at the clean-up
dives.
The debris collected by volunteers definitely reflected
that the clean-up took place around a popular bar. Volunteers collected 796 glass beverage bottles, 83 cans, 92
bottle caps, 304 plastic cups, 877 glass fragments, 66
pieces of fishing line, 16 items of clothing, 10 towels,
208 plastic fragments, 10 shoes and much more. A total
of 2,771 items were removed from the marine environment.
That evening, all participants and their families were
welcomed back for a Pot Luck BBQ and raffle at Hamlet
Oasis. Sponsors for the event include: Deep Blue Gear,
Ouray, Selibon, Bonaire Food Group, Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, Reef Safe Suncare, Body Glove, Native
Outfitters, Reef and Tusa.
The next quarterly Dive Friends Bonaire underwater
cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, April 19th, 2014.
Specialty.

We’ve remodeled our store,
Dushi Shoes and are making it
into an exclusive store for REEF
clothing and shoes.

The 2014 Duikvaker dive
show in Utrecht was a great success! Asko represented
DFB and met up with quite a few of our former crew.

Want to buy someone a cold drink? Any of our
crew with a good review on www.TripAdvisor.com
will get a free after-work beer !
Additional information about the cleanups is available at:
http://www.dive-friends-bonaire.com/
activities.html#cleanups and you can check out the video
here. All are welcome to join in.
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Meet Tim @ Port Bonaire (& his new compressor)
Where did you start diving?
First time was at the Earls Court
Boat Show in London, in a blow up
pool around 1986. I got my cert in St
Maarten with Pelican Divers in 1992
I think. Garth Stein was my instructor.
When did you come to Bonaire?
I first came to Bonaire in 1994 and
stayed at The Lions Dive Hotel. I've
been back and forth on holiday regularly.
Why did you come to Bonaire?
My wife was offered a teaching job
at the high school. It was a no
brainer for
me to decide what I
wanted to
do. It was
an opportunity that
was just
too good to
miss. My
hobby / obsession is now my job.
How long have you worked for
Dive Friends?
I started at Dive Inn in July 2012. I
also worked at Yellow Sub before
moving to Port.
When did you become manager of
Port Bonaire?
December 2013
What new services are you offering there?
Guided dives on the south side.
Sidemount, Self Reliant Diver,
Shore Diver, Full Face Mask. A
whole array of Specialty Courses as
well as the regular courses. We are
also offering night dives to the
south, for example Salt Pier and the
Hilma Hooker (for the more experienced). We also have all the rental
gear here, including UV Lights for
rental.
How's the new compressor?
Not iPhone or android for me. A
touch screen compressor, can’t get
3
any better than that. We are also
expecting a second compressor in
the very near future.
What's your favorite dive site?
Tailor Made! Reminds me how Bonaire's reef was when I first came
here. There is a very good description in our Dive Guide. Of course I
also love diving The Windjammer.
For all the tekkies. We can arrange
guided dives there too!
Anything else exciting that your
adoring public needs to know?
The classroom is in the process of
refurbishment and we are also making a work-space for any equipment
services. In theory, when you arrive
you cross the road to Port, do the
paper work etc and we can have you
in the water in under an hour. How
good is that? ;)
For more information, please visit
www.dive-friends-bonaire.com or
email [email protected].
Expect the unexpected with the PADI Rescue Diver course
Bonaire is famous for our diving freedom. It’s Divers Paradise. Just you and your buddy out there, diving wherever
and whenever you feel like it. Conditions are usually flat calm and many sites rarely even have much current. How
could you possibly have a problem, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, accidents happen. Luckily, most of them are pretty
small and quite simple to manage if you have the proper training. Most can be easily prevented by proper pre-dive
planning. The PADI Rescue Diver course was designed to give you the skills to deal with the most commonly occurring dive problems. Even if you (knock on wood) never, ever need to use your Rescue Diver training, you will have a
whole new attitude and awareness about accident prevention.
Talk to any PADI Rescue Diver that you know. They will all tell
you that it was the most FUN and rewarding course that they’ve
ever taken. But be ready to call upon your acting skills, as
chances are you will need to pretend to be a distressed or panicking diver in the in-water scenarios. This course will take your
skills and confidence to a whole new level. And let’s face it, how
cool will you feel when you whip out your PADI Rescue Diver
card the next time you go diving? For more information, please visit
www.dive-friends-bonaire.com or email [email protected].
Bon Dia Dive Friends!
It’s been quite the busy “busy season” this year. In addition to
providing shore & boat diving, we’ve been averaging about 100
dive certifications per month. And I don’t mean only Open Water
courses, it’s Advanced, Rescue, Digital Underwater Photographer, Deep, Wreck, Nitrox and our very own Shore Dive Distinctive Specialty. Not to mention a few awesome Divemasters.
All this training really keeps our Instructors on their toes. Seriously, you can’t teach a Rescue Diver course without having topnotch rescue skills.
Dive Friends Bonaire
Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
Phone: +599 717 2929
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.dive-friends-bonaire.com
Without Blue there is no Green!
I’m always so proud to see how many divers walk in with certification cards that were issued by Dive Friends Bonaire and then
sign up for even more training. And any Instructor will tell you
how great it feels to see their name as the certifying Instructor on
your card.
We hope to see you soon at Dive Friends Bonaire,
Carolyn Caporusso
Assistant General Manager
[email protected]
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Receiving a Project AWARE Award for Outstanding Efforts Ensuring Ocean Protection!