Looking for something new?
Dive with enriched air nitrox, learn how to shore dive independently, penetrate a ship wreck, take amazing underwater photos, improve your buoyancy, dive with an integrated dive mask (full face mask), find out how your equipment works, and more. Dive Friends Bonaire offers a wide range of specialty diver courses.
Click on the titles below to find out more information about each specialty.
Chances are that you’re visiting Bonaire because you want to spend as much time underwater as possible. Nitrox is the perfect way to extend your bottom time.
This course is so popular that it’s been streamlined so that you can get it out of the way quickly and easily on your vacation.
Minimum Age: 12
Number of Dives: 0
Approximate Time: Half day
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $130 **eLearning options available**
Shore diving is quite different from boat diving, so in this course we teach you everything that you need to know to safely conduct shore dives. You’ll learn how to pick your dive sites (with your complimentary copy of Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy), plan your dives, choose entry and exit points, navigate and problem-solve.
At the end of the course you will earn a PADI specialty card and be certified to confidently conduct shore dives with a buddy.
Minimum Age: 10
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: 1.5 days
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $195
See the sights of Bonaire that you can’t get to as a shore diver while you’re learning important safety procedures about diving from a boat (and have fun with an instructor as your buddy while you’re doing it).
Minimum Age: 10
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: Half day
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $220
After your first few scuba dives, you soon want to explore a bit deeper. There’s something exciting and mysterious about the depth that attracts divers. During this course you’ll get the opportunity to plan and execute dives to explore the deep down to 130 feet/40 meter. It’s exhilarating!
Minimum Age: 15
Number of Dives: 4
Approximate Time: 1.5 days
Prerequisites: Adventure Diver
Price per person: $260
Bonaire is lucky to be home to the world-famous Wreck of the Hilma Hooker. Many divers visit her, but few have unlocked her secrets. During this course, you’ll study the history of the wreck, map the site, learn wreck diving techniques, and experience a wreck penetration.
Minimum Age: 15
Number of Dives: 4
Approximate Time: 1.5 days
Prerequisites: Adventure Diver
Price per person: $260
Ever wondered what that fish’s name is? Aspire to be a marine biologist? Learn the basic principles of biodiversity survey methodology, while learning the names of every fish that you see. The data collected can be turned into to the REEF Fish Survey Project.
Minimum Age: 10
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: Half day
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $150
In cooperation with Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, Dive Friends Bonaire has created a new PADI Distinctive Specialty that is unique in the world. During the two-dive specialty, students will learn more about Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, sea turtle behavior, nesting, identifying characteristics of the different species, threats to sea turtles and their habitats, and how to help.
We conduct this course over 1 day, starting with a one-hour theory session, followed by 2 dives. The price for this course is $150 per person excluding tanks and equipment. Students are supporting Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire simply by taking the course because a portion of the proceeds are donated to the program.
Minimum Age: 12
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: 1 day
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $195
The new PADI/ Project AWARE Dive Against Debris Specialty is designed to equip divers of all experience levels with better knowledge of debris issues and empower them with the skills to complete ongoing Dive Against Debris surveys.
From planning the dive to reporting the debris data, the Dive Against Debris Distinctive Specialty prepares students to participate and support regular Dive Against Debris surveys, join other surveys, or, in case of more experienced divers, to start surveys of their own.
Minimum Age: 12
Number of Dives: 1
Approximate Time: half day
Prerequisites: Open Water Diver Certification or Junior Open Water Diver Certification
Price per person: Suggested minimum donation of $150. Proceeds go towards Project AWARE.
Whether you’re new to night diving or they’re your favorite time to dive, this is a great course to learn more about planning, safety, navigation, dive lights, and the nocturnal creatures of Bonaire!
Minimum Age: 12
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: 2 evenings
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $260
Ever looked at your dive guides and thought “gee, I wish I could glide through the water like them?” If the answer is “yes,” then this course if for you! There are so many things that we can teach you about proper weighting, body positioning, breathing, and BCD usage that will have you looking like a pro in no time!
Minimum Age: 10
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: Half day
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $150
If you’ve ever lost something in the water and wanted to go find it, then the PADI Search and Recovery Diver Specialty course is for you. There are effective ways to search for objects underwater that increase your chances of success. And there are good and better methods to bring up small, large or just awkward items. Search and recovery can be challenging, but a whole lot of fun.
Minimum Age: 12
Number of Dives: 4
Approximate Time: 1.5 days
Prerequisites: Advanced Open Water Certification or Junior Advanced Open Water Certification
Price per person: $260
After this course, you will have a new appreciation for the marine ecology of Bonaire! Not only will you learn more about the names of the various fish, creatures, corals, and plants that you see on every dive, you will also observe how they interact with each other and why they behave the way that they do. Your dives will never be the same!
Minimum Age: 10
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: 1 day
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $150
Not being sure if you can find your way back to the boat or to your exit point causes a lot of stress for divers. It’s the number one reason why divers want to pay extra to have a guide along with them. During this course, you will practice techniques and learn skills that will make you confident that you can find your way back.
Minimum Age: 10
Number of Dives: 3
Approximate Time: 1.5 days
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $260
Capture your beautiful memories of Bonaire with an underwater photography course. If you’ve just purchased a camera or are thinking about it, this course is essential. You’ll learn a lot of tips and tricks for camera care, compensating for the different light spectrum underwater, shooting marine life, and sharing your photos with friends.
Minimum Age: 10
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: 1 day
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification or Junior Open Water Certification
Price per person: $185
During the Self-Reliant Diver program, you are trained to plan your dives so you can respond to emergencies independently, whether you are diving with a partner, team, or alone. Self-reliant divers practice until they are comfortable with self-rescue skills and carry redundant equipment so that in an emergency, the diver is equipped and prepared to react independently. To dive without a partner requires diligence and experience, and has a prerequisite of Advanced certification and proof of more than 100 dives.
Minimum Age: 18
Number of Dives: 3
Approximate Time: 1.5 days
Prerequisites: Advanced Certification with 100 dives
Price per person: $260
The side-mount system is crossing over from the technical side of diving and becoming more accessible to recreational divers. It’s a simple harness style BCD with strategically placed D-rings to attach two smaller tanks on either side of you, instead of one large one on your back. It’s extremely comfortable, customizable, and offers the extra redundancy of having two separate air systems. Diving with the side-mount system takes some additional training to learn how to set up, work with the tanks, keep an even air supply between tanks to stay balanced and to switch between your two regulators. If you’ve been thinking about trying tech diving, this is the perfect way to become acquainted with a few tech diving techniques in an easy and comfortable way to see if it’s for you.
Minimum Age: 15
Number of Dives: 3
Approximate Time: 1.5 days
Prerequisites: Advanced Certification
Price per person: $260
Until recently, full face masks were only used by the military and professional divers, but now recreational divers are getting in on the fun! It’s easier than you think and once you try it you won’t want to go back. No more leaking/fogging mask or jaw fatigue. You can breathe naturally through your nose and experience a wider field of vision. This is the next generation of diving!
Visit our OCEAN REEF IDM (Full Face Mask) page for more information about integrated dive masks.
Minimum Age: 15
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: 1 day
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification & a minimum of 10+ logged dives
Price per person: $150
Ever wished that you could talk to your buddy while you’re diving? Well, now you can! Now, we’ve all made the joke about having a buddy that would talk too much, ahem. But really, what better way to learn more about fish and creature identification? We can provide you with more information about our amazing marine life then just pointing and making a hand signal. Make your dives more comfortable and enjoyable.
Visit our OCEAN REEF IDM (Full Face Mask) page for more information about integrated dive masks.
Minimum Age: 15
Number of Dives: 2
Approximate Time: 1.5 days
Prerequisites: Open Water Certification & a minimum of 10+ logged dives
Price per person: $150
In the event of a dive emergency, having oxygen on hand as first aid is extremely important. This course teaches you how to safely administer oxygen.
Minimum Age: 10
Number of Dives: 0
Approximate Time: Half day
Prerequisites: None
Price per person: $120
All prices listed include tax, PADI materials and certification fees. Excludes dive equipment, tanks and the $40 Bonaire Marine Park nature fee that will need to be paid by card on your first day.
Specialty Courses * | |
---|---|
Enriched Air Diver/Nitrox (0 Dives) | $130 |
AWARE Dive Against Debris | $150 |
Boat Diver | $220 |
Digital Under Water Photography (not incl. camera) | $185 |
Fish Identification | $150 |
Integrated Dive Mask (Full Face Mask) Diver | $150 |
Integrated Dive Mask (Full Face Mask) Underwater Communication | $150 |
Peak Performance Buoyancy | $150 |
DFB Sea Turtle Conservation | $195 |
Shore Diver | $195 |
Underwater Naturalist | $150 |
Integrated Dive Mask (Full Face Mask) Diver & UW Communication Combo | $260 |
Night Diver | $260 |
Self Reliant Diver (minimum 100+ dives & AOW) | $260 |
Side Mount Diver | $260 |
Underwater Navigator | $260 |
Deep Diver | $260 |
Wreck Diver | $260 |
Search and Recovery Diver | $260 |
Rental Equipment * | |
---|---|
Full rental one day (does not include light or tanks) | $50 |
BCD (per day) | $13 |
Regulator (per day) | $13 |
Mask & Snorkel | $8 |
Dive computer (per day) | $13 |
Digital Under Water Camera (including SD card) | $35 |
Dive Light (per day) | $13 |
Wetsuit (per day) | $13 |
Open heel fins (per day) | $8 |
Aria Full Face Snorkel Mask Rental | $15 |
DIN Adapter | $4 |
Current prices are valid until December 2023. All prices are subject to change.