scuba diving from cruise ship over age 65 Bonaire

[Cruizann]

My DH and I noticed that on both the Holland America and Royal Carribean cruise ship excursion of a 2 tank dive in Bonaire there is an upper age limit of 65. Is this strictly adhered to. There is no 65 year old age limit to dive on an excursion from the cruise ship in Cozumel, Turks and Caicos or Grand Cayman or Aruba. We will be in Bonaire with Holland America in January and were really looking forward to diving there. Any information is much appreciated.

[J&KCruiser]

My DH and I noticed that on both the Holland America and Royal Carribean cruise ship excursion of a 2 tank dive in Bonaire there is an upper age limit of 65. Is this strictly adhered to. There is no 65 year old age limit to dive on an excursion from the cruise ship in Cozumel, Turks and Caicos or Grand Cayman or Aruba. We will be in Bonaire with Holland America in January and were really looking forward to diving there. Any information is much appreciated.

 

Check the info in the thread on ABC island. Check the multiple shops that are very near the cruise terminal.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2134592

 

John

[LindaSSF]

It is a shop thing rather than a ship rule. There are more dive shops than you would ever want in Bonaire. Look around. I went with the ship dive & was ok with it, but we could have done better.

 

 

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[Cruizann]

It is a shop thing rather than a ship rule. There are more dive shops than you would ever want in Bonaire. Look around. I went with the ship dive & was ok with it, but we could have done better.

 

 

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The dive operator the ship uses is called Dive Friends Bonaire and on their web site they state that there is no upper age limit to dive with them (curiously not if you book the scuba diving excursion with them through Holland America Line). We will try to book a dive with another operator.

[LindaSSF]

It is a shop thing - for their contract with HAL. Other dive shops don't write it into their HAL contract. I actually asked about that. They were trying to avoid frail elders who would have trouble getting into & out of their boats.

 

 

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[BillOh]

It is a shop thing rather than a ship rule. There are more dive shops than you would ever want in Bonaire. Look around. I went with the ship dive & was ok with it, but we could have done better.

 

 

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I don't know about that, I've seen Royal Caribbean stick age/height/weight limits on excursions without the contractor's knowledge.

[crystalbaby]

My wife and I just had that problem in December through Princess in Grand Cayman. Age restriction of 13 to 65. The dive operator was Don Fosters. It was new requirement that took effect after we sailed. Princess informed us two days before the dive so we cancelled the excursion as we are over 65. I emailed the operator but never received a reply. I'm not sure if this applies to all divers or only those through a cruise ship. We dive a lot and never had this restriction.

[LindaSSF]

It is odd - I've seen seniors swim circles around others. I wonder if it is insurance driven?

 

 

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[icsys]

It is odd - I've seen seniors swim circles around others. I wonder if it is insurance driven?

 

 

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Good point but I had assumed that all divers have their own insurance of some kind to cover diving activity?

I have travel insurance that covers me for scuba diving whilst on vacation to 100ft/30m depth provided I am qualified to that depth (which I am).

 

Whenever I have arranged diving in the USA, Mexico or Caribbean, whether independently or through a ship, I have never once been asked if I have, or want to buy, insurance cover.

 

Do the dive operator's have insurance that covers their clients should something go wrong on an organised dive and you need medical attention?

The liability waiver form that all divers are required to sign would suggest not as you are exonerating them of all liability.

Edited January 6, 2015 by icsys

[LindaSSF]

The cruise lines still require each company offering excursions to carry a high level of liability insurance for more than just the actual diving. Insurance is less expensive when strict criteria which would limit potential liability is followed.

[ABQrobin]

I have been to Bonaire on 2 land based trips for scuba and done 20+ dives each time. I totally get what they are doing.

 

Bonaire is known for its shore diving, walk into the water and reef is right there. BUT.... it is not easy to do that at many dive sites. I have fallen in full scuba gear, 50+ lbs of gear on my back, and hit the coral, on entry. It was not pretty! One time a wave hit me, knocked me down, and I went face down in knee deep water and was pushed against the rugged coral ironshore over and over by crashing waves until I could get out past it. I spent 3-4 minutes trying to get myself turned over and my reg in my mouth. (yeah, I made that mistake, once!) I had a bump on my forehead and luckily I was wearing a full wetsuit or I would have had cuts all over my body. And I was in my late 40s at the time. I had a headache for that dive, yes I went in and finished the dive, and then the rest of the day. I had a big scratch on the filter on my video camera from the coral, too. Lesson learned for me.

 

I also had a spill getting into the water another time, but it was a sandy area, so no injuries. The wave hit me just right and I was down.

 

So... what I am saying, is that even younger people can even have a crash-and-burn on the shore entries and exits in Bonaire. The shores have some sand but they are mostly dead coral, known as ironshore, which is jagged and can cut you open like a knife if you fall on it.

 

I think the insurance companies do the age restriction for this reason. The diving once you are underwater is EASY in Bonaire. Really easy. But getting in gear, walking out into the water with 50+ lbs of gear on your back with waves crashing, then getting back out can be HARD. More than once during our trips, we heard people complain about this problem. Some said they would only dive if there was a ladder entry and exit for that reason... no waves! So I think the insurance companies are doing this due to the number of accidents that have happened in the past.

 

My husband and I got in the habit of having him walk out into the water with me, carrying my gear (he left his on shore), getting me suited up, then he would go back onshore and put on his gear and walk back out to meet me while I held his camera and fins. It took longer to do this, but it worked. Then when we got out we reversed the order. Just the precautions we learned on our trips there.

 

Now, the Diving Excursions may be boat diving, which I find easier... but I bet they are not. Or they might just have this a a RULE for all diving due to getting sued for injuries from shore diving.

 

just my thoughts.

[Cruizann]

I have been to Bonaire on 2 land based trips for scuba and done 20+ dives each time. I totally get what they are doing.

 

Bonaire is known for its shore diving, walk into the water and reef is right there. BUT.... it is not easy to do that at many dive sites. I have fallen in full scuba gear, 50+ lbs of gear on my back, and hit the coral, on entry. It was not pretty! One time a wave hit me, knocked me down, and I went face down in knee deep water and was pushed against the rugged coral ironshore over and over by crashing waves until I could get out past it. I spent 3-4 minutes trying to get myself turned over and my reg in my mouth. (yeah, I made that mistake, once!) I had a bump on my forehead and luckily I was wearing a full wetsuit or I would have had cuts all over my body. And I was in my late 40s at the time. I had a headache for that dive, yes I went in and finished the dive, and then the rest of the day. I had a big scratch on the filter on my video camera from the coral, too. Lesson learned for me.

 

I also had a spill getting into the water another time, but it was a sandy area, so no injuries. The wave hit me just right and I was down.

 

So... what I am saying, is that even younger people can even have a crash-and-burn on the shore entries and exits in Bonaire. The shores have some sand but they are mostly dead coral, known as ironshore, which is jagged and can cut you open like a knife if you fall on it.

 

I think the insurance companies do the age restriction for this reason. The diving once you are underwater is EASY in Bonaire. Really easy. But getting in gear, walking out into the water with 50+ lbs of gear on your back with waves crashing, then getting back out can be HARD. More than once during our trips, we heard people complain about this problem. Some said they would only dive if there was a ladder entry and exit for that reason... no waves! So I think the insurance companies are doing this due to the number of accidents that have happened in the past.

 

My husband and I got in the habit of having him walk out into the water with me, carrying my gear (he left his on shore), getting me suited up, then he would go back onshore and put on his gear and walk back out to meet me while I held his camera and fins. It took longer to do this, but it worked. Then when we got out we reversed the order. Just the precautions we learned on our trips there.

 

Now, the Diving Excursions may be boat diving, which I find easier... but I bet they are not. Or they might just have this a a RULE for all diving due to getting sued for injuries from shore diving.

 

just my thoughts.

 

Bonaire excursion is a 2-tank boat dive. My DH followed up with HAL on age restriction who said he could dive with doctors note, then with with Dive Friends who indicated no one over 65 allowed. HAL contacted Dive Friends on behalf of my DH - they said NO!

[ABQrobin]

Glad you found someone to take you out diving. I was not saying that I agreed with the dive op and their insurance restrictions, just saying in Bonaire I can understand why they are so strict.

We dive with Buddy Dive ourselves and like them. The shore dive at their resort is the best shore dive in the Caribbean... it has ladder entry and exit, with a rope leading you out to reef and back. The reef is very nice and tons of fish. Some of the dive staff there can be flaky, but most are good.

 

photo of Buddy Dive