Diving Bonaire versus Roatan // Comparing Expenses for a Week in December 2020
For dive trip decision making, first I start with a rough estimate of the total costs of each aspect of a dive trip from airfare down to gratuities. If the final figures come out close, then I look at the quality of the diving, or the ease of the transportation, flight lengths, or whatever other considerations will help me break the tie.
Here are my rough estimates of expenses for scuba diving in either Roatan or in Bonaire for a week in December of 2020. Please comment below if I’ve left out anything!
Breakdown of Expenses
| Roatan | Bonaire | |
| $1,920 or less | Total per Person Estimated | $1,790 or more |
| $750-$1,000 | Airfare | $850-$1,000 |
| 6.5 hours through Houston (Juan Manuel Galvez International Airport – RTB) | Flights | 6.5 hours through Atlanta (Non stop from Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Newark, Amsterdam) (Flamingo International Airport) |
| Yes but mostly from the resorts | Shore Diving | Yes |
| CoCo View all inclusive unlimited dives, meals, drinks $1,300 per person | All Inclusives | Eden Beach |
| $45 with Wikkid Divers | Single Dives | $18 one tank and weights or $34 unlimited shore diving per day (60 sites, 8 pickup/dropoff locations) |
| $350 for ten dives with Wikkid | Multiple Dives | $180 unlimited for 6 days through Dive Friends Bonaire |
| $600 for 20 dives with Wikkid | Multiple Dives | $175 unlimited air/Nitrox for 6 days thorough Buddy Dive Resort |
| $250 for 5 dives with West Bay Divers (Wikkid is East side) | Multiple Dives | |
| $480 for 10 dives with West Bay Divers | Multiple Dives | |
| $175 per night ($1,400) or less | Airbnb average 6-8 guests | $200 per night ($1,800) |
| $200 per night | Airbnb average 10 guests | $380 per night |
| $286 each Roatan Divers for 3 nights, 5 dives (less $ with more people) | Packages | |
| $485 each Roatan Divers for 5 nights, 10 dives (less $ with more people) | Packages | |
| $2,140 for 7 nights for 2 people, 20 dives to share, breakfasts at Gran Roatan Resort | Packages | |
| $1,395 for 7 nights ea, 16 dives to share, +dives $45 Sea Scape, car rental $175 week or $30 per day, salt pool, hot tub, kitchenettes | Packages | |
| $950 for 7 nights ea, 10 dives to share, add dives $45, Sea Scape, car rental $175 week or $30 per day, salt pool, hot tub, kitchenettes | Packages | |
| Taxi from airport to West Bay $21, water taxi West Bay to West End $3 | Airport Transfers | |
| $800 for two, Wicked, 7 nights | Hotel Only | |
| $200 a week for a small car (2), $350 week full size truck (4) | Getting Around | $200 a week for a small car (2 people), $250 a week for a small truck (4 people) |
| Question | Need DIN adaptor $3/day? | |
| $4-$7 Breakfast, $5-$7 Lunch, $8-$12 Dinner, beer $2-$3, cocktails $5-$7 | Avg Meal Costs | $3-$10 Breakfast, $9-$15 Lunch, $12-$27 Dinner, beer $2-$4, cocktails ??? Restaurants slow and pricey. |
| Zip lines, zoos, beaches, monkeys, sloths, atv tours | Other things to do in Area | beaches, tours, land sailing, atv tours |
| Must have / know | $25 marine park tag and orientation, never lock rental vehicle, never leave anything in rental vehicle | |
| $100 | Gratuities | $0?? |
| Equals Out | Hotel Night Before Flights | Equals Out |
| Same | Transfer to Airport | Same |
| No see ums and sand fleas | Local Pests | Mosquitoes |
Final Estimates Per Person
| Roatan | Category | Bonaire |
| $1,000 | flight | $1,000 |
| $350 | diving | $180 |
| $233 or much less | Airbnb | $180 |
| $100 | vehicle | $100 |
| $140 | food | $210 |
| $100 | dive gratuities | $0 ?? |
| Airbnb are less expensive | differences | Airbnb are more expensive |
| Food is less expensive | differences | Food is more expensive |
| $1,920 | total estimate | $1,790 |
Some variables are still to be determined – such as what is the typical gratuity for dive shops who handle the unlimited tank drop offs and pick ups in Bonaire.
Another variable is whether or not grocery shopping and cooking our own meals would be a viable alternative.
Some of my Resources:
These are just a few of my sources. I scoured several airfare aggregators, and same with hotel, Airbnb, and dive shops. I looked up local expenses and even restaurant menus. Feel free to add worthy resources in the comments below!
Don’t forget that in many destinations, sunscreens with toxic ingredients are forbidden. Stay reef- and human-safe with Stream2Sea shampoo, conditioner, lip balm, mask defog, sting relief in biodegradable sugar cane resin tubes. Use my code “KimW” to take 10% off your entire order.
Shore diving in Bonaire from Dive Friends Bonaire
Shore diving with tank delivery service in Bonaire from Buddy Dive Resort
Shore diving in Bonaire Divenewswire
Bonaire Marine Park Dive Sites
Map of over 86 sites in Bonaire
Scubaboard Shore Diving in Roatan discussion
