# Carib Inn

> Bruce Bowker's Dive Resort


## Posts

- [Ecotourism](https://caribinn.com/ecotourism/): A new word has entered our vocabulary, especially those of us who are involved in the travel industry either as travel agents, vacationers or resort operators. The word is ecotourism. We see it in articles and advertisements. There are even international conferences on ecotourism. So, what is it or what should it be? Ecotourism Ecotourism is not the opening of vast new virgin areas under the guise of keeping it clean. My first view of this was that a few tour operators who were running out of places to send people decided they needed to open new unspoiled lands but […]
- [Eco-Lake](https://caribinn.com/eco-lake/): Exploit Completely Our Total Outdoor and Underwater Resources in a Systematic Manner or ECOTOURISM This article was inspired by many things – having seen islands change, knowing what they were like, what they are like now and what they might become. Also inspiring were photographs in a dive magazine of a “new” area, totally unexplored. The reef was so beautiful and solid, not one dead coral anywhere, that I wondered how long it would take to ruin it because of promotion. Everyone has to see this perfect reef – and trash it. Not intentionally but now boats go over it, an occasional drop of oil, a tin can, a […]
- [Major Innovations in Snorkeling](https://caribinn.com/major-innovations-in-snorkeling/): Perhaps one of the greatest things to come along for snorkelers is the new Nitrox Underwater Technical Snorkel or abbreviated as NUTS. Users have found they can snorkel many more hours and not feel nearly as tired. Snorkelers say it is like a breath of fresh air or actually not really air but man-made air. Except for the additional weight of the tank on the side of the snorkel and subsequent neck pains which in only a few cases have become chronic, a few people really think it is great idea. Other side effects include but are not limited to […]
- [Bonaire’s Mystery Rocks](https://caribinn.com/bonaires-mystery-rocks/): The secret of Bonaire’s giant underwater boulders has finally been broken by long time Bonaire dive instructor/guide and very short time archaeologist Bruce Bowker. For centuries these rocks have perplexed modern divers as to their origin and placement underwater. The Mystery Rocks One day while diving the area known as the Rocks and more currently called Mushrooms, Bruce noticed that the three main boulders all seemed to have a definite orientation as if to mark something. With this in mind, he began a long series of exact measurements and precise calculations as to depths, distances apart from each other and […]
- [Mad Fax](https://caribinn.com/mad-fax/): I absolutely love my fax machine. How I could have lived without one for so many years is incomprehensible. It has got to be one of the greatest little items to come along in a while. But it absolutely infuriates me when people who have one, have no idea what it is or how to use it. My biggest hate is someone who lists a dedicated fax number and when you call that number someone says, “Hello!”. This is usually followed by “What?” and then by “Oh, ok just a minute!” Another great one that is beyond me is someone […]
- [Ran Out, Chased Out and Just Plain Out. And You Call This Diving?](https://caribinn.com/ran-out-chased-out-and-just-plain-out-and-you-call-this-diving/): As a land locked youth in New Jersey, with the closest water being the Delaware river, and that was within walking distance, the opportunity to dive usually meant the river, or a bathtub. Going to the Jersey shore for a dive was almost exclusively out of the question. How It All Started My interest in diving started in the mid 1950’s with the family taking vacations to Florida. Back then, the 2 1/2-day drive was an experience within itself. I even remember cows on the road in some forgotten Georgia town. But the real thrill was finally hitting the Florida […]
- [Want a quick repair?](https://caribinn.com/want-a-quick-repair/): When you bring in your regulator or other pieces of equipment for repair try to avoid a conversation like this. It gets repairs done quicker: Hello. Can I help you? Yes, my regulator has a problem. What is wrong? Well, I was diving down by, uh where was it… OK. but what is wrong with the regulator? Well, it was when I was diving, It was near Angel City. I can’t remember the name of the site. OK. But what is wrong with the regulator? It was just rebuilt by someone I have been dealing with for… OK But what […]
- [Rappel](https://caribinn.com/rappel/): 1984 There is a dive site on the Caribbean Island of Bonaire that was not named for the fish one might see, the coral formations, or some romantic reason. It was named for the way in which the first divers entered the water. The name of this dive site is Rappel. The idea behind such an unusual method of getting in the water was to see if rappelling -descending a mountain or the face of a cliff by using ropes – was possible in full scuba equipment without too much danger. Stan Gdowksi, a mountaineer, and diver from New Jersey, […]
- [Repairs and Some Other Things](https://caribinn.com/repairs-and-some-other-things/): When you bring in a piece of equipment to be checked or repaired it helps if you can remember the following: If you are repairing an Air II, Air Source, Sherwood Genesis or equivalent (these are the regulator/inflator combinations on a BCD), also bring your main regulator. If the problem is a free flow of air, it is possible the first stage of your regulator is putting out too much pressure and causing the unit to free flow. Just because your main 2nd stage is not free flowing does not mean that the 1st stage is correct. Also, the repair […]
- [Lesson Learned](https://caribinn.com/lesson-learned/): When you were about half as old as you are now, there was no doubt in your mind that you were twice as smart. Or if not twice as smart, at least sure you were immune to all and any accidents. It scares me to think back too many instances like that, a majority involving cars, but one especially that involved a dive. Noticing Warning Signs It was in January. The dive was to be on a recently found wreck out of Montauk Point, NY. For me to get there from western New Jersey it was necessary to leave after […]
- [How Much Weight?](https://caribinn.com/how-much-weight/): The question is usually quite simple. When a diver checks in at the dive center they are asked, “How much weight do you need?” The answers though, run the gamut. Some divers know exactly what they need and keep a record, which is a good idea because it certainly can save a dive. Others don’t have a clue and their answers are more like the following: “I don’t know!” This is the simplest answer. Sometimes this is because it is a diver’s first experience in different conditions. The diver may have done all certifying dives in a quarry in the […]
- [Kicking](https://caribinn.com/kicking/): Once, when looking through a dive company’s catalog, I noticed the descriptions of the many fins they had for sale. One description said, “triple vented for maximum power.” Another fin was described as “unvented for greatest force”, or something close to that. How can a fin with vents be maximum and one without be greatest? I decided to see what other catalogs said. Fin Comparisons One fin claimed best optimization while in the same catalog a different fin was fully optimized for best results. Another manufacturer said that a particular fin was the world’s most popular (not quite sure how […]
- [Well Balanced (physical, not mental)](https://caribinn.com/well-balanced-physical-not-mental/): Next time you are on a dive boat or with a group of divers take a close look at what they are Next time you are on a dive boat or with a group of divers take a close look at what they are wearing, especially if you are in the tropics. Are they all dressed the same? Do they all look the same? From my experience, the range runs from just a bathing suit to a full 1/4-inch farmer John, with bodies that are thin, heavy or all muscle. Why do divers wear weights in the same place? If […]
- [The BCD Wars](https://caribinn.com/the-bcd-wars/): At some point, I can’t quite remember when, someone, somewhere decided to have a BCD war. Mine is bigger than yours so mine is better. The next day his was bigger than mine and so on until we all arrived at BCD’s with some amazing and ridiculous amount of lift. This war spilled over to the general diving community and people were told the more lift the better the BCD. Manufacturers made bigger BCD’s and then, through marketing, told everyone they needed them. Are Heavier BCD’s Necessary? Being a diver who has spent time in both cold (under ice) and […]
- [How to Fit a Snorkel or Scuba Mask](https://caribinn.com/how-to-fit-a-snorkel-or-scuba-mask/): Mask Advice from Bruce Bowker How many times have you gone into a dive store, tried a mask that seemed to fit just great, got on an airplane to halfway around the world, jumped into the water and the mask leaked? There seems to be a nearly universal way to try a mask, which unfortunately happens to be the wrong way. Put the mask on, inhale through your nose and guess what? The mask fits. Right? Wrong! The big mistake is that no one dives or snorkels with a vacuum in their mask or shouldn’t be if they are. By […]
- [Better Air Consumption](https://caribinn.com/you-should-try-our-secret-island-boat-tour/): Many divers have a contest for who can stay down the longest or come up with most air. One diver I know hung around in 20 feet of water the entire dive just to win! That’s OK I suppose as long as they enjoyed the dive and saw a fish or two. Other divers simply want to improve their air consumption and have a longer dive. There are so many ways to improve air consumption and one of the first is to listen to those who have experience and good suggestions. I cannot count how many times I have tried […]
- [Beware of Your Dive Light](https://caribinn.com/you-should-try-our-secret-island-boat-tour-secret-island-boat-tour/): Dive lights and video lights are a lot brighter and therefore can be much hotter than an average household flashlight. Some manufactures of dive lights even say they should be used only underwater. The reason being that the water keeps them cooler. In other words, dive lights get hot, real hot. I mean really hot. The first time I saw how hot this could be was when a diver was carrying a bag onto an airplane. Halfway to the steps, the bag was smoldering! In it was a very powerful European made dive light. If you have never seen one […]
- [The Wreck of the Hilma Hooker](https://caribinn.com/september-in-oceanica-hotel/): 1984 Perhaps it was just the name that made someone suspicious or perhaps an inside tip. Regardless, when she lost power just off the coast of Bonaire and was towed to the main pier on the island, it was not too long before a search was conducted. Soon after that the cargo ship Hilma Hooker went into the history books as a drug smuggler: 25,000 pounds of marijuana were removed from between a real and a false bulkhead and placed on shore by the authorities. Creating A New Dive Site All of this immediately induced Bonaire dive operators to appeal […]

## Pages

- [Rental Vehicles](https://caribinn.com/rental-vehicles/): Compact Trucks $490 per week (1 week minimum) Compact Car $294 per week (1 week minimum) All vehicles are ONLY available for rent if you are staying at our resort.
- [Equipment Repair & Servicing](https://caribinn.com/scuba-equipment-repair-servicing/): We offer scuba equipment and gear repairs and servicing. Ranging from mask strap replacements, regulator servicing, computer battery changes, BCD repairs, or a simple O-Ring replacement. The brands we service (with genuine service kits) are ScubaPro, Cressi, AquaLung, Apeks, Mares, TUSA, Dive Rite, Sherwood, Halcyon, Sub Gear, Mares. Full service for one full (1st stage & two 2nd stages) regulator will be ready in 48 hours. Our technician is in the shop Sunday-Thursday. Adjustments, minor repairs, or battery changes can normally be done while you wait. If you want to arrange your gear to be serviced ahead of time, please […]
- [Carib Inn Boats](https://caribinn.com/carib-inn-boats/)
- [Hotel Booking Conditions](https://caribinn.com/hotel-cancellation-policy/): Hotel cancellation policy
- [Booking Cancellation](https://caribinn.com/booking-cancellation/)
- [Retail Store & Dive Gear](https://caribinn.com/retail-store-dive-gear/): Store hours are 8:00am – 5:00pm, daily. Our retail store is well-stocked with dive equipment and a great selection of T-shirts. We stock a variety of scuba manufacturers and there is also the possibility to order items so they will be here when you arrive. Please give us at least 6 to 8 weeks notice. Advance orders take time to get to the island, so please let us know by email.
- [Reserve Your Own Dive Boat!](https://caribinn.com/reserve-your-own-dive-boat/): Don’t like to share with strangers?  Rates The boat can be reserved for 1 to 10 people.  Bring your favorite drinks and lunch. Subject to boat and divemaster availability.  Price is for AIR only. Additional Charge for Nitrox. *Please note there is no alcohol allowed on boats.
- [Guided Shore Diving](https://caribinn.com/guided-shore-diving/): Would you or your group like to have a knowledgeable Carib Inn Divemaster/Instructor guide you on a dive from shore? You can now choose any dive site between the Red Slave Huts and 1000 Steps  to have your own privately guided shore dive experience. Departure Times Morning Departures between 8:30 AM & 10:00 AM. Afternoon Departures between 1:00 PM & 2:00 PM. You can use your own transportation or our guide will use our truck for an additional $20. Rates Including Carib Inn tanks and air: 1 person: $75 per person. 2 or more people: $45 per person.
- [Rescue Diver](https://caribinn.com/rescue-diver/): The Rescue course is designed to teach what to do after an accident has happened, prevent problems in the first place, and help improve your own diving skills. The course prepares a diver for anything from surface assists to full rescue of an unconscious diver underwater. It teaches techniques and management of a rescue scene. The course runs two days, about six hours each day. Most of the rescue scenarios are done from shore in front of the Carib Inn.  Prerequisites are: Advanced Open Water,  current CPR and First Aid certification and academics online through PADI. Cost includes tanks, air, […]
- [Advanced Open Water Online Option](https://caribinn.com/advanced-open-water-online-option/): PADI now has the option to do your academic work online, you can sign up with PADI E-learning. The online version covers Deep, Navigation, Boat, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Naturalist and Wreck (seven dives). The AOW course requires five dives, but some of the choices are not covered in the online course. If you elect to do a dive not covered, you will have access to the AOW manual online and can finish the appropriate knowledge reviews, print them, and bring them with you. Instruction must be scheduled in advance, so please let us know as soon as possible. *** […]
- [Advanced Open Water](https://caribinn.com/advanced-open-water/): The PADI Advanced Open Water course is designed as a supervised introduction to deep diving, navigation, and three other chosen electives (you may choose from wreck, night (+ $30), naturalist, peak performance buoyancy, multilevel, boat, search and recovery, and fish I.D. Sorry, but we just don’t do ice diving!). The Advanced Open Water course is conducted over a period of 2 1/2 days. Average hours per day are about six, including some classroom work, but there is not a final written exam. Textbook, tank, air, weights and belt are included in course cost. Depending on the electives chosen, some dives […]
- [Open Water Referral](https://caribinn.com/open-water-referral/): If you would like to do more diving and less classroom work while on vacation, you can do all the academics and confined water at home and complete the open water dives on the beautiful reefs and in the warm waters of Bonaire. You need to bring with you the correct PADI referral forms from you PADI instructor. Four open water dives are done over two days, one each morning and one each afternoon. Everything is included except the Bonaire Marine Park tag, tags are required for all diving on Bonaire. If you will be taking this course, you need […]
- [Open Water Online Option](https://caribinn.com/open-water-online-option/): If you would like to become a certified diver, but want to study in the convenience of your own home and at your own pace, you can sign up with PADI E-learning. With this option, you complete all academic work through PADI online. After that, you can complete your confined water and open water sessions here at Carib Inn. *** Must associate with The Carib Inn Store #2425 *** Once on Bonaire The first day starts with a swim test followed by confined water sessions in the morning and the afternoon. This is approximately a six-hour day. On the following […]
- [Open Water Diver](https://caribinn.com/open-water-diver/): The Carib Inn offers the PADI Open Water Diver course for those who want to become certified SCUBA divers. This is done through classroom, confined water, and open water sessions. Once on Bonaire Once you are here on Bonaire, the first day starts with a swim test followed by classroom in the morning and confined water in the afternoon. This is approximately a six-hour day. The next day is similar, usually finishing up all classroom and confined water skills, including the written exam. On the following two days, the open water dives are completed from our dock or our boats, […]
- [Scuba Review](https://caribinn.com/scuba-review/): This is the perfect course if you have not been diving for awhile and would like to freshen up your scuba skills. The Half-Day Scuba Review The 1/2 day course includes a short classroom session and review of skills in confined water. After that, an open water dive from shore on our Carib Inn reef. The Full-Day  Scuba Review This option includes an afternoon dive with your instructor on one of our dive boats. Prerequisites for Scuba Review The only prerequisite is that you have your open water certification. Remember to bring your certification card at check-in. If you would like to […]
- [Discover Scuba Diving](https://caribinn.com/discover-scuba-diving/): If you would like to see what SCUBA is all about, but are not quite ready to commit to the time and expense of a full certification course, then Discover Scuba Diving course is perfect for you. With this 1/2 or one day course, the Carib Inn gives you a safe and fun introduction to SCUBA diving. In the morning you view a short video in our classroom, a session in confined water and then a dive on our house reef. If you decide to do the FULL day option, then in the afternoon you and your instructor will do […]
- [Diving Equipment Rentals](https://caribinn.com/diving-equipment-rentals/): You are welcome to dive with us regardless of where you stay!  Daily 1-tank boat trips depart at 8:30 AM and 1:30 PM to Klein Bonaire, as well as to Bonaire’s northern and southern dive sites. Diving Equipment  Equipment Price Full Tank AIR (includes weights) $15 day Additional AIR fill with full tank rental $7 each Each Boat Trip (1-tank trips) – Hotel Guest – NON-Hotel Guest $25 each$35 each Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) $13 day Regulator with Combo & Octopus $13 day Dive Computer $13 day Shorty or Long Wetsuit $13 day Mask / Snorkel / Fins $10 day Full […]
- [Diving Packages](https://caribinn.com/diving-packages/): *Extra boat dives in any of these packages are $25 each. Prices include government taxes. *If you do two dives in the morning and/or two in the afternoon and night dives, we have extra tanks available for you. You are not restricted to one tank!
- [Tour of the Inn](https://caribinn.com/tour-of-the-inn/): Take a stroll around the property and enjoy the view of the ocean. Check out our various accommodations available at Carib Inn.
- [Directions to the Inn](https://caribinn.com/directions-to-the-inn/): Getting to the Inn from the Airport The island might be small but you can easily get lost. We’ve come up with a guide to help you find your way to the Inn. You can print out the directions and bring with you to Bonaire.
- [About Bonaire](https://caribinn.com/bonaire/): Get to know Bonaire through these interesting facts. Quick Facts Helpful Tips Island dress is casual, but please remember: bathing suits, bare feet, and no shirts are not appreciated in town. Please drive within the posted speed limits. For general information about the island of Bonaire and shopping, there are several good web sites you may wish to explore: InfoBonaire – The Bonaire Information Site™ Bonaire Marine Park – information about our reef and the organization that maintains it. The Weather – see what’s happening on Bonaire. The Bonaire Insider – Current Tourism News and Events on Bonaire.
- [Our Story](https://caribinn.com/our-story/): A Dive Resort that Treats Guests Like Family Located at the water’s edge, this cherished Bonaire dive resort is a Caribbean classic. Bruce Bowker’s Carib Inn combines lovely, simple accommodations, an emphasis on first-class customer service and value to create an experience that guests love. From the very beginning, co-owners Bruce and Liz Bowker created a cozy, intimate resort dedicated to guests. Bruce was among the pioneers who first established Bonaire’s diving infrastructure. He was the first dive instructor to offer scuba certifications on the island. He explored many of the island’s dive sites and was instrumental in establishing mooring buoys. He […]
- [PADI Instruction Courses](https://caribinn.com/padi-instruction-courses/): Carib Inn offers a wide menu of PADI instructional courses, with online courses available as well. Choose an introductory course, or extend your knowledge with continuing education programs. The team at Carib Inn’s on-site PADI 5-Star Dive Center is ready to show you the best the island has to offer. The dive shop staff are all PADI certified instructors and divemasters. They can put you on the resort’s house reef, direct you to the best shore sites, guide you on a boat dive, or take you on a Klein Bonaire excursion. The staff also offer dive instruction for all experience levels. Instructional Courses […]
- [Hotel FAQ's](https://caribinn.com/hotel-faqs/): *What is the Bonaire National Marine Park orientation dive? There seems to be a great deal of confusion about exactly what the Bonaire National Marine Park requirement of an orientation dive is. Some think it is a test. Some think it is a course that must be scheduled. Some think it is a dive with an instructor or divemaster from the resort where they are staying. The actual requirement is simply that the first dive made on Bonaire this trip needs to be done in front of the resort or dive shop where you are getting tanks. The dive is […]
- [Meet Carib Inn's Crew](https://caribinn.com/crew/): A DIVE RESORT THAT TREATS GUESTS LIKE FAMILY
- [Credit Card Form](https://caribinn.com/credit-card-form/)
- [Payment Request](https://caribinn.com/payment-request/)
- [Book Online](https://caribinn.com/book-online/): Online reservation at The Carib Inn is quick and simple 
- [Style Guide](https://caribinn.com/style-guide/): That last is no more than a foot high, and about seven paces across, a mere flat top of a grey rock which smokes like a hot cinder after a shower, and where no man would care to venture a naked sole before sunset. On the Little Isabel an old ragged palm, with a thick bulging trunk rough with spines, a very witch amongst palm trees, rustles a dismal bunch of dead leaves above the coarse sand. Header one That last is no more than a foot high, and about seven paces across, a mere flat top of a grey […]
- [About The Carib Inn](https://caribinn.com/hotel/about/): Bruce Bowker's Dive Resort
- [Booking Cancellation Page](https://caribinn.com/booking-confirmation/booking-cancellation-page/): We are pleased to inform you that your reservation is canceled.
- [Booking Confirmed](https://caribinn.com/booking-confirmation/booking-confirmed/)
- [Discover Scuba Diving](https://caribinn.com/activities/discover-scuba-diving/): a great chance to explore the underwater life
- [Booking Confirmation](https://caribinn.com/booking-confirmation/)
- [Search Results](https://caribinn.com/search-results/)
- [Search Availability](https://caribinn.com/search-availability/)
- [Activities](https://caribinn.com/activities/): oceanica is more than a hotel. it's entertainment
- [Diving](https://caribinn.com/hotel/diving/): Come dive with us!
- [Hotel Rooms](https://caribinn.com/hotel/rooms/): Find the room for your unforgettable stay!
- [News](https://caribinn.com/our-story/news/)
- [Welcome to The Carib Inn](https://caribinn.com/): Your home away from home


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