I just returned from 8 days of great diving in Bonaire (and a brief "street dive" in front of the street cam).

Unfortunately, our trip was marked with a very bad experience with Buddy Dive. I won't bother you with all the details, but I will dive with someone else when in Bonaire and would encourage you to do the same if you want to be asured a "No Problem" week of diving.

The reefs did take a real beating in some parts from Lenny, but new growth is evident all over the place! The juveniles were amazing!!

Scott, If you have a specific grief that you tried and could not get resolved with Buddy Dive, this might be the place to present it. A non-specific reference to a "very bad experience" is unfair to the readers and to Buddy Dive. (my 2 cents)

I would be happy to e-mail you our account of what happened. It's not a short story.

Please, my email address is in my profile.

Please do. My email: kel001@bellsouth.net

I would be interested in the story as well, going back to Buddy in July. My email... Herman.mowery@interpath.com

Scott,
I really think we all would be interested...I hope you'll reconsider not posting it here...Otherwise, I'd be interested at TBrossard@aol.com.

Okay Scott, me too. I was considering signing up for the drive through air pickup. howick@chorus.net

It's obvious that everybody wants to know what was your bad experience. I think it's in the interest of the newsgroup. No?

OK, Scott....I, too, would like to hear specifics. Please get ready to "cut and paste" a ton of emails within the next few days! Please send your details to CBinAruba@aol.com when you get a moment. It truly would be "easier" to just post it, but we understand if you do not wish to and respect your decision, too. Carole

I am sure we all want to hear the story and maybe use this forum to help resolve any outstanding problems and make things better for all. Lets all remember however,that there are always 3 sides to a story, side A , side B and the truth which is always somewhere in between. We must give Buddy Dive an opportunity to respond. I have been following a similar posting on another board (it was NOT related to Buddy) and it got a little out of hand against the "offending" party who never got a chance to tell his side. Why not tell us the story?

We at Buddy Dive Resort also think it would be beneficial to all concerned if Scott voiced his grievance with our Dive Operation, as we think the feedback he will get from the Bonairetalk visitors will help improve the situation. We could fill you in directly, but this is Scott's posting, and we think it is more appropriate to allow him the opportunity to tells his story, and then respond accordingly. We are just sorry that despite the best efforts of our Dive Operations Manager, the one incident which prompted this posting was not able to be resolved directly.

Scott, you now have the opportunity and the okay from Buddy Dive to tell your side of the issue.

As stated, it would benefit all of us, including Buddy Dive, if you would post the details of your "Trouble With Buddy Dive."

Well, I just got back from a week at Buddy Dive as well and had nothing but a great experience!! Would go back in a heart beat.

Did you meet us there, (we are Pam and Mike)?

Scott, I would love to hear your story! If not here, then at SSGumby@hotmail.com

I seriously doubt that Scott will tell the story publically and it is too bad that he took the time to "trash" Buddy Dive. It is also too bad some people think it is okay to throw out irresponsible comments with no intention of backin them up with facts.

I haven't received the story privately either, I guess this one will quietly fade away.

I think Carole at Buddy Dive stated the over-all attitude of Bonaire's dive operators when she said that "despite the best efforts of our Dive Operations Manager . . .". We all encounter "rough spots", life is like that. It is unfortunate that one such incident prompted Scott to post.

My husband and I own a mountain Inn, and we have learned that you just CAN'T please "all the people, all the time". Believe me...we try hard, but sometimes it seems that people just are looking for bad things. As stated above there are three sides to every story, I think it shows a lot that Buddy's has responded and are willing to try and resolve the issue.

Scott has emailed me directly with the same info as is on the other thread on this subject that was sent in by Jason. Thank you Scott. It appears that some unusal circumstances are involved here. There are some lessons to be learned here.....Think I will leave it at that for now.

Our group of 4 got back from Bonaire and Buddy Dive on March 3rd. We had the best time, the best service and great food at Buddy Dive. I would return there any time. The dive shop personnel were always available and very helpful. The drive through air station was very convenient and always someone there to fill tanks when the full ones were low in supply (before 6p.m.).

I don't know what Scott's beef with Buddy Dive was. We were standing outside of the dive shop when one couple was in there yelling and screaming about the morning boat dives being booked with the other dive boats just sitting there moored. The next morning they put all the dive boats out. Was this Scott?

In any event we had a wonderful time and would not hesitate to stay at Buddy Dive again.

Now that we have all had a chance to review Scott’s posting, I would like to clarify a few things. First, I will freely admit that through certain actions and in some cases, inaction’s, we did not handle the situation as well as it could have been handled. The Dive Operations Manager conveyed the same message to Scott and Jason before they departed. But what I will not accept is the accusations indicating there were any actions whatsoever on the part of our staff that were malicious or unethical, particularly when woven into a story that is fraught with fallacies. Before I offer any further comments on behalf of Buddy Dive, I would like to make it clear that the representations regarding the Charter Boat company’s actions were grossly misquoted, and could have caused this company not only damage to their reputation but to the security of their commercial license as well. They are completely innocent of any implied wrongdoing.

On to the story: When our dive instructor learned of Scott’s plans, she immediately told him that she did not think he was allowed to dive from a rented boat. But unfortunately, there was no follow up made to the comment in a timely manner. Had the instructor asked the Dive Operations Manager for clarification on “the rules”, we could have informed Scott right away that as CURO Members, we could not provide him with tanks to be used on a boat that was being rented or chartered by a company that did not have a dive operators license. He would have been disappointed, but at least informed.

Instead, nothing was done on our part until a call was placed to the Charter Company at 11:47 a.m. (verified by the computerized telephone log we have of the call) on the same day Scott and Jason were scheduled to be out on the boat – not the evening before as they stated. After identifying herself, the instructor inquired as to whether the company rented out boats for diving. The call was made in an effort to resolve her own confusion about what was allowed and not allowed. Not as part of some sleuthing act, as was also implied. She never denied to Scott or Jason that she made the call, but they refused to believe she had made the call on the afternoon of the planned trip, and not on the evening before.

I did speak with Cees van der Bijl, owner of the Charter Company in question, who was able to explain what prompted the timing of their coincidental, but independently initiated, cancellation call. His son had accepted the reservation for renting the boat, and did in fact initially indicate he thought it could be used for diving. He knew he could not charter a boat to divers, but had never been asked before about renting a boat for that purpose. So he spoke to his father Cees about the reservation later that night, and Cees told him that renting for the purposes of diving was not allowed either. (That there is a great deal of confusion out there about what is and isn’t allowed has become very evident based on all the postings!) But to be clear on their behalf, the reservation had been accepted in good faith and not in an attempt to circumvent any regulations. Cees called Jason and Scott at 8:00 a.m. the next morning to inform them they could not use the boat for diving, and apologized for the misunderstanding. Cees also firmly denies that either he or his son received any threatening phone calls from Buddy Dive. If anyone feels the need to confirm this, Cees said you should feel free to send him an e-mail at Bgsfishing@bonairenet.com But anyone who really knows Bonaire, and the cooperative spirit that exists among the businesses here, most likely already recognized this quotation as being false.

Numerous attempts were made by both the dive instructor and the Dive Operations Manager to reach Scott and Jason over the next day and a half. But as they were not sitting in their room waiting for the phone to ring, a connection was not made. In hindsight, we probably should have left a note so they knew we had tried to reach them. Instead, the calls continued to be made to the room, but went unanswered. When the Dive Operations Manager did finally connect with them, she was unable to make any apologies that were considered acceptable, despite her best efforts.

Did we fall short on the service delivery in this instance? Absolutely, and with great apologies. Despite our best efforts, we are all going to err upon occasion. But not in any way that warranted the posting of such a vindictive and grossly inaccurate report.

THANKS Carol for the information from Buddy's point of view. I figured there was a lot more to this story. It appears to me to have been a big misunderstanding coupled with multiple miscommunications. It's unfortunate but sometimes, dispite the best efforts of all involved, these thing happen. A big note posted to the door may be in order. I know finding me in my room is hard to do. In any case, I can't wait to be back at Buddy in July.