Monday August 15th, 2005 2 dive log books stolen out of our pick-up truck at dive site Larry's Lair. If found, please contact me here on the board. I can also be contacted in a PM
( username: Kat )on scubaboard.com
Description: One in a blue neoprene zippered notebook, the other in a purple neoprene zippered notebook. Name, address ph# & e-mail are inside of the dive books. Also our certification cards.

$ Reward if found & will pay all shipping charges

Thanks!
Kat

Man, these guys will steal anything...soory for you loss Karen..I don't think they realize the personal value of a well-documented log book.

Kat, ditto to Cam's comments. Why would someone steal a log book? If your C-Card has a picture on it, they certainly can't use it...it makes no sense! Someone else a while back posted that they had theirs stolen while diving. You might want to email all the dive ops on the island (find them through www.infobonaire.com) and let them know your names, etc., so that the dive staff on the island can be on the lookout.

People don't leave ANYTHING in your vehical when diving! I have had bottled water taken. A criminal will take anything thinking there might be cash hidden in the artical... There is no need to have your logbook with you with the age of computers.... Ron

Are you ready for this...we had cactus juice sunblock spf 20 stolen from our truck while we were shopping.

I am so sorry they got your dive books. Ask around the dive shops, especially the locals they employ. We were told on our first trip to the island that it is usually kids and people usually know who has what, it just takes some cajoling to get things returned. I hope you are able to relocate your books.

Jeannie, maybe they REALLY needed sunblock...they had run out and were getting sunburned badly...(kidding here)...as Ron said, don't leave anything in your vehicle that you would be bummed about if it got ripped off...

I have to second Ron on this too. In every (?)orientation at any diveshop(?)there will be clearly stated: DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING ELSE THEN THE STUFF YOU TAKE WITH YOU UNDERWATER.
In almost all rental cars is a sticker with hints and tips, but .........

The youth of Bonaire does not care about your logbook or certification passes, there might be anything in such a zipped thing. (e.g.money, cc)

Please, please, please do not leave values in the cars or this will never ever stop.
If you really want to slep all kinds of stuff with you, do a couple of boat dives. Stealing from boats in not yet discovered, maybe they can not swim (ha)

I, personally, think it's time to start leaving the thieves something memorable. Say, for example little harmless-but-effective boobie-traps....perhaps a log book spring loaded with an exploding bomblette containing skunk oil, or maybe essence of vulture vomit :-) Or maybe a tube of sunscreen laced with powder of poison ivy......I don't think these petty thieving habits would continue for long if there was risk of being identified by the odour of skunk, or some other foul thing that would stick like the tar baby on brear rabbit :-)

Ooops, now that I've ranted, Karen, my heartfelt sympathy.....it was just bringing back memories of petty thievery directed at me when I lived there....including having both tires on my bike punctured at Jibe City :-( Annoying!!

Dara, I think you're on to something! I like the idea of leaving boobytrapped stinky things for them! Must do some internet research!

Donkey Bombs might work:-{O}

How about mouse traps??? Hee Hee

oooo...Freddie, mouse traps...good one...cheap and they don't weigh much or smell!

I also wanted to do some kind of booby trap. Set them up, but I didn't think that would help.
The dive books were taken because they might have money inside them. They also took our shorts & our little cooler with two half drank bottles of Gatorade. So they will obviously take anything. I actually didn't think any of these items would be valuable to someone else.
Everyone said that after the items are searched for money, they just toss them out on the side of the road. We searched along the roadside but found nothing.
We have our contact info in both dive books, so I am hopeful someone will find them.

It would be good to take note that bring nothing valuable actually means bring nothing that is valuable to YOU not anyone else. If it not there it can't be stolen.

Funny about the drinks, we have 'lost' a bottle of coca cola and a bottle of pepsi from our truck. Perhaps it is the rising water bills. Always thought that if they were that thirsty they were welcome!

Yes, I figured out not to bring anything valuable to ME, with.

OK, I know how stupid it was to bring the books with. But thanks for pointing it out OVER & OVER.
Now that the barn door has been shut after the horse has gone & the dead horse has been beaten repeatedly, I'd like to just get the word out on the island.

I was actually advised by someone living on the island that this chat board might help me get the dive books returned. I am hoping that his advise is true.

Karen, please don't take it personal. I think most have expressed (including myself) that we are sorry you had your dive books stolen. And others are merely posting to others that may read this, that may not know, not to leave anything in the vehicle.

Did you email the dive shops as I suggested? I think that might also be helpful in case someone finds them and takes them to one of the dive shops. It's certainly worth the effort to copy and paste the same email to all the shops. Again, you can find them at www.infobonaire.com and go to "diving". Good luck, and maybe they will turn up. Other BT'ers have found things and then posted, and they have been returned (to include a man's wedding ring lost in the water at a dive site)!

Good luck

Karen...I'm glad you posted about the dive books. I dive with an exemption permit and was told by the marine park to carry the permit in my dive book and to have the dive book with me at every dive. I never once thought someone might take it. Because of your post, on my next trip I will ask for a duplicate permit just in case mine goes missing. I would hate to spend all of that time running around getting another permit when I could be diving. Thanks for posting your experience and I hope someone does find the 2 log books for you.

Jeannie, I wonder if you could get a copy of the permit, and ask that you just keep it with you when you dive. You could put it in a waterproof pouch and stuff it in your BC. I wonder why they wanted it in your dive book, and asked you have that with you at all dive sites...you have a marine park tag, so that affirms you are a certified diver...just wondering here what their reasoning was for that one...???

Hello Cynde! I never asked. I guess I was just so thankful to get the exemption that I followed their orders blindly - and got very lucky because my dive book was with me at every site. I will ask next time.

Jeannie, I think you may have been lucky. Someone else posted about a month ago that they also had their dive book stolen at a dive site.

Jeannie, Make copies of your permit and keep the orignal in your safe.... Ron

Karen, Make a mass email to all the dive shops on Bonaire and offer a reward for your log books and send it. Someone will find and collect the reward..... Ron

Cynde & Ron,

Yes, I have done a mass e-mailing to all the dive ops on the island. As well as other water sport companies. Also to the Bonaire Tourism office.
Still hopeful that the books will turn up.

Jeanine put a copy of the permit in a ziplock bag and put it in your BC pocket. Keep the original in the safe at room. I am sure the resort you stay at has a means of copying the permit for you. You will probably never be asked for it but you will have a copy with you.
Andy

Karen, good luck, and please let us know if it shows up (good thoughts going out here for that)

Thanks Cynde,

Who knows, maybe someone will find it in a bush or something. I am sure they have just been tossed somewhere. I can't help but feel that the more people who know about it, the better the chances of recovery.