We are on Bonaire until the end of March and are looking for information on contacting Bas or the OB One (Other Bas) regarding a guided dive in the Lac Cai area. Do they both dive there and has anyone been diving with either of them?

We are two experienced divers, but I would prefer going with someone who is familiar with the area. My husband is a wonderful SOMEONE, but I like having two! Thanks for any info BT'ers might share with us! We've been here ten days and, as usual, we're lovin' it!!

I have dove with Bas at Cai and other sites on the east side and it is always a great dive. He is very thorough about his briefings and knows where to find the really cool things. You could check with the guys are Yellow Submarine and they might be able to help you get in touch with him. Have fun!

I just got an email from him today regarding my own inquiry to go diving with him. His email is loonybin@bonairelive.com

Since it may take him a few days to respond to an email & east side diving is much more dependent on weather and its a windy time of year you might want to call if your time is limited. If you email me I'll send you his phone number, I don't know that he'd want me to post it.

Erik
erikenger@onebox.com

Bas Tol's phone # is in the Bonaire phonebook, which is how we contacted him. Our Lac Cai dive with him in January was the highlight of our trip and one of our best dives anywhere. It's on his card and is listed so prob. OK to post, but I don't have it handy.

We are also experienced divers but would not suggest anyone do this dive the first time without a guide.

We did a 96 minute dive, saw multiple spotted eagle rays, several turtles including the largest one we've seen anywhere, several unusual fish species, huge tarpon, scarlet lady shrimp.

We plan to do more East Side shore diving on our next trip after this experience.

I am the 'other Bas' aka OB1. I do dive east coast but Bas Tol is the king of the east coast so try to get in touch with him first. Should you be interested in any other dive adventures you can let me know. Mid march I recieve a cool new setup...UV nightdive equipment. Looking forward to doing a lot of night dive exploration looking for spectacular biofluorescence.

Sunny regards.

Bas Noij

Bas,
Can you say a little more about what the UV nightdive equipment does? I haven't heard of that before.

tia,
Erik

It is basically a special dive light with a UV bulb instead of a normal bulb. You also wear a yellow filter visor over your mask (a bit like large sunglasses that you wear over your normal glasses). When you shine the UV light on various corals and marine life they bounce back an array of spectacular colors. The strangest stuff becomes very spectacular like anemones and fire worms. You also carry a normal light and the yellow visor can be easily removed and replaced so it is kind of a combination of a normal night dive and a UV experience.

Here is a photo example:

fire worm normal light:

fire worm UV light:

Bas can you resize the photos please.. I for one would like to see the difference

It should work now.....magic :-)

How cool is that thank you Bas.. this is something I would like to try.. would a yellow filter over a camera lens work the same way with the UV light?? OMG what a stupid question.... Of course it would see above.....

(Message edited by scubahb on March 3, 2008)

LOL....indeed Freddie. You can buy special UV strobes if you want to make professional UV pictures but my feeling is that a yellow filter on a camera combines with the UV dive lights might work as well. Let me know when you are on the island and we can give it a go. Even if the pictures don't work...the dive on its own is pretty spectacular.

You have a deal Bas.. I am not a real fan of night diving with a lot of people and I believe only one person should have a light, that is the person that is guiding the dive.. I love the darkness so this might work out really good.. you will be hearing from me by the end of the year..

Hi Freddie. Sounds like a plan. I do agree on you about the group night diving. I hate that too. Small groups make it sooooo much nicer. I do not agree on the light thing...Everyone should have one and at least 1 backup light in the group. I would be quite stressed if I am the only one with a light and cannot find a group member...lights are the best 'diver tracking devices' during night dives.

I understand that Bas, But only for emergency signalling we take our 4aaa lights with us on every dive just in case we have to signal someone below the surface as well as above the surface.. I also carry a CDRom one side red,,,instead of a mirror for using as a signalling device above the sea.. , little blinky lights on tanks are good too.. small group to me means 2 people!!!! LOLO

bas-
if it's the same fellow i think you're talking about regarding getting the lights from, he makes a combo white/blue led light that is nice (but $$). i like it because it's one less light to carry. also, i think the filter is more of an orange than a yellow

(Message edited by valid on March 7, 2008)

My lights arrive this weekend and they are not combo....so I will carry 2. The filter looked pretty yellow to me last time I used it but I'll see that too when it gets here. Should work just fine :-)

This whole underwater fluorescence thing is the work of an acquaintance of mine, Charlie Mazel. See his website at http://nightsea.com/. Really neat stuff!
- Mel

True Mel. That's my guy.

BTW...the 2 fireworm pictures were also taken by Charles!