I have read the advice not to lock your car nor leave any valuables in there, but, can you leave the following:

prescription sunglasses, shorts, shirt, shoes, towel, Shore Diving Made Easy?

These are some things that might come in handy (especially the book). Do you think they would be safe?

No.

Okay, let me expand on that.

At times they will steal ANYTHING. It would definitely NOT be wise to leave prescription sunglasses. Short, shirt, shoes towel: only the crappiest ones you have, so that if they are stolen you won't be too disappointed. The book? Well, if it's stolen you're only out 10 or 15 bucks and you can definitely replace it.

That's my thoughts.

Bring your old specs. cheap sandals, ratty t shirt, ratty towel, and the shore diving book (stain it first with a nice coffee ring.) Kids looking for action might take anything. I tend not to dive so much up north any more.

Prescription glasses can easily be placed in a small waterproof case and taken with you. There was an extensive thread perhaps 6 months ago about the types of cases people preferred (or none at all). Do a keyword search and you should find it.

Ed.. I've never had a problem diving Bonaire & have been there many many times. The dive sites south have less vandalism issues then in the north.
1. leave windows opened
2. If you have glasses, car keys put them in BC pocket & take on dive
3. Take junk t shirts, sandals, towels etc & leave in car/truck.
4. I NEVER carry a wallet. You should be fine!

Why not dress for the dive before leaving your hotel?
Wear whatever you will dive in so you don't need shorts, t-shirt, and sandals. You can drive in your bathing suit and booties.
If divers stop leaving things in their trucks, kids will stop searching the trucks.
Of course, Susan would stop selling replacement BSDME, but, hey, it's not a perfect world.
Xerox your drivers license and leave that in the glove compartment. (Driving without your license on Bonaire can result in a big fine.)

Ed,
I have an underwater purse (ask Tom C. for the more manly name). It is an old underwater dive light without batteries that still seals. I place my sunglasses, $$$ & truck keys in it and take them diving with me.
I would not leave anything.....last Dec I had my nylon paint stained shorts and flip flops taken....very ratty...and "they" left my nice t-shirt and ratty towel...go figure. We've been "hit/rumaged through" 3 times...Vista Blue, Andrea I and Karpata.
Yana

LMBO!! My right hand man and I were just going through our "dead light" collection trying to find a new purse for me. Then I log on to check the posts and the first one I see is Yana's above post.

Yana, is your purse made out of an old Ikelite PC light?

Yep, it's PINK. I think Im going to embellish my UWP with some sharpies and sparkles. Something that will match my tiara.

Yana, Bruce Bowker now sells these neat paint tubes -- kinda like a nailpolish sized bottle with a round ball dispenser.
They come in some wonderful colors including sparkles!
I wish I knew the name of the product so I could post a link!

PINK is such a lovely color!

Mare

Mare,
Pink rules underwater wear and accessories!!! I will have to do a search for sparkle paint. My fish tiara lost some of it's diamonell stones on my last dive......I'm hoping a decorator crab found a few to decorate his home....
Yana

What a pain this petty theft is! I would have liked to take my camera to the different dive sites. Some of the reviews on ShoreDiving.com even suggested taking a lunch and doing a picnic between dives at some nice spots. Sounds like it could be fun but...

Ed, go for the picnic and leave the camera at the hotel. Or, take a cheap throw away camera and hide it under the seat...

I'd say that it's OK to leave whatever you want in your rental truck/car; camcorders, digital cameras, wallets, cash, jewelry, stockls and bonds, plasma TV sets and the like and they will be perfectly safe.

OH, did I mention also leaving the very necessary 130# angry Rottweiller in the front seat?

If you have carelessly forgotten to bring your trained attack dog along on your holiday, then I'd say just leave objects you won't mind never seeing again and a small bottle of former beverage laced with copius amounts of Ipecac (for the unwary miscreant to take and enjoy).

Yes, I am only kidding, don't taint a beverage with Ipecac. It would be better to get a bottle of that stuff they give you before a colonoscopy and just remove the label and leave that. lol

I'd say that it's OK to leave whatever you want in your rental truck/car; camcorders, digital cameras, wallets, cash, jewelry, stocks and bonds, plasma TV sets and the like and they will be perfectly safe.

OH, did I mention also leaving the very necessary 130# angry Rottweiller in the front seat?

If you have carelessly forgotten to bring your trained attack dog along on your holiday, then I'd say just leave objects you won't mind never seeing again and a small bottle of former beverage laced with copius amounts of Ipecac (for the unwary miscreant to take and enjoy).

Yes, I am only kidding, don't taint a beverage with Ipecac. It would be better to get a bottle of that stuff they give you before a colonoscopy and just remove the label and leave that. lol

I was diving at Karpata in September and left a cheap pair of 3$ flip flops and my shorts on the seat and upon returning realized they were gone, so I suggest leave nothing that you cannot part with. This was the only negative the entire time on Bonaire. have a great trip

I always leave my clothes, sunglasses, candy, watercooler, rinse bucket for the camera, spares for mask, fins etc ... in the car. And in about 300 Bonaire shore dives, nothing had been stolen. I guess I'm lucky..

Ed ... we always plan a picture taking day and take the camera for a ride. That way we never leave it in the truck when diving. The island is small enough that it is easy to do.