Here at Peconic Puffin World Headquarters we receive a lot of inquiries about Bonaire. The blog posts are apparently not enough...some folks want specific questions answered. Here are the answers to the usuals:
Best Place to Rent Windsurfing Equipment: Jibe City, because it opens at 8AM. Windsurf Place is just as good, but it opens at 9, and the wind has been up in the morning in Bonaire. (If you've never been, these places are 50 yards apart...both on the water with excellent equipment and service.)
Restaurants We Loved: We don't eat everywhere in a week, but here's our latest news: At Sea is still outstanding, as is Appetite. We tried the tasting menu at Appetite this time (with paired wines)...we were entertained, but I think we'll go with the menu next year. Bistro de Paris gets a downgrade. I hate saying this, but since they moved to a larger location two years ago it's just not as good. The food is fine, but service and charm are down two notches, two years in a row. New spot worth checking out: Ingridients (that's the correct spelling.) On the water at a dive club, we ate great entrees while watching pools of light move on the water from the night divers below. Their appetizer concept is annoying ("bites"...bite sized individual items that we predict will not be there in 2015) but otherwise very pleasing. We'll be going back.
Do I Need To Wear Booties? Every year I say yes, though I haven't stepped on anything that felt (through my booties) like a problem in years. Like a sea urchin, for example. On the other hand why would you want to risk hurting yourself and possibly missing a lot of sailing? Bonaire is almost entirely shallows...you'll be walking on the bottom a lot.
How is the wind? Word there is it's been blowing solid for two years straight. I spent time on six meter sails every day of our week.
Best Windsurfing Instruction: ABK is there (of course.) If you're not going during a clinic week, Caesar (the lightwind freestyle master) is teaching out of Jibe City, while Elvis at Windsurf Place has a number of people who I observed teaching, though I can't say which is better
Flights to Bonaire: All we know is the Newark run on United, but if you haven't heard, it's civilized now. Used to be take off at midnight Saturday, arrive 5AM Sunday and have to wait for your hotel to open (or book an extra night for early arrival) with a very early departure the following Saturday (7AM so get to the airport before dawn, and no windsurfing of course.) No more! Now arrive Sunday afternoon (we got two hours of sailing in on arrival day) and leave Saturday afternoon (we got two hours of sailing in again!)
With Bonaire it's important to get in front of these things. If you arrive without a gear reservation or restaurant reservations, you can actually get shut out (on this trip I planned to rent from Jibe City, for example. I forgot to book it in advance but took for granted that I'd be okay when I arrived. Jibe City was polite and a bit mortified when they told me they could not equip me! Fortunately Windsurf Place still had some slots left. Same for restaurants...the good ones book up more than a week in advance, and they're not all open every day of the week. Best solution for me has always been Ann Phelan, Bonaire travel agent (and windsurfer) who lives there half the year, knows everybody and knows the minutia and latest changes better than anyone. (I have made mistakes by ignoring some of her recommendations!) She doesn't charge you (she charges the vendors) so there's no reason not to use her. Peconic Puffin endorsement.
Other commentary and recommendations welcome (let the Wil's Grill fans let it fly!)
if you need gear i have the lightest freestyle boards w rdm masts and maui booms and North sails in all sizes available for the Puffin test team for FREE for the duration of your stay. I also have killer slalom gear i can
lend you w superlight rdm rigs. You just have to
go to my house down the road and get it as im in Long island
enjoying my drysuit. Next thurday is gonna nuke!
cheers
Kurt
Posted by: kurt | February 28, 2014 at 12:18 PM
Kurt...dude...wish I'd known that two weeks ago! Thanks for the generous offer! Will touch base for the 2015 Peconic Puffin world equipment and fun tests. Wind next Thursday on LI? I hope to be there!
Posted by: Michael | February 28, 2014 at 12:56 PM
Hey Mike!
Juan here: stoked with the pics and recommendations! Quick question: do you happen to know how kid friendly is Bonaire?
Best,
Juan
Posted by: [email protected] | March 13, 2014 at 12:20 PM
Juan, I'm not a parent, but all my windsurfing friends with kids bring them to Bonaire, so I would say it's kid friendly. Like everything else I'm not sure about re Bonaire, I ask Ann Phelan (try the link in the blog post, or click on "Bonaire travel" under "More Windsurfing Resources" in the right hand column.)
Posted by: Michael | March 13, 2014 at 12:24 PM
Thanks man. I'll definitely consider it for my next vacation, it seems like the shallow waters would be great for kids, just to get them hooked... then it's windsurfing vacations for all of us for the rest of our lives!
Posted by: [email protected] | March 13, 2014 at 09:01 PM
rampages of appreciation for your loyal business and supporting my life and our economy whilst satisfying your windsurf addiction...welcome back soon..
Posted by: ann phelan | March 19, 2014 at 11:45 AM
Hey Juan, I've been going to Bonaire for the past 10 years, minus this year :-( Bonaire is one of the most kid friendly places I've ever been. I've got a 7 and 6 year old and they've been to Bonaire every year since birth. Not only is the water shallow, but there are also small grassy areas right in front of the beach that act as buffers so that they can play in the water without worrying about some out of control windsurfer flying through the area. Sandy beach, food on site at multiple locations. I would just bring down a couple little shovels and buckets for building sand castles and they were good for 2 weeks of fortifying our beach chairs from sea monsters and tsunamis.
There are lots of other little kids playing their too, so they'll definitely make some little friends on the beach.
The only thing is that when you go out to eat, things take a loooooong time to come out, so bring the kids something to do while waiting for dinner in the restaurants.
Have fun,
Mike
Posted by: Mike Burns | March 20, 2014 at 08:52 PM