Experienced Bonaire diving group tried new accommodations.

The location and reef are very good. Access to small wall is as close as getting in the water. This is one of the better sites on this end of the island.

Diving gas was a problem. The manager ONLY allows air that he provides (and you pay for separately) to be used on his property, thus making Nitrox dives on this site a non option even if you bring your own tanks. His air packages were available ONLY for daily or weekly prices. The operator would not even allow us to pay a tankage fee to use other diving gas. Access to the ocean is very limited in this area of the island, so its a very long swim to this reef if you don't stay at this operator.

The room was somewhat disappointing. There was no safe for high value personal belongings. There was no coffee pot in the room or on site with the exception of a small shared french press in the kitchen. Shared refrigerators outside the rooms and a limited group kitchen area were the only food preparation options. No blankets were provided on the bed. Ants seemed to be a constant nuisance in the room. Breakfast hours were very limited, and not available Sundays (our first morning after arrival, when the island is basically shut down). The only water in the room was "cold" water in the bathroom sink and the shower (warm and less warm).

Access to the ocean from the room was strange. Room 2 is the only which has access both on the parking lot side and the ocean side, all others only from the ocean side. To get to ocean side rooms, navigation thru iron gates, a narrow hall with chained restriction, navigation along narrow paths with steps and many elevation changes makes getting gear to and from rooms cumbersome. There is a single pair of shared rinse tubs near the dock, adjacent to the equipment storage area.

Even payment was a pain since no modern electronic payment methods are supported, only mailed travelers checks and local cash are accepted. Numerous confusing emails were exchanged about the accommodations and pricing. Be sure to bring all correspondence, and understand what additional charges and rules will apply if you want to dive this site.

I felt uneasy, even unwelcome here. I arrived excited and happy and quickly became the opposite.

For me the hassle was not worth the location.

This was our best diving trip to date. We stayed at Divers Paradise Apartments which are just a few minutes walk away from Black Durgon Inn and Scuba Center. The apartment was basic with a kitchen (dishes, silverware, pans, stovetop, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, full refridgerator) and the bedroom had an air conditioner. There was cable TV and the view from the balcony was beautiful. We had two resident parrots greet us every morning when we opened the curtains. The reef just off the shore at the Black Durgon Inn is Small Wall which you could dive every day and never have to go to another dive site on the island if you didn't want to. The life on the reef was incredible. Al (owner of Black Durgon Inn and Scuba Center) has been on the island for almost 30 years and gave us alot of very helpful information. If you ask him for help and he recommends where to go to get something, LISTEN TO HIM! I didn't and it almost cost me my dive computer. The dive shop that we went to first changed my battery but didn't close it properly and it flooded. Then I went to the dive shop at the Caribe Inn and saw Bruce, which was where Al told me to go the first time, and all is well! If you get a chance to go to lunch downtown, go to Casablanca. Very reasonably priced and alot of food for your money. Capriccio's was a good italian restaurant that had the best lasagna my husband has ever eaten. If you sit outside to eat though make sure you have your OFF with you to ward off the mosquitoes. If you have dive camera issues while you're on the island, or want to rent a dive camera or buy a dive camera, see Tim at Fish Eye Photo. He was instrumental in me getting some excellent photos on my last three dives. We want to say thanks to Al, Tim and Bruce who made this the best dive trip to date!

History repeats itself…….another fantastic trip to Bonaire and The Black Durgon. This is our second visit in as many years. We returned primarily to have the pleasure of staying again at The Black Durgon. Al, the owner, only lets the nicest, most interesting and courteous people stay at his rustic resort on the sea. We spent most of our time diving right off his dock; diving on Small Wall and Black Durgon Reef. No matter what the conditions are elsewhere, you know you can always come back and jump off his dock and have a great dive. While the rooms are spotlessly clean and rustic, you wind up spending most of your time down at the community kitchen/sea-side lounge area, dining and mingling with the many long-time repeat guests, cooking up and eating meals together and sharing your adventures of the day. Come to The Black Durgon to enjoy the diving life with wonderful people, for the great value offered for an ocean front property, for the pleasure of eating your own and others home cooked meals with friends who become family and for the ease of diving in uncrowded conditions off the end of the dock without getting in a car/truck or boat. It truly doesn’t get any better. If you are someone that spends a lot of time in their hotel room/condo watching a gazillion channels on a big flat screen TV with an air-conditioner running 24 hours a day waiting for room service to deliver, getting your hair done or sitting around a pool….you won’t be happy at the Black Durgon and should stay elsewhere. Happy Diving!

This was our third time at the BDI. Had previously travelled there with oldest daughter three years ago. Brought all the kids this time.

The place still maintains it's charm. It has very basic accomodations, but they are spotlessly clean. The place sits right on the water, just north of Small Wall. Small Wall is an excellent site, so much so that dive boats were seen there every day. But, from Black Durgon, it's the "house reef" and is great.

Al is a great guy, and is very patient if you have someone needed some scuba skills work or updates.

The layout of the property is U-shaped, with the dive locker on one side, the open air kitchen on the other, and rooms on the hill, in-between. It is a very quiet and peacefull place, with no rifraff running around. Some of our friends stayed on the south end of the island and had stuff stolen off their balcony. The BDI is about 3 miles north of downtown, and is very, very quiet. There is a convenience store about a mile down the road.

The place has an open-air kitchen, which you are allowed to use. There is a BBQ grill, too. We generally ate out at dinner, but did grill a couple of times.

It is a very relaxing place, and most of the people you meet there are repeat customers (including me). If you're a serious diver, this is a great spot. Tanks are always available, and Al is a wealth of information, and an all-around good guy. For non-divers, the onsite pier has great snorkeling and swimming.