Anyone that has been doing shore diving on the island of Bonaire knows how awesome it is yet at the same time there are few improvements that could make it even better. The Ultimate Dive Truck solves them!
The UDT is an innovative rental truck, designed to deliver a first-class shore diving experience. They are 4 Door, Ford F150's but are cleverly modified with a custom aluminum utility bed that features locking storage, on-board shower, full-size cooler, and upright tank transport.
My most recent group of divers decided to rent a UDT from Eric and Stacy Olson for a week of shore diving on Bonaire and I’d like to share a little about that experience:
1. First and probably foremost is that it has lockable storage on port and starboard (that’s left and right side of the truck for you land lubbers 😊) Unfortunately, this is a necessary thing as petty theft of items from trucks does happen. I am writing a different post on Bonaire crime and though compared to other places it is low and non-violent in nature it pays to be prepared.
2. These amazing trucks have an on-board shower with pump action sprayer and approx. 11 gallon tank which we filled each day when we got back to home base. If you have never had one available, a freshwater rinse after or between dives is pure heaven. And as a bonus...if the truck has been out that day for a bit it will be nice and warm.
3. Having a cooler to stock with beverages and food for between dives is certainly a nice thing but it is also an essential best practice. Dehydration is clearly not a good thing for humans in general but divers specifically should be aware that it is emerging as a possible contributing factor in decompression sickness or “DCS”. https://divermag.com/dehydration-and-diving/
4. And last but certainly not least is the gear configuration. The truck neatly packs away 12 tanks and a ton of gear. A diver of nearly any size and physical ability can just set up in the rack, turn, and strap in while standing with their back to truck. Once everything is set, one can just step forward and pop out the tank and walk to the entry! No lifting of tanks was involved (clearly someone did to put the tank there but hopefully your party has more than one eager tank monkey like me)
The UDT’s are designed to reduce the risk of injury, damage to dive gear and theft. They deliver on all three of those goals. The owners, Eric and Stacy, are dedicated dive entrepreneurs, are clear and solid communicators and treated us very well throughout the week. Please give them a “hello” from Trisha and Derek when you see them.
You can see more about the Ultimate Dive Truck and reach the owners at https://www.ultimatedivetrucks.com/