Everyone says Hilma Hooker a “must dive”, but I managed to spend a week in Bonaire without visiting the wreck. I watched small groups of tech divers suiting up for the boat dive scheduled one day and thought “maybe it isn’t for me”. I didn’t have dual tanks, sidemounts, a rebreather or a camera system that would give stadium lighting a run for it’s money.
I’ve been in my small share of stripped wrecks. I dove with Jewfish and Green Morays on El Aguila. Again, with turtles on the Prince Albert in Roatan. I’ve also spent my time among Peacock Flounders alongside the DC3 airplane wreck nearby. I hung out with the creepy doll on the conch boat wreck of Mr. Bud. I’ve also visited the famous James Bond wreck (or what’s left of it) in Cozumel on a night dive, where the most exciting thing to see was an octopus sticking itself to the face of a member of our dive group. Lastly, I’ve been inside the C-53 minesweeper in Cozumel twice, on high current days and managed to stay narcosis-free, despite wishing I had a jon line to keep from over-exerting towards the entrance.
So why the fear over the Hilma Hooker?
After research I tried to justify my fears..
“It’s in 100 foot of water”. So are the other wrecks I dove.
“It’s a shipwreck and it’s dangerous”. So are the other wrecks I dove.
“There could be a current”. Not like Cozumel, I’m certain of that.
“I don’t have awesome camera equipment”. That’s not even an excuse.
“It’s not stripped”. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
It’s not stripped, which means, it’s not to be entered.
By me, anyway. I love a great dive, a little challenge but I don’t need to go into a shipwreck at 100 feet with one buddy, no support and potential low visibility. My fear was somewhat justified by the visions of Shadow Divers and the equipment-clad tech diving heroes loading up dual Nitrox tanks a year ago. Fear or intimidation might be the smartest thing we encounter when it comes to making the right choice for our level of diving skill and training level.
But, it can also be combated with research, training and education, driven by a little bit of curiosity.
Back with a vengeance.
The next year, I came educated, researched, and suited up for the dive. There was no reason to enter the wreck, and no reason not to still enjoy it. So it became time to slap on my single tank, the camera I had and a few buddies.
I drove my typical Bonaire rental truck (complete with door dents and squeaky front end) up to the yellow painted marker rock with “Hilma Hooker” title. It looks like a dive site like any other dive site along Bonaire’s beautiful southern side. I love this place. Sun, sea, scuba and wrecks. Life on earth is fantastic today. Time to waddle down to the water’s edge and endure the swim out to the marker buoy…
…and so begins another great dive, a milestone passed, a fear released and an adventure begun.
