Experienced divers only
Is it worth the trip?
91Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 88 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.5 m
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 30°C
Tue 3 · 89 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.4 m
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 30°C
Wed 4 · 90 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.4 m
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 30°C
Thu 5 · 91 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 29°C
Fri 6 · 92 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 92 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.1 mflat
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 91 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.1 mflat
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 30°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 186, good
- Mon 288, good
- Tue 389, good
- Wed 490, good
- Thu 591, good
- Fri 692, good
- Sat 792, good
- Sun 891, good
- Mon 989, good
- Tue 1088, good
The site in five facts
- Down to 35 mits deepest
- From the shorehow you get in
- Experienced / deepexperienced divers only
- Water 29 °Crash vest or 1 to 2 mm
- Faces Wswell from there reaches it
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know currents, the visibility on the day or your certification.
Suits experienced divers only, as a dive guide states it. Scored for experienced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 86, good | 0.4 m | 11 kn | 16kn | 30°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 88, good | 0.5 m | 12 kn | 16kn | 30°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 89, good | 0.4 m | 10 kn | 13kn | 30°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 90, good | 0.4 m | 7 kn | 11kn | 30°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 91, good | 0.2 mflat | 2 kn | 5kn | 29°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 92, good | 0.2 mflat | 3 kn | 8kn | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 92, good | 0.1 mflat | 1 kn | 7kn | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 91, good | 0.1 mflat | 8 kn | 12kn | 30°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 89, good | 0.3 m | 11 kn | 16kn | 30°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 88, good | 0.5 m | 13 kn | 19kn | 30°C |
Sea is the waves near the site, in metres; wind and gusts in knots. "Boats in": gusts that keep dive boats in. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovLow 01:15 −0.2 mHigh 16:59 +0.2 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:52 −0.1 mHigh 17:58 +0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:24 −0.1 mHigh 08:43 +0.0 mLow 10:57 +0.0 mHigh 19:00 +0.1 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Slack water, the safest time to dive where there is current, is about half an hour either side of each high and low. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the site and its town
Playa Frans on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More diving near here
5 places
- Reef edge 52.4 km away
- Ship Wreck Tugboat 52.5 km away
- Ship wreck 54.1 km away
- Oswaldo's Drop Off 55.8 km away
- Marie Pampoen 56.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playa Frans
A reef dive. It goes down to 35 m. You get in from the shore. It suits experienced divers only, as a dive guide states it. The coast faces W: swell from the W reaches it, and wind from the E blows out to sea. No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 16 km away. The sea is about 27°C in January, its coldest month (3 mm wetsuit), and 29°C in August, its warmest (rash vest or 1 to 2 mm). The town to stay in is Jan Thiel. Within 5 km we also list 7 dive sites.
- What it is Reef.
- How deep Down to 35 m.
- Getting in From the shore.
- Who it suits Suits experienced divers only, as a dive guide states it.
- Dive centres No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 16 km away.
Water about 29°C: rash vest or 1 to 2 mm. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Visibility about 30 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Jun (over 30 m).
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,080–US$1,980 each
about US$1,080–US$1,980 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to CUR, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$301–US$630 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$295–US$489 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$328–US$610 |
| Total | about US$1,080–US$1,980 |
Guided dives are not priced yet: we have no sourced price, so it is not in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Jan Thiel
92 min by car · 78 places to stay
About Jan Thiel its beds, food and every spot near it
Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 10h 25m
About 10h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CUR, direct, then 1h 20m by road
Flights ORD → CUR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Jan Thiel · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Jan Thiel · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
SMED Divers 16 km
Bonaire Scuba School 16 km
Dive Friends 16 km
Dive Friends Bonaire @ SD 16 km
Dive Friends Bonaire Retail 16 km
The nearest named dive centres and shops within 25 km, in a straight line; training agencies where the map states them. Listings, not a recommendation. Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
What you might see
Too few open records near this site to list its animals. Ask a dive centre what you are likely to see.
This week: visibility about 25 m, greener than usual (satellite plankton reading, 24 Oct). Estimated from the month's typical visibility and this week's satellite chlorophyll against the site's normal; heavy rain before a dive can still muddy it.
The current and the life no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.