A Letter To All Of Our Friends
Kralendijk, Thursday August 1, 2024
Beloved friends of Flamingo Diving,
Today, we write to you from the heart. Recently, we stumbled upon an old VHS tape recording of our first time on Bonaire. In it, Fred tells Monique and Sam, “I could live here one day.” Little did we know that our small hobby dive club, “Ooms Diving” in the Netherlands, would lead us, ten years later in 2015, to migrate to this wonderful little paradise we’ve been privileged to call home for nearly a decade.
Upon arriving on the island, we had a clear goal in mind: to create a low-volume, high-quality, family-run scuba diving center where guest satisfaction was paramount. To achieve this, we started with our iconic scuba ambulance, the “ambu,” providing a uniquely personal experience for guests staying in oceanfront villas. This “valet diving” approach quickly made us known on the island and attracted much attention.
When Jeroen, founder of Ocean Oasis Beach Club, proposed, “I would love to see a scuba diving center next to Ocean Oasis, but I only want it if you guys do it,” we were intrigued. Monique (then 56) and Fred (then 64) decided to “pull one final stunt”. Sam and Lana came to the island to help realize this goal and together, they built the entire dive shop to their imagination. Our aim was to make guests feel like they were on holiday — no more sterile white lights and the smell of neoprene. Instead, we wanted the sound of palm leaves in the wind and the aroma of fresh seasonal fruits greeting divers as they exited the water. Diving should be a part of your holiday, not an interruption. We wanted guests to feel nurtured, from the moment they wrote us the first email. We strived to be their best friends on the island, helping them not only with diving needs, but all other possible questions. Sam setup the world’s most advanced dive center website to help everyone navigate the endless possibilities of this often daunting sport. All with the goal to make diving more approachable, friendly and personal.
We instructed our professionals and interns alike that they are walking in the footsteps of giants like Jacques Cousteau and Zale Parry. And not to treat that responsibility lightly. Strive to give it your all, each and every day and always go the extra mile. We even wrote a manifesto, calling it “The Flamingo Diving Bible” – outlining our Ten Commandments of good diving and providing reference for even the most minute details in our courses and dives. Because we believed that regardless of your teacher or guide, everyone should have the same amazing experience based on decades of knowledge.
What came to be was Flamingo Diving – Oceanfront Dive Center. This place is where we met most of you and where we made memories that will last even longer than a lifetime. The encounters we shared, the laughs we had and the beauty of the underwater world in which we were humbled to find ourselves each and every day, are memories that will be cherished forever.
It has been the privilege of our lives to set up this uniquely amazing business, meet all of you, and create countless memories. Fred (now 69) and Monique (now 61) are ready for some well-deserved rest and Sam is continuing working on exciting new brands and producing documentaries both underwater and above.
We’ve worked hard to find a way to continue our legacy, unchanged, with a fresh leader who can cherish and uphold our way of working, while also expanding upon it. Today, we are pleased to announce that we have found that partner. Meet Jan van Nieuwamerongen and Jonathan Oosterhof. Not long ago, they became the new owners of VIP Diving, and today, they can officially call themselves the proud new owners of Flamingo Diving as well.
“Flamingo Diving is located in one of the most beautiful spots on our island.
The dolphins and flamingos visit us daily, both literally and figuratively. Additionally, the company has an enormous following of satisfied customers and excellent reviews. For us, as is the case for all our businesses, this is the most important thing: extremely satisfied customers!
“With the takeover, we have also managed to (re)engage some of the loyal staff of the dive school with Flamingo Diving. Most of them are now PADI Divemasters. Within our group, we will further train these people over the coming months to at least the level of Open Water Scuba Instructor. This will not only enhance the enjoyment of these employees but also improve the quality of our guided dives and courses.””
– Jan and Jonathan
Jan and Jonathan aim to maintain these institutions of quality diving true to their original goals, remaining unchanged for our clientele. They, their families, and their business partners will continue the family-run theme of our beautiful dive shop and expand this formula to other islands in the future. Monique, Fred and Sam will be there to help guide this transition fully.
We couldn’t be happier with this outcome. You all know how much this shop, all of you – and the beautiful view 😉 – mean to us. Rest assured, we are confident in this transition.
Familiar faces like Valente and a selection of our previous Divemasters and Instructors are eager to return to steer Flamingo Diving further into the future. Sam will be there to help and Jan will be taking over his role of board member in CURO, making sure eco-friendly diving stays an utmost priority on Bonaire.
We wish for Flamingo Diving to continue spreading its wings, and we shall do the same.
We will keep in touch. You know how to reach us 😉
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
And as we always say, “Many safe, and happy dives.”
With love,
Fred, Monique, and Sam Ooms
Proud founders – Flamingo Diving Bonaire