Cuba: diving at Jibacoa?

[Torontonian]

Hi. My family is going to Villas Jibacoa for a 1-wk AI vacation on Aug. 28.

Heard there is good diving/snorkeling here. I emailed the resort but they didn't answere and only said come to the resort Nautical people to ask.


Would anyone know:


* What do they charge for diving for certified divers (I'm one)? How about for non-certified divers, after they take the resort pool/intro scuba?

* Would they go out diving every day (if there are people wanting to go and not red flag)

* What diving association are they affiliated with? And what do they charge for open water certification. I have 3 kids (19, 16, 14) that are good swimmers and the older two had done intro scuba twice and dove 4 open water dives. If it's SSI then it might be worth it to get them certified there. But it it's ACUC (or something obscure like that) then probably not.


*Is it the same dive shop servicing this Villas Jibacoa and the Breezes next door, or each resort has their own dive shop?

Anything else you can share about scuba diving there?

Thanks.

 

[Hawkwood]

You won't find PADI in Cuba. I would not consider ACUC obscure and will allow you do go anywhere.

 

[Torontonian]

You won't find PADI in Cuba. I would not consider ACUC obscure and will allow you do go anywhere.

Ha, that's right, won't find PADI in Cuba. At the local dive shop in Toronto where my daughter just took an intro scuba, they said in Cuba they have SSI, or the shop also arrange trips to Cuba whereby the shop's PADI instructor can give PADI certification.

If it's SSI, that's not bad. But are you sure ACUC is accepted elsewhere? I've dove in my places and the only place I've seen ACUC is Cuba.

 

[Torontonian]

Came back from that 1-wk AI vacation in Villas Jibacoa Cameleon. The diving was pretty good.

There is a dive shop on site and they'd go out diving every day if weather permits. They use the peddle boat(s) to take divers out and it's $20/p, with or without gear rental. I brought my own gears while my kids got the resort course, then did the ACUC certification for $340/p.

Most mornings the weather were good, but most afternoons there would be a thunderstorm, except for 2 days while we were there.

Next door at Breezes Jibacoa, they have a dive boat that goes out deep at 8:30am, then the second dive to shallow, forgot whether it's 11am or 12:30noon that they go out. Breezes doesn't do certification, which at the resort where I am they just started the certification the week we were there, so good timing.

The morning dive was always good, calm water and good viz. But for the second dive whether it's late morning or early afternoon, the water begins to be choppy and viz decreases by about half with sand/planktons. Still good dives in warm waters. I brought my wetsuit but always just wore compression shirt/pants, while my kids just swim suit (boys bare top).

The coral reef was pretty good, much better than Varadero, not as colorful as Bay of Pigs, but good. At times a lot of small fish, nothing big. Some of the reefs are shallow and close to shore, and it's disappointing to see snorkelers standing on them.

For diving/snorkeling, Jibacoa is a pretty good area of Cuba.

--

On the way back, it was too bad Canjet did not bring back my regular bag, which I put my Mares regulator/gauges, Uwatec wireless computer, reel/sausage, and light. That was the most expensive piece of luggage (sports bag) I checked in. They said it may take a month to confirm it's lost, before any claim process.