Cuba, newbie, HELP
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Should be able to find plenty of info on Google. I've done quite a bit of searching myself. Want to make that trip when it opens for us in good ol US of A. Have a great time. Supposed to be great diving in Cuba. We will want to get a trip report when you get back.
weekender
Contributor
a few years ago I dove off the isle of youth. the reef was amazing but there was a major shortage of any edible fish. a few tourist and I believe that the gov't must have over fished the reefs over the years since there were ample non sellable fish. but that was 4yrs ago and I imagine that the scuba industry has become more profitable so perhaps they do less fishing on the reefs. as far as the cost I don't remember what I paid but do remember that it wasn't much more or less than anywhere else in that area. all in all the trip was great. do yourself a favor and get out and see the country. as an American who grew up during the cold war it was great to see communism in action. what a mess!!
weekender
Contributor
this is the cuban gov't agency that i dove with. scuba . i dont know how it works since technically everyone works for the gov't. but i am certain that this group has castro's blessing. something i made sure of since i am american. didnt want to piss anyone off while there! anyway the site should be some help
Hey what hotel are you going to I initially was certified in Cuba in 96. Prices are about the same as in the rest of the carribean. Prices for tanks + dive or prices for everything (equipment and dive). you usually get a better deal if you book many
Not every hotel has a scuba shop/charter service affiliated usually every 5 or six hotels along the beach there is one though.
Diving in varadero is nice but not anything fantastic especially the sites that are really near by (but hey anything to beat water temps of 45-50 in the St-Laurence is good). If you get a chance get out to the other islands and more remote places now there you have fantastic diving...
Not every hotel has a scuba shop/charter service affiliated usually every 5 or six hotels along the beach there is one though.
Diving in varadero is nice but not anything fantastic especially the sites that are really near by (but hey anything to beat water temps of 45-50 in the St-Laurence is good). If you get a chance get out to the other islands and more remote places now there you have fantastic diving...
I got lots of useful tips and info for my (non diving) trip to Cuba from:
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=14
A quick search for "scuba" came up with 20 hits. Their server's a bit flakey at the moment though... 8^(
Haven't searched particularly for scuba but a friend of my brother went out there a few years ago and enjoyed it. His group was approached byt 'the authorities' to map a dive area that had recently been released by the military for rec. diving - they had fun and lent a hand to the developing industry.
Cheers,
K.
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=14
A quick search for "scuba" came up with 20 hits. Their server's a bit flakey at the moment though... 8^(
Haven't searched particularly for scuba but a friend of my brother went out there a few years ago and enjoyed it. His group was approached byt 'the authorities' to map a dive area that had recently been released by the military for rec. diving - they had fun and lent a hand to the developing industry.
Cheers,
K.
Hi Smiley Z,
Not sure if you're already in Cuba. You didn't mention where in Cuba you were headed for, but I was just in Santiago de Cuba, on the south shores. I stayed at a resort called Club Bucanero. The dive op there is excellent. If you're headed that way, you'll have excellent instruction. The guy that runs the place is Javier, who also happens to be an instructor, along with Manuel and Ernesto.
The diving on the south shores is really nice. Water's a bit cool though for me in my ill-fitting 3 mm...77 F in some sites...but manageable if you have hood. I've never been anywhere in Cuba, but my boyfriend has and swears the south shores offers much nicer diving conditions. Bucanero dive sites are mostly 2-3 minute speed boat ride from the beach; the shore dives are also very nice.
If you want to see some of the pix from my trip: go to www.aquasubscuba.com, scroll down the home page and click on Santiago de Cuba Jan 2004.
Never mind, I just noticed you mentioned Varadero.
Not sure if you're already in Cuba. You didn't mention where in Cuba you were headed for, but I was just in Santiago de Cuba, on the south shores. I stayed at a resort called Club Bucanero. The dive op there is excellent. If you're headed that way, you'll have excellent instruction. The guy that runs the place is Javier, who also happens to be an instructor, along with Manuel and Ernesto.
The diving on the south shores is really nice. Water's a bit cool though for me in my ill-fitting 3 mm...77 F in some sites...but manageable if you have hood. I've never been anywhere in Cuba, but my boyfriend has and swears the south shores offers much nicer diving conditions. Bucanero dive sites are mostly 2-3 minute speed boat ride from the beach; the shore dives are also very nice.
If you want to see some of the pix from my trip: go to www.aquasubscuba.com, scroll down the home page and click on Santiago de Cuba Jan 2004.
Never mind, I just noticed you mentioned Varadero.
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