Cuba?

[Wristshot]

when I was in Cozumel in June, three guys (one from my group) went to Cuba for a visit. My friend only went for 3 days, so he wasn't diving. He wanted to experience the culture and the food. He said the music was great, and the people were wonderful. The food was good in places, but the abject poverty in places was sobering.

So why the story? Here's why. As Americans, we have all been told for years that we are not allowed to go to Cuba. Well guess what: Cuba doesn't mind us visiting and dropping a few dollars on their island, so they welcome US visitors. Once you are in Mexico, they are not obligated to enforce US laws about visiting Cuba. The Cubans even have a special "page" for your passport so that you don't get a permanent stamp (incriminating evidence) showing that you visited Cuba.

So if you really want to visit Cuba, you could just go to Mexico (or many other countries) and fly or boat over to Cuba.

Just a few tidbits to share,

Wristshot

 

[DandyDon]

drbill once bubbled...
I remember as a young 14 year old reading about the Cuban missile crisis and wondering why the Russians couldn't have missiles in Cuba if we could have them in Turkey. Made absolutely no sense to me... then, or now. I guess I was just a Commie sympathizer from birth).

Dr. Bill

Hey Bill - You remember Kruschev saying that he was "going to bury us!" :angry: MCarthyism was sick, but the threat of having Kruschev on the trigger of nuclear missles aimed at us, only 90 minutes away was bad. The movie "13 days" was probably an exaggerration, but it was scarey.

NOWADAYS, though - who cares? The U.S.S.R. is bankrupt, or is it non-existant, Cuba is a non-threat, why are we still afraid? :huh:

don

 

[DandyDon]

Wristshot once bubbled...
when I was in Cozumel in June, three guys (one from my group) went to Cuba for a visit. My friend only went for 3 days, so he wasn't diving. He wanted to experience the culture and the food. He said the music was great, and the people were wonderful. The food was good in places, but the abject poverty in places was sobering.

So why the story? Here's why. As Americans, we have all been told for years that we are not allowed to go to Cuba. Well guess what: Cuba doesn't mind us visiting and dropping a few dollars on their island, so they welcome US visitors. Once you are in Mexico, they are not obligated to enforce US laws about visiting Cuba. The Cubans even have a special "page" for your passport so that you don't get a permanent stamp (incriminating evidence) showing that you visited Cuba.

So if you really want to visit Cuba, you could just go to Mexico (or many other countries) and fly or boat over to Cuba.

Just a few tidbits to share,

Wristshot

I've heard of Americans coming back from Cuba to Coz and getting busted by U.S. agents on arrival - for spending money there. I'd love to try it, but what if something went wrong while there? Assistance would be very difficult. I guess I'm too old to be a covert operator.

 

[Wristshot]

Don, I don't see the reward being worth the risk (at this point)
There are enough "legal" places to go that I just don't have any strong desire to go over to Cuba. I suspect that it is really unlikely that someone going there would get busted, but it could happen. I personally knew of three guys that went without incident. Maybe in a couple years I will get more daring. Who knows what a few American dollars might be able to buy. . .

Would it be nice to visit Cuba? Yes. Is the diving good? From what I hear, that would be an emphatic yes. Is it worth the risk? That is a question each person has to answer for themselves. For me, it is not. There are enough places that I have not yet been that will keep me busy for years.

Wristshot

 

[crazed_dolphin]

Recently I saw one of the news shows doing a story on Americans visiting Cuba and being prosecuted by the US government after their return. The penalty was usually about $30,000.

 

[Epinephelus]

Let's be crystal clear here. It is illegal for a citizen of the United States to visit Cuba and spend money there without prior permission. Prior permission is possible to get for specific reasons, but a dive vacation ain't one of 'em. How one gets there is irrelevant. What the Cubans or Mexicans allow is irrelevant. Political affiliation or views are irrelevant. Every administration since the law's inception under Kennedy has prosecuted violators and fined them lots of money. In the cases I know of, the delay from the guilty party's return to the States and the first "knock on the door" has varied from six months to two years. The only common thread I've been able to discern on who gets "picked" is that in every case they have made their visit "common knowledge."
Sleep well...
E.

 

[crazed_dolphin]

Epinephelus once bubbled...
Let's be crystal clear here. It is illegal for a citizen of the United States to visit Cuba and spend money there without prior permission. Prior permission is possible to get for specific reasons, but a dive vacation ain't one of 'em.E.

Getting permission for "cultural exchange" can cover a lot of things. By diving you are learning about Cuba's natural environment and can be considered educational.

 

[crazed_dolphin]

"Is it illegal for U.S. residents to travel to Cuba?


No, it is not illegal for U.S. residents to travel to Cuba. An absolute ban was declared unconstitutional in 1963.

U.S. legislation only addresses spending money in Cuba. Naturally, as a traveler you require accommodations, food and other necessities – as such the law equates to a ban on travel for U.S. residents.

Exceptions are allowed through licenses issued by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)."

 

[sdwho]

Leaving aside the political and legal pros and cons, how is the diving in Cuba? A couple of years ago we were in Cayman and ended up on a day trip with some German tourists who had just been in Cuba. They were very disappointed with the diving. While it is generally assumed that Cuban waters haven't been abused by overdiving and are "pristine", their experience was that the Cuban government has been particularly lax about environmental protection with the result that a lot of nasty run off has occurred, stressing the reef.

Anyone have their own first hand experience to report?

Seth

 

[DeepSeaFox]

Why would anyone support a regime such as the one operating in Cuba that ....


Kidnaps its suspected enemys including children from foriegn countries and takes them to Cuba to be held in strict confinement without charging them with any crime.

When there, because the suspects have no legal rights the regime can interrogate them indefinately, mentally torture them and threaten them with the death sentance whilst seeking confessions that would justify the larger actions of the regime.

The head of the regime claims that these are "all bad people" yet many have been released and repatriated without any charge or any justification for months of imprisonment.


Surely any of us with a concience should do anything (even missing Diving opportunties ) to protest such a regime.

Lucky we have the Americans to proctect us from those damm Cubans eh !