First time diving in Cuba - Need some advice

[grind0r]

Hey everyone! I am headed to Cuba from the Dec 21st - Jan 2nd and wanted to know what diving is like there. I hear it's amazing and I've never been to the Caribbean. The only problem is that most of the REALLY good places are VERY VERY expensive since you need to take a boat out and sleep on the boat or go to the Isles. I am mostly in the northern region of Cuba and was considering Maria la Gorda, but it's SUPER far from where I am going to be before hand (Santa Clara / Trinidad). Any recommendations? Is Varadero good? Anywhere else near by that doesn't cost me a day to travel to that is worth it? Scuba diving is an important part of the trip for me and want to make it worth while since it's roughly $50 USD per dive, which is cheaper than other places and good for me since I am on a tight budget.

Thanks!

 

[Scubalibre varadero]

Hello,
If you plan to come to varadero, check us out @ Best scuba diving varadero cheers!!!!!

 

[CathyE]

I was just in Cayo Largo for Christmas week. I was not overly impressed with the diving.


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[Tjack]

Hey Cathy, I read that Cayo Largo has some of the best diving off Cuba. Why were you "not overly impressed"? Did you see any sharks? Big Fish?

I also read that Playa Larga shore diving was the most affordable option for diving in Cuba.

 

[CathyE]

Hi,
We were there Christmas week, the wind was coming in off the water and the water was rough. Several days we could not go to the sites on the outside of the reef and doing 5 two tank dives we had to go to several sites multiple times.
We saw sharks on a couple of days, the groupers were gathering due to the full moon, first time I have seen so many together, but there we aren't a lot of the smaller more colourful fishes. Very few fans, and even on the shallow dive the coral didn't have much colour. We have vacationed in Roatan and Utila the past 4 years and I admit I prefer to search for the obscure stuff.
There were several large schools of snappers and grunts, a large school of tarpon, a moray or two, a couple of lobsters, one I think is called a Spanish Lobster, it was different.
The surge had a lot of sand stirred up, vis was very bad on the shallow dives, coral was covered in sand. I have never gotten sea sick, but during one dive I was close (not the day when several people on the boat were). The water was warm, 81/82 most days.
There were no snacks provided, and even water was not provided one day. The SI is spent on the boat.
Not sure about shore diving at Playa Larga. It was my understanding that all diving was done out of the Marina. Everyone on the boat with us left all kit at the Marina for as long as they were diving.
I did read that there was a shop at one of the beaches/hotels but that a storm took it out and they didn't replace it. Maybe it is at one of the mainly Italian hotels. We stayed at the Sol Cayo Largo. The dive bus picked people up at Sol Pelicano and Playa Blanca.
A 5 day, 2 tank package was 340 CUCs, additional dives were 40 CUCs each.



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