Scubacuba reviews?

[goalieboy29]

Hey Toronot dive folk - brand new to the board. and I'm looking for advice please.

Just curious if any of you have travelled with an outfit called Scubacuba based in Toronto?
They seem to do a lot of dives in Cienfuegos, an area I've long wanted to explore.

For context, I'm a bit of a Cuba junky and have done over a dozen dive trips there and I'm off for another adventure next week.

 

[jvanostrand]

Hi Goalieboy29,

The high points are:

- The dives were among the best (of 100 dives I've done on the island) and it was easy diving.
- The food was cooked to order, no nasty, over-warmed food from a buffet, some said it was overcooked, but I liked it.
- Lunch and dinner were 5 course meals (bread, soup, salad, entree, dessert)
- Breakfast was eggs cooked to order
- I was never hungry.
- The hotel was small and all the divers were from Ontario and we knew a lot of the same Canadian dive sites and divers.
- It is cheap
- The hotel staff were attentive, although their English was a bit spotty.
- Norbert was there and he arranged for lots of afternoon and off-day excursions.
- Beer and drinks were $1.50 each but were free at the sister resort a 20 minute walk away.
- The sister resort was open to us including unlimited drinks and a nicer pool.
- The beach was just two minutes away and had bars and restaurants with inexpensive meals and drinks.

The low points were:

- We had an unusually windy week and we didn't get all of our dives in. It was literally only a bad few days. The week before and after were all reportedly great so we just had an unlucky week.
- Lunch and dinner are the same: chicken, pork or fish cooked the same way, with rice as a side and maybe a little yucca. The preparation was good, but having it over and over got a little old. It's the way Cuba is though. Still, I never went hungry.
- The hotel would probably be rated as a 3 star, maybe 4. Well kept but old. Again, it's Cuba. Your choice is a better hotel but 2 hours of driving/boating for scuba.
- Limited mixed drinks.

Suggestions:

- Bring some snacks if you want salty or sweet things between meals.
- Bring a sauce for the meat, just to make things a little different, like hot sauce or BBQ sauce. (this is a common recommendation for Cuba)
- Plan on some excursions, we didn't get afternoon dives because of the wind.

The diving was easy. The boat ride was about 5 to 10 minutes from the dock so you'd return to the dock for SIT where you could use the bathroom or grab a drink. They have AL80s with convertible (yoke or DIN) valves. Swap tanks at the dock. They have limited left hand valves for sidemount divers.

The entries were easy and a little unconventional. You jump in and they lower your BCD to you. If you haven't done it before donning a BCD in the water is easy, just deflate it until it barely floats and put it on. The upside of this is that you doff it in the water too and the DMs haul it out for you. Climbing a boat ladder is so easy without that weight.

 

[goalieboy29]

Hi Goalieboy29,

The high points are:

- The dives were among the best (of 100 dives I've done on the island) and it was easy diving.
- The food was cooked to order, no nasty, over-warmed food from a buffet, some said it was overcooked, but I liked it.
- Lunch and dinner were 5 course meals (bread, soup, salad, entree, dessert)
- Breakfast was eggs cooked to order
- I was never hungry.
- The hotel was small and all the divers were from Ontario and we knew a lot of the same Canadian dive sites and divers.
- It is cheap
- The hotel staff were attentive, although their English was a bit spotty.
- Norbert was there and he arranged for lots of afternoon and off-day excursions.
- Beer and drinks were $1.50 each but were free at the sister resort a 20 minute walk away.
- The sister resort was open to us including unlimited drinks and a nicer pool.
- The beach was just two minutes away and had bars and restaurants with inexpensive meals and drinks.

The low points were:

- We had an unusually windy week and we didn't get all of our dives in. It was literally only a bad few days. The week before and after were all reportedly great so we just had an unlucky week.
- Lunch and dinner are the same: chicken, pork or fish cooked the same way, with rice as a side and maybe a little yucca. The preparation was good, but having it over and over got a little old. It's the way Cuba is though. Still, I never went hungry.
- The hotel would probably be rated as a 3 star, maybe 4. Well kept but old. Again, it's Cuba. Your choice is a better hotel but 2 hours of driving/boating for scuba.
- Limited mixed drinks.

Suggestions:

- Bring some snacks if you want salty or sweet things between meals.
- Bring a sauce for the meat, just to make things a little different, like hot sauce or BBQ sauce. (this is a common recommendation for Cuba)
- Plan on some excursions, we didn't get afternoon dives because of the wind.

The diving was easy. The boat ride was about 5 to 10 minutes from the dock so you'd return to the dock for SIT where you could use the bathroom or grab a drink. They have AL80s with convertible (yoke or DIN) valves. Swap tanks at the dock. They have limited left hand valves for sidemount divers.

The entries were easy and a little unconventional. You jump in and they lower your BCD to you. If you haven't done it before donning a BCD in the water is easy, just deflate it until it barely floats and put it on. The upside of this is that you doff it in the water too and the DMs haul it out for you. Climbing a boat ladder is so easy without that weight.

great report - thanks! I'm thinking I'll go with them in April. Cheers

 

[davecampbell]

I've got a couple friends who have gone on this trip. They've pretty much said the same as jvanostrand. great value, but it's Cuba, so don't expect luxury. The diving was really good, and thats all that really matters. My wife and I plan on going at some point. The price is hard to beat...

 

[goalieboy29]

I've got a couple friends who have gone on this trip. They've pretty much said the same as jvanostrand. great value, but it's Cuba, so don't expect luxury. The diving was really good, and thats all that really matters. My wife and I plan on going at some point. The price is hard to beat...

Agreed Dave - the diving is always fantastic in Cuba in my experience. I've heard folks say it's still like the rest of the Caribbean was in the 50's....

I highly recommend Cayo Guillermo - the Iberrostar Daiquiri is a nice spot and is right beside the Coco Diving dive shop. Fantastic diving as it is part od the Bahamas Trench which attracts a lot of large fish. Had a ball there, my first dip with reef sharks (from a distance)

 

[rhwestfall]

I exude pure jealousy....

 

[goalieboy29]

you must go - cheap as day old chips and a lovely experience. Cubans are among the chillest you will ever meet. They love to laugh, especially at this grumpy od Canuck....alll in good fun.

 

[rhwestfall]

Not happening for this US Citizen...

 

[Paul M]

Not happening for this US Citizen...

Can you convince the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control that you're going for something listed below.
It's a bummer that after 60+ years that you all still can't visit as tourists.


Entry Requirements;
Travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute. However, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued general licenses for 12 categories of travel. Individuals who meet the regulatory conditions of the general license they seek to travel under do not need to apply for an additional license from OFAC to travel to Cuba. The 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba are: family visits; official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations; journalistic activity; professional research and professional meetings; educational activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes; exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials; and certain authorized export transactions.

 

[rgkv]

I have been twice this year, staying at Faro Luna, diving with Norbet, The diving is amazing. Far more coral than most places. Its too bad about the bleaching. Small hotel, no elavator, doesn't help at my age. Staff for the most where excelent. Not much in the way of eats, but I managed. Learned from my first trip there, second time took, Ketchup, just add water soups, packages of Oatmeal breakfast, etc. And to be honest.. thinking of going again.