So we're normalizing relations with Cuba

[barilhu]

Dove in Cuba for 10 years, then on a single dive 4 years ago, I count 52 lionfish. I haven't dove there since. Hope they are doing something about lionfish, other wise there won't be anything left.

 

[Oldbear]

Are there any dive operators in Cuba now? I read on a post a few years ago the OP had difficulties find descent equipment and air tanks. Just curious...

 

[miketsp]

Purely from a non-political diving perspective I'm in two minds about opening up Cuba to US divers.
On the one hand some of the good diving locations were really lacking infra-structure - we stopped diving Isla de La Juventud because the infra was deteriorating, lack of weights for weight belts, hard to find an O2 tank on a dive boat etc.
So we were sticking with the resort based locations like Cayo Largo. So with an increased customer base more pristine sites should open up.
On the other hand, today diving there is very cheap and the US culture of tipping exorbitantly for everything, even basic service, doesn't exist. People there are generally very friendly and natural. Tips (or donations of hard to get imported items) are normally given for exceptional service and well appreciated when given. So I assume we're going to see price inflation and a cultural change with tip boxes appearing everywhere.

 

[Ayisha]

The Americans are coming!!

So now does DAN insurance include Cuba?

 

[drrich2]

Since we're talking about prospective diving in Cuba, and thus vacation dive trips there, I've got a few questions from a 'Why Cuba over other destinations, and what's it like there?' perspective.

1.) What is the diving most similar to that many U.S. divers are familiar with? The shallow spur & grove formation reefs on a flat bottom of Key Largo? The coral, sponge & gorgonian covered roughly 45 degree sloping hillside reefs of west coast Bonaire? The deep pinnacle diving of Saba? The deep drift diving & varied topography of Cozumel? Roughly what depths are most dives, and what's the viz. tend to run?

2.) Are the hotels/resorts roughly on par with other mainstream Caribbean dive destinations? I think of Cuba as poor, and wonder what a 'resort' there would be like.

3.)Do they have any 'all in one' dive resort setups, like Buddy Dive in Bonaire, or need we book housing, transportation and diving separately?

4.) Do people drive around there? Can you compare it to other islands in terms of ease of driving?

5.) While conditions will vary across such a large nation, and hoping not to divert this into a tangent, but, well, what's looking around at the society like? Is there a lot of squalor, so to speak, out in the open & hard to miss? A recent thread debate talking about offensive sights at what amounts to a red light district in a Philippines location made we wonder whether Cuba is on par with other Caribbean destinations, or, obviously worse off? Not trying to offend anyone. Just want to know how the typical American dropped in the middle of it will likely react.

Richard.

 

[gcarter]

My son and I went to Varadero a few years ago (August 2012) and dove with Barracuda.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gr...ip-report-varadero-cuba-aug-20-27-2012-a.html

 

[Oldbear]

Since we're talking about prospective diving in Cuba, and thus vacation dive trips there, I've got a few questions from a 'Why Cuba over other destinations, and what's it like there?' perspective.

1.) What is the diving most similar to that many U.S. divers are familiar with? The shallow spur & grove formation reefs on a flat bottom of Key Largo? The coral, sponge & gorgonian covered roughly 45 degree sloping hillside reefs of west coast Bonaire? The deep pinnacle diving of Saba? The deep drift diving & varied topography of Cozumel? Roughly what depths are most dives, and what's the viz. tend to run?

2.) Are the hotels/resorts roughly on par with other mainstream Caribbean dive destinations? I think of Cuba as poor, and wonder what a 'resort' there would be like.

3.)Do they have any 'all in one' dive resort setups, like Buddy Dive in Bonaire, or need we book housing, transportation and diving separately?

4.) Do people drive around there? Can you compare it to other islands in terms of ease of driving?

5.) While conditions will vary across such a large nation, and hoping not to divert this into a tangent, but, well, what's looking around at the society like? Is there a lot of squalor, so to speak, out in the open & hard to miss? A recent thread debate talking about offensive sights at what amounts to a red light district in a Philippines location made we wonder whether Cuba is on par with other Caribbean destinations, or, obviously worse off? Not trying to offend anyone. Just want to know how the typical American dropped in the middle of it will likely react.

Richard.

Great line of questions Richard.

 

[Rich Keller]

The only chart I can find that covers the area does not show much useful detail. Chart 11013 on this site. Gulf Coast NOAA Nautical Charts

 

[drrich2]

Okay, finally got around to scanning over GCarter's linked trip report from a Cuba trip. From what I gleaned, there was good diving and the trip was cheap and overall good, but there's one thing that particularly caught my eye - shore diving! With substantial surge and some swim-out, yes, and it's not like they did a lot of shore diving over a long stretch of island such as people do in Bonaire & Curacao (unless I gleaned wrong), but there was some shore diving.

Wonder what the shore diving situation is in Cuba? If it had a good array of good shore diving options, that could appeal to a niche of divers who look for shore diving destinations.

Richard.

 

[gcarter]

I did not research shore diving, so I don't know the rules for doing it independently - all my diving was organized through a shop. I do know there are some independent guides springing up - one for sure from Veradero frequents ScubaBoard - but I don't know if they are required, nor do I know how hard / easy it is to rent tanks or other gear for your dives. Here are a few links I had bookmarked.

Cuba weather :Cuba Weather - AccuWeather.com

Sea temps: Cuba Sea Temperatures

Other:

Scuba Diving Cuba

Scuba Diving in Cuba, El Colony, Maria la Gorda, Cayo Largo, Santa Lucia , Varadero, Trinidad, Diving in Cuba | WOW Cuba

CUBA-DIVING, Dive-Cuba, Dive Travel to Cuba, Scubadiving Cuban Diving Center, ScubaCuba, Caribbean Diving

http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/cuba-diving.html

http://www.hotelelcolony.com/en/