Cuba?

[DJBadfish]

I've been following the whole Obama - Cuba story and it looks like travel there has a chance of getting a little less illegal. Has anyone from here dove there? Any reports as to the quality of the dives?

Jason

[scubadiver888]

I've been to Cuba once. It was back when I wasn't diving a lot so I only have a handful of dives. When little diving I did do was okay.

Used rental equipment and it was in good shape. Not a huge selection of sizes (BCDs and wetsuits) so I had to wear a wetsuit that was a little tight. Bring your own equipment if you can or at least your own wetsuit.

The water was fairly cool. I think I went in March/April and definitely needed a wetsuit.

Don't have my logbook with me so I cannot give details but there was a sunken destroyer. I think it was called the BP363 or BP383. Most wrecks I've been on have been cleaned up and made sport diver safe. Came up on this thing and it was HUGE. Approached it from the stern, swam along the port side, over the bow and that is when I saw it. Big hole with lots of jagged steel in the starboard side. Didn't get any history from the dive master (she didn't speak English well and I didn't speak Spanish).

One word of warning. They are known to novice divers out for AOW dives. I had something like 6 dives and they took me to this wreck that is in 101' of water.

[CompuDude]

I've heard from people who have... said the diving was great but the operators weren't always stellar. Quality equipment can be an issue, among other things.

[wheelman]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

I've heard from people who have... said the diving was great but the operators weren't always stellar. Quality equipment can be an issue, among other things.

I have heard the same... good diving, poor operators.

[tc_rain]

I ran into a couple from Canada on a Cozumel trip who dove Cuba. They seemed to have really liked it. Maybe one of these days us in the good ol' US of A might get a chance to dive there.

[scubadiver888]

Actually, a lot of Americans go to Cuba. They just take a trip to Canada or Mexico then fly to Cuba from there. The Cuban government understands a stamp from Cuba in your passport is just asking for trouble so they give you a slip of paper to hold in your passport. When you leave Cuba you just throw away the slip of paper and no one is the wiser.

[Tully Mars]

You can get there from here. They just don't stamp your passport. They even accept a Mexican FM3 visa instead of a passport. Not that I'd personally know.

Diving's good, take your own gear and double check tanks. Watch, if possible, the tank fills. You're not going to want to be a novice diver either, you're pretty much on your own.

Or so I've heard.

[tc_rain]

Originally Posted by scubadiver888

Actually, a lot of Americans go to Cuba. They just take a trip to Canada or Mexico then fly to Cuba from there. The Cuban government understands a stamp from Cuba in your passport is just asking for trouble so they give you a slip of paper to hold in your passport. When you leave Cuba you just throw away the slip of paper and no one is the wiser.

Wow, I actually had no idea. I guess you do learn something everyday..

[latin diver]

I'm from Dominican Republic, I've dove in Varadero Cuba, I did it with BARRACUDA DIVERS, it was very profesional and nice dives, they have a lot of wreck dives.
Cubans are good people and they like americans a lot, they didn't like George Bush.

[captain]

I was in Cuba when I was about 9 or 10 on a family vacation before Castro took over in 1957. I don't have many memories other than going to Club Tropciana and seeing the topless show girls. Definately would like to go back.