Best Time for Cuba?

[NickPheas]

I rather feel that unless I visit Cuba in the next couple of years the Socialist Paradise will be swept away and it'll reduce to just another US colony in the Caribean.

When's the best time to go, and where should I look to be diving?

[Paul Oliver]

Beware, a friend of mine and her husband went to Cuba for a diving holiday (They are both PADI OW and purely Blue Water divers), they only did 1 dive on day 1 then spent the rest of the trip on the beach, as the equipment was extremely sub-standard and the procedures and service at the dive center were totally below an acceptable level.

I can ask her (next week) what dive center she used if you want.

[purdy]

Nick
Having been to Cuba, and looked several times at going back, you are so spot on as to what will happen.

Avoid the Hurricane season ( Late September-November) as it is a bit tempermental, but I think early September is the best time to go.

Avoid Varadaero, which is the main tourist site
If you have a sense of adventure then go the Isle of Youth, only the one hotel, and that is not in the best state of repair, but the diving ... well What can be said!

Other wise Maria la Gorda is good diving, but hell on earth to get to.

As Paul has stated, beware the kit, it is all in a bad state as are the boats, but the country is worth exploring.

Let me know how you get on.

Purdy

[Paul Morris]

I went to Cuba last January. As we were after a quick cheap break we took a package deal into Varadero, the main tourist trap. Varadero is a tourist only area, any locals have to go through a checkpoint to ensure they have a work permit for the area. Its not real Cuba, just a long long section of sandy beach. We stayed at the Palma Real hotel which was OK. Food was the usual all inclusive fare, nothing outstanding, but we didn't get ill!

The hotel was just across the road from the Barracuda dive centre. Almost all the hotels in Varadero use Barracuda for their "scuba excursions". There is some interesting diving to be had from Varadero including, I'm told a russian missile attack boat, complete with missiles in place on their launchers!

Unfortunately, the weather was bringing north-easterlies with some atlantic swell on shore, so sailing and diving locally was blown out for most of the week I was there. However, on such days the dive centre hires a big coach, and packs everyone off to the carribean coast down south to dive Punta Perdiz in the Bay of Pigs (Bahia de Cochinos), an hour or so drive to a shore dive out over a deep wall that drops away to hundreds of meters. This is nice warm water diving, akin to the red sea walls, but with very different coral and at this time of year we didn't see many fish around, but I don't know if that is typical though :)

Punta Perdiz was a great dive, I can't comment for Varadero as I didn't get wet there. I know there are better more dive focussed resorts around, especially the islands. But, you certainly won't get chance for a taste of Castros cuba out on the tourist islands.

Varadero for us was a cheap charter flight with a base hotel in Cuba for our stay. If all you want to do is dive, beach and drink rum (or local beers :eek: ) you'll be happy to stay there. There are a few locally built tourist attractions, but Varadero is easy enough to escape by coach without risking your life on Cubana internal flights! I dived two or three days, then we caught the national "Viazul" coach service up to Havana and stayed in Casas around the city (old colonial style houses run by families as B&B type accomodation for around $12 per night). You can take the tour companies coaches to visit other places but expect to pay around $30 each, we paid $5 on Viazul which is air conditioned, modern and in a lot of cases hires its coaches out to the tour companies!

I'd have no problem using Barracuda again, they had modern equipment (although I took my own anyway), good quality tanks & air fills and have their own RIBs (which I didn't get to use :( ). They also made a reasonable effort to pair up english speakers with english guides, and keep the experienced divers grouped up together to avoid being restricted by the depth limits of the resort divers, and OW students.

If you want contact details for any of the above PM me. I've probably still got some links or telephone numbers around but brush up on your spanish! English is not widely spoken outside the tourist areas!

Paul.

[Alison Boler]

Hi
The best time to go to Cuba is during our winter i.e. November through March. July and August can be wet and windy. September/October can be at risk from hurricanes (anytime from August really).

The thing to remember about Cuba is that it's a huge island, distances are very great.

As I understand it, the far west of the island has the best diving - Maria Del Gorda. I have also heard very good reports of the Isle of Youth. Have a look at Regaldive - they go there.

I would take my own equipment if I were you. Cuba is a very chilled beachy sort of place anyway, so you can travel light other than your diving kit - leave the posh frocks at home!!!

Also, Cuba is a fascinating island to visit - quite unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean which for better or worse get more and more like little Americas every day. There's lots to see. So, go there for an experience that extends beyond the diving and then you will have a wonderful time.

I would avoid Varadero and any hotels that offer all inclusive deals like the plague. There's just no point in going to Cuba and locking yourself into some sort of buffet heaven compound. You have to get out there! It's a fantastic place if you do that - honestly!

Have a look at our Cuba page in the Where to Dive section ie

http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/where/cuba

for lots more info.

Don't forget to let us have a trip report.

Allie

[NickPheas]

As I understand it, the far west of the island has the best diving - Maria Del Gorda.

Heading there Wednesday


Have a look at our Cuba page in the Where to Dive section ie

http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/where/cuba

for lots more info.

Don't forget to let us have a trip report.



That link's broken.

[Adrian Kelland]

Heading there Wednesday

That link's broken.

http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/where/cuba.htm

[Trine]

I went to Havana in early November and combined holiday with diving and had the best time. My dive guide, or whatever I should call him is Jorge Mario Garcia, email: jmg@inder.co.cu
He picked me up at my hotel, took me to dive sites, washed my suit, fed me bisquits....His web site is www.scubadivingfree.com
I made contact with him through a company in Canada, and paid them, whom in turn paid him. The nicer thing to do would be to pay him (or whoever) in cash (not allowed to take creditcards) in the CUban Convertible Peso when you are there, and also pay for transport, I paid $10 each time he picked me up. The kit was a bit "cuban", old and improvised, but fine.
He has since become a friend. Have a good time in Cuba.