Scuba-en Cuba Camper, diving tour Cuba

Jason is right about the roads, if you are brave and just take a line
on a map that has not been recommended you can find yourself coming to
a halt, unable to see how you can avoid falling down a hole... the
easiest way is to pick up hitchhikers who will show you how to go along
any stretch of really bad road. In Cuba cars routinely stop to pick up
people queuing off roundabouts for lifts, I think govt vehicles have to
stop, great idea.

I'd read some horror stories about Scuba kit at Cuban dive centres but
think these must be out of date, in lots of areas Cuba is finding ways
to get over the blockade and everywhere I went last year had loads of
new Mares kit & I notice Mares have named one of their wetsuits
Varadero (which is the name of the largest tourist resort in Cuba).
I've only recently started diving and have been in Havana (out of the
Hemingway marina), Jibacoa & Varadero last two were great dive sites,
Havana was just OK. These aren't the best places to go but I was on
holiday with non-divers so other factors came in effect. Driving around
places I've especially enjoyed going to are Baracoa, Santiago and
Trinidad but in 10 trips over 15 years I've never had a bad time.

Does anyone know any reliable details of Fidel's diving history?
I've heard the exploding clam story but not sure if it's a myth. A
'friend of a friend' says that they were waiting to go diving about
ten years ago when the boat was held for until he turned up for a dive.

Dean

Jason is right about the roads, if you are brave and just take a line
on a map that has not been recommended you can find yourself coming to
a halt, unable to see how you can avoid falling down a hole... the
easiest way is to pick up hitchhikers who will show you how to go along
any stretch of really bad road. In Cuba cars routinely stop to pick up
people queuing off roundabouts for lifts, I think govt vehicles have to
stop, great idea.

I'd read some horror stories about Scuba kit at Cuban dive centres but
think these must be out of date, in lots of areas Cuba is finding ways
to get over the blockade and everywhere I went last year had loads of
new Mares kit & I notice Mares have named one of their wetsuits
Varadero (which is the name of the largest tourist resort in Cuba).
I've only recently started diving and have been in Havana (out of the
Hemingway marina), Jibacoa & Varadero last two were great dive sites,
Havana was just OK. These aren't the best places to go but I was on
holiday with non-divers so other factors came in effect. Driving around
places I've especially enjoyed going to are Baracoa, Santiago and
Trinidad but in 10 trips over 15 years I've never had a bad time.

Does anyone know any reliable details of Fidel's diving history?
I've heard the exploding clam story but not sure if it's a myth. A
'friend of a friend' says that they were waiting to go diving about
ten years ago when the boat was held for until he turned up for a dive.

Dean

> I'd read some horror stories about Scuba kit at Cuban dive centres but
> think these must be out of date, in lots of areas Cuba is finding ways
> to get over the blockade . . .

It's an embargo, not a blockade and there's never been a problem getting
around it. Pretty much every country in the world except the US does
business with Cuba. The problem is, and always has been, hard currency
necessary to purchase goods and services. If things have improved, it's
either because tourism from countries other than the US is providing
sufficient funds to improve the situation or because somebody has invested
the funds to try to get enough business to make it worthwhile.

Lee

> I'd read some horror stories about Scuba kit at Cuban dive centres but
> think these must be out of date, in lots of areas Cuba is finding ways
> to get over the blockade . . .

It's an embargo, not a blockade and there's never been a problem getting
around it. Pretty much every country in the world except the US does
business with Cuba. The problem is, and always has been, hard currency
necessary to purchase goods and services. If things have improved, it's
either because tourism from countries other than the US is providing
sufficient funds to improve the situation or because somebody has invested
the funds to try to get enough business to make it worthwhile.

Lee

> I'd read some horror stories about Scuba kit at Cuban dive centres but
> think these must be out of date, in lots of areas Cuba is finding ways
> to get over the blockade . . .

It's an embargo, not a blockade and there's never been a problem getting
around it. Pretty much every country in the world except the US does
business with Cuba. The problem is, and always has been, hard currency
necessary to purchase goods and services. If things have improved, it's
either because tourism from countries other than the US is providing
sufficient funds to improve the situation or because somebody has invested
the funds to try to get enough business to make it worthwhile.

Lee

> I'd read some horror stories about Scuba kit at Cuban dive centres but
> think these must be out of date, in lots of areas Cuba is finding ways
> to get over the blockade . . .

It's an embargo, not a blockade and there's never been a problem getting
around it. Pretty much every country in the world except the US does
business with Cuba. The problem is, and always has been, hard currency
necessary to purchase goods and services. If things have improved, it's
either because tourism from countries other than the US is providing
sufficient funds to improve the situation or because somebody has invested
the funds to try to get enough business to make it worthwhile.

Lee

> I'd read some horror stories about Scuba kit at Cuban dive centres but
> think these must be out of date, in lots of areas Cuba is finding ways
> to get over the blockade . . .

It's an embargo, not a blockade and there's never been a problem getting
around it. Pretty much every country in the world except the US does
business with Cuba. The problem is, and always has been, hard currency
necessary to purchase goods and services. If things have improved, it's
either because tourism from countries other than the US is providing
sufficient funds to improve the situation or because somebody has invested
the funds to try to get enough business to make it worthwhile.

Lee

> I'd read some horror stories about Scuba kit at Cuban dive centres but
> think these must be out of date, in lots of areas Cuba is finding ways
> to get over the blockade . . .

It's an embargo, not a blockade and there's never been a problem getting
around it. Pretty much every country in the world except the US does
business with Cuba. The problem is, and always has been, hard currency
necessary to purchase goods and services. If things have improved, it's
either because tourism from countries other than the US is providing
sufficient funds to improve the situation or because somebody has invested
the funds to try to get enough business to make it worthwhile.

Lee

Lee - for what its worth I think it is more than an embargo. The
military occupation of Guantanamo against the wishes of the Cuban govt
plus the restrictions placed on companies in third countries who trade
with Cuba (often if you are a company in a third country you have to
choose to trade with either Cuba or the US whatever your own
governments policy is) and all the extra-territorial legislation the US
has passed - these all go beyond one country choosing not to trade with
another. The current US administration has repeatedly come up with
spurious allegations trying to link Cuba to the 'war on terror' e.g.
with regard to its biotechnology industry and the threat of military
action is widely agreed to have increased not diminished.

But the post was about scuba diving and we are going off topic. If you
want to discuss this on a Cuba group or directly that would be fine
with me.

cheers,
Dean

Lee - for what its worth I think it is more than an embargo. The
military occupation of Guantanamo against the wishes of the Cuban govt
plus the restrictions placed on companies in third countries who trade
with Cuba (often if you are a company in a third country you have to
choose to trade with either Cuba or the US whatever your own
governments policy is) and all the extra-territorial legislation the US
has passed - these all go beyond one country choosing not to trade with
another. The current US administration has repeatedly come up with
spurious allegations trying to link Cuba to the 'war on terror' e.g.
with regard to its biotechnology industry and the threat of military
action is widely agreed to have increased not diminished.

But the post was about scuba diving and we are going off topic. If you
want to discuss this on a Cuba group or directly that would be fine
with me.

cheers,
Dean