Cuba PADI open water dives - help needed

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Rod

Lee,

You can take your own PADI Instructor with you to Cuba and they can complete the course.

If they are not available then I am sure I could make myself free if you pay for the flights and accomodation

Can I volunteer to be shore cover or rescue diver?

Same terms as above

[thermocad]

Originally Posted by ScubaSue

And ACUC which appears to be the Canadian equivalent of PADI.

ScubaSue is totaly correct ACUC... I was in Varadero in july this year and all the scuba centres are owned (51% goverement) and run by the same people. They have no H&S standards over there and they will let you do what you want as long as they get a tip... We went on a wreck dive to 30m (35 max) and they took a try diver with us (one 8min pool session) and let him do what he wanted... this included missing his safty stop and trying to shoot straigh to the surface at full pelt. (this enede with me and my buddy holding onto his legs and pulling him back down)

get your ow done over hear and then just enjoy the holiday....

Equipement!! this is one of the big things over there, take as much as possible because theres is about 10 years old and more and has never had a service! i took all my own and i was very glad i did. Take some reg o'rings as you will need them, I had 20 spare and came back with 2, and i never replaced mine once. also take an air filter as i was given BAD gas twice and this took me out for 3 days, 1st was oil in the air fill and the other was... god knows..

Oh and take loads of mosi spray, we took two bottles and ran out and they charge about £10 for a small bottle... LOADS AND LOADS of bites.....

Oh and only take £ over there don't bother with $ as they dont take it anymore and the exchange charge for $ is a total rip off....

Oh and expect to tip loads as thye won't even look at you unless you tip every time....

[Madfish]

Whoops double post.....

Di

[Madfish]

Originally Posted by thermocad

ScubaSue is totaly correct ACUC... I was in Varadero in july this year and all the scuba centres are owned (51% goverement) and run by the same people. They have no H&S standards over there and they will let you do what you want as long as they get a tip... We went on a wreck dive to 30m (35 max) and they took a try diver with us (one 8min pool session) and let him do what he wanted... this included missing his safty stop and trying to shoot straigh to the surface at full pelt. (this enede with me and my buddy holding onto his legs and pulling him back down)

get your ow done over hear and then just enjoy the holiday....

Equipement!! this is one of the big things over there, take as much as possible because theres is about 10 years old and more and has never had a service! i took all my own and i was very glad i did. Take some reg o'rings as you will need them, I had 20 spare and came back with 2, and i never replaced mine once. also take an air filter as i was given BAD gas twice and this took me out for 3 days, 1st was oil in the air fill and the other was... god knows..

Oh and take loads of mosi spray, we took two bottles and ran out and they charge about £10 for a small bottle... LOADS AND LOADS of bites.....

Oh and only take £ over there don't bother with $ as they dont take it anymore and the exchange charge for $ is a total rip off....

Oh and expect to tip loads as thye won't even look at you unless you tip every time....

Still, I expect you enjoyed it

Di

[endoman]

Having read all this lot, I have to ask, why go there when there are many alternatives in the same geographic area?

[thermocad]

I must say it was an experinence.... one which will never be relived...

I payed £3500 for two of us and i might as well gone to blackpool and given the money to a tramp.... The one thing cuba did for us was to make us realised that the only places we will be every going to for a holiday is the maldives and malta...

Maldives because its then only place we both love and can call heaven

Malta because i enjoy the diving.... and its cheaper than the maldives, if i could go to the maldives twice a year then i would!

oh i forgot this bit..... On the way home they sold our 1st class seats and told us we would have to wait until the end of the check in for it to be sorted and then when going through the scanners money some how went missing out of my bag... after the machine some how stoped working!!!!!! i kid you not!!!!

[scapaman]

cuba don`t do padi and if your only a open water ,or soon to be open water don`t dive cuba not to safe over there.

[NARKEDAT30]

My experience of Cuba diving was excellent........there are SSI dive centres at the resort at which you are staying who were accepting PADI referrals.My diving was very varied and included l shallow reefs, drop off walls,caverns and caves,wrecks both 'natural' and 'artificial'. Even if your SSI was not accepted you can do a one day 'resort course' which allows you to dive but only while at the resort .Yes the equipment is poor ,yes the safety standards are poor, In fact we sold my wifes gear to a Cuban female Instructor whilst we were there......but its not right to say Cuba is rubbish ..its just a totaly different culture.

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by thermocad

I must say it was an experinence.... one which will never be relived...

I payed £3500 for two of us and i might as well gone to blackpool and given the money to a tramp.... The one thing cuba did for us was to make us realised that the only places we will be every going to for a holiday is the maldives and malta...

Maldives because its then only place we both love and can call heaven

Malta because i enjoy the diving.... and its cheaper than the maldives, if i could go to the maldives twice a year then i would!

oh i forgot this bit..... On the way home they sold our 1st class seats and told us we would have to wait until the end of the check in for it to be sorted and then when going through the scanners money some how went missing out of my bag... after the machine some how stoped working!!!!!! i kid you not!!!!

Sounds like just another week in Fidel's Workers Paradise. It's no wonder half of them are trying to get out.

[Adrian Kelland]

The OPs question was not about what qualifications Cuba will accept, but what training he can do. He wishes to complete his PADI OW after doing the pool work here. AIUI, as PADI does not operate in Cuba, he cannot complete his PADI training.

Now if a PADI instructor happens to be there too, that blurs the issue. What does PADI say about standards etc. Can a PADI instructor operate solo? Different issue there.

Adrian