sharks friends dive center

not so much of the beaches they control the boats they use and the beaches in cuba. feeding frenzies are unsafe and unhealthy. feeding fish off their tours is detrimental to the fish and reefs. sooner or later all the reefs will be gone and there will be no reef tourism. makes one wonder about the safety of boats and equipment. carol e. or indeed the ecology of cuba. and if you see the channel off coco beach you'll see why they need a feeding frenzy

My 2 sons & hubby went for scuba lesson in pool. Only received 1 scuba diving set to share. They would've preferred a set each to try.

I was there to dive, and my girlfriend to learn how to. We both had a great time thanks to the friendly and passionate staff. The spots are terrific!

It is what it is! O.K.! JA! JE! JO! Very nice snorkelling just off the beach area! O.K. and lot's of fun!

Thank you Yordi and Lazaro for your help and support for making my dream come true.I had 2 dives during my stay @ Las Brisas (Sep23-Oct7).The first one was 18 m (60ft) on a coral reef, and the second one 25m (80ft) with the sharks.Both were amazing, but the one with the Bull Sharks is unforgettable.Being eye to eye with 10 ft long Sharks, WOW what an experience. There were 4 Sharks swimming around, and as they were hand fed by Lazaro. They were coming a few feet in front of us.Watching them, feeling their power, and seeing their beauty is a life-changing experience.

Although the white sandy beaches are cleaned almost every morning, the shore gets quickly covered with algae, that is not a concern for most people.There is a dive shop just 10 minutes walk southbound on the beach called Shark's Friends. Although prices are same if you bring your own gear or not, you may consider bringing at least your own regulator, mask tuba & fins, especially if you want to snorkel during free time (surprisingly I encountered a 4' barracura 100' from the shore while snorkeling. I dove confidently, they used to have obsolete (rusty) equipment last year they closed the shop for a while and they reopened in march 2014 when the Cuban government have purchased new dive gear, a new commercial compressor and new 12L Faber steel tanks (engraved 05/2013). Weights are provided in 1kg increment only. Watch for painfull spiky balls in the grass and in the sand, wear sandals. Divemaster Oro will take you to impressive bull shark feeding (at 85') price are affortable: 69CUC for Shark dive, near coco beach.boat dives overseas are 40CUC each 35CUC for 5 dives or more30CUC for 10dives or more25CUC for 15dives or more21CUC for 20dives or moreUsually divers are required to report @ 9am or 1pm

I returned in early September for 2 weeks of diving. The resort is undergoing major renovations. Bldgs 5 and 6 were closed, and various other units were being serviced. In May of 2015 it is expected that the entire resort will be closed for several months for a complete overhaul.The weather was hot and humid. The mosquitoes were a problem when there was no wind.This is the low season so there were few tourists at the resort. Many Cuban families come at this time of the year.The resort staff are always friendly and helpful. At Sharks Friends I enjoyed diving with the guys. They are limited by only having one boat available to them at this time. It has its own mechanical problems. I use my own dive gear. This is CUBA so expect a few bumps, you won't find a better place for the price anywhere else.It is an excellent spot to dive, rest and relax.

Learning how to dive here was the highlight of my trip. Lazaro was an excellent instructor, very likeable and knowledgeable. He was also very attentive. He never let anyone out of his sight the entire time, checking up on his students constantly to make sure everything was ok.The wetsuits are in poor condition, that's true, but the water is 25-27 degrees at 50 feet so it's not an issue. The most important equipment, the tanks, masks, regulators and octopuses, were all decently maintained.A great price and you achieve your ACUC certification, which I did actually receive from ACUC. He'll bring his camera with him on your final dive. Buy the disk from him but CHECK IT before you leave Santa Lucia. It's 25CUC and worth it...as long as the disk works. Mine didn't. The service fell flat here from all the other staff until Lazaro showed up and quickly had it taken care of.

We spent three days of scuba diving at the Shark's Friends Diving Center in Sta. Lucia. The center is fully equipped but the equipment is currently in a poor state. The diving suite I wore had more holes than Swiss cheese but fortunately one does not really need one since the water is pretty warm. We had our own stuff such as computers, regulators etc. so I can't say much about that. Don't expect any detailed safety briefing before the dives so you'd better have some experience already. The gentle staff tries to sell their 'feed-the-shark' dive, which costs CUC69 pp! We took the standard dives at the wreck nearby (CUC40 pp) and had to drive with our own car to the spot. The wreck "Nuevo Mortera" is located 12-24m beneath the surface. Since it went down more than a hundred years ago it is nicely covered with corals, sponges and all kind of sea life. The only you will not see is mid-sized fish, which is harpooned daily for feeding the bull sharks, which are usually present at the wreck as soon as they hear the bell inviting them for dinner. Though we didn't book the shark dive we saw between 4 and 7 bull sharks and took plenty of pictures. They come pretty close as they are apparently used of fed by the dive guides. Keep in mind that these are bull sharks and not pets and you feel ok.All in all it is a good diving experience but I wish there would be more competition in Sta. Lucia so that the price/service-ratio would return to a normal level.

I stayed in Brisas, Santa Lucia last 2 weeks and went out of the resort to the local disco at night. At the disco, I was harassed by a fat cuban guy and when I pointed him out to the policemen, he attempted to attacked me in front of the 4 policemen. The 4 policemen did nothing! For your safety, do not go outside the resort if your travel to Santa Lucia, Camaguey, for your vacation.

Was there with a bunch of angry Russians, since they spent whole week trying every day to see the sharks. They did not show up that week. Otherwise the dive site is very nice and worth a dive in Cuba. There are shipwrecks, nice underwater fauna and flora. When we returned to the surface, we had to wait like 15 minutes for the boat, because it was not there... that was an interesting experience :)

Absolutely loved it, learned in a pool by an instructor with this place and then went into the ocean for an hour. Cannot wait to do this again.

We dived with Sharks' Friends a while back. It is a rich, life-changing experience. You are in the hands of a great crew!

Professional divemasters making the experience safe and fun for everyone. Equipment a little worn out but don't forget that this Cuba! Just check that your tank is not leaking and the rest should be fine! Great diving sites with a few wrecks to visit. Whiling to go out even when the sea is somehow agitated. I did 6 dives between 20 and 30 meters (60 to 100 fts) and just loved it !!! Rebate applicable if your tour operator is Nolitour (at least if your accomodation is the Brisas).

They were great. Had a great experience diving with them. They were a lot of fun and the dives offered were really diverse and amazing.