Cuba diving help please

[VivaCaribe]

I have never been to Varedero. I would ask the hotel to help me place a call to the El Colony hotel and dive operation Isla Juventud, or to (my fav) the hotel and dive operation at Maria la Gorda (there is only one hotel and connected dive operator at each location). Then call them and make a res. And arrange transportation (plane to former, driver or car rental to latter).

 

[tvscuba]

Wait till you get there.
Varadero is 'tourist central' -there will be dive operators around. inquire at your hotel and check them out before you dive.
tvscuba

 

[1973Diver]

My son and I just returned from Cuba and we dove for 2 days in the Bay of Pigs. Stay in Playa Giron, Hostal Luis is highly recommended and the scuba bus stops right outside their front door. National Dive Center in Playa Giron will outfit you and while the equipment is anything but new, it seemed to be well maintained. There were over 30 divers all together, but we were broken out into groups of 10; both son and I are Rescue Diver certified, and we were very impressed by the capabilities of the other divers in our group. Excellent buoyancy control and very safe. Prices were extremely reasonable - $25/dive including equipment. We dove Cenote Mar day one and Playa del Tangue day 2. Vis was extraordinary (>100ft). Not as many reef fish or larger animals as we have seen elsewhere but the coral was beautiful. Make sure you have a full 200 bar before going in as some of the tanks were <170 bar.

 

[RyanNM]

Go thru a dive travel operator before you go. You cannot arrange travel on your own their since the government owns practically everything. Even a hotel reservation becomes a nightmare. Find a Canadian or Mexican dive travel company that can arrange it for you.

Not true, from my personal experiences. I don't know why you would say that. I traveled around, found my own accommodations with casas particulares, all over the island. Very easy. Found dive ops on Cayo Levisa; Playa Ancon (near Trinidad); and Playa Giron. Cuba has some of the most pristine reef life due to the fact they stopped using chemical fertilizers in the '90s. Loved diving PG ((what we call the Bay of Pigs), very colorful reefs, few large fish. Varadero is a total resort beach, much more expensive than the rest of the island, lots of foreign tourists; I hear it has a beautiful beach. Not known for good diving. Be sure to get out of the resort zone- beautiful country, beautiful people.

 

[nodakdive]

Just pointing out that eanxmiss's post was from 2008.

 

[Ayisha]

Just pointing out that eanxmiss's post was from 2008.

I wouldn't have considered it to be accurate in 2008 either.
Easy to arrange on your own or through a travel agent. By email or phone call to state-run facilities, not so much.

I've been diving in Varadero, Bay of Pigs, and Jardines de la Reina. Each of them from 15 years ago to now were arranged directly by me, not through a travel agent.