Varadiving
Varadiving
4.5
Scuba & Snorkelling • Eco Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Private Tours • Day Trips
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Scuba Diving from Varadero Cuba. The way to go Scuba Diving from Varadero Cuba. Snorkeling trips from Varadero Cuba.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
230 reviews
Excellent
172
Very good
36
Average
5
Poor
5
Terrible
12
patrickinbc
Vancouver, Canada36 contributions
Dec 2015 • Solo
Yassir is a pro and did a great job communicating with me after I inquired through their website. I appreciated that very much. The pick up was well timed, and it was 72 CUC for my dive to Coral Beach.
You can also go to the Bay of Pigs for 92 cuc
adequate gear and for my dive, it was just me and a guide, and that is pretty rare (just one on one)
i would recommend this company highly
You can also go to the Bay of Pigs for 92 cuc
adequate gear and for my dive, it was just me and a guide, and that is pretty rare (just one on one)
i would recommend this company highly
Written January 3, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LW_YVR
50 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
Seasoned cold and warm water divers from Vancouver, Canada, we contacted Veradiving by phone once there. A local Veradero outfit not associated with the hotels, our guide Ricardo picked us up at the resort and drove us to the dive shop to size/fetch gear. They were fantastic in accommodating us with our 9 year old (too young to dive, great swimmer) to have snorkelling lessons while we dove. We were matched with a lovely family with teens from Britain who were novice divers and headed for a two shore dives at the Bay of Pigs. Their English was pretty good despite our poor Spanish, and be sure to bring cash for payment and local stops!
Pros: Great drive in cab seeing local countryside; stopping at local haunts for snacks/meals/breaks and trying local food; decent, maintained equipment; knowledgeable and friendly dive master; warmer site on the Caribbean Sea; accommodated for non-diving child and equipped with snorkelling gear; prices on par with other local outfits, despite 2.5h charming drive.
Cons: Shore and not boat dive; snorkelling instructor (not with Veradiving) no-showed.
Ricardo was an excellent DM guiding us on a 27m wall dive and a 22m wreck (fishing boat) with 30m+ visibility. Despite my petite frame, no wetsuit was required and gear fit, water was perhaps 25c. Ricardo was fantastic in stepping in to guide our daughter and one of the Brits to snorkel during our surface interval, when the snorkel guide wasn't available.
Recommend this outfit despite the shore dive - great way to experience local dive sites and enjoy the culture away from the sanctioned outfitters and locations.
Pros: Great drive in cab seeing local countryside; stopping at local haunts for snacks/meals/breaks and trying local food; decent, maintained equipment; knowledgeable and friendly dive master; warmer site on the Caribbean Sea; accommodated for non-diving child and equipped with snorkelling gear; prices on par with other local outfits, despite 2.5h charming drive.
Cons: Shore and not boat dive; snorkelling instructor (not with Veradiving) no-showed.
Ricardo was an excellent DM guiding us on a 27m wall dive and a 22m wreck (fishing boat) with 30m+ visibility. Despite my petite frame, no wetsuit was required and gear fit, water was perhaps 25c. Ricardo was fantastic in stepping in to guide our daughter and one of the Brits to snorkel during our surface interval, when the snorkel guide wasn't available.
Recommend this outfit despite the shore dive - great way to experience local dive sites and enjoy the culture away from the sanctioned outfitters and locations.
Written August 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for reviewing Varadiving in Varadero Cuba.
We hope you come back again, maybe when your daughter can yet scuba dive. We have 1 new dive site closer to Varadero (great for Discovery Diving).
Best wishes. Yasser.
Written February 13, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
italian3987
Philadelphia, PA4 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
Cuba doesn't have a very strong online presence which makes it hard to make plans ahead of time, especially when it comes to SCUBA Diving. When I found Varadiving, I was happy to find out that we could stay in Havana and still access great diving spots. Varadiving was pretty great at answering my emails before the trip. When we arrived in Havana Felix came to pick up the deposit the night before our dives (American credit cards don't work in Cuba). The next morning he arrived on time in an old American taxi. We drove to the Bay of Pigs (2.5-hour drive) for two guided shore dives. Felix did a great job sizing the equipment so everything fit well. Their equipment is high quality and practically new. The dives went well, despite having a newer diver along with us. After the dives Felix took us to a really tasty and local restaurant. Then he drove us back to Havana. What a great day!
Written April 18, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark
London, England, United Kingdom3 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
Having booked online in advance and having the booking confirmed we then did not hear from Varadiving. We tried to contact them by mail and the number given with no response and no one showed up to pick us up.
Very disappointing to not hear anything.
Very disappointing to not hear anything.
Written December 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vasilis V
20 contributions
Jan 2016 • Couples
Mainly they deal with groups of beginners or DSDs so if you want some serious diving just don't bother. Boring diving at 12-14m with groups of beginners. The only exception it was at the Bay of Pigs because the other couple dropped out and it was only my wife and i diving. A really nice dive and nice dive master. Alcides is the best.
In general there is long drive to the diving sites. and they have poor installations, there is no place to clean your gear after diving (we were cleaning and drying our equipment at the hotel).
Also i was a bit disappointed because were doing double dives but on the second day my wife got sick and she had to cancel 1 of the 2 dives. Finally we got charged the full amount and no discount was made.
However we got a discount because we had our own gear.
The last day Yasser managed to sort out for us a dive with Barracuda (boat dive) and he told us that the double dives with Barracuda would count as part of a 3 day dive package. But we found by our surprise that we had to pay the full amount for 1 day diving and that they don't do discount for having your own gear.
The bottom line is that if you are beginner for sure you're going to have a good time and the guys at Varadiving are ok, but if you are an experienced diver just avoid both dive centres or even Varadero. No special dive sites, the diving gear is ok in Varadiving and below average in Barracuda.
In general there is long drive to the diving sites. and they have poor installations, there is no place to clean your gear after diving (we were cleaning and drying our equipment at the hotel).
Also i was a bit disappointed because were doing double dives but on the second day my wife got sick and she had to cancel 1 of the 2 dives. Finally we got charged the full amount and no discount was made.
However we got a discount because we had our own gear.
The last day Yasser managed to sort out for us a dive with Barracuda (boat dive) and he told us that the double dives with Barracuda would count as part of a 3 day dive package. But we found by our surprise that we had to pay the full amount for 1 day diving and that they don't do discount for having your own gear.
The bottom line is that if you are beginner for sure you're going to have a good time and the guys at Varadiving are ok, but if you are an experienced diver just avoid both dive centres or even Varadero. No special dive sites, the diving gear is ok in Varadiving and below average in Barracuda.
Written May 28, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pilzi11
Wernigerode, Germany2 contributions
Mar 2016 • Friends
Not with Varadiving! I was with a friend. We asked for a dive package! This was not possible and the individual dives then of course too expensive! We should pay each day extra. No compromise! After 2 days we changed the diving base and there were a lot better. Beginner went with us to dive. There were student divers and should dive at the end. That will not do! Where is there safety? The dive guide just wanted to bring to dive over. Not more. Way too fast! We had the feeling that it was all about cashing. That's why we never go there again diving.
Written September 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My English is not very good however as it says (NOT WITH VARADIVING) for me sounds like you where with another diving club, if that's the case this review most not be here.
Written February 11, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
lorena d
Miami, FL5 contributions
Jan 2016 • Solo
I love to travel to different places to practice one of my favorites activities in the world: scuba diving and Varading has provided me one of the best experiences I ever had. I recommend this place for the knowledge of the instructors and the friendly atmosphere. They have the latest equipment and the places where they take you to see beautiful corals and sea life are amazing. Totally recommended for underwater photography! I will definitely come back!!!
Written January 16, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Viktória V
1 contribution
Dec 2015 • Solo
I can recommend Yasser and his team to everyone. You will not be dissappointed. Fast reply to my email, they also made under-water photos after I asked them.( I forgot to take my camera) Friendly, helpful attitude, unforgettable experience. :) Thanks again. Hug from Slovakia.
Written January 6, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cincyphotobugs
45 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
What an incredible experience of a lifetime. Our ship was delayed getting into port and our guide was still willing to take us even though it meant he would get home much later than anticipated. Lazaro Gonzalez was our guide for the day and we had a wonderful time. He is very knowledgeable and explained everything we were going to do for the day. We rode in a Bel-Air down to the beautiful Bay of Pigs to snorkel. Lazaro made sure that we knew how to snorkel and stayed with us during the entire experience. He pointed out different fish and coral and made the snorkel experience both fun and educational. Lazaro took us to a great place for lunch and the food was amazing. We have snorkeled all over the Caribbean and this was by far the best and we cannot wait to go again.
Written June 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
freshney1989
Thornton Cleveleys, UK15 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
My partner and I travelled to the Hidden Port from Varadero on Thursday 16th August. We originally wanted to go to the Bay of Pigs, however this was changed last minute - Varadiving emailed ahead by a few days to check this was fine.
We were picked up on time, by a local taxi who took us to the dive site - the Hidden Port. It was quite a bumpy road, off the main road to Havana, through an area similar to uk industrial sites... the instructor met us at the dive site and we were able to leave our belongings in the taxi, who waited at the site for us to finish.
The equipment used for the dive was ok. The dive site was a beautiful cove with crystal clear waters and was a short walk down some rocks! The instructor explained everything before we got in the water, however did have broken English - I have done 3 dives previously so a lot of this made sense - I am not sure whether this would for a total beginner. He was extremely patient and made sure we were comfortable and happy at all times! He continued to do this under the water using hand signals.
The dive was good, we went down a max of 12m and went for about 30 minutes. The coral was ok and there wasn’t much sea life, which was slightly disappointing - the odd few fish- but nothing spectacular. Maybe for a total beginner this would be enough (I have been spoilt and have seen much more on my other dives in other parts of the world).
Overall I am glad I dived in Cuba and if I was to do another dive in the same area, I would definitely choose Varadiving as it was an enjoyable experience and the instructor did a great job!
We were picked up on time, by a local taxi who took us to the dive site - the Hidden Port. It was quite a bumpy road, off the main road to Havana, through an area similar to uk industrial sites... the instructor met us at the dive site and we were able to leave our belongings in the taxi, who waited at the site for us to finish.
The equipment used for the dive was ok. The dive site was a beautiful cove with crystal clear waters and was a short walk down some rocks! The instructor explained everything before we got in the water, however did have broken English - I have done 3 dives previously so a lot of this made sense - I am not sure whether this would for a total beginner. He was extremely patient and made sure we were comfortable and happy at all times! He continued to do this under the water using hand signals.
The dive was good, we went down a max of 12m and went for about 30 minutes. The coral was ok and there wasn’t much sea life, which was slightly disappointing - the odd few fish- but nothing spectacular. Maybe for a total beginner this would be enough (I have been spoilt and have seen much more on my other dives in other parts of the world).
Overall I am glad I dived in Cuba and if I was to do another dive in the same area, I would definitely choose Varadiving as it was an enjoyable experience and the instructor did a great job!
Written August 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith C
Campbellville, Canada1 contribution
Is Varadive still in operation? I've emailed through their website and separately several times and have received no response...I've dived with them before and now I'm thinking they are no longer...
Anyone know if they're still around?
Jobenina
Harlington, UK328 contributions
Hi, could you please confirm what paperwork I would need in order to book a scuba diving trip. I got my PADI certificate many years ago and haven't been diving in recent years. Thanks in advance.
Rcwormsley
London, UK
Hi,
I got my PADI open water referral in may and I am visiting Cuba in August
I was wondering wether I could do my open water dives with your company during my stay
Many thanks
Julie T
Raleigh, NC
Hi there~
Myself and my 11 year old daughter are both PADI Certified but, I am wondering if you have any cool dive spots to accommodate my daughter? My understanding is at 11 years old she is only able to dive to a maximum depth of 40 feet, is that correct? She has done 5 dives since she was certified in April.
Do you have recommendations on reasonable places to stay while we are in Cuba diving with you? We would like to do at least 4 dives, maybe 6 so, we would need to know a price as well.
Would I be able to join others at deeper depths while my daughter stays with a Dive Master?
Anything you can do to help or point me in the right direction would be great,
Julie
J.H.B.
3 contributions
Hi, is it tru that you will get the official PADI certificate? I'm reading on the internet that it's only ACUC or NAUI, but PADI is not possible on Cuba..
Daniel Oliveira
Porto, Portugal21 contributions
Boa tarde!
Em breve estarei em varadero e gostarÃamos de fazer mergulho de garrafa! Que aconselham e quais os preços?
Obrigado
ar118
Toronto, Canada17 contributions
I will be in Havana on May 29 for a few days. I am certified diver. Does Varadiving organize any trips from Havana? Or any other dive shop?
Yasser S
Varadero, Matanzas, Cuba84 contributions
Hello.
thank you for contacting Varadiving.
yes we offer diving trips from Havana, this is copied from our modest site.
please check our website.
Diving from Havana:
Havana single dive 60cuc.
Havana Discovery dive 60cuc.
Bay of Pigs 110cuc.
Coral Beach 100cuc.
Matanzas Bay 100cuc.
Bacunayagua 100cuc.
Hidden Port 100cuc.
patsternyc
New York City, NY15 contributions
Hello, I was interested in 2 diving trips, one in the last week of May and one in the first week of April - to the bay of pigs.
In May, I will go with myself and 2 daughters (age 18 and 19). We only snorkel, and would like to know do you have dive trips for beginners (no certification). Can you teach us on a day trip?
Then in April, my friend and his 3 sons (all three are certified; only the youngest age 11 is not certified) would like to do the same trip.
Can you provide some details for both trips and approximate cost, originating from Varadero or Havana.
Thank you!
Patty
Yasser S
Varadero, Matanzas, Cuba84 contributions
Hello Patty.
we prefer you to email us or log into our modest website for more details however in cuba the minimum required age for scuba diving is 15 so I recommend that you do the Snorkeling trip which is also very nice.
we are having very nice weather, it is yet very hot.
JoC
Twickenham, UK18 contributions
Hi, after Irmas destruction what are the reefs and visibility like in Varadero please?
Kinley M
Vancouver, Canada73 contributions
Hi from Pt. Moody......Going to Varadero in July and hope to do some diving with my 18 year old son....we are both Padi certified but basically novice divers and most of our dives were in Cozumel......I've done about 20 dives, he's done about 5......would you recommend Varadiving? Also do you know if they do boat diving there as well? Many thanks!
Lisa F
Hamilton, Canada21 contributions
I would definitely recommend them! I know they do both snorkelling and diving. Our guide does both, and took us snorkelling but says he actually prefers (loves!) diving. I'm not sure about boat diving though. have fun!!
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