Anyone got experiences of diving in Varadero, the sites and the dive centers and their rental gear?
I'm going there this Christmas and I'm just now finishing my PADI OWD certificate. However there seems to be little reliable information about the dive centers there - and who is running them, and how reliable they generally are. The travel agency has mentioned a dive center, Centro internacional y escuela de buseo Gaviota Varadero, but there's not much info out there about it that I've found. I won't be having my own gear except for the snorkeling stuff (wetsuit, mask & snorkel, fins) so I'll need to rent everything else. From what I've read, some have complained about the Barracuda dive center, others have said it's just fine... would love to hear some first hand experiences. I kinda have the impression that safety isn't their no.1 focus.
They're teaching SSI & ACUC courses it seems (cuba diving .org - Scuba Diving in Varadero) so I'd assume they should be reliable. However being a new inexperienced diver I'm a bit cautious - and at the same time happy that I decided to take the certification here in Finland in demanding conditions with experienced instructors.
I'm going there this Christmas and I'm just now finishing my PADI OWD certificate. However there seems to be little reliable information about the dive centers there - and who is running them, and how reliable they generally are. The travel agency has mentioned a dive center, Centro internacional y escuela de buseo Gaviota Varadero, but there's not much info out there about it that I've found. I won't be having my own gear except for the snorkeling stuff (wetsuit, mask & snorkel, fins) so I'll need to rent everything else. From what I've read, some have complained about the Barracuda dive center, others have said it's just fine... would love to hear some first hand experiences. I kinda have the impression that safety isn't their no.1 focus.
They're teaching SSI & ACUC courses it seems (cuba diving .org - Scuba Diving in Varadero) so I'd assume they should be reliable. However being a new inexperienced diver I'm a bit cautious - and at the same time happy that I decided to take the certification here in Finland in demanding conditions with experienced instructors.