Visit UDC/GoPro Utila at the UK and DEMA USA dive shows

Come and visit the staff of Utila Dive Centre/GoPro Utila at the upcoming public UK dive show (Birmingham NEC Oct 30th/31st) on stand number PV#32 in the PADI Village. We'll also be attending the professional event, the DEMA dive show (Las Vegas, USA, Nov 17th to 20th) on stand #811. We look forward to meeting our divers, past and future and to a great time.

2011 Instructor course dates now available

See our brand new schedule for PADI Instructor course in 2011, we now have more options and dates for you with PADI IDC 2011 schedule now 12 scheduled PADI Instructor Examinations in the best part of Central America and the Caribbean! We can also schedule prerequisite training upon demand to coincide with our Instructor course dates.



New for 2011: Exclusive membership of the Global Diving Network with Utila Dive Centre and GoPro Utila

We have evolved our previous referral scheme 'Prestige card' into a new collaboration between the top dive centers, and destinations worldwide. Utila Dive Centre and GoPro Utila have now formed a referral scheme with the following dive operations worldwide;


• Emperor Divers, Egypt, Red Sea (5 resorts and live-aboards)
  
  • Poseidon Divers, Dahab, Egypt, Red Sea
    
    • Buddha View, Koh Tao, Thailand
      
      • Blue Season, Bali, Indonesia
        
        • Eco-Divers, Manado, Indonesia
          
          This scheme is in addition to our local Central/South America referral scheme 'TrekCATS', and all our students and divers receive a membership card, and reduced rates (5-10%)/preferential treatment at any of these quality dive operations. No other dive operation in the Caribbean, Honduras and Central America is committed to your success, and opportunities during and after your time with Utila Dive Centre/GoPro Utila.
          
          

          2011 PADI Closed Circuit Rebreather Training coming to Utila
          

          Another exclusive offering by GoPro Utila and the Utila Dive Centre in 2011 will be PADI 'Closed Circuit Rebreather' training at both the diver and Instructor levels. Our resident PADI Course Director, Andy Phillips, is currently the only authorised and certified CCR diver and Instructor in the Bay Islands of Honduras. Following PADI's announcement in August 2010 that will be launching their rebreather programs in 2011, our staff are in the position to offer this training to our divers and interns. CCR diving is an advancing field in recreational and technical diving, and Andy was recently involved in a 275ft/83mt photo shoot with a Yellow Submarine on our neighboring island of Roatan, and has just returned from a rebreather trip to the Galapagos Islands where he was one of the first supported CCR divers in recent years. Here's an interesting link to Andy's trip CCR diving in Galapagos and you can also this an amazing piece of footage from the Galapagos captured by Andy only possible on a closed circuit rebreather.
          
          If you're interested in reading more on our current rebreather training please visit CCR training and contact us for more information.
          
          
          
          

          Read the latest on our new blog by our UDC Instructors!
          

          It's been a fun packed 2010 at Utila Dive Centre, read what our staff and divers have been up to with our new blog link.
          
          
          
          

          Online Coral Reef Ecology Training

          

          Book a Beautiful Oceans Coral Reef Guardian or Science Instructor course with our PADI Divemaster or Instructor training and receive immediate online access to the Beautiful Oceans e-academy. This allows you to make the most productive and constructive use of your time prior to arriving at Utila Dive Centre and you'll get online access to the Beautiful Oceans state-of-the-art online course material, videos, quizzes and exams. You'll rapidly improve your knowledge of the Caribbean coral reef ecosystem, its architecture and and the food web, and arrive on the island of Utila, Honduras, with an intimate knowledge and scientific understanding of the environment where you'll soon be working as a dive professional.
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          Whilst studying online, our staff will be able to guide you through the materials and grade your assignments. Upon arrival you will immediately complete your Science Instructor Examination, and then we'll then take you out to our amazing coral reefs so you can apply in-water what you learned during the course, apply techniques of guided educational dives and immediately enhance your enjoyment of coral reefs. There's no better way to start your training and education, and no need to count down the days till you join us, just contact us to see how you can get the best start to your dive education and training in the Caribbean, today!
          

          
          
          

          Go Deep Go Tec - Join our PADI Tec Deep and Instructor courses
          

          If technical diving interests you, and you'd like to explore sites off limit to the average recreational diver, and develop your skills and confidence in the water then consider signing up for our Tec Deep courses. The all-year round diving conditions, clear warm water, and steep walls, drop off's and off shore sea mounts make Utila in the Bay Islands of Honduras the perfect choice for your technical training. The Utila Dive Centre is also a PADI Career Development Center and DSAT/IANTD full service technical training facility offering deep air and trimix diver training to Instructor level. We have monthly Tec Deep and Tec 40/Tec 45/Tec 50 and trimix courses scheduled, and for PADI Instructors we will also be running the PADI DSAT Tec Deep and Trimix Instructor courses in November 2010. If you'd like to learn more about our tec diving courses, and the Instructor level training (for PADI pro's these can be combined) then please read our Technical diving section or contact us for more information.
          
          

          Whale Sharks are back with a vengeance

          

          This magnificent Whale shark was photographed by PADI Instructor Michael Bichsel, during a surface interval at Blackhills dive site on the East side of Utila, on April 18th. It was estimated to be 40-45ft/12-13mt long. What's interesting with this photo is the Whale shark has a SPOT (Smart Position Only Tag) tag attached to it, and you can actually track this creatures movements on this site http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?tag_id=50768. This data is collected by scientists to further their understanding of the Whale sharks movement and behaviors. In the last week there have been several Whale Shark sightings all day long, also accompanied with Manta Rays and several Dolphin sightings on the boat rides. In 2009 there were recorded sightings of Whale sharks every month on Utila, and we're fortunate to have the best opportunity to sight them in Honduras, as they frequent the walls of the North side of the island.
          
          

          New Distinctive Tec Support Diver Specialty a success

          

          In January 2010 our team of technical divers had a specialty dive course that they wrote, approved by PADI, and this month we certified several of our PADI Divemasters as DSAT Tec Support Divers. The 2 day course is unique to Utila Dive Centre, and covers the logistics, dive planning, and emergency procedures that divers need to know to support technical divers on their decompression dives. This photo was taken on an actual decompression dive, on the offshore banks of Utila in Honduras, when our students supported an actual technical dive. If you'd like to get more from your Divemaster training, and learn unique skills and knowledge pertaining to technical dive planning and acting as a support diver, then join Utila Dive Centre for the most thorough and credible Divemaster course in the Caribbean and Central America. We have great diving conditions at the moment, the sun is shining, courses are starting on a daily basis and reaching paradise is worth the journey. So what more are you waiting for, come and join us for great diving, the Whale sharks, a great atmosphere and fun times!!!
          
          
          

          New for 2010 Online learning option in the IDC
          

          
          

          For candidates who are already certified as PADI Divemaster prior to arriving on Utila for your IDC there have been changes to the curriculum, that from January 2010, now allow you to;
          
          1)    Study and pre-assess your dive theory online.
          
          2)    Study 9 of the course presentations online which can be used to save time from the course and start 3 days later than our ‘Live delivery’ IDC with the start date on the Saturday.  The course will then end one week later on the Sunday (with EFR Instructor course) and then a day’s fun diving on Monday prior to the IE on the Tuesday/Wednesday, allowing you to leave on the Thursday am flights.  This takes just 13 days for the complete Instructor course, EFR Instructor and 2 day PADI Exams, and even less if you arrive on Utila already certified as a PADI Assistant Instructor.
          
          There is an additional charge for this each of these options, that deliver convenience and value enhancement to the IDC, and this is paid to PADI.  Please read here to learn more about our PADI Instructor course.
          
          
          

          PADI Platinum Course Director award - 5th consecutive year!!!

          

          Congratulations to Utila Dive Centres Director of Professional Training for receiving the coveted Platinum award from PADI Vice President James Morgan at the November 2009 DEMA show in Orlando, USA. Andy is only one of 50 CD's worldwide recognised by PADI to receive the award and 2009 is his 5th consecutive year to receive the award, which is an unmatched record in the region. The award is another endorsement to the experience of Utila Dive Centers staff and their commitment to professional dive training, PADI Instructor courses and their candidates. Utila Dive Centre and Andy were also honoured to be invited to talk about what has made them such a successful dive operation, in front of over 1000 PADI professionals, resorts and retailers at the DEMA seminar 'Believe', and is also a sign of peer endorsement that shows the quality of our staff and programs.
          
          

          What a beauty! March Whale shark sighting

          

          This magnificent Whale shark was photographed by PADI Instructor Gaby Louzada, on the North side of Utila, on March 2nd 2010. It was estimated to be 40-45ft/12-13mt long and female. In 2009 there were recorded sightings of Whale sharks every month on Utila, and we're fortunate to have the best opportunity to sight them in Honduras, as they frequent the walls of the North side of the island.
          
          
          

          Sports Diver praises Utila Dive Centre for taking Conservation lead

          Check out this article by clicking on this link September Sport Diver article on eco resorts and read what Sport Diver say about UDC in their September issue!!!! Utila Dive Centre, leading with action!
          
          

          Utila Dive Centre-Clean's up environment for international Project Aware event 2009 and 2010 date

          

          On the 19th September 2009 all our divers and staff gave up their time and helped to clean up part of Utila's shoreline and beach areas, pictured here to the left are one of our subgroups of divers on Utila's North shore. In total we collected several truck loads of trash and celebrated the event with a dive center BBQ at the end of the day. The BBQ was also a double celebration as we had several Divemaster trainees graduate from their Divemaster course that same day . Our 2010 Project Aware clean up is scheduled for 25th September.
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          

          Winners of PADI's 2009 'Environmental Achievement Award

          

          Congratulations to Utila Dive Center's team of PADI Divemaster, Instructor and support staff for receiving this award from PADI for their environmental and conservation efforts in 2008 and also previously in 2007 and 2006. Only a handful of dive resorts and centers worldwide receive this award and is a reflection of all the hard work, investment and dedication that UDC staff have shown through their environmental clean-up's, research activities, educational programs and setting up a new ecological facility at UDC. A special show of appreciation and thanks was delivered to the owners of the Utila Dive Center for their generous investment and commitment to setting up the only non-profit, NGO, in Utila that specialises in courses covering ecological areas, mangrove concerns and marine research, with the 'Utila Center for Marine Ecology' (UCME) headed by biologist Stephen Box. The UCME is open to all divers on Utila, especially Divemaster and Instructor (IDC) candidates and interns, as a way to improve their own education and understanding of ecological matters on a local level by studying the meso-american reef system that runs from Mexico, to Belize and into Honduras, and also on a global level.
          
          
          

          UCME dedicated facility

          

          The Utila Center for Marine Ecology (UCME) now has it's own dedicated premises on Utila, mow scientists and researchers have their own facility to gather information, store data, and educate visitors to Utila about the delicate marine environment and behavioural habits of creatures like the 'rough tooth' dolphin and the majestic Whale shark. The UCME is now operational and will be offering the following programs;
          
          

          • Whale shark and Dolphin research.
          • Studies on Fauna and Flora in the local area.
          • Accommodating undergraduate and graduate students on field research and thesis projects.

          
          Please contact us for more news on how to get involved with this exciting project and check out the UCME's own dedicated website on www.utilaecology.org.
          
          
          

          Project Aware Coral Watch and more

          
          

          Calling all Divemaster and MSDT Instructor candidates: Check out our new Project Aware Coral Watch training, approved by PADI and used by the University of Queensland. This 4 week program, along with our Whaleshark and Dolphin awareness specialty, from PADI's Project Aware, is available to all our professionals in training.
          
          Both of these images, taken on Utila, show the beautiful creatures that we study and you become involved with on our research surveys and projects. This training is unique to Utila Dive Centre and we'd love for you to join us in our surveys and research and help make the environment around Utila, a better place for divers today and in the future. You'll find during your PADI Divemaster or MSDT Internship with Utila Dive Centre there are plenty of opportunities for diving and surveying, as we have 4 boats that take out divers on a daily basis, which means more opportunities for our interns to further their experience and understanding of the aquatic environment, contact us for more details.