Call us on regular phone In the USA (broadband) 305 420 5959 From the USA to Honduras 011 504 4253326 (cell phone) 011 504 3732521 From the UK 00 504 425 3326 (mobile phone) 00 504 3732521
PADI IDC, News from Utila, Honduras and Central America!
Congratulations PADI IDC April, the possibilities are endless!!!!
....To our new PADI Instructors, to the best start of Spring 2008, this photo was taken with candidates at the April IE closing at the Mango Inn pool, celebrating their completion of the exams with a 100% pass rate, excelling Utila Dive Centre PADI Course Director Andy Phillips, Christian Elton, IDC Staff Instructors Jason Levi and Frank Gutierrez in preparing our candidates who came from afar as the UK, Switzerland, USA, Chile, French Polynesia, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Holland and locally Roatan, and seeing them through one of the best chapters in their dive careers. Our candidates are now preparing to work in the local dive industry throughout Honduras, Central America and the Caribbean this month with a job placement service and many will be going on to complete their 'Master Scuba Diver Trainer' scuba Internship and 'Beautiful Oceans' Science Instructor ratings before embarking on jobs within the region. In 2007 twice as many Instructor candidates have chosen UDC as the PADI Career Development Center to take their Instructor training, more than any other facility in Central America from Mexico to Columbia, based on our great reputation, word of mouth, our training programs, comprehensive curriculum with guaranteed success at the exams and in the dive industry. If you'd like to learn more about a professional dive career please contact PADI Course Director Andy Phillips on for more information. We don't just certify you as an Instructor at Utila Dive Centre, but we give you real world training and make it a lot of fun!
Double Awards from PADI worldwide for UDC at DEMA dive show
....It's now official, the management team at Utila dive center have been awarded in exceeding excellence for their activities both in, and out of the water. At the October 2007 DEMA dive show in Orlando, UDC owner and manager, Ricardo Gonzalez collected 2 awards from PADI Worldwide, in recognition of the support that Utila Dive Center provides for the local dive community on Utila, the Bay Islands, and in Honduras, with a second award to the UDC Instructor Development team, for their Instructor training efforts and to raising the 'bar' in their PADI 'GoPro' programs. It's no secret amongst divers that UDC provides the best in-water experiences, training and education programs, with marine conversation efforts previously awarded by project Aware, and this photo above shows the awards given at the DEMA dive show, and reinforces UDC's commitment to giving their divers the best time, both in and out of the Ocean!
Make your 2008 mean something and get the best start ever and become a PADI Instructor with our IDC held on Utila, Honduras
If you are a PADI Divemaster (or equivalent) then you can enroll in either our upcoming PADI IDC's that will run from May 14th to the 25th with the exams on the 27th/28th/29th. Then our June IDC of 2008 will run from the 11th to 22nd with the exams on the 24th/25th/26th right here on Utila. There's never been a better time to become a PADI Instructor with a booming dive industry through Central America and the Caribbean, from Mexico to Panama, with a demand for PADI Scuba Instructors to work the upcoming season. Make your year mean something and join us for the most exciting and dynamic PADI IDC in Central America, arrive early for free diving and preparation program, please contact us on for more information and read on to find out what makes our program and staff the most chosen and awarded in Central America.
Read the latest Utila Dive Center NewsletterUtila, hot off the digital press. Get the October newsletter and read the latest and greatest from the most professional, friendly, eco-orientated and innovative dive team in Central America. In the October 2007 edition we have updates from the summer, festivals and great sightings, summer promotions and Whale shark news!!
See our brand new schedule for PADI Instructor Development Course in 2008, we now have more options and dates for you with 11 scheduled PADI Instructor Examinations in the best part of Central America and the Caribbean!
This summer saw two of the busiest weeks for visitors to Utila recorded. The week long Utila Carnival entertained islanders and tourists alike with nightly parties, beauty pageants, beach games and a street parade. One week after the Carnival closed the 11th annual SunJam rave on the beautiful desert island of Watercaye attracted over 1000 visitors for 24 hours of summer loving fun, music and dancing. DJ's from Central America and the USA entertained revellers till the early hours of the morning, and already we are looking forward to summer 2008. See SunJamUtila for more photos.
Winners of PADI's 2006 '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 2006. Only a handful of dive resorts and centers worldwide recieve 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.
Platinum award for PADI Course Director Andy Phillips 2 years running!!!! Since the inception of the PADI award system for Course Directors in 2006, we are pleased to announce that our in-house 'Director of Professional training' Andy (seen here on the left on vacation) has received the award from PADI HQ in California, USA, for the 2nd consecutive year. The award is a great mark of recognition for the hard work that Andy and the 'Instructor Development' team at Utila Dive Centre put into making their IDC's the most successful in Central America and the assistance and service they provide to their Instructor training candidates long after the IE is over. That's why IDC candidates at UDC perform better at the PADI IE's and achieve more success long after their training is over. To date in 2007 we have trained over 40 Instructor candidates, and helped them find local employment in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, the Bay Islands of Honduras and of course other destinations world wide. If you'd like to know what seperates our PADI IDC, and Instructor course, from others in Central America, and how we can give you the best possible to start to your dive career please feel free to contact us.
On the 8th August 2008 a pod of Orca whales were spotted off the North coast of Utila by our dive boats. There were approximately 15 Orcas seen heading in a Northerly direction and is an annual event during the month of August but they paused around one of Utila Dive Centre's dive boats as seen here to the right. If you ever get bored of dealing with traffic and commuting, then here's proof that Utila and a professional dive career is the way forward, our dive vessel the Octopussy and her passengers had a once in a lifetime encounter with these beautiful creatures......
Thank you to Utila Dive Center PADI Divemaster and Instructors and other support staff, who with volunteers, braved the Caribbean mid day heat, and cleaned up Pumpkin Hill beach on Utila, as part of international 'Dive into Earth day' clean up's. All over the Central America region, from Mexico, to Costa Rica, and beyond, volunteers participated in clean-up projects to make a difference. Our photo here shows over 40 bags of trash collected on Utila.
Congratulations to 'Director of Professional Training' Andy Phillips on advancing his education and training and recently qualifying as a 'Beautiful Oceans' Science Instructor Trainer. Andy has been working intensely over the last few months to learn more about marine science and coral reef ecology in order to better educate our divers and Instructors so they in turn can make a difference for the benefit of coral reef eco systems, whilst at the same time making themselves more employable and better qualified to succeed in the dive industry. Beautiful Oceans is an ecotourism organization dedicated to the education, conservation and preservation of coral reef eco systems and produces a range of science and educational programs for divers, snorkellers and professionals. There are only a handful of Beautiful Oceans Science Instructor Trainers and Science Centers in the Caribbean so find out how we can really provide you with the best education and experince, diving will never be the same again!!! Scroll down and click on 'read more' for further info.....
The Utila Center for Marine Ecology (UCME) now has it's own dedicated
premises on Utila, the owners of Utila Dive Centre have donated ground
floor, prominent space, for researchers 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 watch out for soon the UCME will have it's own
dedicated website...
Calling all Divemaster and Instructor candidates: Check out our new Dolphin Survey specialty, written by our team of environmentalists, approved by PADI and used by the University of Missouri's 'Marine Mammal Cognitive & Psychology Behavioral department'. This 2 day program, along with our Whaleshark 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, contact us for more details.
PADI award Utila Dive Centre Course Director Andy Phillips with 'Platinum' award and 2 'Certificates of Excellence'. In April 2006 PADI Course Director and Utila Dive Centre's 'Director of Professional Training' Andy Phillips received the highest award a PADI Course Director can receive, 'Platinum' recognition for Instructor training beyond the IDC level, in 2006. There are only 90 PADI Course Directors in the world who have 'Platinum' status and the fact that Andy qualfied so early in the year is a recognition of his dedication and experience in training Instructors beyond the ordinary training programs offered by most IDC facilities.
Hi my name's Andy and I’m the resident PADI Course Director and ‘Director of
Professional and Technical Training’ for the Utila Dive Centre. I just
wanted give you an insight into my personal and diving background so
you know more about myself, the Instructor Development Course (PADI IDC) and other professional or technical courses
that I offer through the Utila Dive Centre located on Utila,
Bay Islands, Honduras, Central America. Utila is located off the
North coast of Honduras, Central America, in the Western Caribbean and is famous for
the Whale shark and for dive training from PADI Open Water to Instructor Development Courses and Technical diver training.
It's not just my love affair with Central America that has seen me
living in this region for over the last 9 years. One of the great
things I enjoy about training PADI Instructors in our IDC on Utila and
offering other courses through Utila Dive Centre is the atmosphere,
high standard and internship programs that we have designed in order to
get you off to the best start as a PADI Instructor on Utila, throughout
Central America or other scuba diving resort destinations around the
world. Whilst you can be assured you'll love your IDC and we will
get you to pass the IE we prefer not to use this as a benchmark of your
success, instead we will work with you as a PADI Instructor, beyond the
standard PADI IDC, to see that you have the most success you can enjoy
and get the most from this amazing lifestyle! If you talk to our IDC
candidates from a few years ago you'll find that many have enjoyed
success as dive Instructors, resort managers, liveaboard operators and
some are even Course Directors themselves, our IDC on Utila, Honduras,
Central America is world famous, even PADI Instructor Examiners have a
tough time to leave Utila after visiting just to assess our IDC, come
and find out why?!!!
Our IDC includes;
Free 2 day IDC Preparation program
Pool session and free try dive on rebreathers (subject to availability), no other staff on Utila are trained or qualified to offer this additional experience or insight into future technologies
Free Internet access
Free lunch buffets
Dive for free for life!!!!!
Additional work shops on Rescue techniques and technical diving
The most comprehensive range of Instructor level continuing education programs
The longest serving team on Utila, with the highest rated Course
Director in Central America 'Platinum status', no other Course Director
in Central America has achieved this rating as often
2 Course Directors involved on your program and a guaranteed group size of no more than 6 candidates
Tuition in English, Spanish, French, Dutch, German and Hebrew
Guaranteed pass at the IE or free IDC and IE
On site accommodation
Job placements, proven and successful
The only full service retail store on Utila with special discounts for our candidates
Additional study and support materials, free of charge, designed to aid your learning development
A lot of fun loving people, click on 'read more' below to find out why..............
and in the dive industry. If you'd like to learn more about a professional dive career please contact PADI Course Director Andy Phillips on for more information. We don't just certify you as an Instructor at Utila Dive Centre, but we give you real world training and make it a lot of fun!
This summer saw two of the busiest weeks for visitors to Utila recorded. The week long Utila Carnival entertained islanders and tourists alike with nightly parties, beauty pageants, beach games and a street parade.
One week after the Carnival closed the 11th annual SunJam rave on the beautiful desert island of Watercaye attracted over 1000 visitors for 24 hours of summer loving fun, music and dancing. DJ's from Central America and the USA entertained revellers till the early hours of the morning, and already we are looking forward to summer 2008. See 
Platinum award for PADI Course Director Andy Phillips 2 years running!!!! Since the inception of the PADI award system for Course Directors in 2006, we are pleased to announce that our in-house 'Director of Professional training' Andy (seen here on the left on vacation) has received the award from PADI HQ in California, USA, for the 2nd consecutive year. The award is a great mark of recognition for the hard work that Andy and the 'Instructor Development' team at Utila Dive Centre put into making their IDC's the most successful in Central America and the assistance and service they provide to their Instructor training candidates long after the IE is over. That's why IDC candidates at UDC perform better at the PADI IE's and achieve more success long after their training is over. To date in 2007 we have trained over 40 Instructor candidates, and helped them find local employment in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, the Bay Islands of Honduras and of course other destinations world wide. If you'd like to know what seperates our PADI IDC, and Instructor course, from others in Central America, and how we can give you the best possible to start to your dive career please feel free to contact us.
On the 8th August 2008 a pod of Orca whales were spotted off the North coast of Utila by our dive boats. There were approximately 15 Orcas seen heading in a Northerly direction and is an annual event during the month of August but they paused around one of Utila Dive Centre's dive boats as seen here to the right. If you ever get bored of dealing with traffic and commuting, 
then here's proof that Utila and a professional dive career is the way forward, our dive vessel the Octopussy and her passengers had a once in a lifetime encounter with these beautiful creatures......
Thank you to Utila Dive Center PADI Divemaster and Instructors and other support staff, who with volunteers, braved the Caribbean mid day heat, and cleaned up Pumpkin Hill beach on Utila, as part of international 'Dive into Earth day' clean up's. All over the Central America region, from Mexico, to Costa Rica, and beyond, volunteers participated in clean-up projects to make a difference. Our photo here shows over 40 bags of trash collected on Utila.
advancing his education and training and recently qualifying as a 'Beautiful Oceans' Science Instructor Trainer. Andy has been working intensely over the last few months to learn more about marine science and coral reef ecology in order to better educate our divers and Instructors so they in turn can make a difference for the benefit of coral reef eco systems, whilst at the same time making themselves more employable and better qualified to succeed in the dive industry. Beautiful Oceans is an ecotourism organization dedicated to the education, conservation and preservation of coral reef eco systems and produces a range of science and educational programs for divers, snorkellers and professionals. There are only a handful of Beautiful Oceans Science Instructor Trainers and Science Centers in the Caribbean so find out how we can really provide you with the best education and experince, diving will never be the same again!!! Scroll down and click on 'read more' for further info.....
The Utila Center for Marine Ecology (UCME) now has it's own dedicated
premises on Utila, the owners of Utila Dive Centre have donated ground
floor, prominent space, for researchers 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;
Calling all Divemaster and Instructor candidates: Check out our new Dolphin Survey specialty, written by our team of environmentalists, approved by PADI and used by the University of Missouri's 'Marine Mammal Cognitive & Psychology Behavioral department'. This 2 day program, along with our Whaleshark awareness specialty, from PADI's Project Aware, is available to all our professionals in training.
PADI award Utila Dive Centre Course Director Andy Phillips with 'Platinum' award and 2 'Certificates of Excellence'. In April 2006 PADI Course Director and Utila Dive Centre's 'Director of Professional Training' Andy Phillips received the highest award a PADI Course Director can receive, 'Platinum' recognition for Instructor training beyond the IDC level, in 2006. There are only 90 PADI Course Directors in the world who have 'Platinum' status and the fact that Andy qualfied so early in the year is a recognition of his dedication and experience in training Instructors beyond the ordinary training programs offered by most IDC facilities. 
Hi my name's Andy and I’m the resident PADI Course Director and ‘Director of
Professional and Technical Training’ for the 
