IAHD Americas and Utila Dive Centre
IAHD-Americas are the world's premier adaptive scuba training & certification agency with the mission to to share the magic of scuba diving with individuals with serious physical, mental and emotional disabilities, to allow them to participate in underwater activities. To accomplish this requires competent, well-trained instructors, underwater guides, and capable dive buddies, as well as training programs, standards, guidelines, materials, and member support, and for that reason IAHD Americas have partnered with the Utila Dive Centre, a world renowned PADI Career Development Center to offer specific training to dive professionals who wish to work with disabled divers, and also offer adaptive teaching programs.
Established in 1992 the International Association for Handicapped Divers, known as IAHD, has grown to cover the globe with educational and training programs, diver and professional certifications, and therapy & rehabilitation programs that address a broad range of physical, mental and emotional challenges. IAHD-Americas was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working in collaboration with a number of rehabilitation centers, medical facilities, therapy-support groups, government agencies, and noted experts in the medical field, IAHD-Americas continues to build its education programs and knowledge resources to help train others in the use of the sport and science of scuba diving as a valuable tool to address a broad spectrum of disorders and provide a higher quality of life to those who deserve it most. The Utila Dive Centre is the exclusive and official IAHD Americas training facility in the Bay Islands of Honduras and offers training to all dive professionals, but particularly PADI Divemasters and Instructors to fill this much needed gap, and demand, in the dive industry, for professionals trained with adaptive teaching techniques and who can offer disabled diver programs.
IAHD-Americas receives very positive responses from rehabilitation centers, diving clubs and organizations, diving instructors and the media. In addition, IAHD-Americas also conducts seminars, symposiums, and educational programs throughout the industry to share advancements in training and programs. The International Association for Handicapped Divers (IAHD) is a global non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the magic of the underwater world with as many people as possible by offering adaptive scuba training.
