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2009-08-31Photos of the party at Water Cay!

Whale shark activity January 18th to 22nd - daily sightings

The whale sharks have been see on a regular basis, daily in the last few days.  On January 18th divers aboard our boat  'Old Tom' reported seeing a Whale shark, measuring 35ft/10 meters by Pumpkin Hill on the East end of Utila, also with Manta Rays sighted. This is a great start to the Whale shark sightings for 2012, and also Dolphins are abundant in their recent activity around Utila.

Recent photo taken by PADI Instructor Guillermo Alcover

Congratulations to our January PADI IDC candidates with another 100% pass rate!

  100% - There is a difference with Utila Dive Centre, come find out!!!! 

This is the best start to the year for our January 2012 PADI IDC candidates and congratulations to all our PADI Scuba Instructor candidates and IDC staff from Utila, at the completion of the PADI Instructor Exams on Utila celebrating another 100% pass rate and continuing our outstanding and umatched success in from 2011. 

Once again our candidates excelled from our dedicated personalised Instruction, and showed there is a difference with the preparation work and training by our GoPro staff, PADI Course Directors Andy Phillips and Suzy Phipps, and IDC Staff Instructors Mary Peter and Madelaine Thiebauld who excelled in preparing and training our candidates who came from afar as the UK, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Portugal, France, and locally Honduras and seeing them through one of the best chapters in their dive careers with a lot of fun along the way, and a Whale shark on our Monday fun dive!

In 2011 more Instructor candidates had chosen UDC as the PADI Career Development Center to take their PADI Scuba Instructor course, more than any other facility in Central America, based on our great reputation (we've been called the Harvard of professional scuba Instruction!), our  Platinum Course Directors experience, word of mouth, our training programs, comprehensive curriculum, broadest range of con-ed options and all with our unmatched and guaranteed success at the exams and more importantly in the the dive industry.

If you'd like to learn more about a professional dive career as either a PADI Divemaster or Instructor on Utila, please contact PADI Course Director Andy Phillips on gopro@utiladivecenter.com for more information, so make your life mean something and join one of our next IDC's!!!!!!

Utila Dive Centre 

'Often imitated but never surpassed!'

Read our 4th Quarter 2011 Newsletter

Catch up with the latest news, new course offerings, special promotions, and staff changes for the 4th Quarter 2011, and more fun and games as well as great diving at Utila Dive Centre, all in our latest 4th Qt Utila Dive Centre newsletter.

Triple Awards for Utila Dive Centre at DEMA Show November 2011

What an amazing year for the team and staff at Utila Dive Centre, with triple awards given at the USA DEMA dive show in November 2011. 'Often Imitated - Never Surpassed' has never been more accurate, with Utila Dive Centre and our staff leading the way globally and receiving these 3 incredible awards for our commitment to training dive leaders and protecting the environment. Read on and see why we make the perfect choice and facility for your professional dive training.

Best PADI IDC Center

It's official! For the 2nd consecutive year PADI has awarded Utila Dive Centre this honour for 2011 and 2010, an unheard of accomplishment in the dive industry.  

Utila Dive Centre's Platinum Course Directors Andy Phillips and Suzy Phipps receiving the award from PADI President Dr Drew Richardson

This award is for the great standard and success achieved by our PADI Instructor courses and professional scuba diving internships.  Sport Diver, the scuba diving magazine, also gave us the best PADI IDC Center award in 2010. What makes this award even more special for our facility and staff is that it was voted for by the diving community! In November 2011 at the DEMA dive show in the USA, PADI President Drew Richardson presented our staff with this award in front of a 1000-strong audience of dive professionals.

Platinum Course Director 

Utila Dive Centre's 'Director of Professional Training' Andy Phillips receiving his Platinum award for the 7th consecutive year by PADI Vice Presidents James Morgan and Johnny Wetzstein.  There are approximately only 50 Platinum PADI Course Directors worldwide out of a membership of 1200 Course Directors, and we're the only facility in Central America to have been recognised several years running for our achievement and dedication in training dive instructors.

Project Aware Green Star award for Utila Dive Centre & Mango

It just doesn't stop. The Green Star award was presented to us during DEMA week in November 2011 by PADI's Project Aware after an objective environmental audit on our Mango Inn resort and Utila Dive Centre. Here's to UDC and our staff, not just keeping it real, but keeping it clean and keeping it green!
 
For candidates considering their PADI Divemaster and Instructor training, there's never been a better facility in the Caribbean Bay Islands of Honduras, Central America, to take your scuba diving internship.

Utila Dive Centre continues to lead the way in recreational and professional scuba Instruction, so when you decide to GoPro you know where to find the best training possible, with ongoing support.

GoPro with our next PADI Instructor (IDC) courses on February 8th and March 7th and start your 2012 in style!

It's never too late to become a PADI Instructor with our upcoming IDCs held on Utila, Honduras.  If you are a PADI Divemaster (or equivalent) then you can enroll in one of our upcoming PADI IDCs.  Our November and December IDC's completely booked up and ended in an unmatched 100% pass at the exams. Our January IDC has just got off to a great start and if you are a PADI Divemaster (or equivalent) then you can enroll in our next scheduled PADI Instructor course and make your year start on a high note. Our next PADI Instructor course of 2012 starts March 7th (10th for E-learning option), continuing until the 18th with exams 20th/21st. See our course schedule for further dates on the Instructor course. All other courses can be started at any time.

The new PADI Instructor course E-learning option allows candidates who are time-constrained to study a portion of the course online and then arrive 3 days after our classroom start date (on the Saturday) to join in the program. Please contact us to learn more about the convenience of this option and to join today.

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 2012 season. Make your year end on a high note and mean something: join us for the most exciting and dynamic PADI IDC in Central America. Arrive early for our free diving and preparation program, please 'Contact Us' for more information and read on to find out what makes our program and staff the most chosen and awarded in Central America.

New for 2012 PADI Closed Circuit Rebreather courses

The Poseidon MK6 - the worlds first automated recreational closed circuit rebreather

• Longer dive times with extended gas consumption, and longer no decompression limits
• Less noise, no bubbles and the ability to become a part of the aquatic realm, not just an observer, fish and other creatures will come close to check you out!
• More enhanced photos and videos of aquatic life as you can now get much closer to your subjects
• Stay warmer longer as less body heat is exhaled

• PADI Open Water rebreather diver - 3 days and qualifying you to depths of 18 meters/60 feet
  

• PADI Advanced Open Water rebreather diver - 2 days and qualifying you to depths of 30 meters/100 feet

• PADI Integrated Open Water/Advanced Open Water rebreather diver - 4 days and qualifying you to depths of 30 meters/100 feet

• PADI Rebreather Instructor courses - 3 days and qualifying you to teach the Open Water, Advanced Open Water, integrated program, Discover rebreather, rebreather crossover and rebreather refresher programs.

At PADI HQ in California on the rebreather Instructor Trainer program

For more information on our PADI and Poseidon MK6 rebreather courses please contact us on info@utiladivecentre.com for more information.

Utila Dive Centre-Clean's up environment for special community day on Utila Cayes

Utila Dive Centres clean up team on the Utila Cayes in July

On the 26th July 2011 our divers and staff gave up their time and helped to clean up part of Utila's cayes and beach areas in conjunction with other dive operators on Utila and the Bay Islands Conservation Association.  Pictured hereare are clean up team after removing trash from the Utila Cayes. In total we collected several truck sackfuls of trash weighing 200kg's of which much has been recycled.  The picture below shows the amount of trash collected on our dive boat 'Martinis Law'.  Our next underwater and beach clean up will be scheduled for September with 'Project Aware's International Clean Up day'.  

Our dive boat Martinis Law with trash collected from the Utila Cayes in July

August Trimix Instructor candidates on deco after 300ft/90mt dive

Last Summer was a very productive and rewarding month for 3 PADI Instructors, Simon Livingston (Utila/UK), Mary Peter (Utila/Switzerland) and Anders Heergaard (Mexico/Denmark) who all successfully completed their PADI Tec Deep Instructor rating, and then Anders and Mary continued on and completed their Trimix Instructor rating.  The candidates completed a series of technical training dives, simulated problem solving scenarios, theoretical and standard based exams, and concluded the course with a dive to 300 feet/90 meters using a gas mix of 12% Oxygen/56% helium on a sheer wall called CJ's drop off on Utilas North side walls.

Next PADI Tec Deep Diver and Instructor courses March 2012

UDC voted best PADI Instructor Development Centre Worldwide in 2010

It's official, both PADI and Sport Diver magazine have each individually awarded Utila Dive Centre the best PADI IDC center in the world for 2010 due to the great standard and success achieved by their PADI Instructor courses and professional scuba diving internships.  What makes this award even more special for our facility and staff, is that it was voted for by the diving community!  In October of 2010 Sport Diver announced UDC as winners of this award in their UK dive show edition.  In November 2010 PADI President Drew Richardson presented our staff with this award at the USA DEMA dive show.   Utila Dive Centre continues to lead the way in recreational and professional scuba Instruction, so when you decide to GoPro you know where to find the best training possible, with ongoing support.

2012 Instructor course schedule now available 

2012 Instructor course schedule is now available.  All other courses can start at anytime on demand) so if you need to complete any prerequisite training prior to enroilling on a PADI Instructor course we can schedule accordingly to best suit your time frame, please contact us for specific details and programs.   

PADI Sidemount Diver course unique to UDC in Honduras

Another exclusive offering from Utila Dive Centre is a unique specialty course that our Management wrote and had approved by PADI, the Sidemount Diver/Instructor.  This specialty rating is another example of how Utila Dive Centre lead the way in pioneering dive techniques and training. Sidemount diving is the fastest growing area in technical and also recreational diving, and allows divers better streamlining in the water, more redundancy with an additional tank if desired, and better trim and body positioning.

Utila Dive Centre-Clean's up environment for 'Dive into Earth Day April 2011'

On the 22nd April 2011 all our divers and staff gave up their time and helped to clean up part of Utila's shoreline and beach areas, pictured hereare are clean up team after removing trash from Utila's East shore. In total we collected several truck loads of trash weighing 309kg's which has gone to the recycling plant and was comprised of 1600 plastic bottles, 1000 shoes, 2000 bottle caps, 1000 plastic forks, plates etc, 2000 straws, 20 syringes, 100 plastic toys and 25kgs of tiny shards of plastic plus pens, toothbrushes, car parts, rope, fishing line and more. On Saturday 23rd April we also staged an underwater clean up with many of our divers, and 2 boat trips and cleaned up the Blue Bayou region of Utila, and to thanks our staff and divers efforts, Utila Dive Centre hosted one of their world famous BBQ events on the Sunday!

Sam Gaghan and Javier Vaquero cleaning up on Utilas East shore on 'Dive into Earth Day' 2011

 Improved for 2012: Exclusive membership of the Global Diving Network with Utila Dive Centre and GoPro Utila

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.

 Read on for news from UDC with our new blog by our UDC staff

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

Party at Water Cay

We had a big party on Sunday to celebrate another successful year at Utila Dive Centre. We closed for the day and took all the staff, customers, family and friends to the beautiful Cays and had a BBQ on the jewel of the Cays, Water Cay.
 
The day couldn't have been more perfect. Nico cooked his delicious BBQ and we sipped Flor de Cana rum in the sea. Once we finished playing volleyball and water polo.
 
Congratulations to our recent Divemaster and Instructor graduates Ghislain, Sam, Andrew, Mary, Rory, Lorna, Bertrand, Arnaud and Rhonda!

Read what sets our professional training apart with our 'Professional Training Philosophy', and then......

Watch this footage of our beach BBQ!

Come Scuba Dive Honduras with many, many PADI courses on offer

The visibility is fantastic right now and the water so warm we're all in short wetsuits.

It's a great Summer so far in Utila!

There are a variety of courses going on right now from the PADI Open Water course, PADI Advanced Open Water course, and PADI Rescue Diver course, to various specialties such as Wreck, Nitrox and Diver Propulsion Vehicle  (DPV) - our new toy to help you go faster in the water and see more of the reef.

We are also starting another technical divng course with our experienced technical Instructors so you can dive deeper than you ever thought possible! Contact us through the website if you would like further details.

   UDC is selected as one of Project AWARE's Environmental Achievement Awards.

Project AWARE's Environmental Operators demonstrate a commitment to conservation and provide customers with experiences that enhance visitor awareness, appreciation and understanding of the environment.
 
  Utila Dive Center was selected as one of Project AWARE's Environmental Achievement Award recipients for 2009!  This is the 3rd consecutive year that UDC have received the award and is a great reflection for our Instructors, Divemaster and Boat Captians efforts for protecting the environment and educating our divers in environmental conservation.
 
To be considered UDC satisfied the following criteria:
 
      * Nature based
      * Contribute to local environmental conservation
      * Support local community well-being
      * Include environmental education

Utila Dive Centre is a TrekCATS Operator

Now backpackers and travelers can dive Central America the informed way.  Choose from the premier dive operators in each country in Central America, from Guatemala to Colombia on your travels, and when you show proof of having taken a course with a TrekCATS operator, or 2 logged dives, you get entitled to a special rate at all other members!  Not only do TrekCATS dive operations adhere to the highest standards of quality, but they provide an amazing service and a fun time for all their divers.  Search for the TrekCATS group on Facebook to find members and join the group.  Another great reason to come and dive with UDC!

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 DEMA dive show in Orlando, UDC 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!