Utila Dive Centre: The Art of Fine Diving

Then when the open water dives finally started, everything changed. I was suddenly hit with an all-consuming desire to stay where I could actually breathe. This, along with a very irrational fear of empty tanks and hungry predators, were kept well under control by the amazing dive staff.

By Gemma Fottles
Diving can be a daunting experience. After all, it is not natural to be able to breathe freely while being 18 or more meters under the ocean's surface. On my recent trip to Utila in the Bay Islands of Honduras, with the intention of attaining my PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) open water divers certification, I was determined to go with the best instructors I could find. I was apprehensive about the whole experience. I eventually decided to go with Utila Dive Centre -- one of the best known and most experienced such facilities in all of Central America and the Caribbean.

What attracts people to Utila is mainly that it is one of the cheapest locations to dive in the world, but what makes them fall in love with the island is its richness, its people, and the quality of diving schools such as the Utila Dive Centre.

My decision to go with the Utila Dive Centre was informed by looking at various dive center websites. From the various excellent ratings the center has received, such as the PADI National Geographic Dive Centre Award, and shining testimonials to the professionalism and general good atmosphere of the place, everything sounded amazing... An awful lot to live up to, though.

Nonetheless, Utila Diving Center fully lived up to its wonderful reputation. When I arrived at the island on the ferry, I was picked up by someone from the center and taken to my accommodations, where I stayed for the duration of my course. Then I was taken to the dive center itself, while simultaneously receiving a short tour of the island. Utila is so small that the tour was probably not necessary. To say everything is within walking distance is an understatement.

When it came down to the actual diving, I was certainly no exception to the panic that so many before me have felt when the time arrived to sink down into the ocean. After a couple of sessions in shallow water practicing different skills and the basics of adjusting to a new environment, you gradually started to get the feeling that you’re a natural, a great diver. What’s the big deal, right?

Then when the open water dives finally started, everything changed. I was suddenly hit with an all-consuming desire to stay where I could actually breathe. This, along with a very irrational fear of empty tanks and hungry predators, were kept well under control by the amazing dive staff. The diver:student ratio is never more than four students per instructor. Often, the ratio is more like two or three students per instructor.

In my group of three students, there happened to be three instructors -- a pretty reassuring ratio! The instructors were excellent. Not for one second during my course did I ever feel stupid. I was told to take my time and make sure everything was okay. When I asked a dive instructor if she ever got sick of people like me not being able to do things straight away, she replied;

‘It’s normal because you are out of your element. It’s amazing to see people go from the first training session underwater to being able to dive by themselves at the end of the four days. What makes the island so special for me, and the biggest reason for staying for the past year, is of course, my job. I absolutely love it here at UDC, I get the opportunity to teach so many different courses and levels, from beginners to professional divers.’ (Caroline Goransson, Sweden)

The professional attitude and passion for diving is what makes Utila Diving Centre such a success. The professionalism in the water is combined with a laid back Caribbean attitude on shore, which is soaked into every inch of the center's bar and lazy hammocks on the dock overlooking the ocean. This way of life is addictive, and Utila Diving Center has got it down to an absolute fine art. (8/29/11) (photo courtesy Internet)