About us

In the early 1990's the dive industry on Utila was in it's infancy with limited dive centres and training programs.

Utila Dive Centre (UDC) was set up in 1991 by a group of passionate Diving Instructors who wanted to create a dedicated dive training facility which offered amazing dive experiences and educational programs for visitors to Utila. Since 1991 Utila Dive Centre has achieved the highest rating a PADI facility can aspire to. In 2003 it was awarded the rating of a PADI Career Development Center. It is to date the only PADI CDC facility in Central America.

UDC is also a PADI National Geographic centre and a Divers Alert Network (DAN) member.

UDC offers a technical dive training facility from both DSAT and IANTD, the two most respected agencies in technical diver training. On top of this it is also the only facility in Central America/Bay Islands to offer diver level and Instructor training with the 'Beautiful Oceans' Science and Marine Ecology Programs.

Utila Dive Centre is now managed by a team of experienced, young, passionate and environmentally aware dive professionals who are all actively involved in the daily operations of the dive centre. There is no other facility in Utila, Honduras or elsewhere in Central America that has such a combination of experience and enthusiasm and we aim to provide our divers and students with more than just diver education and experience. 

Our training programs, from beginner right the way through to Instructor, are taught to the highest standard possible, and we are leaders in the worldwide dive industry for professional training and environmental conservation.  Our commitment never stops, and that's what makes our team so successful. We are on the cutting edge of training and conservation and set the standard for so many dive operations and professionals in the region. 

In the last few years we have received countless awards from PADI for our training programs, in 2004 we were voted No 1 Dive Facility worldwide for entry level training. Also from 2004 to 2008 our PADI Course Directors (Instructor Trainers) received certificates of excellence for their Instructor Training Programs. In 2006 the 'Divers Alert Network' (DAN) rewarded our Instructor trainers for their commitment to promoting safe diving and from 2006 - 2008 we also received the PADI Project Aware' Environmental Achievement' award.

No other dive training facility has given so much back to the marine and ecological environment of the Bay Islands, and we provide ongoing logistical and financial support for the 'Utila Centre for Marine Ecology'.

In 2006 Utila Dive Centre was one of the founding members of the 'Utila Centre for Marine Ecology' (UCME), a non-profit NGO, which is headed by marine biologist Dr Stephen Box.  UCME is dedicated to protecting Utila's delicate marine environment, through research, scientific studies and education. 

We're all aware that the future for the diving industry can never be predicted but we understand that only by promoting and teaching diving in a safe and professional manner will we create a better 'underwater world.' We place emphasis on marine conservation and environmental sustainability and want you to have fun being a part of this.

That's why our divers are more educated and skilful and why our professionals are more successful than most other facilities.

There is no substitute for the experience of our staff. This includes boat Captains, Instructors, Management and our PADI Course Directors who conduct the Divemaster and Instructor training. The experience and expertise of our staff, the standard of our facilities and our continued success has raised the standard of training, education and conservation within the Bay Islands. Many other facilities and teams within the region look to us for our role modelling and leadership.

We invite you to come to Utila and dive with us. Whether you are a novice or an expert diver, we will show you why Utila Dive Centre has been so successful in training more divers than anywhere else in the world. We are often copied, but never equalled. At Utila Dive Centre, diving is our business but first and foremost it is our passion.

Teaching Philosophy

Although Utila Dive Centre has achieved the highest rating a recreational facility can have - as a PADI 5 Star resort and Career Development Centre (CDC) -  and has received numerous awards over the last few years, we never claim to be the best or the biggest. We do aim to excel in the level of training and service we give to our divers and we are constantly raising the standard of dive training, both locally in the Bay Islands and in the Caribbean/Central America region and also worldwide.

Our staff
Within our organisation our staff members are dynamic. Not only do we aim to improve our facility and own level of training, but we are constantly seeking to innovate and improve what we offer to all our divers, whether you are a  beginner or Instructor. Environmental conservationists love to dive with us and technical divers enjoy exploring with us.  In recent years we have concentrated on setting up an environmental NGO on Utila, to help preserve our aquatic environment. We have also introduced mixed gas (Nitrox and Helium based) diving, including the semi/closed circuit rebreathers to our facility.

From very humble beginnings in the early 1990's, we now have a 5 star facility. We constantly reinvest and have moved forward by always placing our aquatic environment, standards of training and our divers first!

Only 5 students in the classes
Although PADI standards allow our Instructors to teach classes up to 8 students, we limit this to 5, and whenever logistics allow, place a 2nd Instructor in the class for additional supervision.  This has resulted in our classes being popular as we always place quality above quantity. It is this level of customer service that has spread the word about our courses and made our facility the most referred diving operation in the Bay Islands.

Our Instructors take the time during each course to educate our divers on the aquatic life they see and are all qualified beyond the basic Instructor rating to at least that of a 'Master Scuba Diver Trainer' so they can offer specialty training when requested.

Every year we reinvest in new diving equipment, and overhaul our boats. We survey our divers and students to stay in touch with their needs and provide the highest quality of training and ambience.

Not only do we have an on-site café and bar for socialising and every week we host a Thursday night BBQ to allow our divers and staff the opportunity to enjoy the social aspects of the dive operation. It's not uncommon for novice divers to stay much longer than they initially planned and work their way through to becoming a dive professional with Utila Dive Centre, not only based on the quality of our training and great diving, but also from the warm welcome and family feel that you'll get from entering our dive center.

So what more are you waiting for?! 
'Contact Us' today to begin or continue your aquatic adventures and dive training. Come and see first hand what makes us the most referred and awarded facility in the Caribbean and Central America!

Utila Dive Centre
'Often Imitated but Never Surpassed'

About Utila

Utila is a different world to mainland Honduras because of the 300 year British influence on the Bay Islands. The island is mostly uninhabited except for the small fishing village of East Harbour with a population of 6000. The main language on the island is English whereas mainland Honduras speaks Spanish. Historically Utila was largely a fishing and agrarian community. Its claim to fame is that Henry Morgan's treasure is buried somewhere on the Island.

The beaches are found west of town toward Blue Bayou. At Blue Bayou you can swing in a hammock, relax and enjoy the beach with a good book or snorkel on the reef just offshore. The Utila Cayes are just short boat trip away where you will find 11 palm studded islands surrounded by white sandy beaches.

Utila has only one main road lined with gingerbread houses in lively colored pastels. The village looks like it came from 1950. The locals are friendly and happy and love to welcome new visitors to their island.

There are a number of services available including a telephone/fax office at Hondutel. Email and internet access services are widely available across town including the Mango Inn where it is $3 an hour or free WiFi for guests. Banking can be done at one of the two banks on the island, where cash advances, money exchange, and exchange of travel cheques can be processed.

There is an official business lunch break (siesta) from 11:30am-1:30pm. Electrical power is provided by a new independent company called 'UPCO' that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a great improvement since 2003 where previously town power was unreliable and operated only from 6am to 12am.

There is a municipal government building found next to the ferry dock that can administer all visa and passport documents. A large well equipped clinic is located on the island as well as a dive injury trauma and recompression chamber facility.

Food, discos, nightlife

With such a diverse assortment of travelers from all around the world, as well as a sizable population of fun-loving locals, it's no surprise that Utila has a thriving nightlife.

While the favored location depends on one's mood during the week, Friday night offers live music at the Bundu Cafe and later regularly sees a large crowd at Utila's infamous nightclub, Bar in the Bush, located a ten-minute walk from the centre of town. This spacious nightclub with an attached volleyball court has an unusually loose festive atmosphere, with a mixed variety of people enjoying the grooving music. The rest of the week sees people at Coco Locos, Tranquila Bar and Treetanic the most popular bars in Utila. Tourists and locals alike meet here for sunset drinks after a hard day's diving in Utila, but as the sun goes down the tempo picks up at these bars.

When it comes to satisfying your hunger in Utila there is no shortage of options. From the baleada (Caribbean tortillas) stands on the street corner to a three course candle lit dinner in the secluded gardens of our Hotel Mango Inn, Utila caters for all tastes.

Café Mango, located at our Hotel Mango Inn, is a great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner offering a wide variety on the menu from Italian style pastas, brick oven baked pizzas to traditional Caribbean dishes. Meals at The Café Mango are included in our resort packages but the daily specials, superb cuisine and selection of excellent wines attract people from all over town.

The Bundu Café is popular for breakfast and it becomes somewhat of a social center for lunch. Fresh food, friendly staff and the best coffee in town make the Bundu Café one of the more popular cafes on the island, where you will find Utila Dive Centre's staff, students and fun divers all discussing their morning's diving and plans for the afternoon. Their book exchange provides a large selection of books in many different languages and Water Caye trips can also be organized from here. Most evenings of the week offers a different style of cuisine and entertainment making it a popular hang out for food and drinks.

Try out Dave's for great BBQ  food. An assortment of chicken, pork and fish is available served with salad, potatoes and Daves famous sauces. Dave's is located in front of Coco Loco.

Other restaurants include RJ's, open for dinner on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays offering great barbecued food, famous for their huge T-bone steaks and a selection of fresh fish. Mermaids is a buffet style restaurant, quick and good value for money. Just because you're on a small paradise island in the middle of the tropical Caribbean it doesn't mean you can't keep up with the latest movies; The Reef Cinema is a well-designed movie theatre showing two or three of the latest movies each week and the Bundu Cinema shows a different movie every evening.

If you can't wait until you get home to tell your family and friends of your experiences in Utila then the Mango Inn can cater for all your needs offering on line e-mailing.

Our large dock and sundeck makes a great setting for our weekly barbecue parties renowned for great food and even better atmosphere. Instructors, Divemasters, Students and Fun Divers all look forward to our social events with great anticipation. Live music, delicious cuisine and a seemingly endless supply of Caribbean cocktails make these parties the best in Utila.

Accommodation at Hotel Mango Inn

At the Mango Inn, we offer five types of rooms designed for the budget of every visitor. Never wanting to lose our sense of fun and adventure we offer shared rooms for the budget traveler and  luxury cabins for our resort guests.

Utila Dive Centre and The Mango Inn offer together the best packages available with all PADI courses. Our students will enjoy the amenities of the best hotel in Utila, including the pool, wireless internet, restaurant, 24 hours security.

We give priority to stay at The Mango Inn to all our  Utila Dive Centre divers and PADI students.

Review the  rates to quickly choose what room best fits your budget but whatever room you choose, we're sure your stay with us will be remembered for a lifetime.

Getting to Utila by Air and Sea

BY SEA: Utila Princess

• La Ceiba to Utila : 9:30 AM
• Utila to La Ceiba : 11:30 AM
• La Ceiba to Utila :4:30 PM
• Utila To La Ceiba: 2:00PM

Phone: 504/445-1795

Ticket Price: $us 14

Ferry times can change without notice so it is best to check beforehand for exact times.

BY AIR: International flights:

The Honduran international airports are:

• San Pedro Sula with direct flights from Miami, Houston, Los Angeles.
• Tegucigalpa with direct flights from Miami, Houston, Los Angeles.
• La Ceiba with direct flights from Miami, Houston, Los Angeles.
• Roatan with direct flights from Miami.

Airlines flying to these airports:

• LACSA AIRLINES: 1-800/535-8780
• TACA AIRLINES: 1-800/535-8780
• IBERIA: 504/332-7760
• AERO CARIBE: 504/668-7309
• AMERICAN AIRLINES: 1-800/433-7300
• CONTINENTAL AIRLINES: 1-800/537-9222 

BY AIR: National Flights Schedule:

Sosa Airlines:

Phone: 504/425-3161

• LA CEIBA to UTILA: 3:30PM, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
• SAN PEDRO SULA to LACEIBA: 2:30PM
• TEGUCIGALPA to LA CEIBA: 2:00PM

Scuba Diving Training at UDC

See the video to see how is to make the first steps into the amazing underwater world with us!!

Most visitors come to Utila because they want to learn to scuba dive on the fantastic reefs that surround the island. Utila Dive Centre offers every PADI diving course from beginner level to professional level at affordable prices.
At UDC we offer not only Recreational Scuba diving courses for the novice diver to master scuba diver, but we also offer a professional training program for those wanting to become dive industry professional. Lastly, we have a technical diving track that includes training both professional and recreational. We also offer a variety of non-diving courses such as equipment maintenance and gas blending.

Visit our Recreational courses section to read our course descriptions for novice and continuing recreational training options.

Please visit our Go Pro! diving section to learn about our PADI professional programs.

For more challenging diving dive deep into our Technical Diving sub portal.

Please reserve your spot with UDC by paying your $100 USD deposit online using PayPal with any ATM or Credit Card, by clicking on the button below and following the instructions.

Dive Sites of Utila

Utila has something wonderful to offer every diver be they beginners doing there certification course or divers with hundreds of dives and years of experience.  Every year divers have the opportunity to dive and snorkel with dolphins, whalesharks, eagle rays, moray eels, turtles, frogfish, seahorses and many, many other spectacular creatures.

Utila has on record over 220 species of reef fish and 50 species of coral as well as an untold number of reef invertebrates.

One of the most attractive aspects of diving on Utila is the wide variety.  The island is circumnavigated by over 80 buoyed dive sites and these range from sheer wall dives like the 'Great Wall' to sandy bottomed shallow reefs like 'little bight', from deep wrecks like the 'Halliburton 211' to sloping fringing reef like 'Airport caves'.  Wherever our boats take you there is one thing to be assured – you are not going to see the same thing twice!

To better understand the different types of diving on Utila please see the breakdown below.  We have divided the island into five sections.  These sections have been determined by the type of diving you will do there.  There is also a list of some key sites in each area.

North Side - Turtle Harbour
Key sites include:  Pinnacle; Great Wall/Duppy Waters; CJ's Drop Off; The Maze; Willy's hole; Blackish point.

For many people this is the highlight of diving in Utila.  Turtle Harbour is a nationally protected marine reserve and is home to some of the most awe-inspiring of Utilas sites.  It is located on the far North side of the island and is a 45 minute boat ride.  Part of the attraction here is the sheer depth of many of the wall dives.  The reef drops off from 15-20ft/5-6m rapidly reaching recreational limits.  For this reason this part of the island is best for the more experienced diver.  These sites are great for seeing many of the bigger fish such as Groupers, Barracuda, Nurse Sharks and the beautiful Midnight Parrotfish.  It is not uncommon to see large schools of Snappers and Spadefish at these sites too.  Certain sites in the harbour are also perfect for seeing invertebrates such as sea slugs.  Take a closer look at the shallow reef on CJ's drop off – you'll be surprised how much you see!

North Side – West end
Key sites include:  Raggedy Cay; Spotted Bay; West End.

Also on the North side of the island stretching from the Utila Cays towards Turtle Harbour are the North West group of dive sites – it is a 25-30 minute boat ride..  This part of the reef is particularly noteworthy because of the abundance and range of healthy hard and soft corals.  The sites start at around 20-25ft/6-8m and slop off (sometimes gradually, sometimes steeply) beyond recreational limits.  For many people the sheer diversity of life on these sites make them must dives for many of Utilas experienced divers.  Some special species to look out for here are the beautiful Flamingo tongues as well as the shy Harlequin pipefish but don't forget to look out into the blue occasionally – you don't want to miss the Eagle ray's 'flying' by!

South West
Key sites include:  Little Bight; Black Coral Wall; Silvergardens; Cabanas; Stingray point; Labyrinth; Jack Neal Cove; Big Rock.

The South West side of the island is the biggest area we have chosen and also the one with the widest variety of different sites.  Boat times to these sites vary from 10-25 minutes.  The fringing reef here starts at the edge of East Harbour and runs all the way to the Utila Cays (around 5 km).  In this area you will find all types of sites from shallow banking reefs to smaller wall dives.  Fish life is wide and varied throughout these sites but divers often like to explore the labyrinthine spur and groove formation that make up the shallows of many of these sites.  Here you have a good chance of finding a sleeping Nurse Shark or a peaceful Green Moray.  With the reefs on these sites starting as shallow as 3ft/1m there is plenty to see for everyone.  Some of the best snorkeling on Utila can also be found at these sites.

South East
Key sites include:  Airport Caves; Ted's Point; Moonhole; Halliburton 211; Lighthouse reef.

The South East end of the island is attractive because of the quality of diving and also the easy access.  With boat rides between 2 and 10 minutes many divers choose these sites for their afternoon trips.  This section of the reef boasts 3 wrecks and limitless swim-throughs and caves.  The reef here starts very shallow (5ft/2m) and has a maximum depth of between 50ft/15m and depths beyond recreational limits.  The lure here really is the chance to explore and find those nooks and crannies bustling with Glassy Sweepers and Dog Snappers.  Common sightings on this part of the reef are Seahorses and Eagle Rays.

Offshore banks
Key sites include:  Black Hills; Pretty Bush Mound; Captains delight

Whilst Utila's fringing reef has plenty to offer sometimes it's nice to take a break from the islands sites and explore offshore!  With outstanding diving available on the many banks that surround Utila this is a must for everyone exploring the island.  A particular favorite for many of Utila's resident dive pros, Black Hills offers an unbeatable volume of schooling fish including Atlantic Spadefish, Creole Wrasse and Horse-eyed Jacks.  Other banks off the South West side offer incredible views of soft corals unequalled anywhere else on the island.  These banks tend to be a little deeper than the fringing reef starting at around 35-40ft/10-12m.  Boat times to the banks vary from 10-30 minutes.
 

Our boats:

To ensure our customers with great service and satisfaction, Utila Dive Centre maintains a fleet of 5 diving vessels:

Martini's law, a 40 foot diving boat with a cabin, platform, and comfortable space for 16 divers maximum. Powered by an inboard 375hp Yanmar Turbo Diesel engine.

Fish Finder, a 40 foot diving boat with a cabin, platform, and comfortable space for 16 divers maximum. Powered by an inboard 375hp Yanmar Turbo Diesel engine.

Old Tom, the newest addition to the fleet, is a 40 foot vessel equipped with a 375hp engine and designed to cater to resort divers only. She will be able to hold up to 16 divers for 2 tank dive trips.

Octopussy, a 30 foot vessel with a cabin and platform, equipped with a 305hp engine. She is able to hold up to 10 divers for 2 tank dive trips. She is mostly used by Utila Centre Marine Ecology as their main reseach vessel.

Reefer, a 28 foot speedboat, comfortable for small groups of 6 divers maximum. Powered by an outboard 6 cylinders 150hp Yamaha engine.

All boats are equipped with all safety equipment and are yearly inspected by the Marina Mercantile de Honduras. As a Diving Alert Network member and sponsor, as well as a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Resort and Career Development Center, Utila Dive Centre reinforces the diving safety and the diving standard and procedures.

Our equipment:
Our customers are extremely satisfied with the quality of our equipment and so are we. Utila Dive Centre is an authorized Scubapro dealer, as well as a Cressi Sub dealer, and our three service technicians ensure that there are always at least 65 full sets of state of the art Scubapro/Cressi Sub gear available for our divers.      
                            


Our air station:
Our 80 cubic feet aluminum tanks are filled by a Bauer K-26 compressor fully automatic, air bank assisted, powered by  an electrical engine. Our air is double filtered and is of the highest quality. Beside the compressor automatic filter checks, controls are made periodically with Laurence Factor Inc air test kits. The result are sent to PADI to ensure quality. Our blending gas station, a Bauer K-14 compressor with both banks of O2 and Helium, permits us to fill tanks to higher oxygen levels and to make blends of trimix. So we can conduct Nitrox courses and provide EANx32 or 36 for PADI Enriched Air certified divers, or offer technical diver and trimix diver training, as well as DSAT Technical diving, up to Instructor level.

Whale Sharks

These massive fish, the worlds largest, grow to the incredible size of over 50ft in length. Old Tom, the largest whale shark frequenting the waters around Utila, is estimated to be 55ft long and has a mouth large enough for 3 men to stand upright inside! Imagine preparing to enter the water and seeing a shadow larger than your boat swimming towards you. It can be quite nerve racking, fortunately for divers, these massive fish are filter feeders and do not bother themselves when people swim close by.

Our captains take the time to look for signs of whale shark on every dive trip to the north side of the island to maximize your chances of swimming with one. Please note, whale sharks are seen year round but for the best chance of seeing one, we recommend timing your visit during the most active months of March/April/May and August/Sept/Oct.

If you would like a more private encounter with a whale shark, we can organize whale shark expeditions using one of our powerful speed boats and our experienced boat captains.

What is diving on Utila like?

Utila offers a wonderful variety for underwater adventurers. The reefs are packed with life and the corals are in pristine condition. It is not uncommon for divers to play with manta rays, swim with dolphins and gasp with wonder as the biggest fish in the sea, the incredible whaleshark, goes by.

Divers on Black Hills seamount

Utila has some of its best diving just minutes from the town on the south side of the island. The shallow coral spur and groove formations are perfect for beginner divers. Sand patches abound and open water classes have plenty of space to practice their skills without damaging the fragile reef. It is hard to imagine a more ideal environment for those awe inspiring first visits to the underwater world. Every instructor working at Utila Dive Centre can tell stories of classes where nurse sharks or dolphins have passed close to wide eyed students just moments after they have been underwater for the first time.

The north side of the island offers advanced divers the opportunity to do some deeper diving. The continental shelf actually meets the island at Turtle Harbor Marine Reserve and even the most experienced of divers will be delighted by the amazing drop offs. The walls start at just 5m (15ft) and drop vertically down to over 1000m (3300ft). CJs drop off and Duppy waters are famed in The Bay Islands for their vertigo inducing views into the deep. Hawksbill turtles, eagle rays, reef sharks, moray eels and sting rays are all common, as well as giant sponges and a tremendous variety of soft and hard corals.

Diver at the edge of a North side drop-off

As well as fringing reefs, Utila has some spectacular sea mountains which rise from the ocean floor to just a few feet from the surface. These act as magnets to filter feeding fish and of course to the fish that like to eat other fish. Many people's favourite, a site called Black Hills, is one of the top dive sites in the Bay Islands. Sharks are common and large schools of jacks swirl around you as you drop down the coral encrusted hill top. Only the best local captains can find it, using secret coconut trees as markers as they steer away from the island.

Diver watches a school of Atlantic Spadefish

If you are an experienced diver, you will find that Utila has much to offer. On the west end of the island the currents allow for some wonderful drift diving. There is also a great wreck dive; the HalliBurton 211 was sunk as an artificial reef by the Utila Dive Operators Association in 1998 and is already attracting a lot of fishes. It lies just minutes from Utila town and has become a favorite dive site with our instructors for their advanced course dives.

The diving around Utila has rightly become legendary amongst divers who like to break away from the "production line" diving which is unfortunately now becoming the norm in an ever more popular Caribbean. Things tend to move at a relaxed pace in the Bay Islands and in particular on Utila. Dive boats are rarely crowded and dive sites are strictly limited to one dive boat per buoy. You will never experience the feeling that there are more divers than fishes!

Endangered Elkhorn Coral

If you like adventure and want to experience something different in the Caribbean then Utila is the place for you. The crystal clear warm waters, the unhurried atmosphere and the friendly nature of the people will combine to give you an experience, which you'll never forget!