Utila Dive Operations?

[dontaskme]

I was reading this thread because of an upcoming trip to Utila, and now I'm wondering how was your trip SaltyKSue ?

 

[Oldbear]

I recommend you send SaltyKSue a PM. Then hopefully the come back to this thread and post their trip report. I would be interested in what they say.

+1 for the Lighthouse...I loved it and the service by the owner; stayed a month.

 

[SaltyKSue]

I was reading this thread because of an upcoming trip to Utila, and now I'm wondering how was your trip SaltyKSue ?

Well I actually ended up going to Costa Rica instead and am NOW starting to plan a trip to Utila for THIS coming Feb or March- A friend of mine is friends with the guy who owns Deep Blue so we may go there - all though I'm not too hip on the AI thing!
I'm going to do some pricing and see what I can come up with and go from there!

 

[diversteve]

Well I actually ended up going to Costa Rica instead and am NOW starting to plan a trip to Utila for THIS coming Feb or March- A friend of mine is friends with the guy who owns Deep Blue so we may go there - all though I'm not too hip on the AI thing!
I'm going to do some pricing and see what I can come up with and go from there!

The guy that owns/ran Deep Blue - Steve Fox - returned to England permanently? fairly recently. His mom Shirley was left running it - nice lady but that must be overwhelming. Recent post about it: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bay-islands/500417-seeking-info-deep-blue-utila.html#post7345698

All travel to town is via their boats so although frequent since they shuttle staff/guests, it's a consideration.You might have a problem with a ride back if you want to close the bars unless you make advance plans - or hire someone from town to run you back over. Same with the other two AI's, Laguna Beach or Utopia Village. Both are nicer btw..

If you've been to Roatan's West End - take 25% of everything, isolate it from anything else and you've got Utila. Add a bunch of DM trainees with not much else to do but hang out at bars, more backpackers than you'd expect for such a small island and pretty much limited everything else. I of course have the tourist view - I'm sure the more remote areas are very nice. The Cays looked interesting when we went by once - good for a non-dive day.

 

[laurenceh]

the area around the utila cays is definitely the prettiest inhabited part of utila and has a really good (and small) dive operation called "utila cays diving". if you want to stay someone where you can be picked up by utila cays diving right from your own private beach, i suggest you look at the coral house and the pineapple house on treasure beach or one of the private "desert" islands you can rent, sandy cay and little cay. that part of utila is private, very picturesque and you can literally wade out to beautiful reefs right in front of your accommodation.