Utila Is it Good Is it Bad

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ScubaFriend

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Hi Everyone

I felt i must put something on this message board about Utila as there have been so many questions about it, I have dived all over the world in the last 20 years and i would rate Utila as one of the best if you follow some guidelines.

Did you know Utila has been voted as the place with the most species in the Caribbean, that is not rumour, the REEF organisation who are the world leaders in fish counts have been there and done surveys.

They have Whale Sharks one of the last places in the world you can see these awsome creatures up to 45ft long.

Ok now about Utila 18 miles of the coast of Honduras they have a Whale Shark season do not believe they are there all year round dont believe diveshops there if you email them and they tell you they are, the best time to see them is betweem March and May and November and December but the weather is not reliable in November and December.

They have a wide variety of Macro creatures a photographers dream, seahorses, Frogfish etc etc but the trick is to pick who you go diving with.

As soon as you arrive in Utila if you arrive by ferry there will be half a dozen dive shops on the dock trying to sell their shop to you dont listen to them, walk around and look for yourself.

I have been there many times myself there are 12 diveshops there and only 4 are real PADI registered shops look at the website www.padi.com it will tell you the real ones.

Over a period on many trips to Utila i can tell you my experience and tell you the conclusions i have come to, there are many shops that will give you dicounted diving there are many shops that give you free accomodation ...why ?????? they need the business or they would have no customers, i have seen these shops operate their boats break down all the time ...i have been on them when it happens, i have seen them use equipment that is dangerous.

My recommendation is go to a proper PADI registerd shop the one i would choose over everyone else is a company called Deep Blue Divers i have now done courses there and dived there 3 times their instructors are fantastic, they are the only shop that goes north side every day they are effecient they are reliable and their equipment is good.

dont take my word for it look at the internet there are good report all over the internet about them, last time i was there i did my divemaster course with them and i will be going back this summer to do my instructor course with them.

Look at their website www.deepblueutila.com then make up your mind

Have a great time diving
 
Utila was one of the best places I have visited in the world. As above posted I would recomend walking around and getting a "feel" for which shop to dive with. Definetly pick a PADI Gold Palm resort or an IDC Centre those shops have to follow sertain guidelines and have usually been in buisness for a while.

I was thouroughly impressed buy the profesionalism of the staff at Utila Dive Centre (utiladivecentre.com), their boat did nort break down and the captain "superman danny" could always find the whalesharks first.

The diving along the north wall is epic to say the least and make sure you take a trip to Cays Couchinos (Hog Islands) for some virtually undived sites.
 
All you say about Utila is truth except the nonsense about PADI dive ships. As a dive professional you should know that PADI's reputation aropund the world stinks. Put Another Dollar In, Pay Now And Dive Immediately, ect, they are not very respected, just well known and available. The shops on Utila that give free rooms are to bring in backpackers as students and has nothing to do with the quality of their service. I have dived with two non-PADI shops on the island and found them excellent in all aspects, from equipment to staff. If you feel it is necessary to promote Deep Blue that's fine, but you do not need to label the other shops as unsafe when that is absolutely untrue. I have many friends who have worked or are still working on the island, they and most of the other DM's and instructors know each other and don't play shops against each other, as you are doing. I have also been diving around the world for twenty years and also find the diving on Utila fantastic, but your PADI propaganda disappoints me. Divers should be careful about the safety of the operation they dive with, but by no means does PADI means good and non-PADI mean bad!
 
Hi

I agree with you that Padi does not have a great Reputation worldwide, but what more can i say than i have seen with my own eyes i will not publically run down shops by name but if you would like to contact me personally i will tell you things that i saw happening at non PADI shops, but the posting i did was just meant to be a compliment to Utila.
 
Hi...Utila is a amazing...there's amazing places to dive, and the people are great!...I got certified there at Utila Dive Center...their equipment is new, and they've got fast boats, they don't overcrowd them...I'd definetly dive with them again...very professional.

The water is great, very good visibility, the reefs are amazing, lot's of fish, lot's of good places to dive there...the reefs are great...and of coursse the Whale Sharks are a great bonus...although I've never done it...does anybody know when is the best time to see them?

I stayed at the Mango Inn...great place, it's clean and nice, and the food there could be the best food in the Island...the place to drink is Coco Loco's another great place to eat is RJ's ...I think that's how it was called...

It's a great place to go, and I recomend it to everybody...besided it's one of the cheapest places on earth to dive and get certified...
 
[QUOTE=Whale Sharks are a great bonus...although I've never done it...does anybody know when is the best time to see them?

I saw my first on the full moon of March (the day of the full moon) and the rest during the spring months. From what I have been told there are a few months in the fall along with the spring. Everyone I know says that the spring months of Feb, Mar and April are the prime time and the only period when seeing the Whale Sharks can be assured (as sure as anything gets in the blue...)
 
Hi Dedhead

Yes i know they are in Utila at the moment 4 different ones were seen on saturday morning they usually stay till about may, i have a friend that works at deep blue divers and i was speaking to him on the internet yesterday they had 4 jumps with one about 30 ft ...a smallish one, ha ha also they have updates on their website i havent looked yet they have a message board you can go to from the home page i will be looking tonight
 
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