Utila Dive Center + Utila as a whole

[Diving Dubai]

All righty

I've done a search through this forum but given most of the posts date back a couple of years, I thought I'd find out the latest greatest, because things change.

I have tentative plans to visit UDC in 2019 to complete further Tec Pro courses. Obviously my choices of centres are limited, it's my understanding that UDC are the only people in the bay islands allowed to teach Tec Pro courses.

Q1 How good are UDC - is their training as good as they claim (DM and IDC/IE please chip in)
Q2 Has Utila changed or is it still a party island. Not that I want to party every night - especially not if I'm going to be at 50m the next day.

What's the WiFi like - I may choose to be there for 2 months but I still have clients and will just need to send emails, a bit of google searching and upload/download large CAD files to dropbox

Any other hints and tips? Obv there's still some boxes to be checked at this end before I can make firm plans - but I like to embrace the 5P's


Thanks in advance

 

[laurenceh]

UDC is still a great instructional center. Andy, one of the owners is very much into tec diving so they place an emphasis on top quality instruction in that field.
Utila town still attracts a lot of backpackers so its still a party at night time (people looking for peace and pretty beaches tend to stay on the south shore rather than town).
wifi is ok, I don't hear complaints from visitors anymore, like I used to a few years back. even the electric service really goes out these days, it used to frequently.
Physically, Utila has remained fairly unchanged over the last 10 years, it hasn't experienced anything like the kind of building and tourism growth that nearby Roatan has. happily we still don't get the cruise ships and there are no large hotels or condo developments.
I would advise you to avoid rainy season (oct-jan), if i was coming for 2 months I would try to do it between may-september, great weather, primo viz and yet its low season so its not too crowded in town

 

[Diving Dubai]

@laurenceh

Thanks for the great info, I'd heard good things about UDC tec but nice for you to confirm

Just sorting dates, maybe July or Nov. If you're still there then a beer is in order

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
Has Utila changed or is it still a party island. Not that I want to party every night - especially not if I'm going to be at 50m the next day.

When WAS Utila "a party island"? I did my time on Utila 13 years ago, and despite there being a lot of young backpackers, I didn't perceive it as being like those places in Thailand. Utila seemed to be all about the diving, and my recollection was that although people liked to have a beer in the evening, there was little partying that went on into the wee hours because everyone was going diving the next day. Pretty much everyone I met was either taking a course or teaching. There were a couple of lively places--most not in the heart of town--but even then, they were not hopping every night of the week (or even open every night of the week). So, I guess it was the "still" in your question that caught my attention. A question for the old-timers: just when WAS Utila such a party island? Was it before my time there? From what I understand, they didn't even have 24-hour electricity until shortly before then. I have read about this party reputation many times, but it doesn't jibe with what I experienced.

I can't speak to the tec program, which may not even have been underway when I was there, but Andy Phillips sure has been there a long time. UDC seemed as professional as could be to me. They must be doing something right.

 

[diversteve]

during Sun Jam but that seems to have ended in 2017..

 

[laurenceh]

@laurenceh

Thanks for the great info, I'd heard good things about UDC tec but nice for you to confirm

Just sorting dates, maybe July or Nov. If you're still there then a beer is in order

I would avoid october and november they are the rainiest months of the year, it can be downright monsoon like some years.

 

[utred]

I just did tec 40 at UDC (and also the DM course; spent 2.5 months there, so can probably answer any questions you have) which was top notch. This wasn't with Andy, who mostly only teaches CCR and instructor courses, but people who did do courses with him were without exception full of praise. Scott, who teaches the regular tec courses, was trained by Andy and he's brilliant. Great gear as well, and always a boat willing to go where the tec guys need to be. For anything tec related I would definitely recommend them.

Wifi seems to vary from place to place. Mine was mostly fine. Could watch youtube with sometimes some small hiccups. In other places, especially where multiple rooms share the wifi, it can be a little rough.

It is definitely a party island, though it is easy to avoid if you want. The main bars all have their theme nights on set days of the week, so the crowd gets concentrated to one or 2 places usually.

 

[USdiver1]

Don't know if anyone remembers the Bucket of Blood Saloon outside of Utilatown. It was a bitchin' place back in the years I used to frequent ['85 - '89]. There were several characters I still remember, Troy Bodden who owned a B&B, An artist from Austria, made jewelry out of black coral, named Gunther who used to take people diving, no C-card required.

 

[laurenceh]

gunther is still around and still dives every morning. troy is now the mayor but no more bucket of blood

 

[USdiver1]

Good to hear that Gunther and Troy are still around and doing great things for Utila's development and tourism. I had heard that Mr. Woods, owner of the Bucket of Blood, had been killed some years ago; a sad end to one of the Western Hemisphere's most unusual taverns.

I believe that the BoB received international acclaim in Newsweek magazine back in 1984 or 1985, listing it as one of the best bars in the world due to its unique culture and clientele. One of those, "you had to be there" places that defy description.

I used to frequent some of the south-west cays for scuba diving, usually renting one of the houses with friends from H.U.G. [Honduras Underwater Group] who lived in San Pedro Sula, La Lima and Tegucigalpa.