INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT course Index

3 INTRODUCTION 4 OUR RECORD AND REPUTATION 6 OUR FACILITY 7 THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND OF UTILA 9 BEAUTIFUL OCEANS & PROJECT AWARE CORAL WATCH 10 OUR IDC CURRICULUM 11 OUR IDC TEAM 15 PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS 17 SCHEDULE AND LOGISTICS 18 SAMPLE SCHEDULE 19 ONLINE PRE-IDC STUDY 20 MORE OPTIONS FOR YOU 21 GLOBAL DIVE NETWORK 22 AFTER THE PADI IE 25 IAHD ADAPTIVE DIVE PARTNER/PRO 26 INTERNATIONAL YACHT TRAINING 28 RECREATIONAL CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHER COURSE 29 LIFESTYLE OF A DIVE PRO IN UTILA 31 THE DIVE SHACK 32 OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU 34 OUR PLEDGE 37 TESTIMONIALS 46 RESERVATION DETAILS 47 GO PRO / IDC 2014 SCHEDULE Introduction Why choose UDC for your IDC?

As a dive professional you want to make sure that you get off to the best start with your dive career and that means looking for the right dive facility and staff to undertake your PADI ‘Instructor Development Course’ and ‘Instructor level’ continuing education programs with.

Every dive operation differs from what it can offer and wheth- er if it is best suited for you, to the philosophies behind its diver education programs, to its business principles, it’s staff and it’s conservation efforts within the dive community.

We composed this document to help you decide if ‘Utila Dive Centre’ is the place where you would like to be trained as a PADI Instructor and if our team, of dive professionals are the people you want to learn from.

We don’t claim or boast to be the best or the biggest, there are other much more commercial, bigger and more business orientated dive schools where you can undertake your course but we prefer a more personalized, real world approach to instructor training. We don’t even claim to be the cheap- est, and don’t want to be, you only get one chance to invest in your PADI IDC and we hope to be the right one, even if we cost a little more, that difference benefits you for your entire professional career. At Utila Dive Centre we are principally a dedicated team of active divers and professionals (we believe the most qualified and active worldwide!), and we all still continue our own education each year, and really take our mentorship and role-modeling seri- ously and we measure our success not by financials, numbers or pass rates, but by how our candidates succeed within the industry, and for that reason take an ongoing interest in every one of the Instructors we train, not just dur- ing the courses but years after their time with us.

We definitely aren’t trying to give you the ‘hard sell’ but as all our Instructors and Dive- masters were once in a similar position we just want you to be as fully informed as pos- sible before making the decision to ‘Go Pro’.We hope this gives you an idea of what you receive when you take your training with us in regards to our staff, experience, facility, reputation, attitude, ambience, atmosphere and training philosophies. 3 Our record and reputation

Utila Dive Centre was established in 1990, the 1st on Utila, by several diving enthusiasts and PADI Instructors traveling throughout Central America and the Caribbean, who as PADI Instructors wanted to offer diving in a pro- fessional, safe and enjoyable manner to travelers visiting Utila. Since then Utila Dive Centre has grown to become a full service dive operation, with a beautiful hotel the Mango Inn complete with swimming pool, and has prob- ably trained more divers than any other dive facility in the Bay Islands and Caribbean and is one of the most awarded PADI Career Development Centers worldwide.

Utila Dive Centre works closely with the Divers Alert Net- work, PADI, Project Aware and Beautiful Oceans and the Utila Centre for Marine Ecology to improve and educate divers about safety and has been awarded the rating of a PADI Career Development Center, only a few facilities worldwide have earned this coveted rating from PADI, and works on many community projects with the ‘Bay Islands Conservation Association’ and closely with PADI’s Project Aware. In 2007 we set up a non-profit Honduran NGO the ‘Utila Centre for Marine Ecology’ in order to better conserve the reef systems and mangroves around Utila, and has now evolved to become a national driving force in conservation ‘Centre for Marine Ecology’. 2015 sees UDC entering its 25th year of training dive professionals and making a difference!

In 2014 more than four times as many PADI Dive- masters, particularly those living on Utila, chose to conduct their IDC with with us over any other facility in the Bay Islands and Central America. We take this as a tribute to the high quality of our staff, facility and their much deserved reputation. 4 Our record and reputation...

The fact that 80% of our Divemasters and Instruc- tor candidates are referred to us by ‘word of mouth’ shows the commitment, comfort and quality that we put into our professional courses. At Utila Dive Centre, a Career Development Center, our team guarantee your success, whilst other facili- ties sell certifications we pride ourselves on providing quality training. After all you are only as successful as the training program you enroll on and the Instructors who provide this.

We ensure that in addition to professionalism, safety, high standards, all our students, whether beginners or profession- als leave UDC having had a rewarding, exciting, educational and fun experience with an open door to ever returning in the future. As a dive professional trained at Utila Dive Centre you have an open door to ever returning in the future.

In 2014, 2013 & 2012 we were finalists for the PADI Instructor Development award and in 2011 and 2010 Utila Dive Centre was also voted the #1 PADI Instructor Development Center in the world by PADI Americas, no other operator in the region meets such high standards and we’ve been compared to some of the world’s top Universities, such as Harvard and Oxford but for professional dive training.

In 2014, 2013, 2012 & 2011 we were also awarded by Project Aware for our environmental achievements and being one of the most environmentally friendly dive operations and operating with a conscience. When you join us for your training, you’ll also be contributing to making a cleaner and greener planet for current and future divers. We’re also one of the few Project Aware 100% AWARE centers in Central America which means for every certification you do with us we make a donation to PADI’s Project Aware and you get a special Project Aware edition of your certification card to reflect this. We put our money where others just talk and we make a difference!

In 2014 and 2013 we were also awarded the Trip Advisor ‘Certificate of Excellence’ based on the outstanding reviews we received of our dive facility, staff and training programs. 5 Our facility Utila Dive Center & the Mango Inn

Our 4 classrooms are all modern, air-conditioned and lessons are given using the latest multimedia ‘Microsoft PowerPoint’ presentations. Every IDC candidate has their own ‘work station’ and access to the Internet.

We have 5 fully equipped dive boats, 24 hour back up power genera- tor, a state of the art compressors system with over 8000 cubic foot of air banked, 60 sets of Scubapro, Aqualung and Cressi Sub rental equipment, private locker rooms, quiet study areas, the most comprehensive dive re- tail outlet on Utila, and a beautiful dock area constructed over the water with social amenities.

Our ‘swimming/training pool’ is a shallow protected clear body of water lined with palm trees, white sands and will prepare you best for when you yourself come to teach diving in exactly this same kind of environment. The IDC is held in the Mango Inn hotel conference facility complete with swimming pool, this dedicated IDC centre ensures that your class time is free from distractions, there is a restaurant, wireless internet, and lunches are provided during the course. Our on site swimming pool en- sures that we can have as much time as possible with you in the water to work on skill development and make you the best Instructor we can, particularly should weather conditions become adverse.

6 The Caribbean Island of Utila

There’s a few other amazing reasons why Utila is one of the best training destinations in the Americas, and worldwide, for your dive career training. Whilst many locations have a handful of dive sites, that you often only get out to a few times a week, you’ll find on Utila our diving is comprised of amazing reef systems, and our diving is a little more diverse than most warm water destinations and we send several boats out a day offering you more diving, which you won’t find in many other areas and we have over 80 buoyed sites around the island. Also on the North side of Utila we have sheer walls and drop offs that go several hundred meters, obviously we don’t go that deep! This is where we find the gentile and majestic Whale shark (with year round sightings) and also we have regular encounters with Dolphins and on the South side of Utila we have a fringing reef system with spur and groove formations where you’ll find some of the more diverse creatures in the Caribbean, the REEF group that publish the ‘Ca- ribbean Fish ID’ series of books have voted the Bay Islands the most diverse region in the Caribbean for aquatic life. There are Eels, turtles, Spotted Drums, Stonefish, Frogfish and a plethora of other inhabitants of the reef. The visibility here averages 20-30mt/60-100ft and water temp averages 26-28c/84-88f.

7 The Caribbean Island of Utila...

Utila is less commercial than the other Bay Islands and most islands in the Caribbean, and the Yucatan of Mexico, and you won’t find deludes of cruise ships, motor traffic, condominium developers or mass tourism, instead the island is reminiscent of the traditional Caribbean way of living. Whilst there is not an international airport on the island, this has protected the island from over development and allowed it to retain its natural charm and beauty, and Utila is still within easy reach of the mainland. The island is English/Spanish speaking, very safe and friendly, and you won’t need to take taxis or shuttles to get around the island, or waste time commuting, and most people get around by bicycle, and you have easy access to supermarkets, apartments, all close to our dive centre. Utila is also one of the most affordable destinations to live and train on in the Caribbean as well, due to the lack of commercial development on the island. If you compare to other destinations nearby for training, you can of- ten spend hours stuck in traffic each day commuting to resorts/hotels, or long boat rides to dive sites. The effort in reaching Utila is made up in a matter of days with the amount and quality of diving you’ll get to do, lifestyle, low cost of living, and quality of training and additional options.

8 Beautiful Oceans & Project Aware Coral Watch

Todays dive professional also needs to have a thorough understanding of the marine environment, coral reefs and ecosystems, and the majority of divers and students want to receive additional training and education in marine science.

Beautiful Oceans programs are designed to help dive professionals better understand marine biology, ecology, species and ecosystems, and give them new skills which will make them more employable, knowledgeable and to provide better experiences that today’s diver and snorkeller seeks from their adventures. These programs are taught exclusively by Beautiful Oceans Science Instructors and are open to all PADI Divemas- ters & Instructors to qualify, you do not need to have been a diver for 6 months to take a Beautiful Oceans Science Instructor, as all learning is designed to take place in the classroom with optional application on discovery dives in the water.

In 2015 we will be continuing our partnership, for the 6th consecutive year, with PADI’s Project Aware and the University of Queensland, to integrate the CoralWatch surveying into our Divemaster course and we also allow Instructor candidates who are interning on either our Divemaster or MSDT internships to partake in this program. Ev- ery week at UDC you will visit Utilas reefs and compare colours of corals with colours on the chart and record matching codes, then you’ll upload the information to a scien- tific database. It is our goal at UDC to train you beyond a basic Divemaster/Instructor and to give something back to Utila’s reefs for the enjoyment we take from them, and to also allow you to educate your own divers and students in the future to a higher level of environmental awareness. Also we aim to both provide a scientific tool and in- crease your awareness about global warming by demonstrating one of its devastating effects. We’re fortunate at UDC to have the boats, tanks, staff and resource to offer such a program to your benefit and also to the reefs in the Bay Islands of Honduras.

9 Curriculum Our Instructor Development Course

Our IDC is 4 days longer than the industry standard of 7 days, that’s 11 days of quality instructor training. The last 2 days of our IDC are conducted as a ‘mock’ Instructor Ex- amination to give you better preparation and insight into the real IE. However from our experience as a dive centre that trains over 1500 divers a year, at all levels, we know how much more important it is to prepare a candidate for the real world of dive instruction rather than just to pass the Instructor Examinations.

We’ve extended our IDC program to cover more effective teaching techniques, discuss instructing in different worldwide environments, look at great- er career opportunities in diving including ‘diver safety’ and ‘technical diving’ and resume prepa- ration. As one of the most prestigious and award- ed dive training facilites in the world we receive a lot of job applications everyday so we’ll show you exactly what it takes to become a successful Instructor and what gives you the best chance of success as a professional in today’s dive industry. As the only facility on Utila with ‘rebreathers we’ll spend extra time looking at future trends in diving ‘rebreathers’.

All this is done in a low stress, relaxed and most impor- tantly ‘fun’ environment. Although the actual number of hours per day on the IDC are about 8 we have our IDC facility open at least 12 hours per day so anytime our candidates need quiet study time, assignment prepara- tion time, private discussion or career counseling they get it! Our staff are available outside of regular hours for any remedial tuition or 1 to 1 coaching, remember we want you to succeed as a first rate dive instructor, not just pass the IE! 10 Our team for the Instructor Development

If you’ve been impressed with what you’ve read so far then what you’re about to read will really make you smile and look forward to training with us. Our Course Directors and IDC Staff instructors have received recognition from PADI for their teaching efforts and numerous ‘certificates of excellence’ which you’ll see immediately once you walk into our dive center on display, and between them have to date issued over 8000 PADI certifications and in the last 14 years have conducted over 150 PADI ‘Instructor De- velopment Courses’ and certified over 2000 ‘Open Water Scuba Instructors’ including numerous ‘Specialty Instructors’, ‘IDC Staff Instructors’ and ‘PADI Tec and Rebreather Instructors’. Our IDC’s are directed by our in house Course Director, Andy Phillips (who has taught and dived all over the world, Egypt Red Sea, Thailand SE Asia, Gala- pagos/Costa Rica Pacific, Cyprus Mediterranean, Caribbean, USA, Canada and South Africa).

This gives us a unique advantage in making our IDC much more real world rather than bore you with too much traditional academics and allows you to draw and learn from years of diverse teaching experience. Our Course Director and IDC Staff as- sistants are also qualified to teach both recreational and technical diving up to ‘Tri- mix Instructor’, and can also marine science training with programs from ‘Beautiful Oceans’, (no other Course Director or IDC Staff Instructor in Honduras can offer this and no other facility in Central America can offer you 2 full time ‘Platinum rated’ resident Course Directors/Science Instructor Trainers com- mitted to your success, personal attention and development!!!) and the full range of ‘Divers Alert Network’ programs. In addition to having your IDC run by 2 experienced PADI Course Directors there will also be IDC Staff assistants, who can also teach in German/Hebrew/English/Spanish/French, working with you for closer supervision and attention. When our staff aren’t working on IDC’s they are instructing beginners or diving on Utilas reefs, both shallow and deep technical dives, working on community projects, promoting diver safety or simply enjoying the quality, beauty and tranquility of the Caribbean lifestyle. If our dive professionals were told they weren’t too be paid for their work they would still place as much commitment and time into making you the best Instructor possible, why? Simply because we love what we do and our passion for diving is genuine and real, just make sure we all get a cold ‘sunset beer’ at the end of a good days diving.

11 Our team for the Instructor Development...

ANDY PHILLIPS (UK) PADI Platnum Course Director PADI Trimix & Rebreather Instructor Trainer DAN Instructor Trainer IANTD Instructor Trainer International Association Handicapped Divers Instructor Trainer International Yacht Training Instructor Trainer Beautiful Oceans Science Instructor Trainer Utila Dive Centre’s ‘Director of Professional Training’

Andy has taught and dived all over the world, Egypt Red Sea, Thailand SE Asia, Galapagos/Costa Rica Pacific, Cy- prus Mediterranean, Caribbean, Yucatan caves of Mexi- co and South Africa. His award winning IDC’s have seen him receive countless certificates of excellence from PADI Vice President James Morgan based on the comments and feed back of the Instructors that he has trained. Andy has over 5000 logged dives, is also a PADI Trimix & Rebreath- er Instructor Trainer, DAN Instructor Trainer, IYT Instructor Trainer and IANTD Instructor Trainer. Andy has trained over 3000 divers and 1800 Instructors and is an accomplished and experienced mixed gas technical diver and cave ex- plorer, and has an extensive network of dive professionals worldwide that help with job placement and career de- velopment. Andy’s hobbies outside of diving are kite surf- ing, travel, trekking and off road mountain biking. Prior to working in the scuba industry in Andy worked in commer- cial insurance in market analysis and designing future pol- icies, his business background and expertise will help you get the best possible start to your professional dive career. Andy recently completed a Masters degree in ecommerce and integrates additional information into our IDCs to help our instructor candidates to understand the direction of the dive industry and how the internet is shaping education, training, and sales online. Andy has also been invited as a speaker at dive conferences on topics such as ‘Environ- mental education’ (Beautiful Oceans DEMA 2006), ‘Dive industry innovation’ (PADI DEMA 2009 & 2011), ‘Project Aware CoralWatch’ (UK DIVE SHOW 2010 & 2011) and has consulted with PADI on curriculum topics.

12 Our team for the Instructor Development...

JHAIR HERRERA (Venezuela) PADI Platinum Course Director PADI Tec Deep/Trimix Instructor Trainer International Association Handicapped Divers Instructor Trainer International Yacht Training Instructor Trainer DJ Extraordinaire Jhair is also a PADI Course Director and works full time on our Dive- master and Instructor courses. Originally from Venezuela and fluent in Spanish, English, Italian and Portugese, and in addition to assisting on our IDC’s he also runs our Instructor classes in Spanish! Jhair has worked as an Instructor and dive centre Manager in Venezuela and Colombia and dived around the world. Jhair is also a technical wiz- ard in compressor maintenance and equipment repair, and very savvy with web 2.0 technologies and social media marketing in scuba diving. As a dedicated professional and avid diver he continues to advance his diving education and is a passionate tec diver and explorer and he brings a wealth of teaching and diving experience to our programs. He also puts on tech and sidemount intro dives for our candidates and lends his expertise to our specialty Instructor courses. He’s so passion- ate about diving that we often have to ask him to slow down when talking about scuba and tec diving, as he even speaks faster and better English than a native speaker! Jhair is also an established local DJ and really gets the party going at our graduation celebrations.

VANESSA LILL (Scotland) MA History 1st class Honours PADI Master Instructor, EFR Instructor Trainer TDI Decompression Procedures Instructor/Advanced Trimix Diver Vanessa is from Scotland with a mixed background in teaching and also in sports coaching and outdoor pursuits. Like many of our staff and candidates, she grew tired of the 9-5 and decided to finally leave her desk and wet skies behind, taking the plunge and swapping them for a new office under the water and became an Instructor in Indo- nesia where she spent 7 years teaching in the Gili Islands and built an extensive network in S.E. Asia. Vanessa loves any type of diving that requires a lot of tanks, having a passion for technical diving and especially enjoys seeing new divers’ faces light up after their first expe- riences in the water, and loves to hear from instructor candidates she has worked with on their IDC’s after they themselves venture out with their own first students. In addition to being a very experienced diver and Instructor Vanessa is also an accomplished mountaineer and has summated Mount Kilimanjaro, trekked the Himalayas unassisted and worked on conservation projects in the jungles of Borneo. Vanessa is probably one of the most well liked members of our staff, and all students and her colleagues show her the utmost respect and cour- tesy - but perhaps that’s because of her background as a former Muay Thai Kickboxing competitor and Instructor (in addition to being a great Instructor and also Manager of our MSDT internship program at UDC)! 13

Our team for the Instructor Development...

CATHERINE-JANE HOWARTH (UK) Bsc Marine Biology PADI IDC Staff Instructor PADI Trimix Instructor CJ is our Tec Instructor and in addition to assisting on our IDC’s also conducts our tec diving courses at UDC and can teach side- mount and trimix diving! CJ is a qualified marine biologist and has dived all around the world, including the cooler climate of the UK waters. She has become involved in technical diving and is one of the few female PADI Trimix Instructors in the Caribbean and Cen- tral America and has several 300ft/90 meter dives to her credit around Utila’s Northside walls. CJ assists on our Instructor courses and brings a wealth of teaching and diving experience to our pro- grams. In addition to giving IDC presentations, she also puts on tech and sidemount intro dives for our candidates and lends her expertise to our specialty Instructor courses particulary our Beauti- ful Oceans Science Instructor courses. Being a good role model, CJ rarely drinks, so when we celebrate your success at the Instruc- tor parties, she’s the one with the funny stories the next day!

THERESE CLARKE (IRELAND) PADI IDC Staff Instructor EFR Instructor Specialty Instructor; Wreck, Nitrox, Equipment, O2 provider, Gas Blender, Underwater Photography, Deep. Therese is originally from the Republic of Ireland and being tech- nically an ‘island’ she grew up as a child with a passion for the oceans and love of water. She put aside her love of scuba diving to take a ‘real job’ as an accountant and after building a successful career with one of the top 5 blue chip accounting firms worldwide, she decided on a career change like many of our Divemaster and Instructor candidates. Therese has trained and dived throughout the world and her favourite non-Utila site is the Great Barrier Reef and she can teach a wide of variety of specialties, and also in Eng- lish, Spanish and Gaelic! She co-ordinates with our environmental projects and PADI’s Project Aware and also staffs on our ‘Instruc- tor Development’ programs on a regular basis, which makes her a fantastic mentor for our Divemasters in training. Anyone who ever had the luck to take a course with her agrees that there’s no one as happy and energetic as she is. When she’s not teaching scuba, she enjoys spending time with her students and still playing on the water with her rubber duck! 14 Paperwork requirements

1. If possible please bring with you all pre- vious certification information (dates of courses, instructor numbers names, training agency name) and if you hold any non-PADI certifications please also bring a copy of each certification. This will ensure prompt processing of your Instructor application, and to start the IDC you need to have been a certified diver for 6 months.

2. A medical statement within the last 12 months, dated and signed by a physi- cian, stating you are fit for diving. These can be obtained on Utila for about $25.

3. 2 Passport sized photo’s

4. Log book with at least 60 dives for AI/ IDC and 100 to be certified as an In- structor.

5. Method of payment for the IE, PADI does not accept cash, such as VISA/Master- Card/AMEX or USA Bank Cheque or US Travelers Cheques. Your payment for the course should be made prior to the start and can be done with either traveler’s cheques, but preferably by bank wire into either our USA or UK accounts. You can use credit cards on Utila but there is an 8% surcharge for this.

15 Paperwork requirements...

We recommend that you purchase the IDC crewpack, which includes all materials you need for the IDC/IE (with the exception of the E-RDPml and Table and previous course level manuals and materials) and we can offer this at virtually cost. If you are planning on bringing your own materials please let us know ASAP so that we can make sure you they are the most recent and up to date versions, as standards do change.

Unlike many IDC centers we do not try to push/sell materials to candidates in order to increase profit margins, however it is a required PADI standard worldwide that all Instructor candidates have these materials, and are package prices include all materi- als required at that level. We can reduce pricing for candidates that bring their own PADI materials.

For candidates that book online and in advance we offer a preparation program as part of your IDC. This will include getting you completely comfortable in the water if it’s been a while and allowing you to observe our instructors as they teach PADI Open Water & Rescue diver classes, reviewing demonstration quality skills, rescue skills, re- testing of Divemaster theory and preparation for the IDC. The earlier you can prepare for the IDC the easier you will find the course and the more you will get from it, much better to spend a small amount of time a day revising a few weeks before the course than cramming it all in just before the IDC starts. If there are certain areas that you are having problems or difficulty with please let us know in advance and we can arrange additional remedial sessions aside from the IDC to bring you up to speed, all part of the service.

16 Schedule & logistics

The IDC is scheduled to start on a Wednesday (or Saturday AM for e-learners), around 1pm (we do advise candidates to arrive 2 or 3 days earlier to begin preparation if pos- sible), run over 11 days, and end on the Sunday (the last 2 days of the IDC, Saturday and Sunday are held as a mock IE to completely prepare and test you for what will happen at the PADI IE). We schedule the EFR Instructor course between the Assistant Instructor and OWSI portions of the IDC, on the Monday and Tuesday, which is man- datory for all candidates (unless you hold an equivalent rating), as this will allow you to offer all inclusive PADI Rescue Diver training. On the Monday after the IDC finishes we schedule a group fun dive and you can also use this day to relax before the IE ori- entation is held on Tuesday afternoon with exams, and all day Wednesday. After the IE the ‘optional’ Instructor Continuing Education programs begin right away and we can always customize a package for individual needs and interests. During the IDC all class-work and academic testing takes place in the mornings and after a lunch break the afternoons are usually spent in the water developing ‘confined’ and ‘open water’ teaching skills. A typical day runs from 8am to 5pm with lunch 12pm-1pm though our staff and facility are available from 7am-7pm for any consultation, counseling and remedial training. You’ll have evenings where assignments need preparing but this has been carefully managed so candidates receive no more than 2 assignments, maximum, per evening with many evenings a little more relaxed with either no assign- ments or just 1 assignment.

The ability to pass an IE is a natural progression of sitting the IDC. You will have sev- eral opportunities during your IDC to practice these assignments and will do a mock IE before the real PADI IE. We’re proud of our record at the PADI IE’s and in 2013, over 60 Divemasters in 12 different programs chose to do their IDC with Utila Dive Centre (that’s nearly three times as many as any other facility in the Bay Islands) and every- one passed the PADI IE and we helped all those who stayed in the region find credible employment in the dive industry, which no other facility in Honduras achieved. Whilst it is impossible to ‘guarantee’ you’ll pass the IE our promise to you is that should you fail the IE we will offer a 2nd IDC for free and pay for you to re-sit the IE, no gimmicks! Utila Dive Center is one of the top PADI Career Development Centers worldwide that set the standard for instructor training, and whilst we‘re often imitated by other dive centers, our training, results and lifetime support are never surpassed.

17 Schedule & logistics...

Areas in blue are where you are in the water Areas in black are where you are in the clasrom Areas in red are aditional sesions we schedule at UDC beyond the PADI IDC curiculum 18 Online pre-IDC study

For candidates who are already certified as PADI Divemaster prior to arriving on Utila for your IDC there are 2 e-learning options that allow you to;

1) Study and pre-assess your dive theory online (saves hours of revision on Utila and 3 hours in class)

2) Study 9 of the course presentations online which can be used to save time from the course and start 4 days later than our ‘Live delivery’ IDC with the start date on the Saturday morning at 8am (registration Friday PM). The course will then end one week later on the Sunday (with the mock IE) and then a day’s fun diving on Monday prior to the IE on the Tuesday/Wednesday, allowing you to leave on the Thursday am flights. This takes just 13 days for the complete Instructor course, EFR Instructor and 2 day PADI Exams, and even less if you arrive on Utila already certified as a PADI Assistant Instructor.

There is an additional charge for this each of these options, that deliver convenience and value enhancement to the IDC, and this is paid to PADI. Please contact us for more information to register for this option.

19 More options for you

As a PADI Divemaster or leadership level professional with another organization you have several different options to begin your PADI Instructor training. You can go directly into the full PADI IDC (11 days) or instead do the PADI Assistant Instructor course (4 days) and at a later date complete the PADI OWSI portion (7 days) (See Instruc- tor course info attachment for more details). At Utila Dive Centre we prefer to keep our IDC class sizes smaller and more personal by offer- ing more programs per year and by giving you more choice over your path to becoming a professional. By offering up to 12 IDC’s per year (see 2014 IDC schedule attachment) we do incur greater expenses but we prefer to do this in order to keep our group sizes smaller and give a better service, compared to other IDC centers worldwide that offer just 6-8 programs a year with much bigger group sizes.

If you compare this to other dive resorts you’ll probably find few other facilities give as many scheduling options or flexibility. We have a maximum group size of 6 students to 1 Course Director, this is lower than the required 8:1 ratio from PADI, why?... well we like to provide better service, simply put after every IDC our staff meet and are constantly reviewing how we can improve our programs, it’s this dy- namic thinking that helps make you a great Instructor and show you how ‘attitude’ is one of the most important attri- butes a dive professional can have.

After your IE we offer a full range of Instructor level Continuing Edu- cation programs including our PADI ‘MSDT prep’ program, ‘DAN Instructor’, ‘PADI Sidemount Specialty Instructor’, ‘Beautiful Oceans’ Science Instructor and PADI ‘Technical Diver/Gas Blender Instructor’, and IAHD Disabled Diver Instructor and IYT Dive Boat Mate/Cox- swain Instructor training.We hope this gives you an idea of what you receive when you take your training with us in regards to our staff, experience, facility,reputation, attitude, ambience, atmosphere and training philosophies. No one offer you so many options with your professional training, guaranteed to advance your career and make you succeed in the real world of the dive industry. 20 Global Dive Network Bigger & Improved for 2015

Exclusive membership of the Global Dive Network with Utila Dive Centre

We have evolved our previous referral scheme ‘Prestige card’ into a new collaboration between the top dive centers, and destinations worldwide. Utila Dive Centre and GoPro Utila have now formed a referral scheme with the following dive operations worldwide and growing;

• Emperor Divers, Egypt, Red Sea (5 resorts and live- aboards) • Poseidon Divers, Dahab, Egypt, Red Sea • Buddha View, Koh Tao, Thailand • Blue Season, Bali, Indonesia • Eco-Divers, Manado, Indonesia • ProDive Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

This scheme is in addition to our local Central/South America referral scheme ‘TrekCATS’, and all our students and divers receive a membership card, and reduced rates (5-10%)/pref- erential treatment at any of these quality dive operations.

www.buddhaview-diving.com When you take your training with us you’ll receive your Global Koh Tao-Thailand Dive Network/TrekCATS membership card that benefits you regionally in Central/South America and worldwide, and also entitles you to equipment reductions in our dive store.

Many IDC facilities and Course Directors may make claims of job placements and networks but this can only be built after years of established training at the highest level and no other dive operation in the Caribbean, Honduras and Central Amer- ica is committed to your success, and opportunities during and after your time with Utila Dive Centre.

Others talk whilst Utila Dive Centre delivers! 21 After the Instructor Examination

We offer all different kinds of Instructor level continuing education programs from PADI, DAN and PADI Tec courses and closed circuit rebreather courses, ‘International Association Handicapped Divers’ & ‘International Yacht Training’ Instructor courses. These are scheduled to begin after the IE and we can arrange package deals as part of a career training program, at our resort.

The dive industry is like any other in terms of competitiveness for employment and newly qualified Instructors often find the challenge after passing their Instructor Ex- amination is in securing suitable employment. At Utila Dive Centre our staff, with their extensive network of contacts in the region and worldwide, will do their best to assist you find employment with their placement service but to facilitate your chances of gaining employment as a PADI Instructor, you can give yourself the best possible head start by enrolling in our ‘Premium Pro Plus’ program. Our ‘Premium Pro Plus’ program includes the PADI Instructor Development Course, Emergency First Response Instructor and Master Scuba Diver Trainer preparation program. Our ‘Premium Pro Plus’ program will train you beyond a regular PADI ‘Open Water Scuba Instructor’ and after the IDC is completed and the examinations passed we will train you as an ‘Emergency First Response’ Instructor and a ‘Master Scuba Diver Trainer’ and allow you to intern with our full time Instructors at the Utila Dive Centre on Utila, so what we taught you during the IDC you will get to put into practice under the watchful eyes of our seasoned professional staff.

22 After the Instructor Examination...

After you’ve celebrated becoming an Instructor we will start with the MSDT program, this will train you in 5 PADI Specialty Instructor ratings (or special rates for more, if desired) and no other facility or Course Director in Central America can offer such an extensive range of continuing education programs, choose from;

(Note our top 7 preferred choices which most centers cannot offer, that are in demand and really set you apart and require our specialized instruction, all other choices can often be applied for based on your own direct experience at a later date);

Enriched Air Wreck Gas Blender Nitrox (and Trimix) Emergency O2 Provider Equipment Digital Photography Sidemount Diver

Deep Night Naturalist Search & Recovery Dolphin Rebreather Navigation Videography Diver Propulsion Vehicle

23 After the Instructor Examination...

We can also offer a complete range of DAN Instructor courses in addition to our MSDT program. After the specialty Instructor training has been completed we have an op- tional internship (highly recommended) that no other IDC center has the resource or daily courses scheduled to offer you, and allows you to assist our qualified and expe- rienced Instructors on their PADI courses and you get the chance to take the ‘micro teaching’ techniques that we taught you during the IDC and apply to actual courses and gain real world experience. The internship will allow you to assist on at least 5 PADI courses from Open Water to Rescue and gain invaluable real world experience and organizational and logistical skills, by the end of our internship you will have issued up to 25 PADI certifications, and assisted on 5 different courses, and should be able to apply for your PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer rating, also you will have earned a valuable reference from our Career Development Center which is good for life, wherever you travel in the world as an Instructor. Our ‘Premium Pro Plus’ program offers exceptional value and gives you significant savings and will give you the best training, experience and start to your professional dive career. Over the last 12 years graduates on our ‘Premium Pro Plus‘ training program have enjoyed more success than the average PADI instructor, have achieved higher positions in the dive industry and earn more income than the average PADI instructor.

So what more are you waiting for, if you’d really like to get a head start, gain valu- able teaching experience, issue 15-25 certifications, qualify in 5 specialty areas as an Instructor and earn a valuable reference from one of the most awarded PADI Career Development Centers in the world contact PADI Course Director Andy Phillips today!

DIVEMASTER

ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR

SPECIALTY EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONSE INSTRUCTOR INSTRUCTOR INSTRUCTOR

SPECIALTY EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONSE INSTRUCTOR INSTRUCTOR

MASTER SCUBA DIVER TRAINER

IDC STAFF INSTRUCTOR

MASTER INSTRUCTOR

COURSE DIRECTOR 24 IAHD Adaptive Dive Partner/Pro

IAHD-Americas are the world’s premier adaptive scuba training & certification agency with the mission to share the magic of scuba diving with individuals with serious physical, men- tal and emotional disabilities, to allow them to participate in underwater activities. To ac- complish this requires competent, well-trained instructors, underwater guides, and capable dive buddies, as well as training programs, standards, guidelines, materials, and member support, and for that reason IAHD Americas have partnered with the Utila Dive Centre, a world renowned PADI Career Development Center to offer specific training for our PADI Instructors who wish to train and work with disabled divers, and also offer adaptive teaching programs for other dives and your own PADI Divemasters.

Our IAHD Dive Pro course allows PADI Instructors to train both recreational divers with dis- abilities and to allow certified divers to be certified to fill the key role of a certified support diver for an IAHD-certified adaptive scuba diver and also to be a more aware, empathetic and supportive dive buddy for divers with disabilities. PADI Instructors who qualify with us as IAHD Dive Pros can also train and certify PADI Divemasters as IAHD Dive Partners so they learn how to dive and plan supervisory activities with disabled divers. The IAHD Pro-Training is a totally integrated program for Divemasters, Assistant Instructors and Instructors which consists of two days of classroom, pool and optional open water training, candidates learn;

• The characteristics of various physical disabilities, and how they relate to scuba diving. • To recognize and adapt to some of the unique characteristics of mental & emotional dis- abilities. • How to overcome some of the problems you may encounter when training physically disabled divers, through simulations and workshops in both confined and open water environments. • Proven methods for assisting those with sight impairment, hearing impairment, spinal injuries, amputations, and other disabilities. • How to adapt and modify normal diving equipment to the needs of the disabled diver. • To anticipate the needs and attitudes of challenged students and to develop a foresight in logistic awareness and considerations.

We schedule our IAHD Dive Pro/Instructor programs each month, though with very limited spaces. The program can be offered to dive professionals with no previous experience/ certification in adaptive teaching, and the course takes 2 days and the cost of the program is $350 (including full online access and manuals) and $100 application fee to IAHD Ameri- cas, please contact us for availability. 25 PADI Approved International Yacht Training (IYT) Dive Boat Mate Instructor Certification

International Yacht Training Worldwide (IYT WW) in cooperation with the PADI and Utila Dive Centre are pleased to introduce the new Dive Boat Mate and Instructor programs - professionally recognized boating qualifications specifically targeted to meet the needs of the diving industry and to develop PADI professionals maritime knowledge and skills includ- ing practical boat driving experience. The Dive boat Mate courses were introduced due to demand from the diving industry and cover components relating to health, safety, engineer- ing, legal and competency aspects that are required to safely operate such a boat. These programs incorporate everything that a diveboat operator would be required to know from the moment the boat left the dock until its safe return to port and are an amazing comple- ment to our Divemaster and Instructor programs for dive professionals who will be working on islands, resorts and liveaboards. The courses, while diveboat specific, contain the nec- essary knowledge for operators to obtain various certificates of competency (COCs) issued by IYT Worldwide on behalf of the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The MCA boating qualifications are the most internationally recognised qualifications in the world and have, over the past ten years be- come the de facto world standards. N. B. These courses are by no means meant to replace any certification or licensing that may be required (by law) in the various flag state maritime jurisdictions worldwide.

There are currently two levels of certification that we offer at Utila Dive Centre and are Diveboat Mate (and Instructor level) and Diveboat Coxswain. Candidates will learn a very broad range of maritime and nautical theory and motor skills including driving boats, which serve as a foundation to gain further experience and sea time under the direct supervision of a licensed Captain. For candidates who arrive already certified as PADI Divemasters the training can be integrated with our MSDT internship over 4-5 weeks, and upon meeting the post-requisites candidates can also qualify as both Dive Boat Mates and Instructors (this is the dive vessel equivalent of a ‘resort operations specialty’).

26 International Yacht Training...

The IYT/PADI Diveboat Mate is the ideal program for the entry level mariner and PADI Divemaster/Instructor. This certification allows the holder to crew on board a dive vessel and gain sea time and training as captain under the supervision of a Diveboat Coxswain or higher, and we integrate this training with our PADI Divemaster and MSDT programs at Utila Dive Centre. All candidates complete the IYT DiveBoat mate e-learning prior to starting the course, and receive additional class sessions at Utila Dive Centre and workshops, and during the course practical boat driving exercises are conducted un- der the direct supervision of our Captains, including mooring/docking. This program is valuable for anyone wishing to work on dive vessels, super yachts, liveaboards and the student who completes this certification will also receive the MCA (British Maritime & Coastguard association) small Powerboat/RIB Master which certifies them to run ten- ders globally. Due to the time and content of this course e-learning is mandatory prior to arriving on Utila, and approximately 4 weeks are required, and this training can be offered independently as a stand-alone course, or with either our Divemaster or MSDT internships (unless an individual already has maritime/nautical qualifications and sea- time then a cross over can be arranged in a shorter period).

Please enquire for scheduling and specific costs and take the first step towards a nautical qualification and maybe in the future after building seatime and experience you could qualify as a Coxswain Captain or Master of Yachts, or might just find more employment opportunities as a PADI/IYT Dive Boat Mate Instructor.

27 Recreational Closed Circuit Rebreather Course

PADI (the worlds largest recreational scuba training agency) released their recreational ‘Closed Circuit Rebreather’ (CCR) or courses, and at Utila Dive Centre we’re the only facility in the Honduras and the Caribbean/Central America to offer PADI diver & Instructor level training in these programs. Rebreathers have grown in popularity and use in recent years, as technological advances have brought the costs lower, and as divers wish to extend their limits, they offer safety, and longer times in the water. Rebreathers recycle the air that a diver breathes, so not only does this extend their air supply compared to an open circuit diver who loses air with every exhalation, but rebreather divers have longer no-decompression limits as they breathe a constant enriched mixture of air, and they lose less body heat and moisture with every exhaled breath so stay warmer and hydrated for longer. For photographer and videographers rebreathers are the tools of choice, as they get closer to aquatic life and have more intimate interactions as the bubbles do not disturb the creatures or scare them off.

Why are more and more divers switching to closed circuit rebreathers and why is this the future of diving?

• Longer dive times with extended gas consumption, and longer no decompression limits • Less noise, no bubbles and the ability to become a part of the aquatic realm, not just an observer, fish and other creatures will come close to check you out! • More enhanced photos and videos of aquatic life as you can now get much closer to your subjects • Stay warmer longer as less body heat is exhaled • Divers who do not want to go tec but want the benefits of extended times underwater • Or a foundation for tec rebreather training

For more information on our rebreather courses please visit our website section on rebreathers and why not get the most from your time and training with us and become a PADI MKVI closed circuit rebreather diver/Instructor and really give yourself an edge in the future of diving, as well as enhance your own dive experiences.

28 Lifestyle of a dive pro in Utila

A typical working day in the life of an Instructor on Utila starts with a 7.30am commute to work, cycling through the narrow streets of this traditional Caribbean island on their way to their dive centre. The journey isn’t over yet, as they travel their way to the islands north side by boat in order to guide a group of students on a wall dive, if lucky they often get to stop and swim with dolphins or Whale sharks on the way.

As a dive Instructor on Utila you’ll never find a job that has so much variety, one day you’ll be introducing a group of international backpackers to the delights of the under water world, with the PADI Open Water diver course, and guide beginner students through one of the most unique multi sensory experiences they can ever engage in, trust us when we say that these are one kind of customers that will never forget you for the work you do. At other times in your daily duties you’ll be conducting professional dive courses, with the PADI Divemaster program, and taking ex-bankers, comput- er engineers, mechanics, lawyers, doctors and factory workers under your wing and guiding them into the ranks of a dive professional and sharing your own experiences of tropical dive resort management.

29 Lifestyle of a dive pro in Utila...

When it comes to lunch time rather than hiding from the rain indoors or rushing to find something suitable to eat in the little time you have, you’ll find that in the Carib- bean lunch times can be spent for hours in one of the many island cafes, catching up with colleagues on their morning aquatic encounters whilst afternoons may involve hammock time or teaching dive academics in the classroom to aspiring divers. At sunset enjoy a cold drink from our on-site café/bar and relax on the UDC dock with friends as the sun sets slowly into the sea in spectacular Caribbean style and then after enjoying dinner from the variety of restaurants on the island you can either relax on your own balcony/hammock at home or as darkness sets in so does many of the islands night party venues. The Treetanic Bar, Tranquila and Bar on the Beach have been known to host some of the best parties in this part of the Caribbean, with warm friendly smiles and great atmosphere.

Of course if it’s a quiet night in that you feel you deserve then there’s no better place to relax in the evenings than Utila. Most apartments and homes have out door balconies where you can gaze at the stars or look out to an ocean view, including modern amenities to ensure you have the creature comforts that maybe you are accustomed to. On days off from work you can hike the island, take a bike to the off road tracks and end at desert beaches, swim in freshwater caves, kayak through mangrove canals, sail in 3 person ‘Hobie Cats’ or charter a sailboat to the nearby islands of Roatan, Cayos Cochinos or Glovers Reef, Belize.

If you talk to our team of Instructors, you’ll discover most have worked and dived in many parts of the world, Koh Tao in Thailand, Dahab in Egypt, Costa Rica, however nothing has impressed them as much as the friendliness and great quality of living on Utila. The average cost of living on Utila is about $500 per month with another $200-$250 for suitable accommodation, that’s right and is probably why most visi- tors to Utila call it one of the best value destinations in the Caribbean. Not only does Utila have over 80 dive sites, with diverse conditions and life, bit there are countless oportunities for aditional training and experience to excell you in your career. As an active dive Instructor in a reputable facility don’t be surprised if you actually find that you are able to save 2-3 times more a month than you actually spend. That’s why when most dive Instructors on Utila do decide that the time has come to move on then they have usually saved enough to head off to the next exotic location, the only problem is where next? Hawaii, Galapagos, Thailand or Australia, well that’s one question we’ll let you answer.

30 Dive Shack only the best equiment!

We’ve partnered with the number 1 equipment suppliers on Utila, ‘DiveShack Utila’ to offer special packages for our trainees, retailing high quality equipment from Cressi Sub, Aqualung, Scubapro, Suunto and Trident. You’ll find the prices are more favourable than most locations though special fitting items may be limited. We recommend you check www.diveshackutila.com for their selection and prices, and availability.

Not only do we have the best training pro- grams in Central America, but we’ve also partnered to offer you equipment from the most comprehensive and best stocked dive retail store.

Most employers will expect you to own your own full set of equipment when they are hiring you and we can offer you a complete ‘head to toe’ set up of excep- tional quality gear from $2400 including duffle bag, please see the following link GoPro Head to Toe package for this incred- ible offer, however this offer only applies to candidates who prepay 6-8 weeks in ad- vance and are completing their Instructor training and MSDT with us.

31 Utila Dive Centre‘s commitment to you

Our commitment to you doesn’t end at the Instructor Examination’s. If you are staying on Utila looking to find work we will do our best to help you, our staff and facility have a high standing in the dive commu- nity of the Bay Islands and can try to find suitable work. Whilst we can never guar- antee our candidates work at Utila Dive Centre we will assist you with a training placement if you desire. After the Instruc- tor Examinations you have approximately 10-14 days before you get your teach- ing status activated, during this time on our MSDT internship we can mentor you with one of our resorts experienced In- structors and you can follow, observe and shadow them as they teach their courses (Open Water to Divemaster), so now what we taught you during the IDC about real world teaching you get to put into prac- tice, at no extra charge.

This gives you valuable experience and a work reference from our PADI Career Development Center and Gold Palm Resort and will make it easier for you to find your own Instructor position. This is another unique ad- vantage that we offer you at Utila Dive Centre that other IDC facilities are unable to offer (due to a much lower number of Instructors and stu- dents at their school) and are often envious of. 32 UDC‘s commitment to you...

With 12 dive centers and resorts on Utila and many more on Roatan, and hundreds in the Caribbean and Central America region it doesn’t take long before a vacancy arises and we will do our best to help you with resume preparation, placements and a refer- ence. In 2014 we trained over 60 Instructors and helped 100% of all those who have stayed in the local area find suitable employment and through our placement service have also secured positions for our Instructors in the Turks/Caicos, Caymans, Costa Rica and Panama.

We always try and encourage our candidates to gain additional qualifications as this will better prepare them for teaching through our internship program, also this will make you more valuable as an employee. If you plan on traveling to other dive resorts in the world then it’s possible our Course Director and IDC Staff Instructors, through their own experience of working all around the world, can help/advise and counsel you on teach- ing in differing environments and help guide you in the right direction to secure employ- ment. In fact one of our past PADI Course Directors, was recently working as the PADI Regional Manager for the Great Barrier Reef / Papa New Guinea area! Also our past Videographer now works for one of the founders of Microsoft aboard his Superyacht. As part of our commitment to you we send regular newsletters keeping you informed of changes on Utila, but most importantly you become part of a professional network of divers (Divemasters/Assistant Instructors/Instructors) that have all trained at Utila Dive Centre. In addition to having our Staff who have worldwide contacts and teaching experience we can use this network to place you in touch with other professionals who are working all around the world to help you find employment or simply seek advice from.

33 Our pledge IE pass guaranteed!

We can never guarantee that you will pass the IDC 1st time, which would just be mar- keting talk, arrogance and false promises, even the most gifted of us can have an off day! We will however advise you if you are not quite ready and should wait a little longer before taking your Instructor Examinations. Though it doesn’t happen often if we do advise you to wait before taking the IE then we will give you a 2nd IDC for free, no gimmicks. If for some reason any of our candidates was to have a ‘bad day’ and become unsuccessful at the IE first time, then our Course Directors will put their hands in their pockets and pay for your 2nd IE.

However to date in 2014 not only did all our Instructor candidates pass the IE but we assisted all those that stayed on Utila or in the local area secure, credible and worthwhile employment as Instructors or guides (not poolside sales people in all inclusive resorts), which is our real measure of success and why you invest in your training with Utila Dive Centre.

Our Course Directors will be available for consultation during the IE and so if you’re still now sure of the location of where you’d like to ‘GoPro’ ask yourself the following questions?

1. Is my IDC extended beyond 7 days to a program 10-11 days in duration?

2. Do I have 2 experienced Platinum Course Directors conducting my IDC with over . 120 IDC’s to their experience?

3. Can I get tuition in other languages, if needed?

4. Will my group size be smaller than 6 candidates?

5. Can I assist on PADI courses and dive prior to my IDC?

6. Can I dive for free if I return to my IDC facility?

7. Will my PADI Course Directors still be advising, assisting, mentoring and helping me find employment, years after my IDC/IE is finished? 34 Our pledge...

8. Is my IDC conducted in a Career Development Center and multimedia facil- ity, with reference library and internet access?

9. Will I have a training pool at my availability for additional skill development and extended practice?

10. Are my Course Directors able to offer the complete system of Instructor ‘continuing education’ including Instructor courses such as Gas Blender Instructor, Sidemount Instructor, Beautiful Oceans Science Instructor, Rebreather Instructor, IAHD Adaptive Teaching Instructor, IYT Dive Boat Mate Instructor and DAN Instructor?

11. After the IE do my Course Directors help me with career placements and are they well connected in the local region and in other dive resorts around the world?

12. Am I confident my IDC will be professional, knowledgeable, interesting, real world and fun?

13. Have PADI recognized my IDC facility and Course Directors with certificates of excellence and recognition?

14. Has my facility ever been voted No 1 PADI IDC center by PADI Americas and also Sport Diver UK, the official PADI publication?

15. Am I being trained in a real world successful ‘Dive center’, not a franchise, not a concession in a resort, not a contract service, but a real world PADI Career Development Center, that trains the full spectrum of courses, from beginner to Instructor, with specialized tec training, and ecology programs, with experienced instructors on a daily basis, where I will learn as much from the faculty, staff and environment as well as the curriculum?

35 Our pledge...

If you can answer yes to all the above then we hope that you’re able to join us in the near fu- ture for the beginning of an exciting time and start to your dive career as a PADI professional. Remember it’s important that you feel 110% comfortable with the facility and people where you undertake your dive training so we hope this gives you an idea of what we have to offer at Utila Dive Centre. Unfortunately the one thing we cannot give you an idea of is the great ambience and atmosphere that exists at Utila Dive Centre and probably one of our biggest assets is intangible, no matter how well equipped our facility is, no building, boats, classrooms, equip- ments can match the care, attention, service and quality that we put into every PADI Instructor Development Program and all the staff at our resort who works so hard to achieve this.

We’ve even created a Youtube channel and Facebook community that tries to give you a feel for our facility, and would encourage you to take a look at these if you haven’t already, just be aware the videos do not do UDC or Utila justice, so if you enjoy what you see, just wait till you join us and we guarantee that whilst other centers made have the rating or title, they cannot offer you the experience, training and facility that Utila Dive Centre can, simply unbeatable and an education worth a million!

UTILA DIVE CENTRE Often Imitated but Never Surpassed

36 Testimonials what our students have to say about us

The dust has now settled from my four weeks spent training and diving with Andy and the team at Utila Dive Centre (UDC). It was great! The first couple of weeks were spent doing the Instructor Development Course (IDC) followed by the Padi Instructor Exams. The second part of the month was spent doing additional train- ing as part of the Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) program. I love to learn new skills; these guys love to teach. It was a perfect match. When I first arrived at the Utila Dive Centre I was immediately taken with two things: how a wide array of training and diving activities was so well organized; and how good the staff was at recognizing people, remember people’s names, and remembering activities people were pursuing. All of the staff was the right combination of knowledgeable, approachable and helpful. Partway through the course I realized that the smoothly operating machine that was Andy and Anna’s IDC didn’t happen by accident. All of the UDC staff that was involved in the course were like ducks on a pond: calm and serene on the surface, but paddling madly un- der the surface where nobody could see how hard they were working. The long days and extra hours that the staff put into preparing and orchestrating the course paid off. And the extra help and coaching by the staff – often long after official “business hours” - was greatly appreciated too. I’m already planning to return to the Utila Dive Centre, but this time I will tap into their wealth of experience while I do more of a practical internship. When I grow up, I want to be as good at this as the Utila Dive Centre team is!

Bob Gardiner, Canada April 2014 [email protected]

I’ve been coming to since 2003, been here 14 times. I’ve stayed at, and dove with most dive centers on the island, and have found that Utila Dive Center is the very best for EVERYTHING! Staying just one week, for fun diving, UDC goes to the North side with the best diving every day, with the most fun, professional dive masters, who give an experienced synopsis of the site, and take you on a fun adventure for a long dive on an awesome underwater experi- ence. They have the best open water, and advanced open water classes I have seen on the island. Professional, enjoyable, and so much fun...and the training really puts you at the top of each level. So many people here go from zero ( never dived) to hero (instructor). I’ve done professional level here too, instructor to Master Scuba Trainer, and stayed for a few months.

37 Testimonials...

For some reason, UDC attracts the best people, I’ve met in my life. So many cultures, lan- guages, expert experience, and people who you want to friend on Facebook and keep in touch with for life. I wish I did my rescue and dive master classes here, so much better than where I did them, and the bonding and friendships that grow make this a cherished life experience. Unlike other dive shops on the island, UDC is great for all ages. They hold so- cial events from Pub Quiz trivia, weekly DJ BBQ celebration snorkel test and dance (wow, anything goes), inflatable slides, and trampolines in the water, to boardgames at the homes of the so many people there. Sunsets, happy hour bar at the shop, and so much evening swimming, and socializing...never a dull moment. Free lodging at Mango Inn for all OW, and AOW classes, Mango with it’s pool, and near the best bar on Utila (Mosaic World, Treetanic) is an off road haven for people who want to get away from the noise of the many motor cycles, and drunk shouting on the main strip...ahh, a “Tropical Haven”..the best place to stay. This place is magical! They’ve got it right on Utila! I’m over 40, and for an island thats’ av- erage age is 25, I’ve made great friends with teens, and some over 60, UDC is a place for everyone who loves the ocean, loves fun, and wants the best experience of their lives. Brittany Elstroth, USA January 2014 [email protected]

This summer (July-October) UDC helped me reach a lifelong dream, to become a scuba diving professional. I did my Divemaster, Instructor and MSDT courses and internships at UDC. This review is therefore also written from the perspective of doing professional courses at UDC. I’m very satisfied with the education I received, and also look back at a great time meeting many new friends. Although UDC is a popular dive center in no way does this compromise the quality of the education, or the personal attention of the staff. Actually whilst learning for a career in diving, the size of UDC actually is a big advantage. This as you can work with multiple instructors and see different teaching styles, and there are a lot of OW/AOW/ Rescue courses going on you can assist on during your internships. Especially in the IDC you could notice the experience of UDC, I felt really well trained and prepared for my IE. On the social side of things, my time at UDC was a blast! I met so many great new people, and made new friends for life. You truly feel you become part of the UDC family. UDC does it part to create this family atmosphere, with weekly pub quizzes (you’re looking at the champion here!) and BBQ’s. All with a game of ‘nails’, you’ll know it when you get there! And of course some beers on the dock watching the sun set is never a bad way to end the day! As mentioned, in spite of the size of the operation, the personal attention is excellent. I would like to especially thank Sarah, Declan, Andy, Jhair and Alan for helping my make my dream possible. Was my time at UDC successful? I would say so, I found a job as diving instructor actually before leaving Utila! Living the dream now!

Menno Verschuur , Holland October 2013 [email protected]

38 Testimonials...

I did my rescue, dive master and instructor course at udc. i’ve visited a lot of different dive centers in my life, and udc is by far the most professional one i know. just the fact that they have a dive boat just for fun divers shows, how they really try to correspond to every ones wishes. The instructors and all the staff are really good and also fun to have a beer with. It doesn’t matter if you want to do a beginner course or if you want to become a professional diver, Utila Dive Center is definitely a shop you should consider. I really recommend it!

Pascal Coudret (Switzerland) July 2013 [email protected]

I’m not sure where to start but all i can say is both times I’ve been there I’ve felt like family and come back home with a greater passion and knowledge about diving. My first visit was in June 2012 when i did my IDC. my first few hours there on Utila i met Andy one of the Best Course Directors ever! he quickly introduced me to Jhair, where to start with Jhair?!?!?! this guy is amazing i may even name my kid after him :).... Jhair made me feel right at home and took me under his wing from day 1, theory was my biggest fear mainly the physics part, Jhair solved all of this with a simple game of tic tac toe (u need to go there yourself and ask Jhair to teach you physics) the IDC went wonderful and along the way i made amazing long life friends and became an instructor because of udc. My second trip was April 2013 to do my MSDT, i was a bit disappointed when i arrived and learnt that Jhair wasn’t there but he was in Malaysia becoming a course director (there’s nothing this guy can’t do) Caught up with Andy who had to leave the island as well. Regard- less of my previous mentors and role models not being there i have to say my MSDT was amazing as i met 2 more persons I’d like to follow someday, Mary and Suzy were nothing short of outstanding teachers and mentors, they treated us like family first, students second and customers last. wreck diving, nitrox, well needed O2 provider ;) and my favorite of all i became the youngest and only side mount instructor on my island thanks to Mary’s great mentoring and knowledge she shared with us. On this second time around i made another set of lifelong friends and shared great times. UDC is a great place for diving instructions, I’ll definitely be back :) Thanks to the Entire UDC Staff and Crew, you guys are the best!!! Ian Olivia (Belize) April 2013

39 Testimonials...

My three months spent with UDC in the fall of 2012 were without a doubt the most amazing 97 days of my life. Every single instructor there is amazing. Sarah may be the nicest person earth ( Miss You!). I went from a open water diver to an OWSI with specialty instructor ratings in Nitrox and wreck diving, equipment and gas blending and it has change the course of my life. I now eagerly await graduating college so I can go work as a diver instead of jumping into the “real world.” There are many dive centers on Utila. If you want to join a community of the smartest dive instructors, most prepared divemasters, and brilliant first time divers chose Utila Dive Center. Oh yeah, and they know how to have a good time too. Hallie Green (USA) Divemaster December 2012 [email protected]

I just wanted to thank you and the rest of the staff for the experience I had UDC Everything was so organized and thorough and the staff are so knowledgeable. Maya, my mentor, and the other instructors were fantastic! They were wonderful at scheduling me for the skills I needed to complete during my stay. I was even able to get in one fun dive on my last day of diving. It was perfect! It was such a great experience that I’m strongly considering changing my summer travel plans so I can do the IDC at UDC in July. Thanks again!

Chrissy Cappellano Divemaster December 2012 [email protected]

Andy! Never got to say goodbye. Thanks again for everything. Had soooo much fun and can’t believe the summer went by so fast. Missing the shop and everyone, missing the pas- sion for diving and look on someones face when they step off the boat after an underwater adventure. Tell Juice and Alan we saw maybe 60’ish lionfish on a dive in Placencia at the Silky’s, send help! We’re up in Caye Caulker now, dived this morning with 15 or more nurse sharks, eagle and sting rays, green turtles, the diving here is sweet, but the company’s not the same. Keep in touch. Love you guys. Chris Cadogan Divemaster June/July 2012 [email protected]

Dear Andy, Suzy, Mary, Dean, Maya and Maddie: Finally I can put finger to keyboard and thank you guys again for what turned out to be an incredible course. Not only did I learn and pass my IE but I picked up a few tips in terms of customer service that I will be introducing here in my ‘day job’. Everything about the course exceeded my expectations and I really felt that you put us first in everything. Thank you for that. It is getting rare these days to actually feel that the customer comes first, you guys, all of you, certainly achieved that. You all truly deserve the awards and praise that you have achieved. If you are ever in the British Virgin Islands you all have a friend here. Captain Daniel Bowditch (British Virgin Islands) January Instructor course 2012 [email protected] 40 Testimonials...

Georgia, thought I would drop you a line and let you know that I took your advice and just finished up with PADI CCR Instructor rating at Utila Dive Center (UDC). Andy/staff at UDC did an awesome job with training, organization and accommodating our dives with boats and understanding staff. Also, I took the job at Divetech in the Caymans. David Stover (USA) February 2012 PADI Rebreather Instructor course [email protected]

My name is Hugo. I am writing these lines on my way to my first job as a scuba Instructor. After an amazingly fun and rewarding 15 weeks of professional training at UTILA DIVE CEN- TRE, the plane is flying me to the life of my dreams . . . UDC . . . If you plan to become a PADI Pro, it is crystal clear, for me, this multi- awarded PADI Career Development Centre totally deserves its reputation of being the “Harvard” of scuba diving. Top level, world class instructors, amazing infrastructures, intense real-world interaction with the business of diving, the island of Utila as one the best dive destination in the world, proven recruiting network (Thank you again Andy!!!!!) . . . Too many reasons that confirms me that I made the best decision of my life by joining UDC: A Dive Centre driven by the passion for diving, the passion for life. To all UDC staff members; there are no words powerful enough to express all the gratitude and respect for what you do, day after day for guys like me. Thank you for your human, per- sonalised and friendly approach, your patience, your professionalism, your generosity and dedication for transferring your overwhelming knowledge and love of scuba diving. Hugo Marsolais PADI Instructor #305758 Club Med - Turks & Caicos Scuba Team Staff Member Jan – April 2012 [email protected]

Just wanted to say a BIG thank you again for everything Andy, there’s a reason you guys are the best IDC facility in the world and it’s because of your staff. I had the best time of my life. Jade Fishburn IDC candidate November 2011 [email protected]

41 Testimonials...

Going through the Divemaster training at UDC was an experience of a lifetime. UDC strikes the perfect balance by offering instruction at the highest professional level in a lively and fun environment. I would strongly recommend this facility to anyone wishing to gain a pro- fessional certification while having an excellent time and meeting people from all over the world. Elena Shishkova Divemaster February 2011 [email protected]

First of all I want to say thanks again for everything, I really had an unforgettable experience in Utila, and mostly because of UDC. Everything was done if a perfect and a professional way from the first e-mail that I sent you when I was still considering to which dive center should I go, and your immediate response did made that change, to the first step I took on the island when a representative from UDC was waiting there to take me the Mango Inn and up until the last second I spent on the island. I want to say special thanks to Maya which really did above and beyond and was there always to assist. I believe that you probably know she is a great asset for UDC but I just wanted to mention it again and say thanks one more time. Tal Kreisler Divemaster April 2011 [email protected]

Hey Andy I just wanted to write and tell you I just finished my dive master and I can’t wait to come back for IDC and I wanted to tell you what a great facility and staff you have it was an amazing experience and imo Fernando was the best mentor I could have asked for I also wanna do tech and hopefully integrate tech and instructor together! Anyways thanks again and I can’t wait to come back. Sincerely, Ky Rose (UK) June 2011

There are great dive centres that provide professional training, wonderful staff, and quality facilities... then there is UDC – a dive centre that epitomises what a 5 Star Career Develop- ment Centre should be. Thank you to all the fabulous staff, whom I can call close friends, for an unforgettable IDC.” Samantha Gaghan IDC/EFR/MSDT March 2011 [email protected]

42 Testimonials...

I am thrilled to say that I completed my Master Scuba Diver Training at Utila Dive Centre (UDC) this year. Under the expert instruction of UDC’s staff instructors (and under the watchful and supportive eye of Course Directors Andy Phillips, Suzy Phipps and Jules Page), I went from being an Open Water diver to MSDT--with 10 instructor specialties, and 28 student certifications. The staff at UDC are world class and highly professional--they really know their stuff. And they’re a ton of fun, to boot. And because there were always lots of students being trained at UDC at any given time, there were plenty of courses for me to assist on--first as a Dive Master, then as an MSDT intern, and finally as an AI. Lots of dives (230+), lots of hands-on experience with students, lots of learning, and lots of laughs! UDC’s MSDT Internship program (run by Suzy Phipps) absolutely rocks! It was the best way to gain confidence and real-world teaching experience as an Instructor--under the guidance of experienced and supportive Staff Instructors (thank-you Maya, Josiah, Sarah, Caroline, Maddy, Mary, Fernando, G, and Declan--possibly the funniest guy I’ve ever met)! UDC has the best boats on Utila (with skilled--and hilarious--Captains), lots of great dive equipment for students and resort divers, and a resident Equipment Specialist who keeps everything in excellent working order (thanks G)! And then, of course, there’s the Shop Manager, Jimmy--the man who does a phenomenal job of keeping clients and staff happy, and the entire operation running smoothly (which is no mean feat). And while I enjoyed Utila’s beautiful, clear, warm water and great diving--from squeezing through narrow openings in the dark with Sidemount gear at Airport Caves, to tagging along with Tec divers at the “vertigo inducing” CJ’s Drop Off, to diving with Eagle Rays, Turtles, Nurse Sharks, and Dolphins--the highlight of my time on the island was swimming 10 feet above a 30+ foot Whale Shark for about 12 minutes. Now THAT was amazing! If you’re looking for world class dive instruction, a highly professional operation, and a good time, I couldn’t recommend UDC and their staff more! Jason Sugar Divemaster/Instructor/MSDT Dec 2010 to April 2011 [email protected]

I spent some of Winter2011 on the beautiful Caribbean island of Utila, off the coast of main- land Honduras, gaining my IDC Staff Instructor certification and various specialty instructor certifications with the incredible folks at Utila Dive Centre (UDC). Utila lies at the far southern end of the 1,000 kilometer MesoAmerican Reef, the Western Hemisphere’s longest barrier reef that hosts a diverse array of fishes and reef formations linked together by complex oceanographic currents. Incredible underwater experiences were an everyday occurrence while training and diving with UDC (can you say “Whale Shark”??!!).  The training staff is unparalleled, both in their professionalism and sense of fun! I felt like I learned more at UDC in 3 months, than I have in 11 years of SCUBA diving! Lynn Richardson PADI IDC Staff Instructor #234330 [email protected]

43 Testimonials...

Hi Andy and the UDC Crew Having been back in the UK now for a couple of weeks and getting excited about my new career out in the Caymans I thought I’d write to the people that helped make it happen. I arrived on Utila with a humble Open Water qualification with the aim of taking my new found love of the underwater world all the way through to instructor level - a daunting task for someone of my more mature years. The whole staff made me feel so welcome and in- spired me to go on to complete my training and have a wonderful unforgettable time along the way. I’m not quite sure how you do it but at UDC you manage to instil a great combination of en- couragement and inspiration to everyone who passes through your doors, not only from your staff but it all trickles down through the people that are there learning too, we all spurred each other on which all led to an amazing experience. The location was perfect to learn to dive and learn to teach with gentle currents and great sea conditions. I can’t think of one single thing that would have made the whole experience any better. Thank you for a wonderful time and it is a pleasure to consider you all as friends. Enjoy the Salva’s through the warm weather and if I am passing nearby I’ll drop in.

Darrin Meadows (UK) [email protected]

January 8, 2011 To: Jimmy Greene, Manager Utila Dive Center From: Marc Moehlman Chairman, Visual and Performing Arts Department Ponderosa High School President EDUHSDFA Member State Council California Teachers Association Dear Jimmy, I dove more on this trip than any trip I have ever done - 31 dives in twelve days with the Utila Dive center. I had many opportunities to audit the diver education programs that were occurring on a daily basis at the Center.  As a professional educator with 22 years of experience, I must say that I have never found a more professional group of instructors than at the UDC. I found your curriculum rigorous, and your teachers friendly, approachable, and knowledgeable. All classes were conducted in a fashion that combined the excitement of diving with the seriousness of being under- water. It was wonderful for me to have my diving passion combined with my professional love, education. I had the opportunity to see parts of classes in all levels of certification and I never once observed anything but the highest professionalism. Both Dive Masters I dove with were very competent and very friendly. It was a wonderful experience to be here, and I will be back to continue my diving education sometime in the future.

44 Testimonials...

Hi Andy, I didnt want to let too much time elapse before I got a note off to you regarding my experience at UDC as well as some extraneous rumblings I have heard regarding comments made about the methods or bedside manner of one or more of the instructors / course directors in relation to my experience on Utila as well as the experience of others in the group of Divemasters in Training I found myself part of during my time on Utila.  Obviously, with a limited time to complete the certifications; I may have had a bit different per- spective on the experience, but overall I wanted to mention a few points of focus (the critical at- tributes of the course in fact) that I found to be helpful not only in making it a positive experience for myself but also for the other students as well as students or fun divers I may lead in the future. First, it should be noted that I was fairly clear when I arrived on Utila as well as having an idea of the nature and volume of the course materials that I would need to cover. It helped to have a long dive history and lots of in water experience. But its important to stress that when I decided to do this; I was not buying a vacation. The experience was intensive, fast, and furious. There was simply a very finite amount of time to cover a great deal of material and so it became clear that there wasnt going to be the opportunity to slough off a bit as if I had, say, until May on the island to complete the certifications. From the moment it started with Maya in the EFR and Rescue modules, on up until I was certified, I found the quality of the instruction and the instructors to be second to none. This is not a Ritz Carlton package with lots of bells and whistles; and if approached with the level of attention and serious- ness it requires, its simply absurd to expect to be individually coddled. Rather, when there were things I did not understand; it was simply explained to me until it made sense. Whether somebody interrupted me or not, whether their bedside manner was gentle or abrupt; has absolutely no bearing on the necessity of the task at hand and I was never bothered by it, nor have I ever ut- tered a word of complaint about any perceived service issues during my stay on site. Rather, I found a very tight ship run by the instructors and Frank. As a whole, the atmosphere around UDC is very much geared towards the education, the fun diving, and beyond; in such a way as to encourage the most consistent and safest and most ecologically sound diving practices known in the industry. A shining example of this is the involvement in the Coral Watch program which I found particularly interesting and informative; another is the higher standard that UDC demands of its students. Every single instructor with no exception; even those who had no in- volvement in my personal instruction, were extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and above all; consistent. Not one ever told me to ask Frank or my own instructors; not one provided informa- tion contradictory to what I was being taught, and not one hesitated in the least to encourage me even when it was clear that I am not perfect and dont know everything. I was never snapped at, well maybe once or twice; but I can be pretty mouthy myself; I was never treated poorly, and never complained of being treated poorly. Frank in particular made himself available at the most ridiculous hours for clarification of stuff I was in immediate need of grasping regarding the afore- mentioned dreaded subjects of Physics and Math.

And you know what? The most amazing thing happened; at the age of almost 47, I managed to do ok in that group of young lunatics. They included me in independent study; we ate out together, we went diving together, they invited me to their parties and I am quite sure a few will remain lifelong friends and our paths will cross again. Additionally; its shocking how much of the information crammed into my feeble brain is still up there and how I see how very precisely it is practically applied in my knowledge of diving; its equipment and theory and its physics and physiology. My experience at UDC made me an infinitely safer, better qualified, and fun diver no Robert Becker (ProDive Travel New York USA) Divemaster course Feb 2010 [email protected] 45 Reservation details

Whilst we can normally always ‘walk-in’s’ we strongly encourage that you make a reservation in order to begin your professional dive training with us. In order to maintain the high quality of Instruction on our courses we do have limited group siz- es and by booking in advance you can be ensured that we will have study materials ready for when you arrive on Utila and can accommodate you at our hotel upon your initial arrival to the island.

In order to confirm your reservation we just require a small deposit of $212 per per- son, his can be done by going to www.utiladivecenter.com/deposit.htm and setting up a PayPal account. Alternatively a wire transfer ($25 transaction charge) or cash deposit can be made into either our US or UK accounts, please see below for details:

USA ACCOUNT UK ACCOUNT Account holder: Henry M. Spurgin Lloyds/TSB Account details Checking account #: 3250 2188 1734 Account name: Mr A T Philips ABA: 026009593 Sort code: 77 27 09 Swiftcode:BOFAUS3N Account number: 42670068 Wire transfer routing number: 121000358 Swift code: LOYD GB 2L Branch address: Bank of America, Addres: Southgate Stret, 31 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA94563 Gloucester, Gloucestershire Tel 925 386 9908

Once you have initiated your deposit please send an e-mail or contact us at Utila Dive Centre so that we can confirm receipt, book your place on the course and re- serve materials and make the reservation in our hotel if needed.

46 2015 Schedule go pro IDC/IE

COMPLE- ONLINE INSTRUC- EFR MSDT IDC SM OWSI TE OPTION TOR INSTRUC- PREP. STAFF INST* ONLY EXAM 31st Jan- 7th-18th 10th-18th 20th-21st 12th-13th 5th-18th 14th-18th JANUA- 23rd-30th 01 Feb

28th Feb- 4th-15th 7th-15th 17th-18th 9th-10th 20th-27th 2nd-15th 11th-15th FEBRU- 01st Mar

MARCH 4th-15th 7th-15th 17th-18th 9th-10th 20th-27th 2nd-15th 28th-29th 11th-15th

30th Mar- 1st-12th 4th-12th 14th-15th 6th-7th 17th-24th 25th-26th 8th-12th APRIL 12th Apr

MAY 6th-17th 9th-17th 19th-20th 11th-12th 22nd-29th 4th-17th 30th-31st 13th-17th

JUNE 3rd-14th 6th-14th 16ht-17th 8th-9th 19th-26th 1st-14th 27th-28th 10th-14th

29th Jun - JULY 1st-12th 4th-12th 14th-15th 6th-7th 17th-24th 12th Jul 25th-26th 8th-12th

AUGUST 5th-16th 8th-16th 18th-19th 10th-11th 21st-28th 3rd-16th 29th-30th 12th-16th 31 Aug- 2nd-13th 5th-13th 15th-16th 7th-8th 18th-25th 26th-27th 9th-13th SEP- 13th Sep 31st Oct- 7th-18th 10th-18th 20th-21st 12th-13th 23rd-30th 5ht-18th 14th-18th OCTO- 1st Nov

20th-27th NOVEM- 4th-15th 7th-15th 17th-18th 9th-10th 2nd-15th 28th-29th 11th-15th

2nd-13th 5th-13th 15th-16th 7th-8th 18th-27th 30th Nov- 28th-29th 9th-13th DECEM- 13th Dec

Every Instructor Examination (IE) is held right here on Utila

IDC= Instructor Development Course EFR INSTRUCTOR= Emergency First Response with Care for Children Instructor MSDT PREP= Master Scuba Diver Trainer preparation with optional internship (up to 5 course assists) with up to 25 certifications IDC STAFF= Instructor Development Course Staff Instructor (MSDT as prerequisite) SM INST= Sidemount Instructor course (diver level can be scheduled in MSDT week) OWSI= Open Water Scuba Instructor course * e-learning starts 3 days later for AI

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