Tag: Utila Dive Center

Day Trip to Roatan

On Saturday, I took a trip “off island” for the day. After 5 weeks on the tiny isle of Utila, working hard to complete my DM training, a day trip to Roatan sounded like a fun change of scenery.

GROUP OUTING TO ROATAN

This was not a solo trip. Instead, UDC arranged it and a bunch of instructors and DMTs took the early morning boat from Utila to Roatan. We did 2 dives and spent a few hours walking around another island with cars and lots of shops! A big change of pace for me to go to the big island, and a nice escape from the studying.

GOOD TO GET AWAY

It’s amazing how exciting it was just to be somewhere else. I love Utila and it’s laid back atmosphere, but it was still fun to go somewhere with a gelato place. And to dive new dive sites. Day trips are a great escape!

DIVING IN ROATAN

The dives were great. From my limited experience and what I have heard from other divers, the diving in Roatan is better than Utila. Apparently the marine park has been protected for a longer time, and I could see the difference in the coral health and especially the size of the marine creatures.

For our dives, we visited a wreck and a site with cool swim throughs, and saw some much larger grouper than we see on Utila. A nice eagle ray and a swimming turtle completed the fun morning of diving.

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Divemaster Course Complete!

I am now a divemaster! It took 4 & 1/2 weeks of hard work – and a lot of fun – and I am done. Check it off my list: Divemaster course complete!

DMT UDC Divemaster Course Complete
The DMT board at UDC. You can see everything next to my name is checked off!

4 weeks of work

During the last 4+ weeks, I spent a lot of time in classrooms learning dive theory, and a lot of time in the water practicing skills. I also assisted on classes and went diving.

It helped a TON that our instructors were amazingly patient, supportive and fun. I needed some extra help on skills like tying knots and the breath holding snorkel and Nico and Sabi were so supportive. I owe it to them for being able to say Divemaster course complete!

Assisting on Courses

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Beach Clean-Up with Utila Dive Center

One of the requirements of UDC’s Divemaster program is to participate in a beach clean-up, which is a great way to ensure all the students are aware of the environmental problems with our oceans. Last Monday, I participated in my first beach clean-up with Utila Dive Center. It was enlightening and a little bit depressing but ultimately rewarding.

Getting to the beach clean-up

We met at UDC and drove in a van to the beach at the southeast end of the island, where I had never been.  From Google Maps, I guess it is Iron Shore Beach. There’s no road across the island, so we went all the way south and then back up the east side.

Iron Shore Beach Utila map
UDC to Iron Shore Beach, Utila

Advance preparation

One of the UDC instructors, T, led the group and she organized everything, providing gloves, garbage bags, rakes, and trays to put special types of refuse on, like glass bottles (of which there were few) and bottle caps (many). We were prepared and we needed to be. The amount of trash that washes onto that island from the ocean has to be seen to be believed.

Organized into teams, we competed with each other a bit: for most trash, and most of each type of trash. It was just one element to keep people involved, but most of us didn’t need the game.

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