Our Reputation and Awards - Central Americas #1 PADI Career Development Center
Utila Dive Centre (UDC) is a PADI Career Development Centre located in the Caribbean Bay Islands of Honduras. We offer career training programs, for the complete beginner or certified diver, all the way to PADI Instructor and beyond (with internships). We also offer technical training to Instructor level in both open circuit and rebreather diving.
UDC is also a PADI National Geographic Centre and a Divers Alert Network (DAN) member. 
UDC offers technical dive training from both DSAT and IANTD, the two most respected agencies in technical diver training. On top of this, we are the only facility in Central America/Bay Islands to offer diver level and Instructor training with the 'Beautiful Oceans' Science and Marine Ecology Programs.
At the DEMA USA dive shows in both 2011 and 2010, we were voted #1 Instructor Development Center by PADI Americas and recognised by industry peers and professionals as the the best location for Instructor training. In 2010 we were awarded the best overseas PADI Instructor Development Center by Sport Diver UK (the official publication of the PADI Diving Society) - this award came from divers voting for us! We were also runners-up in the 'Best Dive Business' and 'Environmental Achievement' categories from PADI Americas at the DEMA dive show in the USA. 2012 sees UDC entering its 21st year of training dive professionals and our Training Director has consistently been running, developing, and evolving our Divemaster and Instructor courses over the last 10 years, to great success and achievement. That's one of the most consistent and proven track records in the dive industry and unmatched in this part of the world. In 2004 we were voted No 1 Dive Facility worldwide for entry level training by PADI Americas. Also, from 2004 to 2011 our PADI Course Directors (Instructor Trainers) received Certificates of Excellence for their Instructor Training Programs and have been awarded Platinum ratings by PADI for the last 7 consecutive years. There are only 50 Platinum Course Directors worldwide out of 1000, and we have 2 of them at UDC overseeing your training - another unmatched offering!
In 2006 the 'Divers Alert Network' (DAN) rewarded our Instructor trainers for their commitment to promoting safe diving and from 2006 - 2010 we also received the PADI Project Aware' Environmental Achievement' award
for our conservation and environmental efforts. In 2006 Utila Dive Centre was one of the founding members of the ‘Utila Centre for Marine Ecology' (UCME), a non-profit NGO, which is dedicated to protecting Utila's delicate marine environment, through research, scientific studies and education.
Utila Dive Centre works closely with the Divers Alert Network, PADI, Beautiful Oceans, Project Aware and the Utila Centre for Marine Ecology to improve and educate divers about safety, 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 2010 more than four times as many PADI Divemasters, 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 and facility and their much deserved reputation. 
The fact that 80% of our Divemasters and Instructor 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 facilities 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, and high standards, all our students, whether beginners or professionals, leave UDC having had a rewarding, exciting, educational and fun experience. As a dive professional trained at Utila Dive Centre, you have an open door to ever returning in the future.
