utila dive centre (udc) and padi education
in this chapter you find information about the utila dive center (udc) and the padi education i did there. get an introduction what padi is, what it means to be a scuba instructor and why utila dive center diserves its worldwide good reputation! it is advisable to inform you about the diving centre you are doing courses with before.
the diving school: utila dive centre (udc)
utila dive centre (udc) is one of the worlds first adresses in professional scuba diving education. and in fact it was really much more professional than i've expected. the education was well planned and the support during courses was just perfect. thanks to natasha, jason and angel.
utila dive centre, crosscreek dive centre and mango inn resort work together. because andy philipps wasn't there, our course director was angel navarro from crosscreek.
utila dive centre has good and well maintained equipment, many instructors, courses in different languages and a good place. each thursday you can celebrate the famous bbq for 200 lempiras directly at sea.
the padi education: becoming an instructor!
the way to become a padi certified scuba diving instructor is as follows:
- become an open water diver (owd)
- become an advanced diver (aowd)
- become an emergency first responder (efr)
- become a rescue diver (rd)
- become a divemaster (dm)
- become a open water scuba instructor (owsi)
- become more: specialty instructor, master scuba diver trainer etc.
i already was a padi rescue diver, when i went to utila. so i had to become a divemaster and open water scuba instructor. however, i did the divemaster and instructor course in one shot. it has advantages and disadvantages to do this right together.
advantages:
- theory is still in your head, when doing the instructor course
- skills learned in the divemaster course are still present, when doing the divemaster course.
disadvantages:
- to become an experienced divemaster, you should take more time being a divemaster (if you want)
during your divemaster course you can already assist to courses. and you have to. this is certainly the best way to get practice from. the most interesting course was alway the open water course. it is th course, where people get in touch with diving the first time and where basic problems have to be solved. the biggest effort was always necessary for rescue diver courses. what most people don't know: to become a divemaster you have to know much more than just how to dive! you have to read a big book with theory and learn a lot. it took me about one month to get through it all. it was only possible because of the good support from natasha gallier. the divemaster course was held at udc.
the instructor course was another adventure. during 7 days you participate in the idc (instructor development course). during this period going out was not that often. it was a hard work during the day and in the evening you had to prepare lessons and sessions for the next day. and in the spare time you had to repeat the theory stuff. but even then: good fun with good people! this course made a real team out of our group. after the idc you have two days of ie (intructor examination). therefore a padi examiner came from the usa to evaluate each of us. the idc and ie was held at mango inn, directed by angel navarro from crosscreek.
the instructor life...
to explain the instructor life is not a easy as you may think. it depends on where you are working. the best way to do this even then is, to describe a normal day on utila...
usually i got up around 6.30 to 7.30 am, depending on course and dive site. after a short breakfast (if time) and filling the water bottle i had to walk for about 15 minutes to the utila dive centre. time to listen to music and enjoy the empty main street, the silence and the caribbean sunrise. i always liked these first minutes every day. amazing!
after arriving at utila dive centre i had to prepare the equipment for the students. this means just bundle equipment in the correct size and with the right weights. after that the boat had to be loaded (tanks, spare kit, water, first aid kit, o2 kit etc.). if you are a lucky instructor you have a dmt (divemaster in training) or ai (assistant instructor) to help you doing this. sometimes you have to do it on your own. this work is the most important every day. you have to think about everything. when the students come, you give them their equipment bundle and guide them setting up the gear on the boat. then the course will last for half a day. depending on course and dive site, it might be possible that you go back to udc for a lunch break. if you go on a north side dive trip, then it might be possible to go to the keys for a lunch break. then the second part of the course begins. at about 3 or 4 pm the boat gets back to udc. then you will have to take back and check the students equipment, filling their logs, drinking beer with them, setting up a class room for them or giving them a lesson in theory.
at 5 pm i had to go to the ferry to promote udc and its offers to the travellers arriving. if ever i got some of them, i had to show them the mango inn and/or udc. then i went back to udc to drink one or two beers.
after taking a shower in the apartment, i went for dinner - at least once with the students each course. then to a bar - most likely beginning with treetanic, before ending up somewhere else, if diving the next day isn't planned too early.
courses and certificates
here you find all the courses and programs i have taken during my stay on utila island. all the courses i have done with utila dive centre (udc) and folllow the international standards of padi. this means my education is valid throughout the world!
- padi divemaster course (dm), 4 weeks
- padi instructor development course (idc), 1.5 weeks
- padi instructor exam (ie), 2 days
- padi emergency first response instructor (efri), 2 days
- padi specialty instructor underwater photography, 1 day
- padi specialty instructor wreck diver, 1 day
- padi specialty instructor oxygen administrator, 0.5 day
- padi specialty instructor enriched air diver (nitrox), 1 day
- padi specialty instructor equipment specialist, 0.5 day
- dsat tecrec gasblender instructor, 2 days
- msdt master scuba diver trainer internship, rest of the time...
