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A day in the life of a PADI Professional on Utila

Go Pro with Us uSD

A typical working day in the life of a PADI  Divemaster or 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. But their journey isn't over yet, because next they travel to the island's North Side by boat to then guide a group of students on a wall dive. If they're lucky, they often get to stop and swim with dolphins or whale sharks on the way.

There are a huge number of dive visitors to the island of Utila, from backpackers on 'gap years' to high level executives on a short vacation, and they come to Utila for many different reasons, from learning to dive to swimming with the majestic Whale Sharks. Maybe they're looking to refine their dive skills with a Rescue Diver course, to 'Go Pro' on one of our PADI Instructor Development Courses held right here on Utila and become a PADI Divemaster, or to make a challenging technical trimix dive on the deep walls of Utila's North side.

As a dive Instructor on Utila you'll never find a job that has so much variety. Sometimes, you'll be introducing a group of international backpackers to the delights of the under water world with the PADI Open Water diver course, guiding beginner students through one of the most unique multisensory 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, computer engineers, mechanics, lawyers, doctors, and factory workers under your wing and guiding them into the ranks of dive professionals, sharing your own experiences of tropical dive resort management.

Rather than hiding from the rain indoors at lunch time or rushing to find something suitable to eat in the little time you have, you'll find that in the Caribbean 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. In the evening, drink a good beer or rum & coke for $1 at one of the local night spots as the sun sets slowly into the sea in spectacular Caribbean style. As darkness sets in, many of the island's night party venues get started. Coco Locos, The Bundu Café, Bar in the Bush and Tranquila have been known to host some of the best parties in this part of the Caribbean, with warm friendly smiles and great cocktails flowing.

As far as the quality of life on Utila and as a dive professional goes, a testimony to the great way of living on this island is that most people who visit for just a few days often end up staying for weeks or months, if not years, longer than they had originally intended. There are a lot of European and North American ex-pats living on Utila and as such there is a great flair of international cuisine and bars and restaurants.

Of course, if it's a quiet night (in that you feel you deserve it) then there's no better place to relax in the evenings than Utila. Most apartments and homes have outdoor 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 you may be accustomed to.

In 2008, we had conducted 12 PADI IDCs and helped all of our candidates find employment as dive Instructors on Utila and throughout Central America. We were so impressed with the attitude and caliber of our candidates in the last months of 2008 that we hired several of them and helped them live this dream lifestyle on Utila.

I have worked and dived in many parts of the world (Koh Tao in Thailand, Dahab in Egypt, Costa Rica), however nothing has impressed me as much as the friendliness and great quality of living on Utila. So much so that many years later I still look forward to my daily work and evenings at home or in good bars and restaurants with a welcoming ambience. The average cost of living on Utila is about $400-$500 per month with another $150-$200 for suitable accommodation (that's right!), and is probably why most visitors to Utila call it one of the best value destinations in the Caribbean. As an active PADI 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, 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.

Are you up to the challege of an exciting career as a Dive Professional?

See our schedule to find out when the next Pro courses are being offered.

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Call us +1-305-4205959 or UK 0203 3719488 and we'll call right back for a personal discussion about your professional training goals, specific course prices, requirements and other questions, or e-mail gopro@utiladivecenter.com

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