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PADI Divemaster internships and courses

Check options 775 min uSD

GoPro in the Caribbean- PADI Divemaster (DMT/DM) courses & internship with UDC in Utila, Honduras

See the video to see how you can become a PADI Divemaster with us, then read on to see what sets us apart and how we give you the best start to your dive career:

The Divemaster program welcomes you to the ranks of a PADI dive professional, take the first step in your dive career come join us at Utila Dive Centre in Honduras for your training, and a change in lifestyle awaits, this rating is the most sought after professional qualification in the dive industry.

At UDC we mentor all Divemasters in training, with an Instructor with a minimum rating of a PADI IDC Staff Instructor, who'll expand your dive knowledge and hone your skills as you become a dive professional and enjoy a wealth of experience immersed in the Premier Career Development Center in Central America.

The DM internships   develop your leadership abilities by training you to supervise dive activities and assist instructors with student divers. 

At UDC, you'll assist courses and learn specialized aspects of dive planning, as our facility can also offer DSAT technical training and more specialties than elsewhere in the Caribbean or Central America.

What can PADI Divemasters do?

1. Work at local dive centers, on live-aboard dive boats, yachts and at exotic resort locations
2. Assist Instructors with students
3. Lead Scuba Divers on guided dive tours
4. Teach and certify PADI Skin Divers
5. Teach Discover Snorkeling programs
6. Conduct PADI Scuba Review programs for certified divers
7. Lead certified divers on Discover Local Diving experiences
8. Teach Emergency First Response programs after successful completion of an Emergency First Response Instructor course.

Why Choose Utila Dive Centre for your Divemaster training?

As a Divemaster in training (DMT) you want to make sure that you get off to the best start with you dive career. Every dive operation differs from what it can offer on it's  program and whether 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 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 training but we prefer a more personalized, real world approach. All our Instructors and Divemasters were once in a similar position so we want you to be as fully informed as possible before making the decision to 'Gopro'. 

New for 2010

As part of our commitment to environmental conservation, we have partnered with PADI's Project Aware, and researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia, to integrate coral reef surveying, ecological understanding, and data collection into our Divemaster course.  Over your 4 week internship you'll learn how to identify bleached corals, record the condition, and upload the data into a scientific database.  For more information please read this page on PADI Project Aware Coral Watch program.

Our Reputation and Record

Utila Dive Centre was established in 1990, by Ricardo Gonzalez (Spain), Benito Bellenoue (France) and Mike Spurgin (UK) who as PADI Instructors wanted to offer diving in a professional, safe and enjoyable manner to travelers visiting Utila and to conduct a high standard professional internship program that would lead to Instructor training. Since then Utila Dive Centre has grown to become the most awarded and the Premier PADI Career Development Center in the Caribbean and Central America, with a beautiful hotel the Mango Inn complete with swimming pool, and has probably trained more divers than any other dive facility in the Bay Islands and Caribbean. Utila Dive Centre works closely with Divers Alert Network, Project Aware, Beautiful Oceans and locally the 'Utila Centre for Marine Ecology' to improve and educate divers about safety. 

2010 sees UDC entering it's 20th year of training dive professionals and in 2009 more divers chose to conduct their training with us than 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. The fact that 80% of our DMT and Instructor candidates are referred to us by 'word of mouth' shows the commitment, comfort and quality that we put into our professional courses.

When you train at Utila Dive Centre you'll receive continued assistance and support through our global network of dive professional and also have an open door to coming back with us and diving 'free of charge' for life!

Our Facility

Our 4 classrooms are all modern, air-conditioned and equipped with the latest multi-media presentations. We have 4 fully equipped dive boats, 24 hour back up power generator, Bauer compressors with 8000cubic ft air bank, 60 sets of ScubaPro rental equipment, private locker rooms, quiet study areas, the only full service, multi-range dive retail outlet on Utila and a beautiful dock area constructed over the water with social amenities. We have both a swimming pool for all year training sessions and also a 'beach area' lined with palm trees, white sands and will prepare you best for when you yourself come to supervise diving in exactly this same kind of environment. 

Our curriculum

There are 2 options for completing your training with us, Option A 'Practical training exercises' and Option B 'Internship'. Option A is for candidates who start the program with at least 50 dives but have time constraints so the program can be completed in approximately 12 days, however obtaining the manuals and independent study is required prior to arriving on Utila and starting the course. Option B 'Internship' is for candidates who have more time available as we schedule this option over a minimum of 4 weeks (though we can extend for as long as you like), you'll need at least 20 dives to begin the program.

As part of the internship you'll be assisting our experienced team of Instructors as they conduct training programs with student divers. We'll provide Instructor led class sessions to help you assimilate the most from your independent study so if Physics sounds like a foreign language then you'll soon become multi-lingual thanks to the expert tuition of our staff. You'll also get experience working as a dive guide by guiding certified divers on our dive trips to Utila's famous North side dive sites. We train all of our trainees as if they plan to go on to become Instructors. As part of the service we provide to our candidates you'll be offered specialty training in areas of diving where you have accumulated additional experience e.g. Fish Identification, Deep diving, Equipment maintenance etc…

Our facility also has a full service retail outlet with special equipment packages for our trainees, and we've the latest courses, in marine biology, digital photography, emergency oxygen administration and with 'diver propulsion vehicles'.

Our 'Instructor Team'

If you've been impressed with what you've read about our program and dive centre so far then what you're about to read will really make you smile and look forward to training with us. PADI require that an Instructor holds the bare minimum rating of 'Open Water Scuba Instructor' in order to train Divemaster's however at Utila Dive Centre our Instructors have to be at least an 'IDC Staff Instructor' in order to train a Divemaster, this means your tuition will come from Instructors that train Instructors and Assistant Instructors. Our staff 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 5000 PADI diver certifications at all levels. Our 2 resident in house PADI Course Directors (the highest Instructor rating) personally oversee all our professional training programs and closely work with our Instructor team in a dynamic fashion so our courses are constantly evolving and improving, the end result meaning a better trained dive professional. Our Instructors and support team are multi-lingual and come from cultures as countries and cultures as diverse as the USA, Argentina, the UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and Israel, with world-wide diving experience. This gives us a unique advantage in making our internships 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 Instructors are also qualified to teach both recreational and technical diving up to 'Trimix Instructor', including DSAT Gas Blending, and marine science courses through the educational agency 'Beautiful Oceans' (no dive facility in Central America can offer this commitment to your success, personal attention and development!!!) and the full range of 'Divers Alert Network' programs. When our staff, aren't working on our programs or 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 working as a dive professional and enjoying 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.

Utila Dive Centres Commitment to You after your course

Our commitment to you doesn't end at the end of the course. 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 community of the Bay Islands and can try to find suitable work. After the you are certified you are welcome to stay with us for as long as your time frame allows and you can assist our Instructors and certified divers in their dive experiences. 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 position. 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 teaching in differing environments and help guide you in the right direction to secure employment. 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 that have all trained at Utila Dive Centre. You'll also receive the popular 'Prestige Card' that entitles you to reduced rate diving at our preferred partners in Central America, and Asia and Australia.

More Options For You

In the last week of your training you have the option to enroll in 5 PADI specialty classes at cost price, these courses can make you a better wreck diver, deep diver, night diver or certify you to dive on enriched air. 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). 

Our Pledge

Our Course Directors and IDC Staff Instructors will always be available for consultation during your  training 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 internship extended beyond 4 weeks training to an unlimited time frame?
2. Do I have 2 experienced PADI Course Directors overseeing my training?
3. Can I get tuition in other languages, if needed?
4. Will my group size be smaller than that of 4 candidates?
5. Can I assist on PADI courses and dive after my certification is completed for additional experience?
6. Can I dive for free if I return to my training facility?
7. Will I have an on-site confined water training area at my availability for additional skill development and extended practice?
8. Is the dive facility I want to be trained in able to offer the complete system of PADI 'continuing education' including Instructor programs and PADI specialty training in Wreck diving, Night diving, Deep diving, Equipment repair, Diver Propulsion Vehicles, Gas Blending, 'Beautiful Oceans' marine science training and the DAN O2 provider classes?
9. Are my Instructors able to help me with career advice and are they well connected in the local region and in other dive resorts around the world?
10. Does anyone have a preferred partner program and special rates at quality dive operators elsewhere in Central America, Asia and Australia?
11. Am I confident my Divemaster program will be professional, knowledgeable, interesting, real world and fun?
12. Have PADI recognized my dive facility and Instructors with certificates of excellence and recognition.
    

If you can answer yes to all the above then we hope that you're able to join us in the near future 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 you as an intern and pro trainee 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, equipments can match the care, attention, service and quality that we put into every PADI program and all the staff at our resort who work so hard to achieve this.

So what more are waiting for, come join us at Utila Dive Centre, in Utila, Honduras, Central America for the life changing experience you dream about every day!

If you want to continue your dive career and increase your earnings potential, employment prospects and responsibilities, then read on to learn more about our PADI Scuba Instructor course.

Are you interested in this course?

Please contact us to reserve your spot!

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

Often Imitated Never surpassed!

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Spring Special 2010 Special Package: offer valid for bookings from January 15th through May 15th 2010. Also great deals on accommodation for our PADI Scuba Instructor course (IDC) candidates and for our walk in students for Open Water through to Rescue!

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