Learning to Dive in Utila, Honduras and getting our PADI

Getting our PADI qualification has always been on the list of to-dos this year. After a discovery dive on the Gili Islands in Indonesia, I developed anxiety towards this sport but as I suffer from sever case of FOMO, I still wanted to do it. Needless to say hubby was not nervous as all as he's pretty much a fish (one of the instructors even commented on this fact on one of our dives!)

After some spectacular snorkeling in Belize and the Caribbean Islands (notably, Curacao and Bonaire, more about this later). We were very much looking forward to exploring the underwater world. We met some lovely travellers whilst in Caye Caulker in Belize, everyone suggested for us to head to Utila in Honduras.

After a week in Utila, we are now both qualified! YES, EVEN ME!!! We love Utila!

Here are some tips and tricks, also some stories to help ease a new diver's anxiety from my perspective!

1. Choosing a dive school

This was very difficult as there are hundreds of dive schools in this part of the world. We chose Utila for its reputation, price (much cheaper than Bali even) and importantly, dive sites have great visibility. 

We chose Alton's Dive Centre and fell in love with it, it was hard to leave! Alton's is fantastic with a very organised and professional team of staff members. I don't think I would have qualified without my amazing instructor and her ocean of patience. 

From a socialising point of view, accomodation at Alton's is onsite which we found to be a huge advantage. Some of the dive schools have dorms/rooms elsewhere on the Island. As we had a room a few steps away from the dock, we could get changed in our room and had the chance rest in between sessions. For us, it was amazing to be on a dive with our new diving friends, come back after a long day and head straight to the bar to watch the sunset together. 

Alton's also offered very competitive prices and accomodation was included in course fees for the duration of your course. As mentioned above, there is a bar, a kitchen staff who made breakfast and lunch (costing from 70 to 150 lempiras per person per meal when we were there) and there is also a communal kitchen available. We were able to make our own breakfast everyday. 

Alton's equipment is also up to date, they have their own boats and tank technician!

2. tips for anxious new divers

disclaimer - I'm obviously not a professional but just wanted to share how I overcame my nervousness leading up to starting the course and getting through my first six dives. Hope this helps other nervous divers! You are not alone!

I googled this topic like crazy before I started the course, I was so nervous and had so many questions!

There aren't many bloggers out there who seem to be willing to admit it didn't come naturally to them. However, thanks to this blog and this blog I was somewhat reassured before starting out. 

I told the dive school as we checked in, and my new instructor the moment I met her, that I was SUPER NERVOUS! I also asked what happens if I could not finish the course. Another thumbs up to all the amazing people at Alton's, everyone told me it would be ok and if I couldn't get through it, I DIDN'T have to (and would only pay for whatever I've done to that point). I also told all our new dive buddies I was nervous, this opened up discussion from divers around the school and a lot of people also told me that they were nervous to start with! Everyone was super encouraging. 

What I have learned:

• it is easy to become anxious and panick during skills sessions, the most important thing hubby told me to concentrate on is breathing...in...and...out, nice and slow! As I wear contact lenses, I kept my eyes firmly shut whenever I didn't have a mask on and this was not an issue! 
• Our new dive buddy also told me that as soon as she was feeling nervous down there, she would find a fish and concentrate on looking at what the fish was up to. 
• the PADI course is designed SO WELL that you WILL learn to deal with issues under the water should you face any. Again, it is so important to find a good school and professional staff members who will take you through all these things and answer all your questions. 
• if you are unsure about something, tell your instructor! The mask skills BROKE ME on our discover dive. My instructor did not force me to practice those skills on the first confined dive and did a separate session with me until I felt comfortable. I'm sure not all dive schools will do this so make sure you discuss this or ask these questions before you sign up with a school. 
• things can go wrong when you're down there (two of our buddies had blood noises during a dive) BUT with all the training leading up to it, you will know and have the confidence to do what is necessary. I had a very leaky mask during my fifth dive, although I was very uncomfortable for 90% of that dive, I was able to clear my mask multiple times, something I would not have been able to do without all the training sessions! 
• learning to equalise can take time and can be quite uncomfortable. A few people could not finish the course as they were unable to equalise for many reasons (lingering colds, infections etc). If this happens, you can always come back when you are well and have received a thumbs up from your doctor! 

3. Hanging out in Utila

Utila is SO CHILL.

We ate at RJ's (opposite Alton's) which served huge portions and fresh seafood. Beware this restaurant is only open 3 days a week and they do run out of food so have dinner early!

We bought fresh fruit smoothies pretty much everyday from Rock Bottom Cafeteria, also highly recommended. 

We bought coffee every morning from Ruby's located at Underwater Vision. They are one of two places with a real espresso machine on the island. 

Mario's on the other side of the main cross road has two burritos for 95 lempiras. We had the fish burritos with their homemade chilli sauce, um...YUM!!!! 

The Mango Inn has 2 for 1 pizza deal on Tuesdays. You cannot take any leftovers with you so bring a friend to share the pizza. The pizzas were great but bring bug spray as we were all eaten alive at the restaurant. 

You will need lempiras or USD in Utila, there are 2 ATMs on the island but it might be useful to take some reserves with you. 

We loved our dive school so much we didn't venture out too far. There are other places recommended to us that we did not have the chance to check out, including Seven Seas Restaurant for boleadas and Bando Beach bar. 

4. Travelling to and from Utila 

By ferry from La Ceiba (~40 mins) and there is also a ferry everyday to Roatan (~1 hour). The tickets are quite pricey - 25 USD per person for one way ticket. The ferry offices in La Ceiba and Utila do take accept credit cards. Both of our rides were SUPER choppy so if you are prone to sea-sickness, be prepared!

We travelled from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba by shuttle (book at Berakah Hotel), you can also take the chicken bus to San Pedro Sula, spend a night there then head to La Ceiba. It is a long travel day (8-9 hours by shuttle, much longer by chicken bus). 

You can also fly in and out of Roatan and ferry across. 

Thanks for the best time Utila!