Dive master training in Utila

The sun is scorching from the sky, directly onto my head. Sweat is dripping from my forehead, my wetsuit is slowly soaking it up and warming me up even more—completely unnecessarily. The boat is rocking, and I have to keep my eyes on the horizon so I don’t get sick. My diving mask is strapped to my face, and I’m ready to jump into the cooling water. In the two months we spent on Utila, I would eventually learn that I could skip the wetsuit and stay much cooler—and feel much less sick because of it. But let’s start from the beginning.

Divemaster – Utila!

Lisa had been toying with the idea of doing the Divemaster course for a while—not necessarily to work as a professional diver later on, but simply to improve her skills and really dive deep into the experience. On past trips, there was never quite enough time or calm for something like that, but this time was different: no time pressure, no fixed plan—just the right moment to take on a project like this. Plus, after all the traveling around Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, we were really craving the chance to stay in one place for a while, to settle into a routine—and what fits better than a few months of diving, sun, and sea? So, the idea was born, and while we were still sitting between the mountains and the lake in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, we started doing some research. Pretty quickly, we came across Utila—a small Caribbean island off the coast of Honduras, well known among divers. The conditions there sounded pretty ideal: you can do your Divemaster training without having to work as an unpaid intern at the same time, which means you really get the chance to focus on diving. On top of that, Utila is much cheaper than many other places (about half the cost of Mexico, for example), and at the dive school we chose, you can dive as often as you want as part of the training. As if that weren’t enough, former students even get free fun diving for life—sounds almost too good to be true.

Utila

Utila is a small Caribbean island off the northern coast of Honduras, measuring only about 13 kilometers long and 4.5 kilometers wide, with a population of around 5,000. Most of the residents live on the island’s sheltered south side, which serves as the hub of island life. Here, restaurants, bars, shops, and—most notably—numerous dive schools line the streets, as Utila has been internationally known for decades as a popular destination for divers. This is largely thanks to its proximity to the world’s second-largest coral reef, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. From our perspective, everything on the island seemed to revolve around diving—you practically never saw tourists who weren’t somehow connected to it. And a good portion of those diving were there for training—whether as beginners, Divemaster trainees, or instructors.

A Divemaster at UDC

Our Divemaster training (DM for short) on Utila was an intense, sometimes a bit chaotic, but truly unique and unforgettable experience. We chose the Utila Dive Center (UDC) – mainly because it gave a very professional impression, is one of the largest and most well-known dive schools on the island and in the entire region, and has a solid reputation for the quality of its training. On top of that, UDC offered an extra perk: lifetime free fun diving for anyone who completes professional training there (which includes the Divemaster course) – and that’s a pretty compelling argument in favor of UDC.

Before we could start the Divemaster course, we both had a bit of “homework” to do: at that point, I only had my Open Water certification and barely 15 dives under my belt. So first, I had to complete the Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver courses, and reach 40 logged dives—a requirement to begin the DM program. Lisa, as always, was two steps ahead of me and only needed to finish her Rescue course before starting the actual DM training. Right at the beginning, we were handed a small A4-sized Divemaster booklet—filled with tasks, explanations, and an overview of everything that would be coming our way. Along with it came the obligatory T-shirt (at UDC, you get at least one souvenir T-shirt for every course you complete) and a little pouch of eco-friendly products like shampoo, lip balm, sunscreen, after-sun lotion, and defog (which you rub into your mask before diving to prevent it from fogging up—though, truth be told, most people just use spit). At UDC, the Divemaster program runs like a well-oiled machine (though some might cheekily call it a DM factory 😉 ). A new group starts every week, usually with about two to six people (at least that was the case when we were there, which was likely around peak season). You get to know your group pretty well and end up spending a lot of time together over the next few weeks. The first ten days were mainly focused on theory: we had to watch various online learning videos, answer related questions, and then go over everything again together in the classroom—with comments and additions from one of our assigned instructors. There were also two multiple-choice exams that we had to pass before moving on to the next phase. Alongside the theory, we already started with practical exercises. We learned how to load dive gear onto the boat, tie specific knots (sheet bend, bowline, two half hitches), moor the boat to a buoy, and give a boat briefing (i.e., explaining to guests what’s on board and what to be aware of). There was also the swim test—where you had to demonstrate you could swim 400 meters within a certain time—and the skill circuit, where we had to perform various dive skills as if we were instructors ourselves. To give you an idea of what that looks like, UDC even provides a training video to practice with. On top of that, we had to draw a dive site map and complete a few other assignments.

After completing the theory and practice sections, we then had to assist with two courses—one Open Water and one Advanced course—and additionally guide a group of fun divers, just as if we were actual Divemasters. These practical components really give you a sense of what it would be like to work as a Divemaster or even an instructor. You learn, for example, just how much there is to think about—both above and below the surface. From preparation to post-dive routines, to leading a group underwater and communicating without words—it all starts to come together and gives you a realistic picture of the responsibilities involved.

The grand finale of our training after 4–5 weeks was the “Graduation Party”—and of course, it wasn’t just a simple toast with champagne. Instead, a special “Skill Circuit” was on the agenda. These graduation parties are a bit of an event at UDC. In the evening, once it’s dark, instructors, guests, Divemasters, and DM trainees all gather in front of the bar, eagerly waiting to see what this time’s celebration will bring. The graduating DM trainees (there were six of us) had to take part in a series of games, with each round eliminating a few participants until only one winner remained. For the first two rounds, we played in teams. Lisa and I teamed up against Hunter and Rachel, and Sunny and William. The first game was called Blind Gear Setup. One person from each team had to wear a dive mask completely blacked out with tape (Lisa took that on in our team), while the other person had a snorkel shoved in their mouth and their hands tied behind their back (that was me). Together, under time pressure, we had to locate and assemble a full scuba setup (tank, BCD, and regulator). The twist? The gear was hidden somewhere nearby! When the countdown hit 3–2–1, Lisa bolted off, and I had to chase after her—but in the chaos and noise of the crowd, we couldn’t communicate at all. She ran straight into the crowd toward the bar, and I could only mumble through my snorkel, “No, no, not this way, back!” Lisa just turned right—but there was only a barstool and more people! Somehow, we managed to escape the crowd again. It must have looked absolutely ridiculous—Lisa stumbling around blind, and me completely useless, trying to steer her with my elbows and muffled shouts. We definitely gave everyone a good laugh. =) Eventually, we made it out of the chaos and stumbled toward where the other teams had already found the gear. Lisa felt around for the BCD and regulator, while I just stood there, pretty much useless. Once she had everything, we returned to the tank, and—focused as ever—she put the gear together like a pro. Incredibly, we actually finished before the other two teams! Round two involved tying knots behind our backs—knots we had learned during the DM course. Each of us got a piece of rope, stood back-to-back, and had to tie specific knots together, without looking. This was totally Lisa’s element. In seconds, she had them all tied perfectly—I just held the rope and she zipped through them like she’d been doing it her whole life. I was seriously impressed. Clearly, thanks to Lisa, we made it to the final round. At that point, I told myself: Okay, you’ve been more of a liability than an asset so far—now it’s time to prove you’re actually good for something! Unfortunately for me, the final challenge wasn’t about skill—it was more about public humiliation. The game? It was called “No Defog on Board.” The host explained it like this: “Imagine you’re out at sea as a Divemaster. You’ve just arrived at the dive site—and then realize, to your horror, you forgot the defog back at the dive shop. What now? Your six fun divers are standing there, masks in hand, expecting you to come to the rescue. What do you do?” Anyone who’s been diving knows what’s coming: yes, saliva works as a defogger too. The twist? You now need to generate enough spit for six dive masks! At that moment, the host pulled out two shot glasses with an evil grin and handed them to us. One minute. Whoever produces the most “natural defog” wins. Uuuugghhhh! Absolutely disgusting. But kind of hilarious, too. And if you’re wondering who won that final round… well, we’ll leave that a mystery. 😉

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