LEAD THE WAY
DIVEMASTERTEACH THE WAY
INSTRUCTOR
Scuba Diving PADI Divemaster & Instructor
+ INTERNSHIP w/ UNLIMITED DIVING
Become a Pro and learn with the best with UDC’s World Class Divemaster Program!
The PADI Divemaster Course is your first big step towards a rewarding scuba diving career. This course is where you'll learn the ropes, from leading dives to helping with diver training and dealing with emergencies.
Whether you’re looking to kick off your career as a certified scuba instructor or want to become an expert in the field as a personal achievement, our PADI Divemaster program sets the standard for professional training in the Caribbean! The Divemaster rating is the most sought-after professional qualification in the dive industry and our internship program develops your leadership abilities by training you to supervise dive activities and assist instructors with student divers.
TIME
4 Weeks
*Custom Packages Available
DIVING
UNLIMITED DIVING
Equipment Trials
Conservation Focused
Leads/Guides
CONTENT
Theory
Workshops
Practical Internship
1-on-1 Mentorship
With over 30 years of experience developing the most successful and competent Divemasters in the Caribbean, our Divemaster program is meticulously crafted, blending theory with practice, to forge elite divers with unrivalled expertise and insight into the underwater world.
Enroll in our Divemaster program and receive the highest standard of training in the region, with the most comprehensive curriculum in the diving industry, all with personal mentorship by the most experienced team of Instructors in the Caribbean. Alongside this professional development, you’ll also become a part of one of the largest and most engaging dive communities in the world, making new life-long friends and sharing experiences that you’ll cherish long after you’ve left our lovely little island!
And even after all that, our Divemaster program includes Unlimited Free Fun Diving For Life. We can guarantee you more time in the water than any other Career Development Center in the region. If you want to go diving – whether it's 3 months or 3 years after your training – you go diving!
Certified: PADI Rescue Diver
40+ Logged Dives
Minimum age: 18
Medically fit for diving
EFR Training
*If you do not meet these requirements, we can build you a custom package that includes all the training you need.
The program consists of 3 separate modules: Knowledge Development, Watermanship, and Practical Assessment Training. The first two modules of the program are structured to give you the tools needed to succeed, and the end of the program has built-in flexibility so that you can maximize your time on the island, be it exploring Utila, enjoying the unlimited free fun diving that is included in the program, or gaining additional experience.
There are 2 options for completing your training with us:
- Option A: Practical Training Exercises - For candidates who start the program with at least 50 dives but have time constraints, the program can be completed in approximately 21 days.
- Option B: Internship - For candidates who have more time available, we schedule this option over a minimum of 4 weeks (though we can extend for as long as you like) and include a pre-week of diving and coral reef surveying to get you to the necessary number of dives required to start the course.
While the full program can be completed in 4 weeks, we always welcome trainees to stick around longer and continue to gain experience. We frequently have Divemaster Interns who stick around for 3+ months, continuing to gain experience and develop – at no additional cost!
What sets UDC apart!
- Worldwide recognized PADI Career Development Center (not just a pseudo CDC) with the most qualified and field-experienced staff in the Americas.
- 30-year unmatched record (100% pass rate) of training over 6000 professionals with an unmatched global network.
- Additional support manual (Utila Dive Centre intellectual property) and training videos make your training easier!
- Guaranteed pass and remediation.
- One of the few PADI Career Development Centers in the Caribbean with a TEAM of Course Directors and minimum rating of PADI IDC Staff Instructor as your mentor, with marine biologists on staff.
- Unlimited daily diving, log hundreds of dives with us, not just promised but delivered and honored! We’re the only CDC in the Caribbean with 5 dive boats.
- Only facility offering regular specialized dive trips to Cayos Cochinos and Roatan.
- Over 80+ dive sites around the island.
- With the most experienced technical divers/staff and the only trimix backmount/sidemount technical dive training facility on Utila, learn as much from interning in our facility with so much specialized training taking place as from the course itself.
- Exclusive Government licensed Coral Nursery and PADI Coral Nursery maintenance specialty course at special rates for our interns!
UNLIMITED DIVING
We offer unlimited diving for life as part of our Divemaster and Master Scuba Diver Trainer Internships and when we mean unlimited for life, we mean it!
Alumni frequently come back, many years down the line, to continue to enjoy the free diving for life that we include as part of our professional-level internships and with the largest fleet of the fastest boats on the island, we’re always able to accommodate all of our students, past and present!
Even on the most popular of days we’re able to send a boat dedicated just for our interns to ensure they can get as much diving in as they like!
FREE DISTINCTIVE TRAINING
Training beyond the standard with more add-ons than anywhere else in the world!
In our efforts to build the most comprehensive professional training program in the world, we include a free Distinctive Specialty as part of our Divemaster program. These specialty training programs were written by UDC and approved by PADI to be exclusively taught at our facility by our Instructors.
The purpose of the PADI Coral Nursery Course & Maintenance Specialty is to teach you about the different methodologies involved in reef restoration projects, techniques to clean and maintain the nursery and finally the proper way to survey and monitor the restoration project. Our Utila Coral Restoration Nursery is a Government-licensed and approved project in the Caribbean Bay Islands, part of the Mesoamerican barrier reef system and with world-famous scuba diving, and Dolphins and Whale sharks. As of 2019, the Utila Coral Restoration Project has outplanted more healthy fragments onto the reef than any other reef restoration project on the island – and it's not even close!
We will run a boat trip to search for dolphins, observe their behaviour in the wild, and apply knowledge acquired in the classroom. During your time with Utila Dive Center, you will apply this knowledge on subsequent dives, document/video record dolphin behaviour and share this knowledge with others. This specialty choice is ideal for Divemasters or Instructors with an interest in ecology, marine life and conservation.
Interested in exploring the world of Technical diving and going to depths rarely visited by recreational divers? Our TEC Support course is the perfect first step in learning about this field and the course is designed to give our Divemaster candidates the knowledge, skills and techniques to safely support technical divers on decompression diving, using air, trimix, enriched air mixes and pure O2, in accelerated decompression dive profiles. During the specialty class, you will learn to safely oversee technical diving activities and provide both surface and in-water support, with an understanding of the equipment and configuration, dive profiles, and hazards of technical divers and the profiles they execute.
You will also learn to:
- Carry up to 2 stage cylinders and safely supply these to technical divers during decompression stops (within recreational limits).
- Respond to and handle rescue situations and emergencies involving technical divers executing decompression dive profiles.
- Communicate with technical divers on decompression stops or/and with other support divers at the surface.
This specialty choice is ideal for Divemasters or certified scuba diving instructors interested in technical diving, or who will be working in a region where technical diving is a popular diving activity.
This is a diving specialty and is designed to further your knowledge of supervising, assisting and diving with divers who have disabilities. During this course, we will cover the skills, knowledge, planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems and risks of assisting a physically impaired diver on and below the surface. This specialty course includes a classroom session and 1 confined water session with an open water training session.
Upon completing the PADI Adaptive Diving training, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate practical knowledge and planning procedures that make the physically impaired divers’ experience safe and fun.
- Assist the physically impaired diver plan and implement their dive plan to safely dive within depths and conditions as good as or better than those in which the diver has been trained.
- Identify the hazards of assisting physically impaired divers and demonstrate the techniques and procedures required to minimise those hazards.
This specialty is ideal for Divemasters and Instructors who will be working in areas which are popular with divers who have disabilities or wish to provide support to scuba diving activities for divers with disabilities, particularly veterans. This training is also valuable for all Divemasters and Instructors as it will expand your own creative thinking in working with all certified divers and students within safe recreational diving limits.
FREE TRIALS
We offer all our Divemaster trainees the opportunity to test out a variety of niche and cutting-edge equipment and experience areas of diving outside of the typical training program – always going above and beyond for our candidates and exposing them to as many areas of diving as possible.
TEC+SIDEMOUNT
FREE DIVING
FULL FACE MASK
TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
PADI OPEN WATER INSTRUCTOR
+
UNLIMITED DIVING
TURN YOUR LOVE FOR DIVING INTO A CAREER
Become an Instructor with the most successful and accomplished Instructor Development Team in the Caribbean.
Once you’ve nailed the PADI Divemaster Course, it’s time to level up your diving game and become a professional scuba diving instructor with the PADI Instructor Development Course. This is where you’ll learn how to teach scuba diving and train new divers. It’s an extensive and comprehensive learning experience led by the most experienced instructors in the industry.
For over 30 years, UDC has been the most successful PADI Instructor Training facility in the region, and with a team of Marine Biologists, Technical Divers and the only facility in the Caribbean with 3 Platinum Rated Course Directors, there is no team better suited to help you achieve your goals!
Our Instructor Development Program is completed over 2 weeks, with an option informal preparation program included beforehand at no additional cost. With a full team of Course Directors and Master Instructors, we’re the only dive center in Honduras that offers Instructor Development Courses every month, creating added flexibility to make plans that suit your needs, not the other way around.
More aspiring Instructors have chosen UDC for their Instructor Training than anywhere else in the Caribbean for over 30 years, but we don't measure our success just based on mere certifications and accolades but rather on how successful our candidates are in their careers as Instructors. Our commitment extends to ensuring the enduring success of our candidates well beyond their training period. Our mission remains unfinished until the dream of getting your ideal diving job becomes a reality.
Over 80% of our graduates receive employment offers within two months of having completed their training, and having developed the largest Placement Network in the world, dive centers from around the world contact UDC first when they are looking for new hires.
OFTEN IMITATED, NEVER SURPASSED
INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT COURSE PRICE:
$2099 + $1285 PADI FEES
*ADJUSTED FOR 2024 PADI FEES
Don't miss out on the opportunity to kickstart your career as a PADI Instructor this upcoming season! Check our the schedule of our upcoming IDCs.
TRAINING PACKAGES
We go beyond the standard, and our Instructor Development Program boasts the most well-rounded and comprehensive curriculum in the industry. We set the benchmark for professional training, working hand-in-hand with PADI to develop the program and develop the most confident and well-prepared Instructors in the world.
Offering a variety of different training add-ons and free additional modules, our program delivers more professional development opportunities than anywhere else in the world.
| INSTRUCTOR PROGRAM: | PREMIUM PRO | PREMIUM PRO PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Informal Preparation ProgramA free, optional additional week of preparation, working with our Instructors leading up to the IDC. | ||
| PADI - Instructor Development Course (IDC)Two weeks of growth and development wit the most successful Course Directors in the Caribbean. | ||
| Emergency First Response InstructorA requisite to become a PADI instructor, built into the IDC schedule. | ||
| PADI O2 Provider InstructorAn additional, free specialty Instructor Rating including in the program to further enhance your profile as an professional. | ||
| Free Fun Diving for LifeWe offer Unlimited Diving for Life as part of our IDC program and when we say unlimited for life, we mean it! | ||
| Equipment IncludedWe'll include the equipment you need so you don't need to worry about packing anything extra. You'll need your own Dive Computer and Wetsuit. | ||
| Free Equipment TrialsExperience Free Diving, Full Facemask, Sidemount, TEC Doubles, Diver Propulsion Vehicles and more. | ||
| Resume Workshop and Professional CV PhotoWork with our team to get your diving CV in the best shape possible, and receive a professional photo to include in work applications. | ||
| Career Guidance and Job PlacementJoin the largest Global Placement Network in the Industry and open doors all over the world. | ||
| Master SCUBA Diver Trainer (MSDT) InternshipGet certified to teach 5 PADI Specialties (Deep, Wreck, Nitrox, etc) and participate in the teaching Internship, certifying real students! | ||
| PADI Adaptive InstructorLearn to work with differently-abled divers and provide a unique service to customers with different needs. | ||
| SCUBAPro Resort Technician CourseLearn to maintain and repair the most popular rental-fleet equipment in the world, further enhancing your employability. | ||
| Sidemount and Full Facemask InstructorExpand your training abilities with these popular Instructor Level specialties. | Add-on | Add-on |
| PRICE + 2024 PADI FEEUDC Instructor Development Course cost and the updated 2024 PADI fees. | $2099+$1285 | $2999+$1710 |
NEXT STEP
MSDT
Put your new skills in action and gain real-world experience with our MDST Internship Program.
Upon your graduation as a PADI Instructor, you can go onto our Master SCUBA Diver Trainer program which expands your skills as an Instructor and gives you all the confidence you need as you set off on your new career, preparing you to teach with assurance and real-world experience.
The MSDT program at UDC consists of two modules – Specialty Instructor Training and the Optional Internship.
Expand your teaching portfolio and get certified to teach popular PADI specialties, further enhancing your prospects as a professional scuba diver. Choose 5 Specialties:
- Enriched Air/Nitrox
- Deep
- Self-Reliant
- Wreck
- Equipment
- Full Facemask
- Search and Recovery
- Night
- And more...
TEACHING INTERNSHIP
Work alongside our instructors, certifying Open Water, Advanced Open Water and Rescue students under the guidance and assistance of our team of Instructors. Gain real-world, practical experience teaching real courses! As one of the most popular destinations in the world for recreational training, we can ensure that you can assist teaching on more courses than anywhere else and our graduates frequently note that this is the most valuable part of their training experience at UDC.
We offer unlimited diving for life as part of our Divemaster and Master Scuba Diver Trainer Internships and when we mean unlimited for life, we mean it!
Alumni frequently come back, many years down the line, to continue to enjoy the free diving for life that we include as part of our professional-level internships and with the largest fleet of the fastest boats on the island, we’re always able to accommodate all of our students, past and present!
Even on the most popular of days, we’re able to send a boat dedicated just for our interns to ensure they can get as much diving in as they like!
CONTINUED TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Further expand your skillset with these training add-ons that will help you stand out from the rest!
The International Yacht Training (IYT) specialty at Utila Dive Centre, Utila, Honduras, is a distinctive program designed to equip aspiring maritime professionals with the skills and knowledge required in the international yachting industry. This meticulously structured course encompasses essential areas such as navigation, seamanship, marine safety, and international maritime laws, providing a balance of theoretical knowledge and practical application. Whether the participants are beginners or experienced sailors, the course offers varying levels of training to meet individual needs. Upon completion, participants receive internationally recognized certification, enabling them to pursue diverse opportunities within the global yachting sector, blending the allure of the sea with luxury hospitality.
Staff Instructor
Step up your career in SCUBA Instruction!
Build upon your foundation as a PADI Instructor and join the Instructor Development process. You’ll benefit from taking your PADI IDC Staff Instructor course in one of the most successful PADI Career Development Centers in the world and learning from the most experienced PADI Course Directors in Central America and the Caribbean.
PADI IDC Staff Instructors are qualified to teach Assistant Instructor courses independently, thereby enhancing your employment prospects, earnings potential, and standing within the dive industry. Another benefit of becoming an IDC Staff Instructor is that you can assist or conduct Instructor Development Courses (IDCs) under the supervision of a PADI Course Director.
At Utila Dive Centre, our Course Directors have more experience in training Instructors and IDC Staff Instructors and more professional credentials than anyone else in the region. This ensures that when you are taking the IDC Staff Instructor course, you have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw upon. Because of this, and also because of the quality of our training facility, our IDCs are the most chosen in Central America and the Caribbean. During your course you will be evaluating groups of 4-6 IDC candidates at a time. This ensures that you receive thorough practice and application. Due to our reputation and our popularity as a PADI IDC centre, we can guarantee you the practice you’ll need to improve your presentation and evaluation skills.
We also allow all our IDC Staff Instructor candidates to assist on future IDCs (spaces permitting) in order to gain additional experience and credit towards your own Master Instructor and Course Director rating, if desired.
Sidemount Instructor
Change the way others dive forever!
The Sidemount Instructor course will teach you how to supervise sidemount training and assemble scuba equipment so that the tank(s) are worn on the diver’s sides instead of their back. This course is not just for technical divers and has many advantages for recreational divers and professionals! As the popularity of sidemount diving grows, you’ll also learn how to teach sidemounting a single cylinder for recreational divers. This reduces the diver’s vertical profile significantly, but it increases the diver’s horizontal profile slightly.
If you are also a PADI Tec Deep/Trimix Instructor you’ll be able to integrate this knowledge and skills into your Technical Diving courses and offer PADI/DSAT Tec Sidemount programs. For technical divers, sidemount has several advantages over traditional back mounted doubles and increases streamlining and versatility in the water. This course can also be integrated into our Tec Deep/Trimix courses.
Adaptive Instructor
The Adaptive Instructor diving specialty enhances your capability to supervise, assist, and dive alongside differently-abled divers. This course encompasses theoretical and practical sessions, covering necessary skills and safety measures. Upon completion of the PADI Adaptive Diving training, you'll be adept at ensuring a safe and enjoyable diving experience for physically impaired divers, assisting in devising and executing their dive plans, and recognizing and mitigating associated risks. This specialty is particularly beneficial for Instructors intending to support diving activities for differently-abled divers, enriching their adaptive thinking within safe recreational diving boundaries.
Candidates learn:
- Relate to some of the common psychological aspects of disabled persons.
- The characteristics of various physical disabilities, and how they relate to scuba diving.
- Recognize and adapt to some of the unique characteristics of mental & emotional disabilities.
- How to overcome some of the problems you may encounter when training physically disabled divers, through simulations and workshops in both confined and open water environments.
- Proven methods for assisting those with sight impairment, hearing impairment, spinal injuries, amputations, and other disabilities.
- How to adapt and modify normal diving equipment to the needs of the disabled diver.
- To anticipate the needs and attitudes of challenged students and to develop a foresight in logistic awareness and considerations.
Equipment Technician
The training at UDC doesn't just prepare you to be a PADI Professional to the highest standards in the industry, but also ensures that you have the tools and skills needed to really set yourself apart in the industry and have the best possible start to your professional SCUBA Career!
That's why our Scubapro Equipment Technician Course is such a popular choice for our Master Scuba Diver Trainer program! Take your equipment knowledge even further and really stand out with this one day course!
The program covers the theory and mechanical operation of Scubapro dive equipment, including related dive physics, repair, test and service skills and procedures. Video guided cameras are used to demonstrate techniques to students and then students have their own work station, equipment models and tools to service equipment. Schematics are distributed to students and there is a theory review.
Models covered include the hugely popular MK2 1st stage with 2nd stage, R295-R395 downstream 2nd stages, Pilot BCD, servicing of BCD Balanced Power Inflator. These models are all favorites of dive centers/resorts worldwide for training students and rentals.
DIVE CENTER | MARINA | IDC
FACILITIES
Our state-of-the-art facilities ensure a comfortable and enriching experience as you embark on your diving journey. Modern, air-conditioned classrooms, well-maintained equipment, high-speed internet, backup power generators, multiple compressors and gas mixing stations...we have it all!
UTILA DIVE CENTER
GLOBAL NETWORK
The professional training you receive at UDC is just the start. With a network of hundreds of alumni who work in the Dive Industry – in various roles from Guides to Course Directors – across the world, you’ll have the best possible start to your diving career by becoming part of the UDC FAMILY.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long does it take to become a scuba diving instructor?
With our Instructor Development Program, it takes just over 2 weeks to become a certified scuba diving instructor.
What is a scuba diving instructor?
A scuba diving instructor is a certified professional who teaches people how to scuba dive, helping them learn the skills and safety rules needed to explore underwater safely.
What equipment is required for professional courses?
Professional courses require multiple pieces of equipment like mask, snorkel, fin, BCD, tank, and more. However, all the equipment you need for your dives is provided when you enroll for Utila’s professional courses.
Do UDC provide job placement assistance after certification?
At UDC, we work closely with our trainees to ensure they have the best chances of securing employment after completing their instructor training with us. Our support doesn’t end with the certification; we actively assist with job placement, networking, and career advice. As a result, 80% of our candidates find employment within 3 months of completing the course. This close partnership ensures that our trainees are not only well-prepared but also well-connected to potential employers in the dive industry.
What are the main responsibilities of a PADI Divemaster during training?
During training, a PADI Divemaster learns to assist instructors, supervise dive activities, guide certified divers, and manage safety and logistics. They play a key role in dive operations, acting as mentors and ensuring smooth and safe diving experiences.
Is it challenging to become a scuba diving instructor?
Becoming a scuba diving instructor can be challenging, but it's also rewarding. It takes effort to learn and practise diving skills and teaching techniques, but with dedication, you can do it. Our team of experts is here to help you every step of the way!
Can you make a living as a PADI divemaster?
Yes, you can make a living as a PADI Divemaster, especially in popular dive destinations such as Utila. Many Divemasters work in dive shops, resorts, or liveaboards, earning through guiding and assisting with training.
LET'S CHAT!
Whether you’re looking to learn to dive for the first time or want to take the next step and become a Divemaster or Instructor, our team is here to help create a custom package that helps you achieve your goals!
