Barbary Coast Divers and Deep Ocean Explore Store are partnering up to offer certification courses

How to describe our February fun-diving trip to Utila: amazing, magical, special, outstanding. I know how it sounds, maybe a little over the top? Superfluous even? The hard thing is, that’s exactly what it was. Fantastic and above and beyond what we could have hoped for. 

The Open Water course is where it all begins. But before you sign up, there are a few things you should know to make the process smoother, more enjoyable, and cost-effective.

Tropical Storm Sara was treating the Bay Islands gently until the day of our departure. It hit Utila hard. Almost everything close to the water was damaged. Docks broke, beaches and roads flooded, and some buildings were damaged as well.

Depending on where you learn to dive, you may be required to provide some of your own gear to take a scuba course. In popular scuba vacation spots, you might need none of your own gear to take a course. In California, most shops will require you to have your own mask, snorkel, boots, and gloves.