Dive Review of Utila Lodge in
Honduras/Utila

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Utila Lodge, Jan, 2009, by Vance Esler, TX, USA ( Reviewer 3 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 4835 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I hesitate to give the Utila Lodge a great review because it could become too crowded, and then I might have trouble making a reservation. Yet I must say that we loved this place. We took a small commuter plane to/from Roatan to Utila. It is a 10 minute flight that doesn't get above 200 ft (important to know when you are trying to plan your last dives around flying). The island is small, but it is a diving mecca. There must be dozens of dive schools within a few blocks. There are people from all over the world there learning to be divemasters and instructors. The Lodge is quaint, not fancy, and it is perfect for diving. Everything is very close. The boat, the dining room, and the bedrooms are all within a few yards from each other. The Lodge is clean and comfortable. Everything is wood and made to get wet. The place is owned by Americans who were there during our visit, helping to cook and simply visit. The buffet meals were very good. Between meals one could get sodas or alcoholic beverages from the bar using an honor system linked to your room number. Overall, this is one of our favorite places to have stayed. The Lodge had our gear on the boat each morning, tanks filled. They would even set up your rig if you wanted them to. Some of us used Nitrox while others used air. If I had any complaint, it is that the tanks were not always fully filled. After the day's diving, you put your stuff into numbered mesh bags which they provided, and the staff would clean the gear and hang it to dry. The diving was a lot of fun. Willie, our boat captain, was said by many to be the best on the island. He sure knew how to find whale sharks. He also had lots of good stories, and he was very knowledgeable about the underwater life. One morning we went to the other side of the island where we saw pilot whales, dolphins and whale sharks. Fun! If you go to Utila, you should plan to spend one afternoon on a whale shark excursion. Go with the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center and Dr Rob Davis (an ex-Navy Seal turned marine biologist). He will teach you a lot about the huge fish, and he will show you how to do the encounters the right way. Oh, there are small lock boxes in the rooms, but you don't really need them. We found everyone at the Lodge trustworthy. Tipping is interesting. Rather than tipping individuals on a daily basis, they ask you to leave your tip when you check out. It is then split up among ALL the staff. 60% goes to the cooks, room service, desk clerks, etc, and the other 40% goes to the boat captain and dive guides. If we go to Utila again, this is where we would plan to stay and to dive.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Cozumel, Roatan, Florida, Hawaii
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	77-78°F / 25-26°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	40-80 Ft/ 12-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	We were content to dive with guides who were pretty laid back. Most dives were 45-60 minutes -- the limits of our air.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	1 or 2	Whale Sharks	> 2
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	1 or 2
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Very good if you want to photograph small critters.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Utila Lodge in Honduras/Utila

Utila Lodge, Jan, 2009,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Utila Lodge in
Honduras/Utila