Another option on Roatan. They also have a Divemaster house w/pool - you can rent a decent room affordably. There are cheaper accommodations on in the West End also but you want your stuff to be there when you return at night.
PADI Divemaster | Scuba Diving | Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras | PADI Check out the Roatan section for info on the area.
A couple I know did the DM program there and stayed on to become instructors. CTD's course director - who I've met and overheard part of a class once - they're taught outside on the deck if it's nice - is:
Will Welbourn -
Roatan's longest serving Course Director Will Welbourn started diving in 1989.
Doesn't mean he'll be your instructor but he did work with the DMT's several afternoons during the week. It's a good shop also, good people own/run it and they also seem to have fun doing it. Gay knows everything/everybody and she was the first to help us when my friend fell ill - later we found she was bent which is how I know that there's a recompression chamber 5mins. away at Anthony's Key Resort. There are of course many other options on Roatan - between West Bay and the West End there must be over a dozen dive shops offering DM training.
Barefoot Divers also runs a program but their divemaster accommodations are in the West End also so a 20min. shuttle daily to "work".
PADI Divemaster Internship - Roatán Islands Diving
One advantage to Roatan is everything is walking distance in the West End. Most of the nightlife is there, most of the restaurants also. The larger food stores are in French Harbor or Coxen Hole but there's a couple small ones in the West End also. You don't really need/want a car as liability can be a problem if you hit something. Cabs are cheap and readily available as needed.
Also it's about 7 hrs. - 1 stop thru Atlanta direct to Roatan. You can mess with going thru San Pedro Sula to save some money but then there's a secondary flight required at about $100 or a 3hr. bus ride to the ferry which is not a lot cheaper. And requires an overnight.
On Utila look at Utila Dive College (UDC) or Altons. IDK about accommodations as we stay in one of the AI resorts not in town. Utila is a little harder to get to since the airport there is tiny and not lit at night. So you have to fly into San Pedro Sula (or Roatan) and then fly over on a local flight. All during daytime hrs. You don't really want to spend any more time in San Pedro Sula than necessary - it's suggested to not even leave the airport terminal if possible.
I'd suggest you go to Charleston Scuba or Low Country in Mt. Pleasant and talk to them about a Discover Dive course. Takes 1/2 day and they should take you down under pressure in the ocean. Unless that's what you did in the pool. A pool isn't deep enough for unexpected medical/other issues to become apparent. Some people just can't dive for various reasons - can't clear their ears etc. My friend the instructor has even very occasionally had people freak out because there's no "walls" in the ocean. Or they panic at 40' when doing drills or having to take their mask off at depth and clear it.