Pros and Cons of OW training in Feb in Utila?

[Arbo]

My wife and I were last in Utila in '93, when we got our PADI Open Water and Advanced certs. Great memories ...

We now have 2 daughters, 13 and 15, and are considering a return to Utila to get them OW-certified (and perhaps even an underwater glimpse of a whale shark!) But before we book I have a few questions I'm hoping folks can help with:

1) How likely are we to get "rained out" in early-mid February? i.e. days in a row when the diving is poor?

2) Has anyone had any experiences, good or bad, with any of the dive shops training younger divers? (Our 15-year-old is psyched but the 13-year-old is more tentative - perhaps due to too many rough trips in the San Juan islands in our Boston Whaler when she was really young ...)

3) What is the latest wisdom re. how to reduce the likelihood of getting chowed by the sand flies (our only un-fond memories of our last trip, and a bigger deal now since all biting insects seem to love our 13-year-old)? Are they any better on Roatan / West End than on Utila?

No need to answer all three - any input will be greatly appreciated!

And if anyone has experience taking their teens to either Utila or Roatan and wants to share Do's / Don'ts, please do.

 

[divin'dog]

3) What is the latest wisdom re. how to reduce the likelihood of getting chowed by the sand flies (our only un-fond memories of our last trip, and a bigger deal now since all biting insects seem to love our 13-year-old)? Are they any better on Roatan / West End than on Utila?

I'm headed out to Utila in 3 weeks. The advice I got is to get some kind of oil like Skin So Soft or similar product to protect from the no-see-ums. Apparently they drop an acid on your skin and then lick the blood... it's the oil in Skin So Soft that neutralizes the acid and prevents the uncomfortable "bite". At least that's what I was told... I used Cactus Juice last year but didn't notice any more of less bites because of it.

 

[Peter_C]

Since I didn't see it mentioned I would recommend getting the book work and pool work done at home before traveling on vacation. Although that may already be the plan.

Can't really answer any of your actual questions.

 

[Robertcrockett]

Rainy season ends around January but I know that some of the boardies actually live on Utila and Roatan so hopefully they will chime in and give you a first hand idea of Febuary weather. For bugs I used 100% deet and had no bug issues. The stuff will melt plastic though so if you use it be sure not to overspray your dive watch, camera etc. Lastly on the issue of certs for your daughters... First congrats on getting them involved, my 12 year old girl loves it and her sister is chomping at the bit for her turn. Ok I would maybe start by contacting Steve Fox or someone at Deep Blue for what they recommend, they won't steer you wrong and will just as easily point you to the next dive center as they would their own outfit if they think it would be a better experience for you and your girls. Captain Morgan's is a place you may want to consider. The Cays are without all the hustle and bustle of the town and I watched them certify several people. They use the area right off of their hotel/dock as the contained area. Nice sandy bottom and easy graduations from shallow to 4m or so. The instructers there seemed very capable and willing to make the sessions enjoyable and stress free. It seems like a good environment for certifying the younger set. As a parent of 4 unless Steve had a better recommendation I would have no worries about taking them to Captain Morgan's.

 

[robint]

regarding the bugs.... they are in the Bay Islands year-round and bite anyone in their path. We were on Roatan last year and found that Cactus Juice worked really good against the noseeums during the daytime but you MUST apply it early and often. That means as soon as you get out of the water you rinse off, dry off, and apply the Juice. Then you apply again a few hours later. It smells really good and doesn't burn your skin like DEET, plus it has built in sunscreen. Cactus Juice is sold on Roatan but we bought ours ahead of time on their website - the spray bottle works perfect for daytime application while there, and I kept the little lotion bottle in my purse for traveling through airport, etc. Cactus Juice: Prickly Pear Skin Care for Naturally Healthy Skin

Then we found at night, around dusk, the mosquitos come out. If we were done diving for the day we applied a little bit of DEET. I hate that stuff because it burns my skin and melts neoprene plus it isn't very good for the marinelife. We only took a small 3oz spray bottle and it lasted all week.

As far as getting your teen kids certified in Bay Islands, I think it is an awesome choice. The water is relatively calm and lots of fishlife. Since we haven't been to Utila I can't comment on the dive ops there, but I found the atmosphere at Roatan to be very friendly and inviting. The DMs at CCV were some of the nicest we have met anywhere and I am guessing that is true of all the dive ops there - they just really seemed to love their island, the diving, and sharing it with everyone. They were always smiling and happy.

robin

 

[ncchuck]

Your kids will love the schools in Utila. Most shops will probably give them an instructor for just the two of them. If not move on to another school. There are several to choose from within walking distance near town. The water is warm, calm and clear so the training is pretty easy going. Like someone else mentioned, get the bookwork out of the way if you want to have even more time for diving and having fun.
I never had much of a problem with no-see-ums on Utila but go eaten alive a few times on Roatan. A lot of folks seem to have good luck with Cactus Juice but I never tried it.
I wouldn't worry about the weather.
Have a great time.