Utila Liveaboard or Land?

[Utila Dive Ventures]

Yes, Deep Blue is further away from town. However, both resorts are not accessible from land. Laguna Beach Resort has a lagoon that seperates it from town. If you want to go into town for the day, a boat can drop you off or they can cross you over the lagoon and you can walk or bike in. Both resorts are private property and only guests and staff are allowed on the beach and property.

 

[booth22]

Another vote for LBR, we've been several times and plan to keep going back. The DMs we've had have all been fantastic and the rest of the staff is top notch. If you start wanting extra dives, just do some drop off dives on your way back in to the resort. The shore diving has always treated us well too.

Good luck with your plans and I'm sure Shara with Utila Dive Ventures will take care of you!

 

[Scuba Monster]

Another vote for LBR ... staff is personable, service is excellent, food is good, people are fabulous, dive boats are well kept and spacious, and diving is enjoyable. You'll leave feeling you left a family member behind.

 

[leadweight]

I had two trips there, the first when Liz was the manager and the second when a young Argentinian couple was running it. The first was great, the second, not so good. Liz is running Coco View, last I heard. Perhaps LBR has a new manager or they changed how things were done. On that last trip running the kitchen on time was more important than the quality of the diving. A shortage of nitorx analyzers caused massive delays on the dive boats.

 

[mynametaken]

I've been diving at both Laguna Beach and Utopia and would recommend both. What you choose really depends on what you are looking to experience. Both places have nice dive operations but I'd say Laguna Beach is more streamlined. Food at Utopia is far superior and the atmosphere is more laid back. Laguna Beach sticks to a tight schedule so it's great if you like precision. Utopia is more relaxed so if you want a more casual dive experience they're the place.

If you're looking for a basic diving experience then Laguna Beach is fine. If you want a more laid back casual relaxed vacation along with diving then check out Utopia. I'd read the Trip Advisor comments on both places as they filter out the marketing materials and tell you exactly what you'll get.

 

[parrotman]

I will be going to Utila for my 6th trip next month. Can't see much point in doing a liveaboard there. In fact on one of my trips the Aggressor was moored to the same dive site for the entire day while we dove 3 different sites, got to snorkel with 2 whale sharks and swim with a pod of dolphins that wanted to play.
Deep Blue is a good choice. I have not stayed at LBR but it looks nice. My only reservation about LBR is the fact that the rooms are over the water in the lagoon near the mangroves. Bug heaven in my opinion, but like I said I have not stayed there. Some of the other posts comment on Deep Blue being more remote? Considering that Deep Blue is an easy walk from LBR and they use the same lagoon for mooring the dive boats, I'm not sure why they would be considered more remote but to each his own
Any way you look at it , Utila is a great place to dive. Spend some time in town, the people are friendly and the beer is cheap. Lol!

Have fun.

 

[footloose72]

I lived on Utila for two years and worked on the Utila Aggressor as well as at a dive shop, Utila Watersports and a resort, Laguna Beach Resort. Like others have said, it really comes down to if money is an issue.
On the Aggressor you do get more for your money. 5 dives a day (including night dives every night), meals, snacks, beer & wine and the crew spoils you rotten! You'll get to dive on Utila, Roatan, and Coco's Seamount (which land based don't do). The DM's tend to be better than a dive shops DM, but not necessarily a resorts. On Friday night (the last night) you get to have dinner in town and during the day you can walk around and experience the town.
I now sell for Laguna Beach Resort and if money is an issue, than this is still a great way to go. Here you get 3 boat dives a day, 2 night boat dives a week and unlimited shore diving. The DMs are the resort are great and good at finding creatures. You also get unlimited horseback riding, kayaking & biking in your package which is nice if you want a break from diving. Meals are included as well so only extras are drinks.
If you have any questions about either of them, let me know.

Hi UDV are you still selling for LB?

 

[Damselfish]

AFAIK, LB closed years ago. (This thread is very old.)