Utila Trip Report [Photos + HD Video]

[jcaplins]

very nice!

Drysuit, eh?
What was the water temp? Or do you always dive dry, regardless?

My last Caribbean diving, the water temp was ~70-75, and I was usually a bit chilled in a 5mm full wetsuit; added hood and gloves and I was fine.

Often wondered if the drysuit would be worth taking.

 

[laurenceh]

first time i ever saw a dry suit in utila, even in jan the surface temp is 79f. must have got a lot of good natured ribbing for wearing that

 

[Rainer]

That was a great video, well worth leaving my computer running all night to download it. The music track sets the perfect mood and I can't wait ti get home, transfer it to a USB stick and watch it on my TV.

Highlights include, the hermit crab sequence, the blennies poking out of their holes in the coral ( wish I could get that kind of detail just looking at them IRL ) using B&W for the Haliburton sequence ( that's pretty much how I see that site IRL ) and the ending sequence with the ascent "up the line"

10/10

Really appreciate all the nice comments! Glad you enjoyed it (despite the download speed). Fun having someone else watch it that's also done the dives.

very nice!

Drysuit, eh?
What was the water temp? Or do you always dive dry, regardless?

My last Caribbean diving, the water temp was ~70-75, and I was usually a bit chilled in a 5mm full wetsuit; added hood and gloves and I was fine.

Often wondered if the drysuit would be worth taking.

Thanks! Water temps were around 80-81F. We took the drysuits when we dived Roatan two years ago and enjoyed having them on both trips. They're certainly more of a pain to haul around than a 3mm wetsuit, but we both find it more fun and obviously warmer to dive dry. Wife in particular gets cold, so this is a decent solution. We just bring light undergarments for tropical waters.

first time i ever saw a dry suit in utila, even in jan the surface temp is 79f. must have got a lot of good natured ribbing for wearing that

Of course!

I will say, though, that by the end of our four days (we were basically diving with the same group the entire time), we were getting more interested questions than jokes.

 

[Stout]

So......

Based partially on this review, partly on my having a beer with Christophe ( Chris ) down at Tranquilas and partly, nay, mostly on the fact that my wife and 7 year old son are coming down here to Utila, I made the switch to Coral View. Couldn't be happier with them as a dive op.

Now I don't have to worry about what my kid saw and heard on Utila and whether he's repeating that to his buddies at school and I can better relate to the customers and staff at CV because the focus is entirely on diving. Their divemasters actually know the meaning of the word slow however neither of them had heard of black capped basslets before.

 

[Rainer]

Psyched you're happy with them. I really liked the staff. Imagine you'll only have more fun now that your wife and son will be joining you. Have a great time!

 

[Stout]

Yea, I can't stop saying great things about Coral View. The staff is great and they're exactly what I'm looking for in a dive op, divemasters who don't feel that I need to be babysat and know exactly what I'm on about when I chant "south side, south side" when asked where we want to dive today.

Unfortunatly, I blew a hole in my eardrum this morning. I did it on land so no seawater got in and there's minimal chance of infection. It's ended my diving for at least a week but my wife can go and I can snorkle on the surface because I have one of those mickey mouse masks ( pro ear 2000 ) that keeps my ears dry. OK as long as I don't descend at all.

Guess I got rather cavelier with the thing this trip, rocketing down to 100 feet to look for black capped basslets as it's the only thing that's unique to the north side. Oh wait ? I found them yesterday, on the south side in 50 feet of water. south side, south side.

On the surface interval(s) Coral View spent an amazing amount of time and effort trying to get us in the water with one...and they succeed. It was the second whaleshark encounter I've had that's worth mentioning in the 200+ dives I had on this island.

The boat is great, with none of that yammering crap that passes for music around here blaring incessantly and nobody admonishing me not to piss in my wetsuit.

10/10

 

[Rainer]

Really sorry to hear about the eardrum! At least you got in a bunch of great dives before the injury and I'd have killed to swim with a whale shark!

Hope you heal up quickly and can get back to the diving soon. Enjoy your island time with your family!

 

[rjk75]

Rainer, fantastic video and great pics. Now you've got me yearning to go. You said the water temp was 80/81F--was there much of a thermocline, and any mosquitoes to worry about this time of year?

 

[Rainer]

Appreciate that!

Not much thermocline, but oddly the water was a few degrees *cooler* near the surface than even 15-20' down. I think the lows I saw were high-70sF.

We took DEET (some of us, myself included, used 100%, others milder mixes), but we all did get some bites (whether mosquitoes, sand flies, etc, I have no idea). Nothing too terrible (a half dozen or so bites each), but a mild annoyance. Really only saw mosquitoes out in force around crepuscule.

Rainer, fantastic video and great pics. Now you've got me yearning to go. You said the water temp was 80/81F--was there much of a thermocline, and any mosquitoes to worry about this time of year?

 

[Heatheroe]

Thanks for posting!! We actually saw your video while searching for things on Utila on the Apple TV at home. I also really liked the music video "If you..come to Utila where the..water is clearer..."

We are using Coral View as well. Less than 2 weeks to go!! Can't wait, first trip!