Utila Island in Honduras is one of the world’s top diving destinations – with down to earth staff, small groups & flexible schedules, find out why you’re part of the family when you dive with Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop!
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Location of Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop
From the pier, turn left & Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop is just a short tuk-tuk ride or 10 minute walk away.
Located in the neighbourhood of Sandy Bay, it’s far enough from the traffic & noise in the centre of Utila, but still close to all the action.
Restaurants, cafes, bars & mini-marts are all within walking distance – besides, Utila is a small island anyway.
Best of all for us here at DIY Travel HQ, the beach is just a few hundred metres away!
Facilities at Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop
Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop is the only one in Utila without a shopfront on the main road.
The whole operations are run from a deck over the water, accessed via a wooden boardwalk.
Here, you’ll find the main office with all the diving information & schedules.
There’s also a classroom stocked with lots of great diving material, if you’re taking a course or just want to brush up on your reading.
You can relax in one of the deck chairs or hammocks around the wrap-around sun deck – there’s a small bar too.
There’s no wifi at the Backpacker’s Lodge so this is the place to get connected, in more way than one.
If you prefer real communication, it’s also a great place to meet people – from the shop staff & divers to locals & expats, you’ll always find someone friendly around to chat to.
The community vibes made Utila one of our favourite places to visit in Honduras.
Backpackers Lodge at Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop
The Backpacker Lodge run by Ecomarine is open to everyone but divers with the company can stay at reduced rates. It’s located across the road from the dive shop & (well) behind Skid Row bar.
The Backpackers Lodge is one long cabin with 8 private rooms & 2 dorm rooms with 4 bunk beds each.
Toilets & showers are shared, and there’s also a communal kitchen & fridge.
Our room was simple, clean & comfortable with a double bed, desk, fan, laundry line & hooks.
There’s lots of space outside to hang your clothes or simply hang out on the deck.
Private room: $10.00 per room, $5.00 for divers
Dorm room: $4.00 per person, $2.00 for divers
Features of Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop
So what sets Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop apart from the rest?
- Most affordable prices
- Small group sizes for courses & fun dives
- Social events – regular BBQ, movie & trivia nights
- Honest opinions & feedback
- Friendly, community atmosphere
- Personable service
- Flexibility in dive schedule
- Kayak & snorkel rental available
PADI Courses & Fun Dives at Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop
Utila is known to be one of the least expensive destinations in the world to undertake dive training and Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop offers the cheapest PADI courses & fun dives on the island.
PADI Dive Courses
- Open Water course: $269.00
- Advanced Open Water: $269.00
- Rescue Diver course: $269.00
- Emergency First Response: $73.00
- Dive Master course: $650.00
* Includes materials, certification, dorm accommodation + 2 free fun dives (excluding Dive Master
Fun Dives
- Discover Scuba Diving: $85.00
- Night dives: $45.00
- Fun Dives: $35.00 (discounts for multiple dives)
Wreck, Nitrox, PPB, S&R, Naturalist & Deep dives also available.
Diving with Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop
We really enjoyed the laid-back approach to diving with Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop.
There’s flexibility with dive schedules, which we appreciated in the rainy season.
We didn’t feel pressured into committing to any dives, even when we were already out on the water – after one of our 1st morning dives, the visibility wasn’t very good so we didn’t want to dive again & that wasn’t a problem.
If you have certain dive sites in mind or sea-life you’ve got your heart set on, let the dive crew know & they’ll try their best to make it happen.
One of the other divers really wanted to see a frogfish & the divemaster just so happened to know where one was – sure enough, we not only found it but had the best dive of the day.
The relaxed atmosphere did not come at the expense of safety.
In fact, I felt more comfortable & secure because I was never rushed, in or out of the water.
The divemasters assisted me with my equipment, briefed us on each site and there were roll-calls before & after each dive.
As an Open Water diver, I also had my own dive master when I was diving with Advanced or higher level divers.
Unlike other centres, Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop doesn’t operate like a “dive factory”.
Their boats hold a maximum of 12 people but often only 4-6 people go out – the smaller groups allow more personalized attention.
You can also have a good amount of input into where & when you want to dive or if you’re like us, you can just leave it to the experts.
Tara (the owner) says it best:
“We never treat our divers like a number. We pride ourselves on personal and professional service, reliable and comfortable boats and revealing the best diving Utila has to offer.”
Diving on Utila
Beautiful Caribbean Seas surround the lovely island of Utila, which is just 11km long & 4km wide.
It’s the smallest of the 3 major islands that form The Bay Islands in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the 2nd largest in the world.
Utila is a diver’s paradise of soft coral, tropical fish, sea fans, deep walls & sea mountains. It’s also a haven for macro creatures such as the seahorse, pipefish & nudibranch.
Spotted eagle rays, lobsters, barracudas, moray eels & dolphins are commonly spotted, while whale sharks, hammerhead sharks & manta rays occasionally make an appearance.
According to Tara, the top 4 dive sites are:
- Ted’s Point
- Black Hills
- Maze
- Duppy Waters.
CJ’s Drop Off, Airport Caves, Labyrinth and Great wall are also highly rated by the crew.
Other Things to See & Do in Utila
- Swim at Chepes Beach (free) & Bandu Beach ($3.00)
- Take the free ferry across to Neptune’s beach & restaurant for great food & snorkelling
- Kayak to the Cays
- Stand up paddleboarding
- Hike up to Pumpkin Hill for great views of Utila
- Explore fresh water caves
- Visit the crash site of a drug smuggling plane
How to Get to & from Utila
Utila Dream is the only ferry operator from mainland Honduras to Utila:
- Ferries from La Ceiba to Utila depart at 9:30am & 4:00 pm everyday.
- Ferries from Utila to La Ceiba depart at 6:25am & 2:00 pm everyday.
Price: Lps/575.00 each way (approx. $25.00) – no discounts for return tickets
Duration: approx. 1 hour each way
Utila Dream runs ferries from Utila to Roatan on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, departing Utila at 10:45am & arriving in Roatan at 1:00pm.
Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop Contact
Managers: Tara & Steve Dankewich
Phone: + (504) 2425 3350
Email: [email protected]
Website: Gunter’s Ecomarine
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*** The Final Word: Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop is the only one in Utila that feels like a family ***
Do you dive? Where did you learn to dive?
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* Thank you to Tara & Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop for hosting us!
Visited in November 2016
Comments
That is a very informative post. Right down to the pricing details, you have everything covered. Should be very helpful to anyone planning a dive in the area.
Thanks, Punita. There are a lot of dive shops on Utila so hopefully this helps anyone looking to make a decision a little easier. Most blogs tend to leave the price out, but that is usually one of the more helpful items besides transportation to some places.
It sounds like Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop is a very economical option for people wanting to get their certification! I can never understand how places who take our large groups can do so safely. A smaller group is definitely what I would be looking for!
Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop is the cheapest we found on Utila, and doesn’t sacrifice quality or safety to do so. When taking a course it is always good to minimize the other number of students if you can. This is especially true if you don’t feel comfortable in the water to begin with.
Wonderful. I think around the world so many places have been able to promote themselves as dive destinations that places like Honduras are not known to many. The location looks wonderful and it seems to be done very professionally which is another plus point. Not to forget, the shack is so quaint and charming. Thanks for the information.
You are very welcome. I always knew Utila in Honduras was on the cheaper side for diving courses, but didn’t know they were on par with Koh Tao, Thailand. The thing they do differently on Utila is they throw in 2 fun dives for most certifications. That really gets you to gain experience quickly.
Awesome and very informative post. Wow, the accommodation prices are very affordable!
Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop just wants you to spend your money wisely on Utila…getting into the water!
its seems quite cheaper option for people who love diving. you have explained very well. price looks so cheap which make this place for everyone.Thanks for sharing…
Diving with Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop was great. They really customized the sites based on our preferences & weather conditions. The price then allows you to keep on diving & seeing more underwater life.
Very informative post of a great diving location with affordable accommodation.
Thanks, you’ve summed it up right there! 🙂
I’ve gone diving before without prior education and felt so nervous! The fact that Gunter’s places so much attention on their clients and works with their needs is huge! SCUBA diving can be scary when it’s your first time so it’s nice to know about a place that is patient.
Hopefully more places can be the same since your desire to keep diving is really based on how you feel after you finish your class. Whether you ever dive again may depend on your instructor. No pressure instructors…
I’ve been once in NZ and it was awesome – and terrifying! It was my first time with zero training and I had no idea what I was doing!
Ahhhh…that does sound terrifying. Was that a discover dive you tried? I always wondered what they were like if that is the case.
Taking my will power to keep from booking now. Love discovering great new places to dive. Thanks.
Utila is good for diving, but great for courses. For very reasonable prices you get the class, accommodation, and extra fun dives too!
Honduras is a beautiful country! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Your photos and the experience itself all look like a dream come true.
After finishing traveling Honduras we noticed that most of the best parts of the country focus on water. Diving, white water rafting, and waterfalls are all highlights for us.
This sounds like a great way to go diving in Utila. I can see that the place has all the amenities required. But what appeals to me is the fact that they have their setup right inside the water. A perfect setting indeed.
Gunter’s Ecomarine is a small community on small Utila. It is great having everyone hang out at the dive shop at all hours. You really feel more than a number.
I’m not a diver, but this looks interesting!
Utila is all about diving, but there is excellent snorkeling too. The food is also very good and there are a few places to pass time on land as well.
Thank you for a detailed and informative post. I just snorkel, don’t dive so far. It would be great to try some day. Thanks for sharing!
Of course, Anita. Even if you don’t want to learn to dive, Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop can also have you tag along on the boat to go snorkeling at the dive sites. Just ask in advance to see if the sites are suitable for snorkeling.
This dive shop seems to have all a diver needs! Thankyou for sharing down the very bit of details for this shop. I’m sure a lot of people in the lookout for shops like this will benefit from you post.
There is so much competition on Utila that we felt that we might as well help others in the market for a dive shop as well. It takes a lot of time to research all the companies, and above are the reasons why we chose Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop.
This is a very crisp and informative piece on the area. I couldn’t find anything more helpful across the web. This is gong to be beneficial for all those who are looking for a dive here 🙂 Thanks for writing.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Madhurima. There is a lot of information spread out on the internet about Utila, but hopefully we have been successful at pulling together info on Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop & a bit about Utila, Honduras.
Very informative post! I’ve never been diving before, but if I decide to try it, I may have to consider this place! Thank you!
The diving is very good around Utila, and most sites have little current so it is great for learning. It is also one of the cheapest places to learn in the WORLD, and they include accommodation & 2 fun dives too!
Great post. Will definitely have to check this place out. It looks like they have everything one could ask for when wanting to dive in Utila! Thanks for sharing.
No problem, James. Gunter’s Ecomarine Dive Shop has everything you need from increasing your diving ability to fun dives. Utila is also a great place to relax enjoy the nightlife.