Bay Islands College of Diving

What Bay Islands College of Diving does

Bay Islands College of Diving is a privately held PADI 5 Star Career Development Center headquartered in Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras, operating as a scuba diving training academy since approximately 1990. The company delivers the full PADI curriculum from entry-level recreational certifications (Open Water Diver at $350, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Master Scuba Diver, and ~18 specialty courses priced $99–$399) through professional instructor development programs (Divemaster Internship at $1,299, EFR Instructor, IDC at $2,099, MSDT Prep, IDC Staff Instructor, Master Instructor Prep) and into technical diving (Tec 40 through Full Trimix 100 and Tec Sidemount), marine conservation programs (Marine Conservation IDC/DM, Citizen Science), and underwater photography tracks. Training infrastructure includes the only indoor training pool on Utila Island, the only on-island hyperbaric chamber operated as a DAN medical facility, a private dock with an artificial house reef, and three owned dive boats (Neptune, Tiburon, Sea Sprite) operating on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model with self-serve website booking through FareHarbor, supported by phone, WhatsApp, email, and social media inquiries. Revenue is generated entirely from one-time course fees, fun dive packages ($74–$350), professional development programs with optional lifetime diving benefits, and marine conservation internships delivered in partnership with the on-site Whale Shark & Oceanic Research Center (WSORC) NGO. Customer segments span entry-level recreational divers, advanced recreationals, career-changers pursuing Divemaster and instructor pathways, certified instructors upgrading ratings, technical divers, and marine conservation interns — served across five languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch) via globally distributed digital channels.

The school is led by three PADI Platinum Course Directors — Nick Derutter, Stephen Aynsley, and Renata Bonfa — together with Shop Manager and Director of Training Claudia Friederici. The company reports 8 consecutive years of 100% pass rates at the PADI Instructor Examination, has trained thousands of professional divers now working worldwide, and cites 80% employment within two months of graduation for IDC cohorts. It holds multiple PADI credentials (5 Star CDC, TecRec Center, ECO Center, Green Star, 100% AWARE, Gold Palm Resort) and is the only DAN medical facility and only PADI-authorized Technical Diving Instructor Training center in the Caribbean region.

Name

Bay Islands College of Diving

Legal name

Bay Islands College of Diving

Website

https://dive-utila.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bay Islands College of Diving is a PADI 5 Star Career Development Center in Utila, Honduras, delivering recreational, professional instructor, technical, marine conservation, and photography scuba certifications to international students and career-track dive professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scuba Diving Training & Certification

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scuba Diving & Freediving Centers (Training, Guided Dives) (THAAAKAD), Diving Experiences (Scuba Dives, Dive Trips, PADI/SSI Courses) (THAJAJAD), Underwater Photography & Videography Tours/Workshops (THAAAIAK)

Keywords

• Scuba diving courses
• PADI certification training
• Professional dive education
• Technical diving instruction
• Marine conservation internships

Headquarters

HQ city

Utila

HQ country

Honduras

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Recreational Diving Courses: One-time fee courses for recreational certifications including Open Water Diver ($350), Advanced Open Water, and specialty courses ranging from $99 to $399 per course.
2. Divemaster Internship: Career-oriented internship program priced at $1299 USD plus $156 USD PADI fees, includes unlimited diving for life after certification.
3. Instructor Development Course (IDC): Comprehensive instructor training program at $2099 USD plus $1288 USD PADI fees, includes 16-day extended duration with multilingual support.
4. IDC Preparation Course: Extended IDC program with PADI fees at $2299 USD plus $1050 USD PADI fees, includes preparation materials and career support.
5. MSDT Prep Program: Master SCUBA Diver Trainer preparation at $800 USD plus $365 USD PADI fees, includes 5 specialty instructor ratings.
6. EFR Instructor Course: Emergency First Response Instructor training at $369 USD plus $125 USD PADI fees.
7. IDC Staff Instructor Training: Audit-based PADI IDC instructor training at $1150 USD plus $115 USD PADI fees.
8. Fun Dive Packages: Fun diving for certified divers with packages from 2 tanks ($74) to 10 tanks ($350), includes accommodation.
9. Marine Conservation Internships: Marine conservation internship programs aligned with Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center activities.
10. Technical Diving Courses: Technical diving programs including Tec 40/45/50 and Trimix certifications for advanced divers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bay Islands College of Diving is a PADI 5 Star Career Development Center that delivers certified scuba diving training in Utila, Honduras, ranging from beginner recreational certifications (Open Water Diver) through professional instructor development (IDC, MSDT, Staff Instructor), technical diving (Tec 40-100, Trimix, Sidemount), marine conservation internships, and underwater photography. The school pairs classroom and e-learning instruction with confined water pool sessions, open water dive boat excursions, and on-site safety infrastructure including the only hyperbaric chamber on Utila Island. Courses are offered as paid one-time programs with accommodation bundled in, serving an international base of individual consumers and aspiring dive professionals.

Product overview

Bay Islands College of Diving is a PADI 5 Star Career Development Center offering a comprehensive suite of scuba diving courses and certifications. The portfolio comprises recreational courses (Open Water through Master SCUBA Diver), professional instructor development programs (Divemaster, IDC, MSDT Prep, IDC Staff Instructor, Master Instructor), technical diving courses (Tec 40-100, Trimix, Sidemount), marine conservation programs (Marine Conservation IDC/DM, Citizen Science), and photography courses (Digital, Advanced, Professional Underwater Photography). All courses are conducted from their Utila, Honduras facility with amenities including an indoor pool, hyperbaric chamber, and dive boats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PADI Open Water Diver Course Entry-level scuba certification course teaching basic diving theory, pool skills, and open water certification to dive independently worldwide, certified to depths of 18m/60ft. For first-time divers.
• PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course Five-adventure-dive course introducing deep diving, navigation, buoyancy control, wreck diving, night diving, and other specialties to extend diving limits and skills. For certified divers seeking to advance.
• PADI Rescue Diver Course Three-day course teaching self-rescue, panicked diver response, unconscious diver rescue, oxygen administration, and CPR skills for diver safety. For certified divers.
• PADI Master SCUBA Diver Course Elite recreational certification requiring 50 dives and 5 specialty ratings, representing the highest non-professional diving qualification. For advanced recreational divers.
• PADI Specialty Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of IDC graduates employed within two months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Whale Shark & Oceanic Research Center (WSORC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to the WSORC on-site NGO Marine Research Center. Students can participate in whale shark awareness, research diving, reef monitoring, data collection, and conservation projects. Interns work alongside research assistants gaining marine science field experience. This partnership provides unique marine conservation internship opportunities and strengthens the facility's conservation credentials.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAs a PADI 5 Star Career Development Center and TecRec Center, the facility is authorized to deliver all PADI certifications from Open Water through Instructor level. Hosts regular Instructor Development Courses (IDCs) and is the only facility in the region able to offer Technical Diving Instructor Training courses under PADI's TecRec program.
• REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates as a REEF field station, providing fish identification training to Divemaster interns and supporting citizen science data collection for marine research.
• Divers Alert Network (DAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated as the only DAN medical facility on the island, providing hyperbaric chamber services and emergency diving accident treatment. On-site hyperbaric chamber operator available for emergency response.
• Project AWAREminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a 100% AWARE Dive Center, all certification cards issued include Project AWARE donations, supporting global ocean conservation efforts. Also offers Project AWARE Coral Reef Conservation specialty courses.
• Dive SAGAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline equipment store and dive travel company founded by PADI Platinum Course Director Nick Derutter that organizes bucket list dive travel adventures. Provides alumni with discounts on dive travel and equipment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Captain Don's Habitat: Bonaire-based dive resort and training facility offering PADI recreational and professional courses. Comparable Caribbean dive destination and IDC delivery model, but serving a different national market.
• Buddy Dive Resort: Bonaire dive resort with on-site PADI 5 Star IDC facility, dive boats, and accommodations. Competes for the same Caribbean IDC candidate market as BICD from a different island geography.
• ScubaCarib: Roatan, Honduras dive operator offering PADI recreational and professional courses. Same-country regional competitor targeting similar Caribbean dive-training demand.

Others

• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors): Governing body whose certification framework, standards, and course structure BICD's entire revenue model depends on. Not a competitor but a critical ecosystem participant and platform dependency.

Direct peers

• Alton's Dive Center: Long-established Cozumel, Mexico dive center running PADI IDC programs and recreational courses. Closest comparable Caribbean-region IDC-focused competitor serving international career-change candidates.
• Utila Dive Center: Operates a PADI dive center on the same Utila Island in Honduras, offering comparable recreational and professional training including IDC programs. Most direct local competitor sharing the same destination, dive sites, and customer base.
• Big Blue Diving Utila: Utila-based dive operator offering PADI recreational and professional courses. Competes directly with BICD for both beginner divers and IDC candidates on the same island.
• Paradise Divers Utila: Utila-based PADI dive center offering recreational, professional, and technical diving courses. Direct competitor on the same island with overlapping course catalog and customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Pro Dive International: Multi-country dive operator in Mexico/Caribbean offering PADI recreational and professional courses at scale. Competes on price and destination variety rather than on IDC exclusivity.
• Dressel Divers: Multi-destination dive operator across Mexico and the Caribbean offering PADI courses and dive packages. Broader incumbent with greater geographic reach but less specialized in the high-end IDC professional segment where BICD competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/diveutila
• Facebookfacebook.com/diveutila
• Instagraminstagram.com/diveutila
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bay-islands-college-of-diving

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bay Islands College of Diving