I got to second the choices of Bonaire and Cozumel. I've been both places and looked around. The diving is great at both places and these seem to have better "resort" facilities than some places.
For Bonaire there are lots of places to stay. Most do not include all meals. Shore diving is very good, but frankly, you being new I would opt for diving from a boat with a divemaster. This is where Coz shines, IMO.
The good stuff is that the dive operators that I've dealt with were very safety consious. I think that almost every other word out of their mouth during the breifing is "safety". The viz is always good there. I can't say I've seen less than 80' and maybe as far as 150'. Water temp hovers around 80 degrees and I'd say closer to 82-84 during June. The people are friendly. What else? Oh yeh, ya have to get used to drift diving. That means cruising along with the current. It's not bad. Ya just have to relax and GO, just like everybody else.
I've only been there twice (last year). Stayed at the Scuba Club Cozumel and used their dive operator. The place is small. It's cozy, the rooms are not large but adequate and clean. The food is outstanding. You can get dive packages that include 3 tank dives and unlimited shore diving. There isn't much of a reef right off the resort, but there is some structure. Enough that it makes for some interesting night dives, or even twilight dives. The water is between 7 and 22 feet and close to shore so even a Newbie can feel at ease. And there are always people jumping in that you can tag around with.
The second place I can recommend is the Hotel Cozumel and Resort, right across the street from the Scuba Club. This place is very nice indeed, more resorty with a fantastic pool, and other amenities. At this place you can get an all-inclusive package to include your meals and drinks. And the food is good here also. The dive shop is through a short tunnel that crosses under the main street. Lockers for your gear and rinse tanks. Paradise Divers- they are very good. The boat crew was also very good taking care of our every needs. Our package included a 3 Tank trip and shore diving at our leisure. I would highly recommend this hotel and dive operator.
One other thing is that either of these places is only about 15 minute walk from town with it's great nightlife and restaurants.
One place I intend to try in five weeks is the Reef Club, about 18 miles south of town. This is an all-inclusive package. The place has just been rebuilt so we'll just have to see what it's like, as has most of the places on Coz. I guess I'll have to report more on this place later.
Then there is the trip back to Coz in June. This will also be at the Hotel Coz and Resort. In case you ain't figured it out I like this island. I'm actually considering living there full time.
Now I've been a few other places, but frankly they can't compare. Cayman Brac I visited in November at Cayman Brac Reef Resort. The diving was good, the food was outstanding, but the place was old and musty smelling.
Fantasy Island in Roatan. I was there in January. Again, the diving was pretty good, the shallow reefs almost devoid of plant growth or coral. Deep reefs ere quite good. The food sucked IMO, the room was mildewy, and we lost several dives due to a boat stranding us at sea (boat broke down) with no reimbursement for our loss.
This is the one place I would not go back to. Maybe a different resort, but there are just better places to dive.
So my nod goes to Cozumel.
