Judging from ScubaBoard and other media, the most popular mainstream water water dive destinations from a U.S. perspective could be summed up as:
1.) Cozumel - good overall budget trip, really nice diving (it is drift diving), good food cheap topside, nice place.
My Research Notes from Planning Cozumel Trip -
My Research Notes from Planning Cozumel Trip
Tres Pelicanos & Casa Mexicana, Cozumel Sept. 2018 Report -
Tres Pelicanos/Casa Mexican Trip Report Sept. 2018
2.) Roatan - good overall budget trip, lush reef though overfished so rep. for not a lot of big stuff (but I saw a goliath grouper there!), quite a variety of places to stay.
My Research Notes from planning a Roatan Trip -
My Research Notes from Planning Roatan Trip
CocoView Trip Report May 2021 -
Trip Report - CocoView Resort May 8-15, 2021
3.) Belize - often Ambergris Caye for divers, though the better diving is said to be farther out around the lighthouse atoll region.
4.) Bonaire and Curacao - shore diving.
My Research Notes for Bonaire -
My Research Note For Bonaire
8 Day Trip Report: Sand Dollar, Dive Friends
2022
Trip Report Bonaire Trip Report - V.I.P. Divers/Aqua Viva Suites
Curacao Trip Research Notes
Curacao Trip Report with SB Surge Jan. 2019
5.) Upper Florida Keys, especially Key Largo - good shallow water reef diving with a mix of small, medium and some large creatures, plus deep offshore wrecks. Key Largo with Rainbow Reef Dive Center 2013 -
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/fl...iving-key-largo-rainbow-reef-dive-center.html
If you take an interest in the upper Florida Keys, conditions vary seasonally. I didn't list liveaboards since I think many people prefer to get some land-based trips in before they commit to a week on a dive boat.
If you want to keep things simple, you could look to book a Cozumel like mine, or try CocoView Resort in Roatan.
