I have mixed feelings on Buddy Dive. Yes, it's a great turn-key operation which takes all the hard thinking out of the process. They pick you up at the airport and bring you right to your room, truck can be picked up at the front desk when they open (I arrive on the CO red-eye), truck is returned to the front desk on the last day, and they take you back to the airport. All that worked great for us, except the last part. We were supposed to assemble at 4 a.m. where they'd have coffee and continental breakfast waiting for us. Instead, they forgot the coffee, were late with the breakfasts, and we had to sit as mosquito bait almost an hour while a few stragglers held us up. Yes, Buddy makes it easier to rent the car, but I prefer the do-it-yourself way of returning the car and getting to the airport.
The shore dive is great there, tank swapping couldn't be made any easier than with their drive-thru, and the boat diving is also set up and run very well. We also liked the food there. What we didn't like was our room, in poor conditions: the fridge leaked water everywhere causing dangerous puddles, the bathroom had inadequate ventilation and turned into a sauna, again causing dangerously slipperly floors. I cut my toe on a strip of moulding that had come loose. The electric tea kettle didn't function. The water pitcher leaked. We didn't even bother trying to cook anything, figuring the stove would just blow up. It was also very warm, not really getting any breeze, and the idea of just air-conditioning the bedrooms makes sense to those who have to pay the high electric bills I'm sure, but don't make much sense to the traveler who wants to relax in the living room, work on a camera, etc., in relative comfort.
A very similar operation is Capt. Don's next door. Similar situation with the rooms, similar situation with the diving, main difference in my view is that their restaurant serves decent pizza and beer in giant steins. A package deal at either place would be fine. Good place to meet other divers. One thing to worry about, however, is that large groups sometimes will monopolize things at a large resort. When we were at Buddy, two of the boats were completely devoted to the group and it was hard to sign up for a boat unless we timed it right.
My favorite, stayed there the last two times, is Den Laman. Modern, spacious, fully air-conditioned condos, most with great views, and all with excellent kitchens, for a very reasonable price IMO, especially compared to Buddy and Capt. Don's. There's an excellent shore dive there (Bari Reef) and an on-site dive op that is as convenient as Buddy's for getting tanks except for the operating hours, but I understand they've recently made it easier to get tanks and access the gear storage after hours.
They've had breakfast there in the past, but not sure if they have anything now. The restaurant downstairs does have great lunch and dinner menus. We'll make our own breakfasts if we need to, but usually just have yogurt, cereal/muesli, & fruit. It's a small place, certainly as compared with Buddy and Capt. Don's, but I've found it easier to meet people at the bar there vs. Buddy or Capt. Don's so it's good for the sociable as well. No swimming pool, however, but I understand you can use the one next door at Sand Dollar.
Where to eat is a thread by itself, but I like Wil's Tropical Grill, Cactus Blue, Casablanca, Capriccio, Sunset Grill, Mona Lisa, Patagonia, Lion's Den, Pasa Bon Pizza, Rum Runners, It Rains Fishes, La Guernica, Bambu, City Cafe, Bistro, Richard's, in roughly that order.
