Cozumel is a must. Diving is much better than 20 miles away in Cancun, or Play del Carmen; except if you want to do cenote cavern diving; but you can take the ferry to the mainland and do that there, making it a great day trip. Playa del Carmen diving does not compare with the diversity of the Cozumel marine park. The size of the many Queen Angel fish makes them a great photo opportunity. And I even took some of the best shorts of turtles feeding on sponges. The marina park gives sanctuary for crabs and lobsters to grow to their full size. I mean some of the crabs I saw there were huge!!! Wate rwas clean and warm (77) and visibility outstanding 80-100 ft. Plenty of fish from big to small. Saw a few spotted eagle rays, many turtles, lobster and crabs everywhere even in daylight. Cozumel has a wide variety of small hotels and larger all inclusive. Even though most of the all inclusive resorts are a star or so below the ones on Cozumel, they offer nice rooms, plenty of drinks and great staff and pleasant grounds. You will encounter more experienced divers in the hotels there than on the mainland. The people serving you in hotels and restaurants are hard working, friendly and hospitable. the island is laid back and a divers paradise. Some of the hotels are right in the town of San Miguel, where the airport and ferry terminal is located. There are of course many restaurants and bars close by to explore during the day and night. Some of the all inclusive resorts are about a 20 or 30 minute drive further south. There you are self contained at the resort and you will either take a cab or rent a car if you want to go back to San Miguel and do sightseeing and shopping. Other than that the island is mostly undeveloped. Circling the island by rental car is fun and offers you to see the Atlantic coast side, which has some nice wave action. The roads are as usual better than in Los Angeles.

I have only been to Nassau on Providence. But there are many other island to explore, some only by accessible by boat. A liveaboard trip would be highly recommendable. Water temps were 81 in July and i have seen higher in September where you don't need any cumbersome wet suits to wear. A rash shirt or skin is sufficient. Any type of mm wetsuit is overkill. Visibility is Ok, in the 50ft range with some green algae clouds it seems, so the deep blue water is probably better away from all the development. The island has seemingly an abundance of reef sharks and a shark feeding dive will offer pictures of a life time. But, there are turtles and a big diversity of fish to be seen. Stuart Coves is the number one dive outfit on the island. They have top of the line dive boats, are well organized, offer pick up service, have a fully stocked dive shop and professional crew. But they are a big company. Bahama Divers is smaller and more personal and also offers pick up service. There was some wave action off Paradise Island. The Bahamas are exposed to weather from the north and storm that bear down the east coast of the US can and will affect the Bahamas at certain times. There is some good shopping in Nassau, great restaurants, plus the Fish Fry market near town has restaurants offering a wide variety of conch dishes ranging from burgers to salads. Beaches are beautiful offering plenty of picture opportunities.