[djmcmath]

I recently returned from a couple of weeks in Thailand which included some time on a little island in the Gulf of Thailand. The place was spectacular, with incredibly friendly ex-pats and tourists from everywhere diving and partying and enjoying the beach culture. The diving was great, compared to what I'm used to, but sea life has declined a lot due to over-fishing.

So I'm looking ahead for a dedicated dive trip, flying somewhere with the express intent to do nothing but dive. And hang out on the beach, playing beer pong in beachside bars with tourists from Israel and Austria and Amsterdam and wherever. And maybe do some local sight-seeing.

Requirements (Desirements?), in no particular order:
1 - Spectacular diving. I'd love to see whale sharks, but I've seen precious little, so virtually any cool sea life would be better than what I've seen. I guess as long as the water's warm and the visibility is decent, it'll probably be "good enough," though I'd rather go someplace that's genuinely awesome.
2 - Region and timing: I'd like to find someplace in Mexico or the Caribbean, on the grounds that flights are generally cheaper than, say, flights to Mozambique, and I could justify a "long weekend" type dive trip rather than saying "I'm flying 7000 miles, I need to stay at least 10 days to justify the transit time."
3 - Worthwhile activities for the "surface interval." I'm not generally much for staying out late and partying, but I found that the overwhelming supply of attractive young ladies on Koh Tao was suitable enticement to alter my normal behavior. Failing that, local sites of cultural or historical significance are fun to visit while I'm getting rid of excess nitrogen.
4 - Total trip cost: Some places are cheap to get to. Others are cheap to stay at. Some places are both cheap to get to AND cheap to stay at. I don't mind flying 7000 miles for a dive trip, especially if dives are only 15USD and a good dinner is only 5USD. I'm unlikely to go to someplace that'll cost me $3K for the trip and $500 a night for the hotel.

Thoughts? Where have your best dive trips been?