Yucatan PADI

Since you have not had any posts yet, I thought I would give you my recommendation. You can go to the island of Cozumel and take your instruction from Deep Blue. Cozumel offers great diving and crystal clear water. The only thing is that most of the accommodations can be expensive. I stayed at the Posada Letti for several years on dive trips there & it averages $20-25/night. I return to Cozumel each March & dive with Deep Blue , because all the divers are required to use computers which ideally maximizes "bottom Time".

If you would consider travelling down to Utila , the Bay islands of Honduras, you could take your dive instruction for a lot less money. The accommodations would be much cheaper , too. Utila along with Ko Tao, Thailand are considered "Dive Factories" that train a lot of beginners. Its not necessarily bad!

I'd recommend talking with your potential instructor & making sure you feel it is a good fit for you. If you are not comfortable with and/or fully trusting of your instructor , it will heighten the anxiety level , when you enter the water. Have a great trip...and good diving!

"Live life on the edge, otherwise, you are taking up too much space." Unk.

An alternative to the bigger places around Yucatan is to go to Isla Mujeres which is a nice little island a short boatrip away from Cancun. I did my open water there quite cheaply with a newish outfit called Crystal Divers. My instructor, one of the owners, was a Dutchwoman (sorry I forget her name) who was very good - thorough, professional and no nonsense. There are lots of other dive shops there too. The diving was good although not nearly as lovely as Cozumel but as a place to hang around for four or five days (including reading your open water dive manual at cafes, the beach and so on!) Isla Mujeres is really nice and not expensive. There is even a very nice hostel there called Po Na Na which is very social.