I got certified in San Pedro/AC ~2 weeks ago. The very next day I was done with the course I started my first dive as a certified open water diver!! Anyway, I love Cypress Tunnel & Cypress Garden and they are both local dives. I also went to Turneffe Atoll on a day trip (3 dives) and they're great too. I also ended up getting a lot of local dives. I highly recommend Ruben Navidad if you are looking for dive instructor/master. He is very patient, friendly and informative. If you have a small group (esp with kids) he could even customize a tour for you. His contact is rubennavidad@yahoo.com