halocline
Contributor
West bay is much better for beaches than West End, but if you want a dive op in the west end, there are a few nice spots on the other side (away from west bay) of the west end. Cocolobo is one of them. There's no beach, but a nice iron shore and it feels like you're out in nature. There are also some nice houses between west bay and west end; those would be great to stay in but I have feeling they'd bust your budget. I don't know about any snorkeling in west end; the whole area is wrapped around a small bay, which is very nice for swimming but there's no reef. The reef offshore would be an easy swim, in fact I used to do it regularly, but there's boat traffic and shore diving seems to be discouraged. That area between west end and west bay might be perfect for a combination of swimming and snorkeling.
Coconut tree is a good quality dive op for instruction; there are a lot of DM students there assisting with classes so you get some extra attention. It's also kind of a social center, lots of people hang out there in the early evening. It's near the end of the west end furthest from west bay, so if you end up staying in one of the places near cocolobo, it's very convenient; if you went for someplace between west bay and west end, it's a longer walk. Sueno is on the opposite end of the west end, closest to west bay.
Coconut tree is a good quality dive op for instruction; there are a lot of DM students there assisting with classes so you get some extra attention. It's also kind of a social center, lots of people hang out there in the early evening. It's near the end of the west end furthest from west bay, so if you end up staying in one of the places near cocolobo, it's very convenient; if you went for someplace between west bay and west end, it's a longer walk. Sueno is on the opposite end of the west end, closest to west bay.