Thanks for the inputs. For diving purposes, I’m leaning towards Montgomery myself...but then I’ll have to factor in hotels vs couch crashing as I will once again be a broke student.
I should also point out that I learned to dive in Oklahoma City before I moved to the Gulf Coast. So, if I return to OKC as my water-quality baseline, I can dive in almost anything. However, I do prefer to be able to see my dive buddy rather than depend upon holding his hand to keep track of him.