Almost Certified Beginner

[davsholm423]

Hello, I'm a beginner scuba diver. I've gone on a total of 3 "resort courses," and this fall I'm doing my PADI Classroom and Pool in the cities, and this winter I am vacationing to Cozumel to complete my certification course, and of course do some more dives. I do have pretty limited resources, but what would you recommend someone new to the underwater world? Even after my certification and extra dives in Cozumel I'll still not be ready for just going diving with my father on a random lake down here by where I live in Minnesota. But I know I won't be traveling to somewhere like Cozumel again untill sometime in the distant future. So what would you recommend for a diver with limited resources and skills for local diving? Do you know of any nice spots for beginners within driving distance? Thanks a lot