On the beach, you can sit in the sun, go parasailing, play in the waves, sip margaritas, or read a good book in the shade of your free umbrella. The water off of Los Muertos is wavy, with a relatively strong undertoe. It is not very clear, but the temperature was very nice. I love the big waves, but beware that you will not find the crystal clear waters of the Yucatan in Puerto Vallarta. It is easy to get to neighboring beaches such as Yelapa, Quimixto, and Las Animas by water taxis.
More expensive cruises abound.
In fact, the recruiters for the cruises managed to become the worst aspect of Puerto Vallarta for me. These guys set up booths on popular streets downtown, and they call out to anyone passing by that looks like a tourist. I started avoiding certain streets to bypass these obnoxious salesmen. A quick bus trip to the neighboring town of Mismaloya was disappointing, as the entire beach is dominated by a single luxury hotel. Aggressive peddlers offering umbrellas and boats for hire also pollute its small bit of sand.