Hi, I am a complete newbie, have been searching the net for the last 2 hours looking for info on dive center reviews for Belize, sort of hard to come by.

If anyone could either point me to some nice site that might have some reviews of dive centers in Belize (besides Epinion, already looked there), that would be great.

Alternately, if you have any input, either recommendations for a good center to learn to dive in Belize, or warnings of places to stay away from, I am all ears.

I haven't ever heard of anyone to avoid down there. I would take a look at www.padi.com or www.naui.com for the operations they sanction. They have to maintain a certain standard that should be an excellent mark for anyone to live up to.
I like to check out a minimum of three operators before making a decision. Ask them what their schedule looks like for the time you'll bee there, depths, type of sites, big animal encounters, etc... You will also get a feel for the personalities that you'll be working with.
This will help you make your decision and enjoy the folks you'll be stuck on a boat with while on vacation.

Thanks... I work(ed) in the skydiving industry and know full well that the quality of instruction you get in the so-called "extreme" sports can vary, even those that supposedly conform to the standards of the sanctioning bodies, so while I will take some comfort in a PADI certified course, I am sort of looking to go that extra mile in researching it.

Well, once again;

The best research you can do is to email and interact with the operators themselves. Two or three interactions should give you a good idea of how they operate and whether or not you'll enjoy the diving they're doing for the time you'll be spending in the area.