I don't care too much for Pattaya as a whole, but admittedly Jomtien beach is much more calm and usually less crowded because it's quite large. Located just south of the city center, the beach is a paradise for those who like sports vacations, especially water sports. Other than jet skis and wakeboarding, there is also parasailing, an activity that I wanted to try. This was possible with 500 baht for a few minutes. It's expensive but worth it. I'd say it's something to try once in a lifetime!
The beach is long (nearly 6 km) and so there are a lot of restaurants and hotels to choose from, but it has remained less cluttered and more spacious and therefore more pleasant than Pattaya Bay. There's a water park for families, but as for me, I went to the top of the Pattaya Park Tower. I was definitely looking for a thrill, so I tried going down on the zip line after a good hour of debating about it. (It's a paid option.)