Dive trip recommendations for Alaska Companion Fare

[-Aaron-]

I have access to an Alaska Airlines Companion Fare (First ticket full price, second one $100) and I was thinking about maybe using it for a diving trip. I was hoping tap the experience on the board to get some suggestions for a good dive destination in range of Alaska Airlines. Time frame would be sometime in September. Here is the listing of Alaska Airlines destinations from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Airlines_destinations. I have been batting around the idea of trying to go to Bonaire at some point this year, but that doesn't really work with this discount. If there is a great location in range of Alaska that would benefit from this companion fare I am open to using it, otherwise I can just forget about it and plan a trip normally. Thanks for the help.

[Tom Nic]

The following are all Alaska Airlines destinations, followed by diving available at each location.

Cabo - Great diving, from shore to Live-Aboard. The Revillagigedo Islands on a live-aboard are absolutely world class.
Loreto - local shore diving and pangas, has the advantage of note being as touristy as other locations
San Diego, and So Cal locations - channel Islands and charters out of San Diego including White Shark Cage diving.
Miami - Keys and environs, or you can hop an Insel air flight to Bonaire for around $400
Houston (IAH) - Continental to Bonaire from IAH or if the Oil Spill hasn't stopped it you can do the Flower Garden Banks out of Houston
Cancun - gateway to Riviera Maya and Cozumel
Boston - East Coast Wreck Diving
Chicago - Great Lakes Wreck Diving
Vancouver - Vancouver Island Diving!

[oregondiver]

Don't forget partner airlines for Alaska (Delta is one of them!)...
ALaska goes to Hawaii...but costs more points than a continental flight. And might cost $50 more to use the companion fare.

[Scubie Doo]

Gotta go with Kona. Best diving of my life last month. Hotel rates are cheap as is airfare. I got upgraded to first class on Alaska too. They are really competitive since they are new to the Hawaiian islands.

[Tom Nic]

How in the world could I have forgotten Hawaii?!

Alaska flies to 4 destinations in our Aloha State, and good diving is to be had in all of them. I've only dove Kauai, so I won't pretend to tell you which I think is best. Plenty of NWDClubbers have dove the other islands, and our own Mr. Sockmonkey can give you the low-down on the big island.

As to airline partners, the OP asked for suggestions on the Companion Fare specifically - which are tickets that are straight purchased.

If you're using miles the destinations reachable through Alaska and its partners literally span the globe.

[-Aaron-]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I have never been to Hawaii, so that could be a nice option. I will need to do some more research on the potential places to stay and dive. It would be great to get out on some boat dives, but ideally I'd like to find a place where I can do some shore dives in between and save some money.

[oregondiver]

Aaron,
I was just in Oahu.
There is plenty of shore diving to be found....and lots of divers to hook up with! We rented a house on the north shore (opposite end of island in relation to waikiki) where things move slower. Right there on the North Shore is about 5 shore diving spots within a 4 mile radius....Then spend 2 days driving into waikiki (or another harbor) to do your boating diving.

Good luck whatever you decided. I picked up one of those water repellent fish identification/dive site maps which you are welcome to borrow if you head there.

[Scubie Doo]

Great shore diving in Kona! Puako is great with easy access, also dove place-of-refuge (another easy entry). The two dives to do via boat are the manta dive dive and black water dive (I didn't get to do the BW dive, I heard it was great!). You can check out some of my photos and videos for a taste :-)

PHOTOS
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... me=album43
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... me=album44
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... me=album45
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... me=album46
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... me=album47
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... me=album48

VIDEOS
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... _dive_0001
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... ako_1_2010
http://jessemiller.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... ako_2_2010

I would also check-out http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/index.htm for great shore diving spots on all the islands. If you go to Oahu I would recommend the Outrigger Beachcomber in Waikiki or Marriott Ko Olina. If you go to Kona, I stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, which was too touristy for me. I would probably stay closer to Kona when I go back.

Have fun on your trip! Let us know where you landed :-)

[oregondiver]

If you go to Oahu I would recommend the Outrigger Beachcomber in Waikiki or Marriott Ko Olina.

If you decide to do Ko Olina...note that it is $25 per day to park a car there and there isn't any place to leave a car and "hoof" it back to the hotel to avoid the parking fee. There is one boat dive operator at the Marina there...but you will need a car to get to the rest of the shore diving spots.

Good luck (and let us know what you decide!)....

[PeninsulaDiver]

Temporarily -----

Nothing like a little safety stop snack.
Hotdog on the line! YUM!

Hotdog on the line...

1.jpg (32.58 KiB) Viewed 66 times

-Mark

[oregondiver]

Hey Aaron....HI airfare just went to $288...round trip INCLUDING all taxes and fees.

That is on Hawaiian Airlines...but I expect (naively hope?) that Alaska will match their fares...
Can you see paying only $400 for two people to fly to HI round trip? YES!

My husband is telling me that maybe we need to book a trip to use our companion fare before it expires too.