Australia liveaboard- ribbon reefs/cod hole vs. Cairns reefs advice needed

[purcitron]

i plan to do a 2 or 3 night liveaboard in August.

i would greatly appreciate suggestions for which liveaboard to chose based on dive sites.

my options are:
1. "mike ball's" spoil sport to cod hole & ribbon reefs
or
trips closer to cairns:

2. Scubapro to Pellowe Reef, Flynn Reef, Milln Reef, Moore Reef and Thetford Reef
3. Ocean Quest to Norman Reef, Hasting Reef, Saxon Reef
4. Kangaroo Explorer to Moore, Milne, Briggs, Elford and Thetford reefs

experience & advice would be most welcomed!
i'd like to contrast the northern reefs (ribbon reef, etc.) with the cairns-area reefs please.

 

[farsidefan1]

I can only address the spoilsport to the ribbon reefs part of the question. We flew to lizard island and hopped on the Spoilsport. Got the cod hole ect. Diving was great, boat was FABULOUS, food was even better. we were on their half week package as we had been diving in Fiji where we got married (yes, be jealous, dive trip to Fiji for marriage and Spoilsport for honeymoon).

 

[MA]

Heading up to cod hole and ribbon reefs isworthevery cent. coral, colour, fish life, visibility, much fewer divers basically no snorkelers so reef in great condition.

 

[bracko]

I've dived the flyn, miln and moore reefs on day boats and I've been on the 3 day cod hole trip with Mike Ball....

do the mike ball trip if you can afford it (hell, do it if you can't afford it)... it's by far the better diving.

 

[Cnz Diver]

I am sure the diving on the Ribbon Reaf and Cod hole are awsome we are heading up at the end of Febuary, we actually did a review on CDC you can see it here - Cairns Liveaboard Dive Tour Review: 2 nights + 1 day

 

[Dave Earl]

I've dived the Spoilsport and Ocean Quest. The Spoilsport trip is amazing but very expensive. Do it if you can afford it. Ocean Quest tends to live out on Norman Reef. Every day a day boat comes along and drops off and takes away new divers. Generally, the Norman Reef dives are shallow and relatively easy. Many of the divers aboard Ocean Quest will be completing/have just completed their OW certs. It is good fun if you're new too diving, want non-challenging dives, or can only get out for a few days. If you like diving deeper, or have done a lot of tropical diving it might get boring. That said, the staff from Deep Sea Divers Den (who operate Ocean Quest) are always fantastic and great fun.

Another option is the Taka, which is also run by Deep Sea Divers Den. It takes a similar trip to the Spoilsport (Cod Hole etc) but is far less plush, and hence cheaper. Highly recommended -- I've done it twice.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Here is a link that wil give you a brief summary of the difference between Ribbon and Outer Reef areas.

Ribbon Reef is definately the best but expensive as it is a lot of travel and Mike Ball and Spirit of Freedom fly you one leg. Taka is the budget version. Go Taka if you are happy wihtout the papmering. Check out our Facebook site too as we put the last minute specils up that Taka dont advertise until the last minute. May be helpful.

Of the 3 going to Outer Reef, Ocean Quest is the most luxurious and extreemly good. As said above both OQ and Kangaroo stay out there and have daily transfer. Kangaroo is a more budget option but still exellent sites.

Scubapro extreemly professional and departs with its full compliment of passengers and so does not have transfers.

All boats have comparable sites.


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Cairns Discount Dive And Snorkel Trips. Live Aboard And Day Trips To The Great Barrier Reef

 

[morayman]

I live in Cairns and have done about a dozen 3 day trips on Mike Ball to the Ribbon reefs. The ribbon reefs (80 KM north of Cairns) are far superior to the reefs directly off cairns. Thousands of people visit the reefs directly off Cairns every day. No day boats go to the ribbon reef dive sites that the liveaboard boats go to on the ribbon reefs so you will lucky if you see another boat in the distance and the only 2 sites you may get 2 liveaboard boats at a night dive site called Challenger Bay (Ribbon Reef #9) and possibly at the Cod Hole (top of ribbon reef #10). Both sites are large so there is an opportunity to spread out.

Density and variety of fish and marine life is a way to describe the ribbons. Just about every where you look you will see stuff. There are many great sites (Steves Bommie, Lighthouse bommie, Pixie Pinacle, Cod Hole, Flare Point, Vertical Gardens (weather dependant), Snake pit - when the conditions are good this is a really interesting site. Howevery my favourite of all is a site called Acropolis - they only started to dive it a few years ago and the life on the site is amazing plus it has some of the best hard coral formations you will see anywhere. (big call but i think it is justified) As for marine life - fantasitic - videoed a 350 kg Qld Grouper last time i dived it (on my facebook page 1 min 20 secs). In addition to this, the 3 day trip takes a detour out to the osprey reef system. There is a shark attraction dive (40-50 white tip and grey whaler sharks) - no hand feeding is done. You perch youself in 15mtrs of water in a natural amphithetre at the the end of oprey reef - they lower a tin full of fish frames and the sharks are attracted to this and come in and swim around and over you. You are not part of the equation and the sharks are not interested in you at all. Have also seen a great hammerhead and mantas at at dive site called "round the bend" at Osprey reef. Rhonopeas (lacey scorpion fish), mantis shrimp, cuttlefish, reef octopus,turtles (loggerhead and hawksbill), leaf scorpoin fish, olive sea snakes, napoleon/Maori/humphead wrasse, bumphed parrot fish (1.2mtrs) are some of the great things you can see on the ribbon reefs - too many to mention them all.

and if that is not enough - you could consider doing a 3 day trip between mid June and Mid July and you could swim with dwarf Minke Whales! (8 mts long baleen whale - very beautiful) - I have done is trip 3 times and it is fantastic and would really recommend it. There is a picture of a Minke whale on my face book site.

hope this helps