Diving Great Barrier Reef

[Aquapro Dive Services]

The Ribbon Reef trips like Mike Ball and Spirit of Freedom have a one way flight included hence the cost hike.

With the Cairns Outer Reef trips there are cheaper boats but generally the boats are a bit older and slower so you get less dives. For example Kangaroo Explorer is a decent trip but over 3 days you get 10 dives compared to Ocean Quest where you get 12.

I agree they are not cheap but add up the cost of land accommodation food and day trips over 3 days, and it works out a better deal with more dive time.

Outer Reef trips you wont get drift or wall dives as such. You moor up at Reef areas suitable for all levels of diver, so less adventurous for very experienced divers, but still lots to see.

You don't get down welling her as we are on the continental shelf and as such weak tides with around 1.5m (4 ft) swell on average. No oceanic currents. Ribbon reef areas do have stronger currents but again very controlled dives.

From the sound of your experience I would be looking at the Ribbon reef trips like Mike Ball or SOF if you can stretch that far. After all it's a once in a life time experience. Both offer nitrox courses as well, which his less common on the Outer reef trips (Ocean Quest now does nitrox)

 

[boulderjohn]

There is a huge difference between diving the reefs on a day boat and diving them on a liveaboard. IMO, the liveaboard is well worth the extra money.

 

[Damselfish]

There's some places that are heavily promoted, constantly written about, so on many divers bucket lists. While some of these places actually are great, some were once great but not so much anymore, and some were always mostly just marketing. I consider the Blue Hole in Belize to be one of those over hyped places, and the GBR another, at least parts of it. (Conversely, there are some great places that don't get as much attention.)

Diving what they call the "outer reef" from a day boat, or one of those pseudo liveaboards that they run you out to, may technically be diving the GBR. But it's little like diving the GBR the tourism pictures are from. If I were making a special trip to the region to dive I'd only consider real liveaboards out to the Ribbon Reefs, further north the better. Ideally I'd try to get to the Yongala, Coral Sea, Osprey Reef (which I haven't done.) I wasn't impressed by Cod Hole and wouldn't go out of my way to do that - if it's on an itinerary you otherwise want fine, but not as a main goal. Note that it's been a long time since we've been there so I have no personal knowledge of the current coral bleaching event. There seems to be lots of conflicting info out there.

If you just want great diving and can't swing a real liveaboard to the better parts of the GBR or Coral Sea, I would research other Indo-Pacific destinations. The Philippines have some great diving and tend to be a good value. Stuff is inexpensive there.

 

[boulderjohn]

I first dived the GBR about 15 years ago, and I did it again 2 years ago. The difference was HUGE. The person in charge of diving on my liveaboard said that in his opinion, the GBR would not be worth diving in 20 years.

Before we did that liveaboard trip, we did a day dive out of Cairns. We were on a massive boat with seemingly hundreds of divers (OK, it's an exaggeration). They divided us into groups. On the way out, a crew member sat down with our group and reviewed pretty much the entire OW course. (That is only a slight exaggeration.) They must have thought it was necessary. If there was anyone else on the boat with their own equipment other than me and my two friends, I didn't see it. I told our DM that in case of an OOA emergency, I would be donating my primary, and she asked, "Why would you do that?" I showed her my setup, with the long hose and bungeed alternate. She had clearly never seen it before, and I explained the whole thing to her. She was concerned enough to report it to other crew members--at least 4 other crew members came by to see my strange gear arrangement with their own eyes. I suspect there as a debate as to whether I would be allowed to use it, although I can't be sure.

 

[boulderjohn]

I wasn't impressed by Cod Hole and wouldn't go out of my way to do that - if it's on an itinerary you otherwise want fine, but not as a main goal.

In the years that passed between my GBR visits, the Cod Hole dive changed dramatically. It is not something I would like to repeat.

Years ago, when the divers reached the Cod Hole, the huge Potato Cods would arrive in a group. the DM would feed them little fish by holding them over your mask, and you got to look down the gullet of the cod that came to take it. I was a fairly new diver then, and I thought it was pretty cool. I looked at the video later and saw that only one cod--the dominant one--did any eating. The rest just hung around hoping he would become full and let someone else take a turn.

Now there is another fish participating, a big red one, the name of which escapes me. These fish have neither manners nor respect for the dominant cod, and they whole bunch of them will fight for those fish. They are a royal pain, and IMO that part of the dive is a bust. Just get it over with and then explore the area.

 

[Dan]

I went (24 hour flight from Houston to Cairns) to Cod Hole to see the Potato Cod, but none was seen then (November 2016). Very disappointing!

Recently I went (2 hour flight from Houston to Fort Lauderdale) to see tons (by weight) of Goliath Grouper & schooling fish for much less $$ & time in Jupiter. So, Forget Cod Hole.

 

[Damselfish]

When I went there were a couple cod. The big one that ate everything, and a couple small ones that hung around. It was like a zoo experience, only with less animals. More depressing than interesting.

 

[WetPup]

I started diving on the GBR in 1996. It's where I did my OW and AOW certs. It's changed a lot - it ebbs and flows though. I've seen it get smashed by crown of thorns starfish infestations and cyclones, and it has come back. I still think it's worth visiting, but I'm a lot more picky now about where I spend my money. I've done some of the GBR day trips (visiting non-diving family wanted to go to the reef etc.), and if you've literally only got a day up your sleeve, then that's your only option. I wouldn't do it myself anymore, because I would rather save my money and spend it on a liveaboard out to Osprey Reef.

Like others have said, it depends on how much time you've got and your budget. Do I personally think the day trips are worth it? No. But if that's your only option, then maybe they are.

 

[John (JT) Ladd]

Good afternoon everyone. Amy and I just read through all your posts and greatly appreciate your experience and input. We are also looking at Bali as well. Really wanted to do the GBR, but will have to weight that option with all the data you have given us. Thank you again so much. As always, DIVERS are awesome people.

Regards:
JT and Amy

 

[pelan-pelan]

I'm late to this thread. Only recently booked to spend a few days in Port Douglas. Thanks for the information, I'm afraid it has only confirmed what I had researched elsewhere.

Port Douglas - is there any diving/snorkelling worth doing for a day? Weed beds, sand flats, critters, reef features? Not necessarily mind-blowing, but well-organised and generally interesting. Experiences in Indonesia and the Caribbean - ignore the weed beds just off the coast road/market kiosks etc at your peril.

John Ladd - you will find lots of advice about Bali on the Indonesia thread. Pick the right location and you will see lots of amazing things. Just don't let black sand put you off. We were diving with some folk who favour Jupiter, Florida and the Caribbean. They were very unsure to start off with. After two dives they were completely blown away.