Diving the Coral Sea Area

[Marine Science Mermaid]

Good day everyone!

I will be studying abroad in Australia, and intend on heading up to the Great Barrier reef to do some dives. I have been researching liveaboards (Taka, Tusa, Prodive, Mike Ball) and seem to have found that the Spirit of Freedom with Tusa and the Mike Ball expeditions seem to be the best (also had some recommendations for prodive); however, I am still open to suggestions. From here I have been trying to 1) decide between the two, and 2) decide between the 3 day ribbon reef/cod hole dives and the 4 day coral sea dives. To me it seems the 4 day is better. Including some of the colorful ribbon reef but also hitting the larger species offered by the osprey reefs. Is this true? Price isn't really an issue to me (they all seem pretty similar), I am really only concerned with getting the best dives and the most dives (I care less about the condition of the boat since they all seem to be at least decent), and I would be heading up there at the end of September (around the 22nd). I also saw that Mike Ball has some kind of "open deck" thing where you can coordinate your own dive with your buddy; what does that mean?

Sidenote: Is it likely to see a manta with any of these trips at this time of year? Allways loved them and that would be a great bonus!

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[WetPup]

Only Mike Ball and Spirit of Freedom go out to Ribbon Reefs and Osprey - so choose between one of those (Taka no longer operates as I understand it). Much of a muchness really, they're both around the same price and offer a similar standard of liveaboard experience (IMO, Mike Ball is marginally nicer). Figure out which one suits your travel dates better and go with that to be honest.

Mike Ball's open deck is pretty much "we're moving the boat at <insert time here>, please be back on board by <insert time here>, dive deck is open, have fun!". They'll buddy you up with someone of similar experience when you get on the boat on the first day (if you're not travelling with your own buddy), and then you and your buddy decide what time you want to jump in the water as long as you're back on board by the specified time.

Osprey is awesome, and I would highly recommend doing the 4 day Coral Sea trip. You still get a few dives on Ribbon Reefs/Cod Hole even on that trip, so you wouldn't be missing out on it entirely. I've only ever seen one manta at Osprey - I think it's a bit hit and miss to be honest.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

The Ribbon Reef and Far North are definitely the best areas to visit and if you can do the 4 day trip then do look at the Cral Sea trip. As WetPup says its the ultimate really.

Thee trips are a bit more costly, as you fly up one way and motor back which gives more dive time.

The end of September is the end of the Minke Whale season so you may be lucky to get some dives with the whales. Mantas are deeper water critters and can be seen more regularly on the Coral Sea trips.

It is only Mike Ball or Spirit of Freedom do these trips although Taka is running a Friday trip until the end of September.

Plenty of good Outer Reef trips though and these run daily.