Expat Yank visiting Cairns or Townsville

[charlier]

Work takes me to Townsville or Cairns in January or early February. During my last visit, I visited Alva Beach @Yongala Wreck. I was paired up with a fairly experienced diver and had a very good time.
For my next visit, my wife and I have a choice between Townsville and Cairns. At the tail end of the trip, we will have about two to three days of diving. If we were going to fly into Townsville, we will certainly dive with Yongala Dive. Alternatively, it might be fun to fly into Cairns and experience new scenery. If we visit Cairns, what are the choices for dive sites. My wife and I are not interested in large boats with hold many divers differing levels of experience. Thanks in advance.

 

[WetPup]

The only way to really avoid the large boats in Cairns you speak of is to get onto a liveaboard like Spoilsport or Spirit of Freedom. If you've only got a couple of days, they're not really going to be an option (?), as their itineraries are all 3-4 days.

The other shorter liveaboards and day trip boats take "many divers with differing levels of experience" - admittedly more prevalent on the day trip boats. The reef is too far offshore to make smaller boats a viable option. You won't escape that unless you can get on either Spoilsport or SoF.

As for choices of dive sites, that will depend on the weather and tides that day - you go where the skipper takes you. Obviously if your time and budget allows you a trip on Spoilsport or Spirit of Freedom, your options are better.

 

[charlier]

Thanks for the information, WetPup. After reading earlier posts on short live aboard trips from Cairns, I had a feeling that we would have a better dive experience staying close to Townsville and Alva Beach. We might consider a trip about the Spirit of Freedom (is this the preferred boat) for a 4 day trip to the Coral Sea - an expensive four day trip with 26 divers!

 

[WetPup]

I personally prefer Spoilsport, but to be honest they're pretty much the same standard.

I'd be trying to get out on Spoilsport or SoF to dive Osprey Reef if I were you. Worth it

Not to say the diving off Townsville and Alva is bad, but the Yongala does get a bit monotonous. And Osprey is a more enjoyable dive experience than any of the reef dives off Townsville.

 

[MA]

Osprey is a great trip!!

 

[charlier]

Thanks for the encouragement. I have to think about the a Osprey Reef trip (Coral Sea) - a 4 day trip on the Spoilsport. In general, its so easy for us to go to Raja Amat, Alor, et al., but I've yet to experience the diving in the Coral Sea. So perhaps we will arrive in Cairns for diving.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

I would also go Spoilsport or Spirit but remember they do get booked out very quickly so don't leave it too late.

Having said that there are still a lot of good Outer Reef trips that depart daily and I would look at Ocean Quest or Scubapro as the best of these. 3 day 2 night trips all inclusive. Details of the dive sites can be found on each trips links