Experience with ProDive, DiversDen or Reef Encounter

[Roadrunnertoao]

Has someone some experience with the liveaoboards from ProDive, Deep Sea Divers Den and Reef Encounter?
Which one should you choose?
I'm planning to visit Cairns in a few months and want to do a liveaboard.
I've also seen Mike Ball and some other organisations, but they are much more expensive, or are they worth the extra money?

 

[Damselfish]

You get more in amenities and services, as well as fewer passengers, on the more expensive boats. Only you can decide if it's worth it to you. And boats that go to the Coral Sea or northern Ribbon Reefs are going to get you to much better diving than you will get closer to Cairns including what they often call the "outer reef" or at any of those platform things.

 

[altaskier]

To echo Damselfish, there are two categories of liveaboards out of Cairns. In one case you go to the reefs that are a 60-90 minute cruise away and transfer to a boat where you can spend as few or as many nights as you want in that area. But those reefs see all the day boat traffic. The boats like Mike Ball, Spirit of Freedom, and Taka take you on a multiday trip to the reefs much farther north. I've done both Deep Sea Divers Den and Mike Ball. I enjoyed both, but the Mike Ball trip was much, much better.

On my second trip to Cairns, I used DIVE cairns (a broker) to book the trip; they were able to tell me their impression of the different options, since they state that they have experience with them all. I'd use them again if I find myself in Cairns again.

 

[MA]

I've been a few up there and by far recommend paying more. They are worlds apart.

- accomm, food, dive sites, organisation, number of people and their experience (v. little on cheaper boats making a messy dive), safety, dive briefs, marine life, coral,

I would never go on the cheaper liveaboards again.

 

[Roadrunnertoao]

thanks for the posts!!

I've got one problem: i want to start the liveaboard on a Tuesday, and when a take a look at the "cheaper" liveaboards they don't go on a Tuesday.
Does someone knows witch liveaboard also depards on a Tuesday?

 

[Andrew Jones]

Hope this helps Roady.

Taka departs on the Tuesday and comes back on the Friday and is the Cheapest Northern Liveaboard.

I dive with all these guys on a regular basis and this is about as accurate as I can make it without favouring too much towards one or the other because they are all good.

Firstly, Prodive, Deep Sea and Reef Encounter all have daily departures so you could get here first, check out the weather conditions and try picking the best days with the best vis if you have the time.

Both Prodive and Deep Sea play in 2 markets..... Cert Diving and Learn to Dive so out of 28 passengers expect them to have at least half their passengers to be on their 1st - 2nd or 3rd day of a Open water course. Reef Encounter only does small quantities of learn to dive.

Reef Sites - Prodive goes South to Milne and Tetford Reefs which are very nice whilst the other 2 go to the middle grounds of Hastings, Saxon and Norman.

They are all priced very close together except Reef Encounter which offers Top Deck which can be very nice, however as you mentioned price is relativ important.

Now if it was me coming here I would do this.....

Not book before I arrive because I will be able to get spots on all 3 relatively easy. Cross my fingers and hope for a bit of luck on a Standby on Taka which will bring the pricing very close down to the other 3 which will make the decision much easier. If the worst happens and Taka is full you could then make your decision on the other 3.

Cheers Andy

 

[Andrew Jones]

P.S Altaskier..... big thanks for the plug about Dive Cairns