Liveaboards

[cubbiegirlem]

I am thinking of going on my first liveaboard, and I've been looking at Australia, as I could pair it with a trip to New Zealand, where a family friend is currently living. (I know it's a long flight between the two, but I figure I could do both in a 2 week trip.) I'm thinking about a trip in Fall 2014. My questions are: (1) what ops would you recommend? (2) What area would you focus on? (3) What is the diving like (in terms of depth, difficulty, vis/conditions at that time of year, etc.) (4) Do you recommend a full week trip to see the best areas, or are the shorter trips just as high quality? (I am game for a full week and don't want to miss out on any mist-dive areas, but a shorter trip may help me see other sights, since I've never been to Australia before.)

I'll be on my own, so I'm looking for an operation that will be cool with that and pair me with a buddy. (It sounds like most of them are OK with that, which is one of the reasons I think a liveaboard may be the way to go.) I'd like an operation that gives the option to dive with a divemaster, as I enjoy myself more when I don't have to worry about navigating on my own. (I can use a compass, but my biggest diving fear is not being able to find the boat, so I feel more comfortable with a DM. I always bring a safety sausage, just in case.) I am AOW certified and will have my 50th dive on Saturday (assuming all goes according to plan). I've only been diving a year, but I dive quite a bit locally in the summer, so by the time I do this trip, I will probably have about 75+ dives. I've dove in Belize, Florida, Turks & Caicos, Fiji, and Lake Michigan. My favorite diving was in Fiji, as I love beautiful corals and diverse sealife. (I'm just as happy seeing the little guys as the big guys.) I have not done a ton of diving in strong currents, so I'll probably be more comfortable in somewhat calmer waters. I'm working on building up my leg strength, so fingers crossed I will be stronger by then! I'm nitrox certified, and would prefer an op with nitrox available.

Any advice is much appreciated! I posted a similar thread in the liveaboards forum to get advice on the best places to go as I'm not married to Australia, but I thought I'd also post here in case anyone has specific Australia advice, since that's the way I'm leaning now.

 

[Donnah]

If you are going to spend $$ to get to Australia, you need more than 1 week. It's a huge country. There is a lot to see!
We spent 6 weeks there a number of years ago. One week in Sydney, a visit to friends outside of Melbourne, trip into the interior for Alice Springs and Ayres Rock, week in Cairns hiking and biking, and 8 days on a Mike Ball Liveaboard out of Townsville. We dove the Yongala (a wreck, currents) then spent the rest of the time diving in the Coral Sea. Wonderful diving, great vis (we were 150 miles or so from shore), vibrant reef life. I don't remember the diving as being especially challenging, except for the Yongala, but we did a lot of it.

 

[MA]

For what you're after in terms of liveaboard diving I would really only consider spirit of freedom or mike ball trip to the coral sea (you want to go to osprey). 4 day trip will be sufficient.

As above poster says one week won't give you much time to do anything else, possibly 2 days in Sydney.

have fun!

 

[clownfishsydney]

Only a short flight between NZ and Oz as far as we are concerned. If you are flying all that way from USA, you really want to stay longer if you can. If you want to dive NZ, The Poor Knights is brilliant. Far better diving there than out of Cairns in my view.

 

[cubbiegirlem]

Only a short flight between NZ and Oz as far as we are concerned. If you are flying all that way from USA, you really want to stay longer if you can. If you want to dive NZ, The Poor Knights is brilliant. Far better diving there than out of Cairns in my view.

This is good to know. I don't know why I had in my head that the diving is better in Australia. I may have to expand my search.

Unfortunately, 2 weeks is probably the absolute max I can take--I wish I could stay longer, but this means I will just have to return! Maybe I will just do NZ this trip since my family friend is there and go back for Australia another time when I have more time.

Thanks to all posters for the advice.

 

[recd]

Keep in mind that a liveaboard out of Cairns involves warm tropical coral reef diving. Poor Knights is temperate, at best.