Looking for the best 2 day/1 night dive experience

[wordizbon]

Hello. I'm heading to Australia for my birthday (4/4) to get the diving experience of a lifetime I hope in Cairns (GBR). My situation is a bit different as I am bringing my lady with me who can't swim but is taking swimming lessons to hopefully snorkel. I've seen a few options for diving a 2 day 1 night experience as I'm only spending 10 days on the continent and would like to see a bit more than just diving. I've seen charters that also provide snorkeling so that is a pretty good option as I won't be baby sitting while I'm diving and she can snorkel.

Out of curiousity if she decides not to go on the boat and stay on land to do her own thing, any suggestions on which charter service/company provides the best? I've seen a few options around the price range of $500 USD which to me seems pretty good. I do have my own gear and only need tanks. Anyone has experience with this please, I'm looking for suggestions. Thank you!!

Deshawn

 

[Damselfish]

Hello. I'm heading to Australia for my birthday (4/4) to get the diving experience of a lifetime I hope in Cairns (GBR). My situation is a bit different as I am bringing my lady with me who can't swim but is taking swimming lessons to hopefully snorkel. I've seen a few options for diving a 2 day 1 night experience as I'm only spending 10 days on the continent and would like to see a bit more than just diving. I've seen charters that also provide snorkeling so that is a pretty good option as I won't be baby sitting while I'm diving and she can snorkel.

Out of curiousity if she decides not to go on the boat and stay on land to do her own thing, any suggestions on which charter service/company provides the best? I've seen a few options around the price range of $500 USD which to me seems pretty good. I do have my own gear and only need tanks. Anyone has experience with this please, I'm looking for suggestions. Thank you!!

Deshawn

Where else have you been diving? The 2day/1night trips from Cairns I imagine your are looking at are unlikely to give you the dive experience of a lifetime. You need to get further than they can go to get to the better stuff from Cairns, at least a 3-4 night LOB. Not that you shouldn’t do it if thats your only choice, just set your expectations properly.

You might want to look outside the box of “outer reef” boat trips. Perhaps spend a few days at a land based option where you can do day dives and your wife can enjoy. Someplace like Heron Island or Lady Elliot Island.

I believe the name “Great” barrier reef originally was about its size. (I’ve heard it referred to as the “pretty good barrier reef.”)

 

[wordizbon]

Where else have you been diving? The 2day/1night trips from Cairns I imagine your are looking at are unlikely to give you the dive experience of a lifetime. You need to get further than they can go to get to the better stuff from Cairns, at least a 3-4 night LOB. Not that you shouldn’t do it if thats your only choice, just set your expectations properly.

You might want to look outside the box of “outer reef” boat trips. Perhaps spend a few days at a land based option where you can do day dives and your wife can enjoy. Someplace like Heron Island or Lady Elliot Island.

I believe the name “Great” barrier reef originally was about its size. (I’ve heard it referred to as the “pretty good barrier reef.”)

Thanks for the feedback but I'm only 21 dives in so "experience of a lifetime" is relevant to what I've done so far I guess. A night dive, and the "pretty good" will probably be suffice for me. I'm sure as I progress with diving my expectations will grow along with it, but as of right now, my experiences I'm sure, apart from Turks and Caicos, are not the greatest. "Visit Cairns" website has that 6 dive for 2 days 1 night and for an affordable price just to get a taste of Liveaboard diving. I didn't want to use my entire vacation for the year in this one place as I have plans to go to Iceland to dive this summer. Snorkeled there and I must go back to do that Silfra Fissure so.......... Thanks again.

 

[wordizbon]

Where else have you been diving? The 2day/1night trips from Cairns I imagine your are looking at are unlikely to give you the dive experience of a lifetime. You need to get further than they can go to get to the better stuff from Cairns, at least a 3-4 night LOB. Not that you shouldn’t do it if thats your only choice, just set your expectations properly.

You might want to look outside the box of “outer reef” boat trips. Perhaps spend a few days at a land based option where you can do day dives and your wife can enjoy. Someplace like Heron Island or Lady Elliot Island.

I believe the name “Great” barrier reef originally was about its size. (I’ve heard it referred to as the “pretty good barrier reef.”)

So what do you think about this deal?

Visit Cairns - Backpackers Overnight Sailing.

 

[Damselfish]

So what do you think about this deal?

Visit Cairns - Backpackers Overnight Sailing.

Well I wasn’t impressed by the dives I did in that area. I imagine it was very nice once but the areas close to Cairns have been heavily dove for years and looked pretty beat to me even years ago. So just skeptical of claims like “best GBR has to offer”. It is what it is and may suit you fine. IMO theres just too much misleading marketing about the area.
No opinion on the deal as I’m not a no frills gal.

 

[wordizbon]

Well I wasn’t impressed by the dives I did in that area. I imagine it was very nice once but the areas close to Cairns have been heavily dove for years and looked pretty beat to me even years ago. So just skeptical of claims like “best GBR has to offer”. It is what it is and may suit you fine. IMO theres just too much misleading marketing about the area.
No opinion on the deal as I’m not a no frills gal.

Got ya. Any place other than Cairns you dove that you found much better?

 

[Damselfish]

Got ya. Any place other than Cairns you dove that you found much better?

We did a 4 night liveaboard from Cairns and mostly dove some of the ribbon reefs, which were certainly better. Would have preferred a 7 night but wasn’t availability when we needed. We haven’t gotten back. But there is other non-LOB diving that sounds pretty good, like the islands I mentioned that I thought might work for a diver-non couple. If we get back there I might look into those. Not cheap though, and you have to fly to Lady Elliott which adds to the cost and has luggage limits, though supposed to be a scenic flight. I’d also look into diving the Yongala. It may depend some on where all you plan to go.

 

[hotsong]

Hello. I'm heading to Australia for my birthday (4/4) to get the diving experience of a lifetime I hope in Cairns (GBR).

Any reason Cairns specifically? Where else are you spending the 10 days in Australia, and are you absolutely locked in that the diving has to be there?

Might help provide some other options for you.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Cairns local here. Only 2 live aboard offer 2 day 1 night Reef Encounter or OceanQuest. Both similar with daily transfer vessels. Good mix of diving and snorkelling.

If your partner doesn't feel comfortable snorkelling then there's a few day trips that offer things like glass bottom boats, helmet diving (walk underwater with a guide and no swimming experience needed), semi sub etc e.g. Reef Magic. Also lots of land based trips. Maybe drop me a DM and i can outline a few options for land tours etc if you want.
Happy to answer any Cairns dive questions too - here or DM.

 

[wordizbon]

Any reason Cairns specifically? Where else are you spending the 10 days in Australia, and are you absolutely locked in that the diving has to be there?

Might help provide some other options for you.

Yes I'm flying from Sydney to Cairns the day after I arrive.