I will be in Australia in January and wanted to do a 3 or 4 day liveaboard in the GBR. My girlfriend is a new diver (just certified in December 2006) and is really only comfortable to about 20 meters or less. What do you suggest? Are the dives on the 3 and 4 day itineraries easy enough? Or are we better off just doing the day trip boats?
New diver - suggestions for a GBR liveaboard
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Hey mate, I was there in November. I went on a pro dive boat out of Cairns. I had just gotten my OW and went on a liveaboard. I did extensive research on this ahead of time and booked at the last minute. My advice would be as follows:
There are 3 kinds of diving from Cairns (and probably everywhere else) to the GBR. You have the shore stuff where you visit highly trafficked areas with some reef and cool stuff, the cheaper liveaboards where you stay relatively close to shore and then the pricey Mike Ball type stuff where you're way farther out. The diving quality increases as I talk about those 3 options.
I would avoid the shore diving as it will be crowded and do you really want to spend 4 hours on a crowded boat every day cruising?
I chose a Pro Dive 4 day trip. You can actually extend it at sea if you want. They'll just ferry you to another boat. The people on board were mostly younger backpacker types with a bit of everyone mixed in. Half the boat was doing their OW course. The first two days are good because only a subset of you will be doing actual diving.
The boat was nice and reasonably comfortable. I'd bring an iPod with an FM adapter as radio in Australia is TERRIBLE. Hope you like the outside as the TV is as well. Somehow they think that CSI:Miami is the equivalent of the Sopranos.
We got 4 dives in a day at different places depending on weather. We also did night dives. I did my advanced course while on board. Some of the dives were not as good as I was doing the course, but it was fun.
None of the diving was overly deep. We did a deep dive on my course, but there wasn't a lot down there, but for a massive turtle.
The trip was around $400 for the 4 days.
The boats that go farther out have better diving, but they also have currents and are not recommended for beginners. I think I'd want to do much more diving before I tried them. You'd also be looking at more money for these.
The boats have anything from bunk beds to cabins. It just depends on price.
The food was ok. There was a lot of processed meat and the like and you are sort of cattled in to the feeding process. I wans't hugely happy with this, but I sort of fit in between demographics. I'm young enough to want a boat full of fun people, but also have enough money to afford the better diving with people who are more settled and boring. I was never hungry and there are biscuits and snacks around. They'll advise you on what you need to bring.
The crew were nice and professional.
I'd suggest the following:
Screw the shore diving. Way too much effort for too little reward.
Do the closer boat diving as it is cheaper and more suited to your GF.
The couples did seem to like the trip. You have fun activities to do together and some nice scenery. Getting a decent cabin could also help.
Make SURE you go to this old guy who does a review of the different sea life there. He's some old Irish guy in Cairns, who has been doing this forever. He will help you out greatly and it's a fun thing to do the night before. ProDive included it.
The water will be warm in December. Our cook did a night dive in shorts in November. Bring sunscreen.
Have fun.
Make sense?
There are 3 kinds of diving from Cairns (and probably everywhere else) to the GBR. You have the shore stuff where you visit highly trafficked areas with some reef and cool stuff, the cheaper liveaboards where you stay relatively close to shore and then the pricey Mike Ball type stuff where you're way farther out. The diving quality increases as I talk about those 3 options.
I would avoid the shore diving as it will be crowded and do you really want to spend 4 hours on a crowded boat every day cruising?
I chose a Pro Dive 4 day trip. You can actually extend it at sea if you want. They'll just ferry you to another boat. The people on board were mostly younger backpacker types with a bit of everyone mixed in. Half the boat was doing their OW course. The first two days are good because only a subset of you will be doing actual diving.
The boat was nice and reasonably comfortable. I'd bring an iPod with an FM adapter as radio in Australia is TERRIBLE. Hope you like the outside as the TV is as well. Somehow they think that CSI:Miami is the equivalent of the Sopranos.
We got 4 dives in a day at different places depending on weather. We also did night dives. I did my advanced course while on board. Some of the dives were not as good as I was doing the course, but it was fun.
None of the diving was overly deep. We did a deep dive on my course, but there wasn't a lot down there, but for a massive turtle.
The trip was around $400 for the 4 days.
The boats that go farther out have better diving, but they also have currents and are not recommended for beginners. I think I'd want to do much more diving before I tried them. You'd also be looking at more money for these.
The boats have anything from bunk beds to cabins. It just depends on price.
The food was ok. There was a lot of processed meat and the like and you are sort of cattled in to the feeding process. I wans't hugely happy with this, but I sort of fit in between demographics. I'm young enough to want a boat full of fun people, but also have enough money to afford the better diving with people who are more settled and boring. I was never hungry and there are biscuits and snacks around. They'll advise you on what you need to bring.
The crew were nice and professional.
I'd suggest the following:
Screw the shore diving. Way too much effort for too little reward.
Do the closer boat diving as it is cheaper and more suited to your GF.
The couples did seem to like the trip. You have fun activities to do together and some nice scenery. Getting a decent cabin could also help.
Make SURE you go to this old guy who does a review of the different sea life there. He's some old Irish guy in Cairns, who has been doing this forever. He will help you out greatly and it's a fun thing to do the night before. ProDive included it.
The water will be warm in December. Our cook did a night dive in shorts in November. Bring sunscreen.
Have fun.
Make sense?
Darnold9999
Contributor
Would agree with general, except that the diving further out is not particularly advanced. Four on the Mike Ball trip I did were doing their advanced Open Water as part of the trip and I believe they were doing it immediately after their open water.
Pretty easy diving. Easy to stay at 20M or less - in fact I only went to 30M once and that was completely unneccessary, but my buddy wanted to see the bottom at the boat, instead of going down the line.
Money is an issue however, lots more money for the longer trips.
Pretty easy diving. Easy to stay at 20M or less - in fact I only went to 30M once and that was completely unneccessary, but my buddy wanted to see the bottom at the boat, instead of going down the line.
Money is an issue however, lots more money for the longer trips.
Louwphotography
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My husband and I are going on Mike Ball's 4-day, 3-night Cod Hole expedition. Their site says it is suitable for novice divers, and I just got certified this weekend.
Someone asked a similar question here in June but unfortunately it got lost when Scubaboard went down. I remember though many people posting that several GBR liveaboards were suitable for new divers, including Mike Ball.
Someone asked a similar question here in June but unfortunately it got lost when Scubaboard went down. I remember though many people posting that several GBR liveaboards were suitable for new divers, including Mike Ball.
We have been out to the Coral Sea (Cod Hole) a few times and always on the Spirit of Freedom. We are booked on the SOF again this Oct (7 day trip).
There are some steep walls so you have to be aware of your depth, but I have always found the diving to be easy.
There is a Manta Ray cleaning station that is around 120' and a bit of a swim from where you drop in on the reef.
I believe there are 4 ops now going to the Cod Hole. SOF, Mike Ball, Nimrod Explorer and Taka. I also believe that SOF has been making the trek out to the Cod Hole longer than anyone else.
Here is the link to SOF's web site. She is the only live aboard that we have been on in Australia. She is the largest live aboard in the country and it is pretty luxurious. The next best thing to the diving is the food -
http://www.spiritoffreedom.com.au/
Cheers
Steve
There are some steep walls so you have to be aware of your depth, but I have always found the diving to be easy.
There is a Manta Ray cleaning station that is around 120' and a bit of a swim from where you drop in on the reef.
I believe there are 4 ops now going to the Cod Hole. SOF, Mike Ball, Nimrod Explorer and Taka. I also believe that SOF has been making the trek out to the Cod Hole longer than anyone else.
Here is the link to SOF's web site. She is the only live aboard that we have been on in Australia. She is the largest live aboard in the country and it is pretty luxurious. The next best thing to the diving is the food -
http://www.spiritoffreedom.com.au/
Cheers
Steve
Sorry didn't mean to mislead you. When I had inquired about the farther away trips I was told that you had to be intermediate due to the currents. I'd certainly ask the operators directly. They are resonsible for your safety so I'm sure they'll give you good advice.
general:
It's always good to ask the op questions directly.
We have only been on 2 dives out of 50 where there was any current at all. Of those 2, 1 was really ripping and none of us took cameras. But with the skiff's taking us out and picking us up it was still a nice dive. Newer divers might not want to make those dives without a guide. And they have plenty of DM's and Instructors on board the SOF.
Also all divers make a couple of "check dives" the first day - if they feel you need it, they will assign you to a dive guide until they are comfortable allowing you to dive on your own. I find that to be an excellent way to run the operation.
Cheers
Steve
Reef Teach - this is both very entertaining and very informative.general:
As far as the diving goes, check out Taka Dive. They do 4 day liveaboards out to the Cod Hole, I think, and have had some very good reports. Do a search on here and you should find some trip reports. Personally I'd go on this trip or with Mike Ball, as the 'cheaper' liveaboards tend to dive the same spots as the day boats, and the coral is quite damaged in some spots.
I think this should read 'day trips', as there is no 'shore diving' out of Cairns - too many nasties in the water.general:
Yeah, reef teach was it. Great way to spend a night especially if you're going out the next day. It will get you hyped up for the trip.
I didn't mean diving at the shore, I meant the day trips to the reefs. You spend hours on boats heading out. Not supposed to be fun. If the dive ops are saying it's fine for your gf, and I were in your shoes and had the money I'd go for the better boats that go farther out. Better diving and better amenities, but probably a more sedate bunch. The good thing about going with someone you dive with is that you don't risk pairing with a novice dive buddy who isn't very good on their air.
I didn't mean diving at the shore, I meant the day trips to the reefs. You spend hours on boats heading out. Not supposed to be fun. If the dive ops are saying it's fine for your gf, and I were in your shoes and had the money I'd go for the better boats that go farther out. Better diving and better amenities, but probably a more sedate bunch. The good thing about going with someone you dive with is that you don't risk pairing with a novice dive buddy who isn't very good on their air.
Carl_Fallon
Contributor
G'Day guys,
I would pay a little more and stick with the higher end operators. I just returned from Cairns 2 weeks ago and I took 12 people on Mike Ball. Some were Open Water, others were advanced and so on. The diving off Osprey Reef is second to none. I havent stopped raving about the trip since we got back. Mike Ball is the most renound Live-a-board on the reef. People in Australia ask is it as good as Mike Ball. He really does set a standard. The service is brilliant, the food is awesome, and boat is extremly comfortable even in rough conditions. Every one of my 12 crew where extremly happy with the service and i have no hesitations in recomending Mike Ball to anyone.
It is your Holliday, and for only a little more $$$ you can take all the guessing out of who to go with. I would pay the difference and go with Mike Ball!
Yours Truly,
Carl Fallon.
I would pay a little more and stick with the higher end operators. I just returned from Cairns 2 weeks ago and I took 12 people on Mike Ball. Some were Open Water, others were advanced and so on. The diving off Osprey Reef is second to none. I havent stopped raving about the trip since we got back. Mike Ball is the most renound Live-a-board on the reef. People in Australia ask is it as good as Mike Ball. He really does set a standard. The service is brilliant, the food is awesome, and boat is extremly comfortable even in rough conditions. Every one of my 12 crew where extremly happy with the service and i have no hesitations in recomending Mike Ball to anyone.
It is your Holliday, and for only a little more $$$ you can take all the guessing out of who to go with. I would pay the difference and go with Mike Ball!
Yours Truly,
Carl Fallon.
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