Cairns Liveaboard Diving

[Deep Diving]

Wife and I used Prodive Cairns last December for a 3 day liveaboard. Food was awesome, bring your own alcohol. Rooms were okay. We were in a bunk bed room, due to late booking. We dove 11 times in 2 1/2 days. Dive, eat, sleep, repeat. 2 night dives.

GBR is amazing! But, companies are restricted to the sites they can go to. They pay to have bouys set, and can only go to those buoys, unless they have a deal with another company. We had maybe 10 buoys to choose from, but each one is a different site with new stuff to see.

If we had more time, we would have taken one day excursion out to the reef with different companies just experience different parts of the reef.

I really doubt you could go wrong with any company. We did so much diving that we were too exhausted to do much else.

Happy diving

 

[SurteesDiver]

Just come off Mike Balls Spoilsport (recognising that it’s not one of the two you enquired about). Very well organised trip, great comfortable boat, great crew and great diving. Am interested to see what the videographer produces… was bit annoyed to be directed by him to move off a section of coral so that he could record it when I was the only one there and was there first.

 

[Mguiney]

I contacted Spirit of Freedom and it seems that they don't do guided dives (although perhaps this was just for the Coral Sea trips). I was told that this is standard practice for live-aboards in Australia. I'm a "vacation" diver and have never done a dive without a dive master guiding it. Is the only other option either Reef Encounters or a day trip? And are all of the day trip boats packed with tons of people?
Thanks,
Michaela

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Reef Encounter and Ocean Quest are both overnight boats offering shared guides at extra cost.
On nearly all overnight boats there will be crew in the water with students, or video guys. There is an option just to go with your buddy and stay close to them.
After a few dives I'm sure you will not really need a guide and the buddy set up can be a group or a pair.

 

[MB NZ]

Another vote for Mike Ball. Last trip was in 2014. They let me solo dive with a certification and a redundant gas source, so big thumbs up from me.

 

[SurteesDiver]

Another vote for Mike Ball. Last trip was in 2014. They let me solo dive with a certification and a redundant gas source, so big thumbs up from me.

Yep me too MB. Solo was still ok in 2023, they provided a nice little pony and reg without any issue after sighting my solo cert.

One point though for @Mguiney, they were happy to provide a guide if people wanted one. There was at least one of their team in the water for most of the dives.

 

[MB NZ]

Yep me too MB. Solo was still ok in 2023, they provided a nice little pony and reg without any issue after sighting my solo cert.

That's good to hear, especially after the uptight liveaboard I just did in the Red Sea. We're off to Cairns next winter, but no liveaboard this time, it's a family trip. I may do one or two days diving.

 

[tarponchik]

Keep in mind that SoF goes to the outer reef while most other boats do not. While diving from a liveaboard in Maldives and Raja Ampat you'll see plenty of other liveaboards around, you'll see none from SoF.

 

[Random Bit]

I contacted Spirit of Freedom and it seems that they don't do guided dives (although perhaps this was just for the Coral Sea trips). I was told that this is standard practice for live-aboards in Australia. I'm a "vacation" diver and have never done a dive without a dive master guiding it. Is the only other option either Reef Encounters or a day trip? And are all of the day trip boats packed with tons of people?
Thanks,
Michaela

While this is technically correct, there are several “safety” diver masters who spend the dive pointing out interesting aquatic sites and fish. You are welcome to follow them or go your own way (or both).

 

[myshadeofred]

I know it's not in your list but I highly recommend Spirit of Freedom, they're amazing!

Spirit of Freedom - Diving Liveaboard Cairns

Dive the Great Barrier Reef on Australia's best liveaboard. Discover stunning coral reefs and amazing marine life on scuba diving trips.

www.spiritoffreedom.com.au

I see they have an option to swim with the Minkyewhale, but can you also Dive?