Cairns Liveaboard Diving

[MB NZ]

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

Mike Ball offers diving alongside snorkelling with minkie whales. As I remember, there was enough of both to keep me happy.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

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

Yes. The whales are very inquisitive and will swim in to check out the divers if they are in the area.

The snorkeling is where they lay out a long tag line behind the moored up boat to you can swim with them this way.

So on most trips in peak time you see them diving and snorkeling

 

[cetacean]

@myshadeofred

When they come across the Minky's you are only allowed to snorkel with them (true virtually everywhere in the world, now - you used to be able to dive in Rurutu with the humpbacks, but this is now shifted to snorkeling as well).

On the Spirit of Freedom, when you don't find the whales they run a regular dive schedule. They also visit some of the farthest (and best) dive sites on the GBR and out in the Coral Sea.

Basically, if you can reach the area in less than 2 days you are diving the inside or possibly the top of the reef. The most interesting part of the GBR is the outer edge (and farther...)

 

[joao.filipe]

Opening the topic again.
Me and my wife are planning a roadtrip on the east coast, ending with a short liveaboard from Cairns.
We are looking at the ProDive Cairns vs the Ocean Quest. It seems the ProDive focus on Thetford, Flynn, Mills and Pellowe reefs and the Ocean Quest on the Normam, Saxon and Hastings reefs a bit northern. Which one company would you recommend? Thanks!

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Opening the topic again.
Me and my wife are planning a roadtrip on the east coast, ending with a short liveaboard from Cairns.
We are looking at the ProDive Cairns vs the Ocean Quest. It seems the ProDive focus on Thetford, Flynn, Mills and Pellowe reefs and the Ocean Quest on the Normam, Saxon and Hastings reefs a bit northern. Which one company would you recommend? Thanks!

There is not too much difference between the Reef areas both go to. Prodive using MV Scubapro go out and come back 3 days later with the same passengers and crew. Details of their dive sites can be found here.

OceanQuest is more like a floating hotel with daily transfer vessel going out and back and moves from site to site. Full details of their dive sites can be found here.

Both companies are very good. The advantage that Scubapro has is a smaller group with 32 and 6 crew while OceanQuest has up to 48.
few more activities to do on OQ such as options of using fluro lights on night dives (gives a unique perspective) and the accommodation is a little more spacious. You can see pics of the cabin types on the links I gave above.

Happy for you to drop me a PM, but you can't go wrong with either of them. So if you want a smaller boat with fewer people and the same group go for Pro dive. If you want a bit more cabin size and more apres dive areas then go OceanQuest. Dive sites are very comparable and the same amount of dives on each.

 

[Pressurehead]

How is the weather up there at the moment ?
You guys have copped a drenching so far this year, it is very wet here as well, not to the extent you guys have had to endure.
And more on the way.
Stay safe.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

How is the weather up there at the moment ?
You guys have copped a drenching so far this year, it is very wet here as well, not to the extent you guys have had to endure.
And more on the way.
Stay safe.

@Presurehead thanks for that
The weather is beautiful right now and I don't think we will get a drenching like last time.
Winds are the big problem for the operators. Cairns is generally very well geared up for Tropical monsoon downpours but this last one was the heaviest I have seen and I've been here 32 years!!
.

 

[Pressurehead]

Sent my reply as a DM, too much info.

 

[joao.filipe]

@

There is not too much difference between the Reef areas both go to. Prodive using MV Scubapro go out and come back 3 days later with the same passengers and crew. Details of their dive sites can be found here.

OceanQuest is more like a floating hotel with daily transfer vessel going out and back and moves from site to site. Full details of their dive sites can be found here.

Both companies are very good. The advantage that Scubapro has is a smaller group with 32 and 6 crew while OceanQuest has up to 48.
few more activities to do on OQ such as options of using fluro lights on night dives (gives a unique perspective) and the accommodation is a little more spacious. You can see pics of the cabin types on the links I gave above.

Happy for you to drop me a PM, but you can't go wrong with either of them. So if you want a smaller boat with fewer people and the same group go for Pro dive. If you want a bit more cabin size and more apres dive areas then go OceanQuest. Dive sites are very comparable and the same amount of dives on each.

Thanks a lot for all the detailed info! Much appreciated!
I'll let the wife decide and I'll let you guys know the final decision

And do you think is absolutely worth it the extra cost (and need for the extra day) to join the Spirit of Freedom and dive the outer reef?

 

[Mike1967]

And do you think is absolutely worth it the extra cost (and need for the extra day) to join the Spirit of Freedom and dive the outer reef?

Definitely!