Day trips vs. liveaboard from Cairns and Port Douglas

[aindfan]

Hi everyone,

I'm working on planning a few days in Cairns/Port Douglas in October. Unfortunately, a tight schedule (and lack of availability) will prevent me from going with Mike Ball or Spirit of Freedom, so I've been looking into the differences between the dives covered by day trips and liveaboards in the area.

Just as I was about to book a 3day/2night trip with OceanQuest, I realized that their (Deep Sea Divers Den) day trip boat (ReefQuest?) appears to visit the same set of dive sites. If I link together a few day trips, I get a bit more flexibility during my short stay (and better accommodate the snorkeler that I'm traveling with). For the three days, my day trip-based plan now looks like:

- 1 or 2 days of 3-dive trips from Cairns
- 1 or 2 days of 3-dive trips from Port Douglas (if 1 day, Agincourt Reef, if 2 days, possibly Agincourt Reef followed by Opal Reef). I'm considering doing this with Blue Dive (any thoughts on going with them vs. just Poseidon or Calypso?).

(Another alternative is to dive 2 days and hike in the national park(s) the third day.)

Has anyone else worked through this question recently and have any other thoughts that I should consider? I appreciate any advice that you have!

While I'm quite comfortable in the water, I'm a relatively inexperienced diver (just under 20 dives in the few years since I was open water certified). It sounds like the conditions at the Great Barrier Reef (shallow depth, manageable currents) are usually fine for this experience level, but I'm not sure how I feel about the unguided dives with a buddy that I've never met. (My only experience so far has been on guided dives, usually groups of up to eight.)

Thanks!

 

[George Price]

If you can get a short term liveaboard at either Cairns or Port Douglas, you've do a lot more diving and a lot less chundering. The Vomit Comets from both ports get paid by the load to shuttle out and back from the reef. It's about an hour to the reef from each place, so you'll spend two hours rocketing along for every hour of actual diving. This means two 45 minute dives per day, max. On a liveaboard there's less tearing hurry. You'll get 3 to 4 dives per day and actually enjoy the experience.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

No overnight trips from Port Douglas only a few day trips.

There is actually another almost identical thread about this if you search this forum too. Anyway, as George says you get more dives with an overnight trip and remember your food and accommodation is included. Work out the price of accommodation for a night plus meals and add it to the day trip price. Then compare to an overnight.

You can do 2 day 1 night trips out of Cairns and get 7 dives (e.g. Ocean Quest).

I would suggest a 2 day 1 night trip (OQ or Kangaroo Explorer with 6 dives but cheaper then OQ) and then a day trip out of Port with ABC dive or Poseidon. That will give a lot of variety.

October by the way is one of the best months here. Sept and Oct are beautiful with traditionally calm waters adn warm water, so you should get a great trip and not worry about sea sickness.

 

[sharpysharpy]

I'm quite interested in your experiences as im headed to Cairns in Australia mid-December and would like to dive the Great Barrier Reef. I have my PADI advanced open water qualification.
Been looking at the 3 day/2 night live-aboard tours with full kit hire. I’ve been quoted around $800 Aussie dollars which is approx. £500 sterling. Wondering how this fairs with what you did/paid and if you could recommend a particular company to go with?

Thanks very much

 

[WetPup]

There is no such thing as a cheap trip to the GBR. Just getting that out of the way first

As I posted on your other thread, $800 is a good price. My local liveaboard just south of Cairns charges $895 for a 3 day/2 night itinerary to the reef - and that doesn't even include gear hire.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Send me a PM as there are good cheaper options and I would rather keep these threads as informative rather than commercial.

Or write direct to info@aquaprodive.com

 

[Searcaigh]

Booked up for 2 nights / 3 days on Ocean Quest in November, looking forward to the trip

 

[aindfan]

Thanks for the input, everyone! I ended up doing one night on OceanQuest (7 dives in 2 days) with Deep Sea Divers Den out of Cairns and a day trip on Poseidon (3 dives) out of Port Douglas. I really enjoyed the diving, and I thought that both operations were quite professional (both checked your air before you got in the water and then logged your max depth and bottom time and make you sign the log when you get out, constantly reminding us of the Queensland law on having 50 bar left in the tank when you get back on the boat). I was also lucky enough to have relatively calm sea conditions for the "Vomit comet" rides to and from the reef!

Given the distance from each port to the reef, all three days had a very busy schedule. It felt like at any given time, we were either diving, getting ready to dive, eating, or sleeping.

On OceanQuest, I ended up completing the advanced open water certification (I figured that if I'm doing 5 dives in 24 hours anyway, I might as well). The instructor was great; this was a great way to get a guide for the 5 dives as well.

For relatively new divers (like me), I definitely recommend getting a guide for all of the dives (unless you're already going with a buddy that you're comfortable diving with). The briefings were very thorough, though, and the sites weren't too difficult to navigate (i.e., swim along the reef against the current until you're at half tank or half time, then ascend a bit and turn around to go back to the mooring line for ascent to the boat with a safety stop), and dives were shallow enough that air consumption wasn't a problem for most divers with the 50 minute time limit.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Searcaigh]

50 minute time limit.

There's a 50 minute dive limit?

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

I don't think that's strictly adhered to.

The first 2 dives of the trip are off the transfer vessel and as they move sites they need to set some time limits.

Most experienced divers are ready and waiting so just get in first enabling hour + dives.

Afternoon not a problem cos the boat stays on that site for the night dive.