Help! i need a cheap liveaboard to Osprey Reef / Cod Hole

[RadioShack]

hey all,

i'm planning a trip to sydney for work, and will have a bit of free time to go play in Cairns. I'm in the process of getting an SSI OW cert so i can go out diving with the girlfriend. This trip will be happening sometime in the next 5 weeks, most probably the week of Feb 25.

She's pushing hard to find a 3 or 4 day liveaboard that will hit Osprey Reef and Cod Hole... but i'm not really finding much due to our restraints. here's what i really need and i'm hoping somebody (either a regular, a local or an employee) can help us with:

-Departs Cairns (or the surrounding area) on Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues
-hits Osprey Reef and Cod Hole (and anything else you recommend)
-3, 4 or 5 day
-as cost efficient as possible

i know mike ball's name get's thrown around alot, as does UE... but they seem REALLY expensive compared to some of the 3 day setups i've seen. i realize i'm paying for longer travel time and such, but $1500 x 2 people is a LOT of money!

so... any suggestions on how to best (and cheaply) get out to Osprey Reef and Cod Hole would be appreciated.

 

[cdiver2]

hey all,

i'm planning a trip to sydney for work, and will have a bit of free time to go play in Cairns. I'm in the process of getting an SSI OW cert so i can go out diving with the girlfriend. This trip will be happening sometime in the next 5 weeks, most probably the week of Feb 25.

She's pushing hard to find a 3 or 4 day liveaboard that will hit Osprey Reef and Cod Hole... but i'm not really finding much due to our restraints. here's what i really need and i'm hoping somebody (either a regular, a local or an employee) can help us with:

-Departs Cairns (or the surrounding area) on Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues
-hits Osprey Reef and Cod Hole (and anything else you recommend)
-3, 4 or 5 day
-as cost efficient as possible

i know mike ball's name get's thrown around alot, as does UE... but they seem REALLY expensive compared to some of the 3 day setups i've seen. i realize i'm paying for longer travel time and such, but $1500 x 2 people is a LOT of money!

so... any suggestions on how to best (and cheaply) get out to Osprey Reef and Cod Hole would be appreciated.

At these guys, I would recommend them http://diversionoz.com/en/qld-cairns.htm

 

[Rwhiting]

It' been a few years, but I did the Cod Hole/Coral Sea 5 day/4 night trip on the Taka.
http://www.taka.com.au/package_1.htm

It was a great trip. It sounds like the boat has either been renovated or it's an altogether new boat. When I went, it was kind of crowded and less than brand new. Still, the diving was spectacular and the length was perfect - long enough to get a good number of dives in, but short enough to not be overly costly and take up too much of a too short Australian vacation.

I also second cdiver2's recommendation of Diversionoz. I'm working with them on a trip to PNG as part of another trip to Australia, and Bettina has been everything one could ask of a travel agent - knowledgable, responsive and very helpful with complicated itineraries.

Have a great time in OZ!
Rich

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Undersea Explorer is good value.

 

[RadioShack]

It' been a few years, but I did the Cod Hole/Coral Sea 5 day/4 night trip on the Taka.
http://www.taka.com.au/package_1.htm

I also second cdiver2's recommendation of Diversionoz. I'm working with them on a trip to PNG as part of another trip to Australia, and Bettina has been everything one could ask of a travel agent - knowledgable, responsive and very helpful with complicated itineraries.

Have a great time in OZ!
Rich

unfortunately i doubt i can make it from sydney to Cairns for a 5pm pickup from my hotel... so the taka 5 day is out we're now looking at a taka 4 day or a ride on the Nimrod. it will take us to Cod Hole but not Osprey Reef, but should be a good comprimise.

thanks everyone for your help... i'll let you know how it all turns out

 

[RadioShack]

*sigh* ok so we've ended up doing the complete oposite of my parameters, changed all of our plans and will now be doing a 6 day Undersea Explorer trip to Osprey Reef and Cod Hole! I'm very stoked on the idea of multiple days at Osprey Reef and Cod Hole.

We booked thru DiversionOz... and they were VERY helpful and totally awesome to work with.

We'll let you know how the trip goes with an epic write-up style i've been accustomed to on motorcycle trips.

 

[caymaniac]

*sigh* ok so we've ended up doing the complete oposite of my parameters, changed all of our plans and will now be doing a 6 day Undersea Explorer trip to Osprey Reef and Cod Hole! I'm very stoked on the idea of multiple days at Osprey Reef and Cod Hole.

We booked thru DiversionOz... and they were VERY helpful and totally awesome to work with.

We'll let you know how the trip goes with an epic write-up style i've been accustomed to on motorcycle trips.

You won't be sorry. My wife and I were there a number of years ago..2003. We took a five day out of Port Douglas, the "Diversity". We were there in end of June begin of July. Minke whales, dolphins coming away from Cod Hole, at Osprey we did shark dive and don't forget to look for flashlight fish on night dives.

 

[RadioShack]

should be a total giggle. i'm excited and the girlfriend is basically doing backflips

we leave Saturday, but won't be to Cairns for like 3 weeks. talk about anticipation :11:

 

[caymaniac]

should be a total giggle. i'm excited and the girlfriend is basically doing backflips

we leave Saturday, but won't be to Cairns for like 3 weeks. talk about anticipation :11:

My wife and I really enjoyed Cairns, there are alot of tourist things to do and plenty of restaurants to eat at. I hope you have a great time
:14:

 

[Shasta_man]

You got them priorities all mixed there, RadioShack.

Remember it's "dive" then "everything else" when on vacation.

I mean, what if weather cut the diving short?! The whole vacation would be for nothing!