Liveaboard - change itinerary for ribbon reef?

[Christina D]

My boyfriend and I are heading to Australia in November and are going to a wedding in Brisbane, then heading to the Great Barrier Reef for a week, and then to Sydney before we fly back. We're trying to figure out the best liveaboard and dive location options.

Our plan was to do a 3 day liveaboard, but the Ribbon Reef/Cod Hole boat is all full for the week we had in mind. Our options are to dive somewhere else, or completely change our trip to go from Brisbane to Sydney back toPort Douglas via Brisbane and then back to the states.

We are going to be learning to dive this fall before our trip so we'll be fairly new to diving. Would you recommend changing our trip around so we can go to the Ribbon Reefs/Cod Hole? Or doing a ProDive trip to Flynn, Milln, Thetford? Or doing an outer reef dive? Or doing an island dive?

Many thanks!

 

[Rainer]

We're basically doing your exact itinerary, but in September.

Headed from LAX to Brisbane, spending some time there and on the Gold Coast, heading up to Cairns, four days on the Great Barrier Reef (this trip: Cairns 4 Day Dive Adventure - Coral Sea & Ribbon Reef Diving), then headed down to Sydney.

The outer reefs do sound nicer and a liveaboard does avoid the need for daily long boat rides out and back.

If you want to do the three day trip, I would suggest at least contacting the operator and putting your name on the waitlist. You never know what opens up.

Good luck and enjoy your trip! Our friend, with whom we're staying in Brisbane, is getting married in November, too (sadly, after we already return to the US).

 

[WetPup]

There are 2 boats that go to Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs. Did you check both? Your post implies you only checked one...

1. Mike Ball
2. Spirit of Freedom

 

[Dan]

Check out Liveaboard.com: Search Results

I'm going with Spoilsport on Nov 21 trip & they still have 2 spaces left: Spoilsport Liveaboard

 

[Christina D]

There are 2 boats that go to Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs. Did you check both? Your post implies you only checked one...

1. Mike Ball
2. Spirit of Freedom

Yeah but Mike ball is full that week. we would have to change our itinerary to go with his boat our last week. That would mean flying from Brisbane to Sydney and back to Brisbane and then diving and then flying back to the states. Is it worth it?

Spirit of freedom isn't going that week because they are doing their northern dive.

 

[Christina D]

Check out Liveaboard.com: Search Results

I'm going with Spoilsport on Nov 21 trip & they still have 2 spaces left: Spoilsport Liveaboard

Yeah that's Mike balls boat (learning this through lots of research). We would have to fly back and forth- trying to figure out if it's worth it.

 

[Christina D]

We're basically doing your exact itinerary, but in September.

Headed from LAX to Brisbane, spending some time there and on the Gold Coast, heading up to Cairns, four days on the Great Barrier Reef (this trip: Cairns 4 Day Dive Adventure - Coral Sea & Ribbon Reef Diving), then headed down to Sydney.

The outer reefs do sound nicer and a liveaboard does avoid the need for daily long boat rides out and back.

If you want to do the three day trip, I would suggest at least contacting the operator and putting your name on the waitlist. You never know what opens up.

Good luck and enjoy your trip! Our friend, with whom we're staying in Brisbane, is getting married in November, too (sadly, after we already return to the US).

Wait list is a great idea

 

[Christina D]

Would love to know if you all think we should change our itinerary or go with prodive to the outer reefs!

 

[Wookie]

I've done the far north itinerary, the Cod Hole itinerary, the Taka GBR 3 day itinerary, and the Yongala on separate trips. My honest advice is that GBR diving is Meh at best, and if I had any advice to give it would be to fly from Cairns to Madang PNG and dive there. If your heart is set on diving the GBR, then wait for a Mike Ball slot to open up, because being on a Mike Ball boat is worth the mediocre diving, but if you are just going for amazing diving, you won't find it on the Great Barrier Reef. It is worth changing your itinerary to go someplace awesome, and there is awesome diving in that part of the world, but in my opinion, the Great Barrier Reef isn't it.

 

[WetPup]

Yeah but Mike ball is full that week. we would have to change our itinerary to go with his boat our last week. That would mean flying from Brisbane to Sydney and back to Brisbane and then diving and then flying back to the states. Is it worth it?

Spirit of freedom isn't going that week because they are doing their northern dive.

Is it worth it? Is this likely to be your only trip to Australia? If so, then I would consider changing your itinerary. I do think Cod Hole (and Lighthouse Bommie ) is worth it. But if you are likely to come back one day, then maybe the day trips off Cairns or Port Douglas can tide you over.