Best day trips?

[jlevitt]

Hi, all. My wife and I (100-200 dives, mostly Caribbean and some Pacific) are looking into to dive, say, 4 or 5 days out of 6 in March. Acknowledging that some of the best diving is via liveaboard, we're trying to scout out alternatives to the liveaboard experience, and so wanted to ask the group for recommendations on day-trip diving, from shore as home base. Extra bonus points if the boat trip from shore to reef is less than an hour. Beyond that, we're immensely flexible on location -- northeast, east, west, island, mainland, whatever. Where should we be looking?

Thanks in advance for any advice (including "forget it, get yourself on a liveaboard")...

 

[WetPup]

NSW: South West Rocks
QLD: Yongala
QLD: A day trip off Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef (the lob's are better, but still worth a visit for a day regardless)
WA: Ningaloo (March is whale shark season)

Realistically you need to pick a state and stick with it for such a short amount of time. You'll spend the best part of a day dealing with flying interstate otherwise.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Hi, all. My wife and I (100-200 dives, mostly Caribbean and some Pacific) are looking into to dive, say, 4 or 5 days out of 6 in March.

If you want to dive 4 or 5 out of 6 days, then in Queensland you will basically have to dive the same location. Therefore, you could pick Cairns or Port Douglas as one choice, Townsville for another and that is really about it (assuming you want to do GBR).

If you come to New South Wales, then you could do a day at Byron Bay, a day at Coffs Harbour and a day at South West Rocks. You could double up on any of these for a second day. All are close enough together to drive to the other after you finishing a day's diving. See my web site for more information about these locations: Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site

 

[MA]

I also vote for the northern NSW locations. Particularly if you like big stuff

You might also consider stradbroke island off Brisbane.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Very varied diving depending on what you want.

If you do end up coming far north to Cairns then Tusa or Reef Quest would be my pick as one of the best day trips followed by Silverswift.

On a budget look at Sea Quest (similar to Reef Quest but doubles up as a transfer vessel to the overnight boat).

You can always do a short 2 day 1 night trips to get a bit more value for money e.g. Ocean Quest or Kangaroo Explorer

 

[jlevitt]

Thanks, all. I really appreciate the feedback thus far (and more is always welcome). Thank you so very much for the recommendations...

 

[Searcaigh]

I can also recommend Sea Quest / Ocean Quest out of Cairns, having just done that trip last week, plus you can stay out for several nights.

The accommodation and crew are top class, although the diving failed to meet my expectations.

The best dives so far on my current trip have been with Yongala Dive on the SS Yongala and with Sunreef on a local reef out of Mooloolaba north of Brisbane as well as HMAS Brisbane.

 

[Tbar]

If your around Brisbane...

Stradbroke Island is just off Brisbane and has some great dive opportunities, as well as great beaches... Manta Lodge and Scuba Centre : Stradbroke Island :: Learn to Dive - Online Open Water Course

As mentioned above, Sunreef in Mooloolaba can get you to exHMAS Brisbane, or if diving the reef see if they will do Fairy Gardens for reasonable coral.

Flinders Reef of Brisbane is a great dive many varied sites on the one reef, a shallow area that the turtles come for cleaning though to areas up to 20m deep with good coral coverage.
https://1drv.ms/a/s!Ao-7OYx97aiXhYthDAlv7u84tyJtVg
These guys run trips Supercat Charters

Heron Island, stay for a few days (depending on your budget) Great Barrier Reef Scuba Diving and Snorkelling | Heron Island

 

[jlevitt]

OK, after a ton of mulling -- and with thanks to everyone who responded to the thread -- I think we've landed on a Cairns-based liveaboard out to the Ribbon Reefs and/or the Coral Sea, with a few days either before or after on Lady Elliot or Heron Island.

So three more questions. I'm Advanced Open Water certified with about 140 dives, and my wife's Open Water certified with about 100. Is the Coral Sea appropriate even without the Advanced certification? Any preferences for either Coral Sea or Ribbon Reefs? And any preferences between Lady Elliot or Heron?

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

With your experience above then yes. With both Spirit of Freedom or Mike Ball there are opportunities to do a Deep Dive orientation (basically the Deep Adventure dive form the PADI Advanced course) to assist with any shortfalls. Its computer diving and also there are crew in the water to follow or who can assist.

It's not for newly certified Open Water divers, but with a few dives under your belt it will be great.