Cairns, Australia live aboard recommendations for new divers?

[GregA2k6]

Hello all!

My wife and I are meeting up with 2 friends in Cairns early in July for 5 weeks of trekking across the north end of Australia. We definitely want to do some diving and I heard that the "liveaboard" option can be great. As far as duration, we are only looking to spend around 3 days on the boat. (as we will be moving north pretty quick)

Does anyone have any recommendations of a good company to investigate? My wife and I will be very new to diving. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we will be PADI open water certified before we leave Canada but will have no other dives under our belt. Should this affect our decision to do a liveaboard? Is it a good idea for inexperienced divers?

Thanks for any advice!

GregA2K6

 

[Dive Muppet]

Hey Greg,
I lived in Cairns for a while and saw a few of the boats up there aswell. For a Live-aboard I don't think you can go past the 'Spirit of Freedom.' I did some of the best diving of my life there. The boat takes only a small number of divers, so the sites aren't crowded, they have DM's and Instructors guiding, and you can do an advanced or Nitrox course on board. They head from Cairns up to Lizard Island for 3 days, swap the guests and head back via the remote Coral Sea Reefs out towards Papau New Guinea over the next 4 days. The reason I recommend is for the 4 day Coral Sea trip, but if you can, spend the week out there. The diving is fantastic, and the food is of the same calibre. Their website is www.spiritoffreedom.com.au if you need any details. Other than that, look up any cairns tourist info sites on the web. It's a high tourist town, and all the info centres know about the live-aboards.
I think the whales will be about in July if I'm not mistaken...
Best of luck!

 

[pete340]

Does anyone have any recommendations of a good company to investigate? My wife and I will be very new to diving. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we will be PADI open water certified before we leave Canada but will have no other dives under our belt. Should this affect our decision to do a liveaboard? Is it a good idea for inexperienced divers?

The only reasonable way to dive from Cairns is a liveaboard. It's three hours out to the reef, and three hours back. So day trips are pretty much out.

I did my OW and AOW with Pro-Dive. Good outfit, focused for beginners. Somewhat tight quarters, but everyone was friendly, so it didn't matter. You can do as many as eleven dives in three days, including two night dives. www.prodive-cairns.com.au.

 

[wettek]

Gidday Greg.

My wife and I have worked for both of the liveaboards mentioned in the previous posts. Pro-Dive is a bit more focused on the newer divers, and the boats and sites are a lot of fun. The sites tend to be 18m and shallower, however you can go to 30 on the morning dives. 2 nights 3 days for (I think) about $550 AUS. Don't quote me on that. Spirit of Freedom (TUSA) is awesome. Diving is pnenomenal, accom is luxurious. Dives tend to be a little deeper, and Nitrox is also available as a gas and as an onboard course. Pro-Dive does not offer Nitrox. However, Spirit of Freedom is quite a bit more expensive (can't remember how much)
Pro-Dive is heavily into instructing, so expect a lot of students on the boat. Whichever boat you choose, I am sure you will have a ball though.

Have fun, and let us know how you go.

 

[Darnold9999]

Would add Mike Ball to the list. On my trip with them they did an AOW course for 4 new divers that had just done their OW course they all had a great time. I think MB is more $ than the others, but the trip is a dive/fly so you fly one way and motor the other - more diving. As with everything you pretty much get what you pay for.

 

[tylerm]

I did a liveaboard for 3 days on the Kangaroo Explorer, through Cairns Dive Center http://www.cairnsdive.com.au/ a few years back while travelling solo around Australia for a month. It was great, probably the most fun I had the whole trip. I had never dove before that, great instructors, fun group of people, and the boat was nice as well. Excellent dives, I would love to go back at some point.

 

[AndyNZ]

Try posting in the Australia and Pacific forum, you might get a different set of responses from the locals.

There are lots of liveaboard options out of Cairns, different prices, features and ethics. I've seen some pretty bad operators - damaging the coral, feeding fish waaaaaaay too much....

 

[wettek]

I am a local!

 

[AndyNZ]

I am a local!

ooooops, no offence intended!!