My wife and I just got back from Cairns last week on a "trial run" of diving while on vacation. I'd like to post a couple of lessons learned.
First, not all live-aboard operations are the same. We dove with two companies, Tusa and ReefQuest. The Tusa was a day dive, but they offer 4, 5, and 7 day live-aboards. They cater to both the casual reef snorkeler, as well as the basic open-water diver. They also do intro dives for people that aren't qual'd (guided hand-held dives).
Most dive operators cater to this spectrum, so if you plan on trying to do any dives deeper than 18 meters/55 feet, you should ask specifically about the dive itenerary.
ReefQuest was a live aboard, but you spend the first day on a day boat that has more people than a Filipino ferry. They are in the business of getting as many people in the water as quickly as possible, regardless of their qualification. So, the next question you should ask is, "Will the boat I go out on be the boat I'm living on, or do we transfer?".
Another question. What part of the outer reef do they go to? The best diving really is about a 12-hour ride away. Do a 5 day at a minimum, and plan on spending the first day doing nothing but steaming out to your destination. Once there, you dive sites as you move back to the mainland.
Ask about what gear they rent if you're renting, or "hiring". My wife dives with Al 80s. When we got on the Tusa boat, they set us both up with 63s. I was done breathing my air after about 20 minutes (I'm a huffer), and she blew through hers in about 30. When we got back on board, we told the crew, and they had 80s for the next dive...much better. However, on ReefQuest, nothing but 63s for her. I got overfilled 80s, so I usually got back on the boat with over half my air left. We would have taken our own gear, but we were limited on luggage space. The first trip we took was using full-foot fins (we dive in a coral system in Okinawa where we live, so we use buckle fins and booties). My wife had some pretty juicy blisters, so we bought some neoprene socks. Helped.
The ReefQuest trip was on two different boats...the ReefQuest and the SeaQuest. The crew of the SeaQuest was a lot more relaxed and accomodating. The ReefQuest crew was 180. But, hey, they had a different agenda.
You'll book through a travel agent, not the actual dive company (for most of them, anyway). You have to let the crew know what your experience level is when you get on the boat. On the Tusa trip, you basically sit on the end of the boat and they dress you and arrange your gear for you. Right before you jump off the boat, one of the DMs fills your BC for you. Since neither my wife nor I use the power inflator to inflate, we made sure to lung inflate before she wasted any tank air. Again, they assume you're out for the pictures and t-shirts, so they try to be as "full-service" as they can. No fault of theirs, but they'll leave you alone if you just let them know what you want to do.
Tusa was a good company. I wish we had done our live-aboard with them, as they were the most "customizable". They do Nitrox (never go deep enough or dive sites that require it), but it's there. Their gear is better, their boats are nicer. They're pricey, but you get what you pay for. I've heard good things about Taka and Mike Ball, even from the other operators. ProDive in Brisbane specifically mentioned both of these.
ReefQuest is a spartan operation. Their live-aboard stays moored at the site, only coming in when it needs to be refueled, so you HAVE to go out on a day boat. Once you're out there, it's a great boat and a great crew. We're both in the military, so we're used to living for long periods on much worse boats. Not so much spartan as it is minimalist. But they dive good "close outer reef" sites.
Finally, book far in advance. There's a site called
http://www.dive-cairns.com/. It's a good place to start, and they will help find the info you need to tailor a trip. Don't wait until you get down there, as some people advise. Everything will be booked, or you'll pay the maximum for the minimum.
