PennyOR
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Hi, we are thinking about where to go for our next diving trip and would like to go to the Barrier Reef. Can anyone advise me please on which areas are best to stay at for diving the barrier reef?
Diving Great Barrier Reef
- Thread starter PennyOR
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Hoag
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I have never dove the GBR, but I would think that it is so far off shore that the only practical way to do it would be from a live aboard.
Dan
Contributor
I took Mike Ball's Spoilsport liveaboard to Lizard island to dive around Cod Hole area. Personally, I'm not impressed. Too many coral bleaching & dead coral rubbles. Sad 
From where I'm coming from, it's much cheaper, more value for the money, amazing healthy corals & bountiful of fish by going to Raja Ampat.
If I come back to GBR, I may go in August time to dive with minke whale.
From where I'm coming from, it's much cheaper, more value for the money, amazing healthy corals & bountiful of fish by going to Raja Ampat.
If I come back to GBR, I may go in August time to dive with minke whale.
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outofofficebrb
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Liveaboard on Spirit of Freedom or Mike Ball is the best way to do it. Go out to Osprey Reef/Coral Sea and the outer Ribbon Reefs.
I was out there Oct 2016 and it was good but as @Dan_T said, for the money, Indonesia is way more amazing but I think the GBR is still good diving. I dove Komodo in september right before going in Spirit of Freedom and I can't count the times I was in awe of Indo.
I was out there Oct 2016 and it was good but as @Dan_T said, for the money, Indonesia is way more amazing but I think the GBR is still good diving. I dove Komodo in september right before going in Spirit of Freedom and I can't count the times I was in awe of Indo.
There are a few island resorts scattered along the GBR coastline, but as others have already said, the reef itself is quite a way offshore, and is best dived from a liveaboard. Mike Ball or Spirit of Freedom offer "the best" liveaboard itineraries. I also have a personal preference for the GBR between June-August. Not only because of the minkes, but the water is also marginally cooler at that time of year so it's not like swimming in a hot tub.
Nomad-Diver
Contributor
+1 for Mike Ball's Spoilsport (especially during Minke season).
I would also highly recommend Heron Island - it is beautiful diving there
I would also highly recommend Heron Island - it is beautiful diving there
Lady Elliot Island for the Mantas and the southern end of the GBR. Also a bird sanctuary. It worked well for me as I get seasick and the boat trips are 5 to 15 minutes. hey have Marine biologists on site and the lagoon offers great snorkling and informative "walks" led by the Marine Biologists.
What time of year are you looking to go and are you looking at a live aboard trip or just day trips?
I linked above to a few selections out of Cairns which is considered the "Gateway to the GBR", and has the most options, but there are other options down the east cost.
If you have the time I would definitely go for the Mike Ball or Spirit of Freedom trips as mentioned above. If you want to spend less and are more time poor then look at Outer Reef trips (see link above).
Lots of decent day trips out of Cairns and Port Douglas (remember the further north you go the better the Reef is which is why its best to get the over night trips).
I linked above to a few selections out of Cairns which is considered the "Gateway to the GBR", and has the most options, but there are other options down the east cost.
If you have the time I would definitely go for the Mike Ball or Spirit of Freedom trips as mentioned above. If you want to spend less and are more time poor then look at Outer Reef trips (see link above).
Lots of decent day trips out of Cairns and Port Douglas (remember the further north you go the better the Reef is which is why its best to get the over night trips).
John (JT) Ladd
Registered
Hello All,
Thank you for all the info you have provided here. It does help a lot. For those of you who have been on the Live Aboards, would you consider them a good value for the money. I am not cheap by any standard (OK maybe a little frugal) but the prices seem a tad steep for 3 and 4 day dive trips on the Live Aboard.
Another question is about experience. We have been divers for 10 years and are just about to break 100 dives. As such I still consider us not inexperienced or newbies, but not advanced. More like intermediate. We are safe divers but there are some things we have not dealt with much. Wall dives and the opportunity for down wellings are my bigger concern with some of the dives sites I see for the Live Aboards. The other thing I am not fond of is very quick drift dives. I love to putter around and find small creatures and I am a huge fan or corals. We are usually very comfortable at 60 to 80 feet and are getting NITROX certified before our next dive trip to Cozumel in a couple of months.
We are looking at June 2018 for this trip.
I know this is a lot of stuff, but any and all input would be greatly appreciated as many of you have probably been there, done that already.
Cheers, and thanks for the help.
JT
Thank you for all the info you have provided here. It does help a lot. For those of you who have been on the Live Aboards, would you consider them a good value for the money. I am not cheap by any standard (OK maybe a little frugal) but the prices seem a tad steep for 3 and 4 day dive trips on the Live Aboard.
Another question is about experience. We have been divers for 10 years and are just about to break 100 dives. As such I still consider us not inexperienced or newbies, but not advanced. More like intermediate. We are safe divers but there are some things we have not dealt with much. Wall dives and the opportunity for down wellings are my bigger concern with some of the dives sites I see for the Live Aboards. The other thing I am not fond of is very quick drift dives. I love to putter around and find small creatures and I am a huge fan or corals. We are usually very comfortable at 60 to 80 feet and are getting NITROX certified before our next dive trip to Cozumel in a couple of months.
We are looking at June 2018 for this trip.
I know this is a lot of stuff, but any and all input would be greatly appreciated as many of you have probably been there, done that already.
Cheers, and thanks for the help.
JT
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