Great Barrier Reef Questions

[Trey]

I've read some messages in this group about the Great Barrier Reef but am hoping someone can address these questions specifically. Can anybody help me narrow down to a boat/ company that meets the following criteria?

1. appropriate for new diver (will be certified by the time of the trip, but otherwise have not done any dives);
2. day trip, not live-aboard (unless you tell me this is the wrong approach);
3. accessible from Cairns or, preferably, Port Douglas;
4. reaches the outer reef or at least an impressive, unspoiled area;
5. a relatively small numbers of divers (not one of those 100's-of-divers
catamarans).
6. a couple of days of diving.

I tried posting this question to another group and got a rather arrogant series of responses along the line of "you're a newbie; get on the big catamaran." I'd like to make this first experience a good one.

None of these factors is set in stone.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

 

[SDAnderson]

Welcome to the board. I can't answer your questions for you but we've moved your post here in hopes that it will get you some answers. Good luck!

 

[MarkH]

To be honest, I don't know if there are any day trips to the really good parts of the reef (at least out of Cairns). I looked around when I was in Cairns and asked other divers and it seems a multi-day liveaboard is the only way to see the good stuff. Of course I dove the GBR right after Fiji (with our navy- I'm not a millionaire) so the lack of colour/coral was a disapointment. As a new diver, you might not be as picky. As far as I could tell, pretty much every dive charter was geared towards new divers. You won't be alone. It's also a long trip out to the reef (2 hours) so most boats try to carry as many divers as possible to justify the costs. The average seems to be about 30-40 divers on a trip. Keep in mind that I've only been there once and the above are just my impressions of the place.

 

[cdiver2]

To be honest, I don't know if there are any day trips to the really good parts of the reef (at least out of Cairns). I looked around when I was in Cairns and asked other divers and it seems a multi-day liveaboard is the only way to see the good stuff. Of course I dove the GBR right after Fiji (with our navy- I'm not a millionaire) so the lack of colour/coral was a disapointment. As a new diver, you might not be as picky. As far as I could tell, pretty much every dive charter was geared towards new divers. You won't be alone. It's also a long trip out to the reef (2 hours) so most boats try to carry as many divers as possible to justify the costs. The average seems to be about 30-40 divers on a trip. Keep in mind that I've only been there once and the above are just my impressions of the place.

I came to the same conclusion as SW after my trip to Cairns.
I did a liveaboard but saw a couple of day boats going out . I was horrified it looked like more people than boat, how they stayed afloat I will never know. IMHO you would be better of doing a liveaboard than being dumped in the water with 40 other people.

 

[frogfish]

I came to the same conclusion as SW after my trip to Cairns.
I did a liveaboard but saw a couple of day boats going out . I was horrified it looked like more people than boat, how they stayed afloat I will never know. IMHO you would be better of doing a liveaboard than being dumped in the water with 40 other people.

From what I saw in Port Douglas, the day trip boats were huge with 40 people on board (not sure how many divers as many people just go for snorkelling).

I would suggest a live aboard also - Mike Ball for instance has short 3 day trips which I have heard are very good.

Good luck !

 

[caymaniac]

From what I saw in Port Douglas, the day trip boats were huge with 40 people on board (not sure how many divers as many people just go for snorkelling).

I would suggest a live aboard also - Mike Ball for instance has short 3 day trips which I have heard are very good.

Good luck !

Hi Trey, this statement from Frogfish is also true of what I saw, we were in Cairns and Port Douglas in June and part of July. We enjoyed the rainforest quite allot, but diving is our main focus. There are several companies that have short liveaboards out to the GBR. Mike Ball is a good company, we used Quicksilver company and booked through Pro-dive. Pro-dive will quote several short stay liveaboards. The GBR is really at its best when viewed from Lizard Island and north. The coral is in magnificent shape and there are reefs that are alittle farther than the GBR that really are fabulous. The Ribbons is the northern end to the GBR, this is where the good diving starts.

Dive Safe,
Caymaniac :dazzler1:

 

[cdiver2]

HI cay, just got a new housing S & S cx-600 canon camera now I need more strobes, do"s it ever end

 

[Koolaidjob]

I did the 5 day live-aboard out to Ribbon Reef. Excellent for sharks. On one dive they brought out some fish heads and there must have been about 50-75 reef sharks.

Cairns is a good port to go off of. If you are on a budget you can go out there and ask around the day before if someone is trying to fill a spot - I heard you can get up to 50% off sometimes. I reserved it here and it was pricey.

 

[caymaniac]

HI cay, just got a new housing S & S cx-600 canon camera now I need more strobes, do"s it ever end

It never ends, I just bought a new dome port, but while on a Cayman trip from which we just returned, I stripped a ring gear, cracked a ring gear and my strobe was acting up....working then not working
:06:
Divng is Funnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, taking pictures is what it's about, getting them perfect is near impossible!
Caymaniac