Scuba Diving in Australia

Comment from jennifer h
Time: July 14, 2008, 8:20 am

Green Island but when your there ask for other places there is plenty of boats that will take you out to different areas

Comment from tentofield
Time: July 15, 2008, 2:07 am

There are many different charters going out to the reef from Cairns. Some use a pontoon moored on the reef, others do everything from the boat. Green Island is worth a visit but not if your main interest is scuba or snorkelling. You will find many brochures at your hotel/motel advertising all the different trips available. Some specialise in scuba, some specialise in snorkelling, some cover both.

If I were you I would collect a bunch of brochures and look through them when you arrive. Look at the different options, who provides lunch etc and make a decision. I would also talk to reception about it as some hotels have special deals with some operators.

Reception at the hotel will make the booking for you and the tour company will collect you from the hotel and drop you back afterwards. If the tour you choose says to bring a packed lunch, arrange with the hotel to make one for you – they do it all the time.

Comment from K Bear
Time: July 17, 2008, 5:52 pm

There is SO many options mate … where to start…..

Main ones are :: and
Also for something different do the or
A day trip out to Green island – Otherwise you can go out on the Outer Barrier Reef on their platform for lunch.
Most ‘tourism’ operators will do pick ups from your accommodation.

There is snorkelling out the reef, glass bottom boats for the non-swimmers and diving. Obviously the snorkelling is easy and no classes needed. Dive classes, there is a lot to choose from

If you walk around town here there is SO many options and specials daily – so I would suggest wait until you get here and grab the best deal.

Here are some sites -

Dive courses/trips available –

Reef Diving Information -

Have fun in Cairns!

Comment from liz down under
Time: July 20, 2008, 8:59 pm

If your primary interest is in scuba diving, I would go on a specific dive boat that goes out to the reef for a couple of days at a time. Then you can do a couple of dives per day every day that you are out there. You have to remember that the reef is a couple of hours boat ride each way (around $120+ just for snorkelling, around $300 to dive). You waste a lot of time going out and back, you only get to see 1-2 dive sites and you are usually taken to places where there are hundreds of snorkellers as well. A dive boat will take you to a range of places (ie one for turtles, one for giant cod etc.), and will accommodate and feed you so it works out much better value than taking day trips.
Green Island is one of the closest islands to the coast. It is a little island that is extremely expensive to stay at (mostly Japanese) and they dump hundreds of day trippers there on their very small beach every day. I would stay well clear of that. Very crowded and touristy!
If you don’t have your PADI, get it before you come. You don’t want to waste your valuable time having lessons when you arrive. Most tourists don’t get the best out of the GBR. They allow one day to go out to the reef, spend half of it travelling back and forth and there is no guarantee that the weather/visibility is going to be good that day.
A 3-day dive trip sounds ideal for you. Remember not to dive the day before you fly.
If you can only snorkel, you have a choice between going out on the really big (Quicksilver) catamarans that take you to their fixed pontoons (good for bad swimmers) or smaller boats that take less than 20 or so people. I would go for the smaller boats because they can take you to different spots depending on tides and weather etc and you get to meet everyone on else on board. Hope you have a great time.