Diving Great Barrier Reef

[Manxie]

Hi

Can anyone recommend a dive company, I am assuming that to go from Port Douglas is the best option:detective:

[Manxie]

Bumpty, bump, bump:geek:

[new_mummy82]

hey Manxie

not too sure about dive companies as i am going out to dive for the first time in a couple of weeks, my dp has been out a couple of times and i'm pretty sure he has used different companies and found them all to be okay, i know the first time he went out he used Cairns Dive Company and found them to be great...about leaving from Port Douglas I don't think that is necessarly the best option, the best way to find out would be to phone some of the companies and find out what they suggest....sorry i can't be more help

[Manxie]

Thanks newmummy82, I hope you enjoy your first dive :D be warned its very addictive!

Re the Port Douglas bit its just I have read that if you want to see the best part of the reef you need to get to the outer reef and I think its quicker to get out there from Port Douglas:detective:

[bambino]

Quicksilver are good, but expensive.

We went with Down Under Cruise & Dive. They were unreal :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Most dive tours leave from Cairns marina but they can pick you up from your hotel via bus and take you directly to the marina.

I think some of the larger companies do also stop at Port Douglas on the way to the outer barrier reef.

[Manxie]

Quicksilver are good, but expensive.

We went with Down Under Cruise & Dive. They were unreal :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Most dive tours leave from Cairns marina but they can pick you up from your hotel via bus and take you directly to the marina.

I think some of the larger companies do also stop at Port Douglas on the way to the outer barrier reef.

Thanks off to google....what did Down under cruise do that made them good IYKWIM:detective: How long did it take on the boat to get to the reef?

[bambino]

The staff are very very friendly and extremely helpful, the food was :thumbsup: and the day in general was so much fun.

We left from Cairns marina, so it took us about 2 hours to get to the reef, and we visited 3 different reefs for diving plus we did a submarine tour too.

It is a long day though, I think we got picked up at about 6am-ish from our hotel (we were in Palm Cove) and had to pick up other people on the way, then the boat left the marina around 8am-ish, got to the reef around 10, had morning tea and lessons, dived, snorkelled, had lunch, more diving and snorkelling, had afternoon tea etc......and didn't return to our hotel until around 6pm-ish.

But if you are in Port Douglas, it wouldn't be so long as you are close to the reef from there than we were.

But getting to visit 3 reefs was great as weren't stuck in the one spot all day.

5 Stars from me.

[Manxie]

Thanks bambino I will definately check them out.

We are going to be mostly based in Cairns but are going to have a few days in Port Douglas and if we can lessen the time spent getting to and from the reef I think it will be a good thing, especially as we are going to take it in turns to stay behind and look after DD:rolleyes:

Ooh getting excited, shame I'm such a fat heffer at the mo, I dread to thing how heavy my weight belt will need to be to sink me:eek:

[bambino]

Just make sure you have yourself some fun ;)

I can't wait to go back up there, we really enjoyed it.
Like you, this time we will have bubs to take along.

Oh if you're in Cairns, be sure to take the bubbas to the Cairns Rainforest Dome. It's on top of the Cairns Casino on their roof. It's an open air mini zoo. The birds are flying free, the little animals running around and loads of wildlife to see and touch.

[BabyJoy]

The best dive I did was actually out from Mission Beach with Calypso Dive. Small boat with minimum passengers so the service was excellent. Friendly staff, great diving spots that were virtually untouched. The reef out from Cairns and Port Doug is often disappointing because so many tourists visit every day and half of them think it's okay to stand on it! :banghead:
If I were you, I'd go for the smaller operator over a bigger company.... that way you also won't get left behind! :laughing: :laughing: [Joke Joyce!]