Great Barrier Reef Diving

Great Barrier Reef as a diving destination is the pinnacle of any other Marine Park dive destination anywhere in the world. When diving on the Great Barrier Reef you are actually at the worlds largest marine park and a World Heritage Listed site on one of the great wonders of the world.

Scuba diving has always been a big attraction along the Great Barrier Reef, and in recent years it has become simply enormous with millions flocking to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns every year, now the secret is out from Sir David Attenborough, Nemo & Dory who is trying to find her family.

You will find a huge array of marine life, stunning coral formations, comfortable year round water temperatures and amazing visibility.

Whether you are a beginner or expert diver the Cairns Great Barrier Reef should be at the top of your list. From introductory to certified diving, the dive masters are ready to take you into the beauty of the coral sea for the dive of your life.

Cairns is literally the gateway not only for the magic of the Great Barrier Reef but is also home to hundreds and thousands of species of marine life ranging from Moari Wrasse to clown fish to sea turtles, you will find it all.

From jumping off the back of the boat, to the activity pontoon platforms to the Great Barrier Reef islands of your dreams, you will not be disappointed.

Introductory Scuba Diving

Introductory diving is made comfortable and easy by the incredibly knowledgeable and experienced dive masters from  all over the world working at the Great Barrier Reef. A brief dive medical questionnaire must be completed and passed before you move onto the dive briefing.

The dive briefing is approximately 45 minutes and is done during the boat ride out to avoid taking time away from you while at the Great Barrier Reef.

The video explains how to pressurize your ears and lungs, how to make your descent / ascent, the rules of the marine park when up close to the reef as well as how to comunicate with your dive group and master without words. The dive master will briefly now go over all of this verbally with the group and is open to questions.

The crew will help you every inch of the way from getting you geared up to testing your equipment. Once in the water and ready to go, you will be taken down a maximum of 10 meters, one by one.

This is done so personally to ensure that everyone makes it down with no pressurization problems and is comfortable. During the dive, just remember to continuously pressurize your ears, by popping them and your lungs by simply breathing.

If you feel any discomfort, the dive master is right by your side to take care of your problem.

The dive master will be continually pointing out the magnificent underwater life and corals and will even let you have a feel of certain parts of the reef such as the spaghetti corals. Get ready for the surprise when your dive master pulls out the fish food and you find yourself in a school of hungry but gentle fish.

Your dive will be aproxamately 25 - 30 minutes in length but will leave you with memories for a lifetime. If you enjoy the dive, then why not get certified?

Certified Diving

Certified diving is made so easy and many of the boats even come with the option of doing up to three dives! Being a certified diver can give discounts of up to 50% on diving and allows divers to go as deep as 18 meters. You have the option of simply diving in the buddy system or with a guide.

Many certified divers often choose to dive in the buddy system but in reality what could be better than having your own complimentary guide show you around a reef that they have dove over 100 times and know the best places to see the vast varieties of corals and marine life?

Where introductory diving is only 25 - 30 minutes, certified diving allows you to dive longer based on your tank air. Unfortunately you cannot get certified in one single day at the Great Barrier Reef but there are 4 day courses or 2 night livaboard trips that are available right on the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns that will give you your certification or you can go on simply for leisure.

Cairns Dive Courses

Open water PADI diving certification is considered a memory for life if obtained at the Great Barrier Reef. The first two days are pool theory where you practice the required diving skillsin a pool, watch the DVD’s, take your medical (see attached) as well as take your written exams.

These two days can optionally be done at home with a PADI licensed company if you wish to conserve those two days of your Cairns Holiday.

The next two days of the work is the fun part and is all done in the beautiful Coral Sea amongst the world’s largest marine park. Your dive master will work closely with you to ensure that you are comfortable, having fun and are competent in the work needed to be an open water diver.

This can all be done during the day with a return to accommodation at night or this can be done through a livaboard vessel.

Cairns Livaboard Diving

Weather you are already certified and want that extra time at the reef or weather you are going for your dive license, just go on, spoil yourself and book a livaboard trip at the Great Barrier Reef. Trips range from 2 day / 1 night to 4 day / 3 night with a choice of double, twin or quad bedrooms.

This is a great way to not only get the most time with the reef but is also one of the only ways to get out on a night dive. Night dives are fantastic as you get the opportunity to see the mass variety of fish / turtles and reef sharks that appear so much more frequently at night.

You will be given a light torch and cyalumes (Glow - Sticks) to aid your vision. All meals are included, dive equipment and even dive masters who will speak your specific language.

Inner Reefs

These reefs are accessible by day boats and offer safe diving in shallow waters. Due to the regular flow of water and strong tides between the mainland and reef, whip and fan formations are common. Small colorful fish are also plentiful in these shallow waters. Between coral bommies, stingrays are abundant and even the odd Dugong has been spotted feeding on the sea grasses. Birds are plentiful because of the islands and cays around. These sites are recommended for easygoing casual dives.

Outer Reefs

Reefs on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef offer bigger variation in species, plus underwater canyons and gorges which cut mazes through the coral. The water in this area can also be clearer than shallow water. These sites are recommended for all levels of scuba divers. Experienced divers will appreciate the wide range of corals and wildlife, while inexperienced divers will be treated to a truly remarkable trip that will set a foundation for future exotic dives.

Far Northern Reefs

The Far Northern Reefs include the Ribbon Reef system. This is a series of reefs stretching out like a multi-coloured ribbon to the north where the famous Cod Hole is located. Here, a family of friendly Potato Cod live with huge schools of fish and Maori Wrasse. Divers swim among these enormous fish and 2m wide giant clams surrounded by hard and soft corals.

Manta Rays, the huge elegant rays, glide past making a shadow on the reef. During night dives, sleeping green turtles and a variety of sleeping reef fish can be seen. A trip to these reefs is usually around 4 to 5 days in length.

Diving Australia's Coral Sea

This is serious stuff! 1000 metre vertical walls on the continental shelf with 40 metre (120+ ft) visibility is common. This is where the Great Barrier Reef meets the depths of the Pacific Ocean, so Grey Whalers, White Tips, Silver Tip Whalers, and circling scalloped hammerheads patrol for food.

Schools of Barracuda and large Dogtooth Tuna are always nearby. Scuba Diving on the Coral Sea is deep and can quite often have roaring currents. Trips are usually 5 days in length and include the Ribbon reefs as well.

The safety record of the North Queensland diving industry is amongst the best in the world through a balanced mix of professionalism amongst dive operators, and industry guidelines and regulations designed to maximize the safety of all divers.

Regulations and requirements are somewhat different here compared to other countries, and one that you will come across regularly is the concept of the Dive Medical. See our Great Barrier Reef travel tips and please take some time to read about them.

No matter which Cairns diving tour you choose to select while visiting the Great Barrier Reef, you are bound to have fun as Cairns prides itself on being your gateway to the Great Barrier Reef; so enjoy experiencing the place we call home in Tropical North Queensland, Australia.