Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DIVE COURSES
Cairns is the scuba-diving capital of the Great Barrier Reef and a popular place to attain Professional Association
of Diving Instructors (PADI) open-water certification. There's a staggering number of courses to choose from,
from budget four-day courses that combine pool training and reef dives to five-day courses that include two days'
pool theory and three days' living aboard a boat, diving less-frequented parts of the reef. Many operators are mul-
tilingual.
All operators require you to have a dive medical certificate, which they can arrange (around $60). A reef tax
($40 to $80) is payable as well. Many operators also offer advanced courses for certified divers. Dive schools in-
clude the following:
running operator affiliated with Scuba Schools International (SSI) rather than PADI. There are live-aboard
courses (four/five days $640/780) and day tours ($180).
established school running multiday live-aboard courses and trips from $445.
Cairns' most experienced operators, offering a comprehensive, five-day learn-to-dive course incorporating a
three-day live-aboard trip ($825).
Tours
An astounding 600-plus tours drive, sail and fly out of Cairns each day. You can book at
any of the zillions of agencies lining the city streets. The following is but a small taste of
what's on offer.
Great Barrier Reef
Reef trips generally include transport, lunch and snorkelling gear. Many have diving op-
tions including introductory dives requiring no prior experience. When choosing a tour,
consider the vessel (catamaran or sailing ship), its capacity (from six to 300 people), what
extras are offered and the destination. The outer reefs are more pristine; inner reef areas
can be patchy, showing signs of damage from humans, coral bleaching and crown-of-
thorns starfish. In most cases you get what you pay for. Some operators offer the pricier
option of a trip in a glass- bottomed boat or semi-submersible.
The majority of boats depart from the Pier Marina and Reef Fleet Terminal at about
8am, returning at around 6pm. A number of operators also offer multiday live-aboard
trips, which include specialised dive opportunities such as night diving. Dive-course com-
panies also offer tours.
