Scuba Diving Liveaboards In Australia
Liveaboard is the best way to see Australia’s Marine Parks.
Around the world, there are thousands, if not ten’s of thousands, of places to go Scuba diving. It could be in a nearby river, abandoned quarry, or far away reef just off a tropical, pure white sand beach.
Australia has its fair share of diving places, even more than its fair share with its thousands of miles of reef-protected shorelines.
Scuba Dive shops and dive resorts exist to support these places to dive both in Australia and anywhere else you can dive.
Even in places where you do not expect any diving, you often find a dive shop offering instructions to those who dream or plan to dive on that reef with the white sand beach.
While it is easy to find a dive resort or dive centre, many divers are looking for something unique. Seldom dived sites, remote from the visibility of man.
The solution is the Scuba Diving Liveaboard. Compared with the number of dive shops, there are very few.
Again Australia has its fair share of Liveaboards plus, and the ones we do have are some of the best in the world. They are also going to some of the best and remote dive sites known to man.
What To Look For In A Liveaboard
Choosing a Liveaboard for your dive vacation is much like planning any other holiday.
All meals are taken care of. Other than getting to the Liveaboard the first day, there is no rush to be someplace or find transportation.
Most of the stress of a vacation is given over to pure pleasure. Here are a few items to consider when looking for a Liveaboard for your vacation.
Location, location, location, as the saying goes. Start broad where in the world do you want to dive. Of course, we believe that Australia is the best place for Liveaboards.
Cairns has an excellent selection of dive sites available to the locally based vessels. Some of the best rated Liveaboard boats in the world are home-based here.
Does the season/ timing match your schedule? Some locations are better in certain months, such as when the whales migrate past the Great Barrier Reef.
Some locations can only be dived a few months a year. Around Cairns and most of the locations around Australia, the Liveaboards operate year-round.
It would be best to look at when you joined the vessel. Many diving Liveaboards have a weekly departure schedule. You would have to work your plans around the departure.
Some vessels allow a great deal of flexibility when you join the boat.
Reef Encounter
The MV Reef Encounter uses its sister company’s daily dive boat, the MV Reef Experience, to allow divers to join the Liveaboard. This “Any Day Liveaboard” concept allows greater flexibility in your planning.
Today dive boats are more spacious and offer a range of amenities.
Spirit of Freedom and Spoilsport
We can use as an example two of the Liveaboards that sail from Cairns to the Ribbon Reefs on 3,4, and 7-day trips. These are the Spirit of Freedom and the Spoilsport.
Both have an excellent crew and provide excellent diving. They do differ slightly on the vessel and service. The staterooms on the Spoilsport are larger and all with en-suite facilities.
The Spirit of Freedom cabins are smaller, and most also have en-suite facilities. However, the spirit also has some shared facilities at a discounted price.
The Spoilsport is also known for its outstanding dining and is more acceptable to Snorkelers ( on the three days sailing only as conditions do not allow snorkelling at the 4-day sites).
The MV Reef Encounter uses the outer reefs as its diving area. Her staterooms are larger and have ocean views. The dining is superb and the service excellent. She has often been compared to a boutique hotel and has won awards in that category. So in just a limited exploration, we can see three different styles to choose from.
Onboard training. While not a significant item, others would like to expand their training on a Liveaboard.
This is also a good place to note that not everyone going on these vessels is a certified diver. Some come to learn to scuba dive, while others are happy just snorkelling. A few even offer a free discover resort dive to the non-diving guests.
Scuba Diving is a sport that for many becomes a lifestyle. Experiencing a Liveaboard dive vacation on the Great Barrier Reef is the perfect way to experience that lifestyle.