Open Water and up
Our pick for most divers
Newly certified, or a few dives in
You’ve just done your Open Water course, or you have only a handful of dives. Or you’re travelling with a snorkeller, or someone who wants to learn.
Best fit The 3 Day / 2 Night trip with Pro Dive Cairns
- Open Water is all you need, and there’s no minimum number of dives.
- Your first dive can be an orientation dive with an instructor, and first-time night divers get guidance on their first night dive.
- Dive supervisors on deck watch at all times, and a full briefing comes before every dive.
- The sites are 10 to 25 metres deep, and the best diving is usually between 10 and 15 metres.
- Up to 11 dives, including 2 night dives: you come home with a lot more experience than you left with.
- Snorkellers, learners and certified divers share the boat, so a mixed group travels together.
Want to build up while you’re out there? Do your Advanced course on the trip: deep, night and navigation dives on the reef. Then the longer trips open up.
Only one night to spare? OceanQuest’s 2 Day / 1 Night trip also takes Open Water divers: 6 dives, including a night dive.
Open Water with recent dives
Certified, with some recent ocean dives
You’re comfortable in the water, you’ve dived in the ocean in the last year, and you can plan and run a dive with your buddy.
Best fit The 3-night Cod Hole trips on Spirit of Freedom and Spoilsport
- Three nights cruising the Ribbon Reefs to the Cod Hole and its giant potato cod, with a low-level flight over the reef to or from Lizard Island.
- Spirit of Freedom recommends at least 10 ocean dives, with 5 in the last 12 months. Dives aren’t guided: buddy teams plan and run their own.
- Spoilsport needs Open Water, and a dive in the last 12 months (book a refresher if not). Orientation dives are free if you’re new to it.
- The minimum age on Spirit of Freedom is 16.
Not quite there? The 3 day trip from Cairns gives you up to 11 more dives. Rusty? A 2-hour pool refresher in Cairns gets you back up to speed.
Advanced divers
Advanced, with plenty of dives
You hold Advanced certification, you’ve logged 15 to 20 or more ocean dives, and you’ve dived recently. You’re ready for remote water, walls and currents.
Best fit The Coral Sea expeditions: 4 to 7 nights
- Osprey Reef and the Coral Sea are about 200 km offshore: ancient atolls whose walls drop away thousands of metres, with strong currents and shark dives.
- Spirit of Freedom (4 and 7 nights) recommends Advanced and at least 20 ocean dives, with 5 in the last 12 months. With less, your diving may be limited by the conditions.
- Spoilsport’s 4 and 5 night trips need Advanced, or at least 15 logged ocean dives, with 5 in the last 12 months.
- Spoilsport’s annual 7-night Coral Sea Exploratory needs Advanced and at least 15 ocean dives, with 5 in the last 12 months. It isn’t for novice divers or snorkellers.
Most of these trips also visit the Ribbon Reefs and the Cod Hole on the way.
Spirit of Freedom: 4 nights Spirit of Freedom: 7 nights Spoilsport: 4 nights Spoilsport: 5 nights Spoilsport: 7 nights
Every trip side by side
| Trip | Nights | Dives | Where | Experience | Suits | From* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Day / 2 NightPro Dive Cairns (Scubapro) · our pick | 2 | Up to 11 | Outer reef: 16 sites on 4 reefs | Open Water | Open Water and up | $1095 |
| Fly & Dive Cod HoleSpoilsport (Mike Ball) | 3 | Up to 12 | Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs | Open Water, and a dive in the last 12 months | Open Water with recent dives | $2385 |
| Cod Hole & Ribbon ReefsSpirit of Freedom | 3 | 11 | Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs | Open Water, 10+ ocean dives, 5 in the last 12 months (recommended) | Open Water with recent dives | $2470 |
| Fly Dive Coral SeaSpoilsport (Mike Ball) | 4 | 14 | Osprey Reef, Bougainville Reef | Advanced, or 15+ logged ocean dives, 5 in the last 12 months | Advanced divers | $2835 |
| Coral Sea & Ribbon ReefsSpirit of Freedom | 4 | Up to 15 | Osprey Reef, Ribbon Reefs | Advanced, 20+ ocean dives, 5 in the last 12 months (recommended) | Advanced divers | $3250 |
| Coral Sea & Cod HoleSpoilsport (Mike Ball) | 5 | Up to 18 | Osprey Reef, Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs | Advanced, or 15+ logged ocean dives, 5 in the last 12 months | Advanced divers | $3267 |
| Cod Hole & Coral SeaSpirit of Freedom | 7 | 26 | Osprey Reef, Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs | Advanced, 20+ ocean dives, 5 in the last 12 months (recommended) | Advanced divers | $5305 |
| Coral Sea ExploratorySpoilsport (Mike Ball) | 7 | Daily, with night dives | Coral Sea walls, Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs | Advanced, 15+ ocean dives, 5 in the last 12 months | Advanced divers | $4573 |
Experience is what the operator asks for or recommends. Bring your certification card and log book: the crew check them at check-in. * Per person in Australian dollars; the trip page shows the price for each date and cabin.
Travelling with someone at a different level?
Go on the 3 Day / 2 Night trip together. Snorkellers, certified divers and students doing courses all share the same boat and dates, so one of you can do your Advanced course while the other dives the reef, and you still eat, sleep and hang out on the same boat. Never dived? You can learn to dive on this trip too, or snorkel and try a Discover Scuba dive on board.
Snorkelling?
The 3 Day / 2 Night trip suits every snorkeller: no experience needed, as long as you can swim. Spoilsport’s and Spirit of Freedom’s 3-night trips welcome snorkellers too, but Spirit of Freedom asks for experienced snorkellers with good fitness, as the water there is exposed rather than calm. The Coral Sea trips aren’t for snorkellers: on Spirit of Freedom’s 7-night trip, only the Ribbon Reefs part suits experienced ones. Snorkelling the reef.
Frequently asked questions
I’ve just finished my Open Water course. Can I do a liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef?
Yes. The 3 Day / 2 Night trip from Cairns only needs Open Water, with no minimum number of dives. Your first dive can be an orientation dive with an instructor, and the best diving is usually between 10 and 15 metres.
What’s the best liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef?
The one that matches your experience. For most divers, that’s our 3 Day / 2 Night trip on the outer reef, from newly certified up. With recent ocean dives, the 3-night Cod Hole trips on Spirit of Freedom and Spoilsport add the Ribbon Reefs and a flight over the reef. Advanced divers with 15 to 20 or more dives can head out to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.
How many dives do I need for the Cod Hole trips?
Spirit of Freedom recommends Open Water with at least 10 ocean dives, 5 of them in the last 12 months. Spoilsport’s 3-night trip needs Open Water and a dive in the last 12 months; if it’s been longer, book a refresher first.
Do I need Advanced certification for the Coral Sea?
Spirit of Freedom recommends Advanced and at least 20 ocean dives. Spoilsport’s 4 and 5 night trips take Advanced divers or anyone with at least 15 logged ocean dives; its 7-night Exploratory needs Advanced and 15 dives. Every Coral Sea trip asks for 5 dives in the last 12 months.
Are the dives guided?
Not individually. On the 3 Day / 2 Night trip, dive supervisors watch from the deck, your first dive can be an orientation dive with an instructor, and every dive starts with a full briefing. On Spirit of Freedom, buddy teams plan and run their own dives, and safety divers look after less experienced divers and students. Spoilsport runs free orientation dives for divers who are new to it.
How do I get the experience for the longer trips?
Dive. The 3 Day / 2 Night trip gives you up to 11 dives, and you can do your Advanced course on it. If you haven’t dived for a while, a 2-hour pool refresher in Cairns gets you back up to speed.
Can my partner and I go together if we’re at different levels?
Yes, on the 3 Day / 2 Night trip. Snorkellers, certified divers and students share the boat and the dates, so you travel together whatever you’re each doing.
