Australia diving questions....

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estatesatty - 26 Nov 2004 01:51 GMT

I am going to Port Douglas, Australia for my honeymoon in about 3
weeks and have a few last minute questions.

1.I would like to go for with a small group. I see some of the boats
are taking up to 48 people and that seems to be a bit much for me. I
just finished my PADI certification about 2 weeks ago and the Barrier
reef will really by first certified dive. Does anyone know of a dive
company where we can do a dive with around 10-20 people at the most?
What should I expect to pay for something like this? If there are no
suggestions for this kind of dive, what other companies are out there
that you all have experience with?

2. How deep am I going to need to dive to see the best reefs and
underwater sites?

3. In general, what type of expenses should we expect?

4. Is this a good time to be diving?

5. Give me any other info you think I need for these dives to be safe
and fun.

Thanks in advance,
Josh

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Arild - 26 Nov 2004 23:20 GMT

1. Don't worry too much about the size of the boat. You normally dive in
pairs anyway either with your friend or an assigned buddy. If you want/need
to you can normally get one of the divemasters to go with you, but you'll
soon be comfortable going with just a buddy, and it's more fun exploring
than being guided around.

In Cairns, I went with the Kangaroo Explorer, which I'd recommend. Their
advantage is that the boat stays out on the reef, while they use another
boat
as a fast transport to/from shore. The boat is high quality with
showers/toilet in the room (a rarity).

2. This is the beauty of Australia! You'll se most anything at just 10
meters, and staying within 18m is no problem. In other great dive spots,
like the red sea for instance you need to be at 30 to see the good stuff.

3. If I remember correctly we paid about AU$400 for a 3 day liveaboard (10
dives)

4. Yes

5. You might want to think twice about the night dives. It can be a little
scary to suddenly find a shark less than two feet away from you as I did.
The torches
provided are really toy quality and you won't see much until it
stares you in the face. I'd recommend bringing your own torch if you want to
do the night
dives.

> I am going to Port Douglas, Australia for my honeymoon in about 3
> weeks and have a few last minute questions.
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> Thanks in advance,
> Josh

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William MacDouglas - 05 Jan 2005 00:54 GMT

I agree, the great barrier reef off Queensland offers some of the
best dive sites in the world. I dove out of Port Douglas about 15 years
ago and found the DM and crew very professional and they really knew
their trade. Sorry, I can't quite remember the name of the outfit,
something like Mikes or Murphy's. The boats they use are big, but that's
the beauty of it, we were only about 20 on that dive and there was loads
of room to spare. Much better than being cramped in and not having much
room to move or put on your gear.
The cost is quite reasonable and there is an abundance of all types
of marine life.
And don't forget, there is also a great outdoors around Port Douglas,
beautiful beaches, sandy coves, nature trails and lush jungle and more.
Oh and don't forget the great Australian hospitality. Hey they even made
me feel warmly welcome and I'm a Pom.
Enjoy and don't forget your camera.
William.

> 1. Don't worry too much about the size of the boat. You normally dive in
> pairs anyway either with your friend or an assigned buddy. If you want/need
[quoted text clipped - 74 lines]
>>Thanks in advance,
>>Josh

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