Diving with Pro Dive Cairns Liveaboard Fleet
There are three Pro Dive Cairns liveaboard vessels, and each one departs twice a week for the 3 day Outer Reef itinerary. With a total of 6 departures a week, Pro Dive can offer added value like multilingual onboard staff. (German, Japanese, and Chinese are all available on different departures.) Each voyage offers 11 dives, usually at a ratio of 9 daytime dives to 2 night dives, though itineraries are always weather-dependent. Night dives are usually conducted in the same location as the last afternoon dive, so guests will already be familiar with the underwater terrain. (Night dives are also guided; normal dives are briefed on the boat ahead of time.) Other perks of Pro Dive Cairns Australia are the inclusion of rental dive or snorkel gear in the base price, availability of corrective lens masks, and underwater cameras for rent. Courses which can be pre-booked on a Pro Dive Cairns liveaboard include advanced open water, nitrox (which is available to fill tanks on all vessels), and an intro course for non-divers. Courses from Pro Dive’s Cairns-based dive school also get time on the boat. For non-divers, Pro Dive offers super snorkeling options and full amenities, making the fleet a snorkeler-friendly operation.
Pro Dive Cairns vessels
All three Pro Dive Cairns Outer Reef vessels were custom-built to give divers a smooth ride and full diving amenities. The ScubaPro Liveaboards (previously Scubapro I, II & III) are all sister ships with the same layout. At 25 meters in length, they host up to 32 passengers at a time, housing between 14 twin-share cabins and 2 double cabins. None of the bathrooms are ensuite, but there are 8 of them distributed among the sleeping quarters. The sleeping quarters use central air-conditioning to ensure you’re cool and comfortable at night.
The Pro Dive Cairns liveaboard fleet is designed to feel light and airy in ambiance. Operations are spread among the three decks; the top is strictly for suntanning and relaxing, the middle is for gear storage and dining, and the bottom is for sleeping. Entertainment systems onboard include television, videos, and music. (Non-gadget options are board games and books.). Pro Dive liveaboard dining always includes hot and cold buffet dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, except for the last lunch of freshly made sandwiches on the way back to shore. More information about the Pro Dive menu can be found in the website’s itinerary descriptions; importantly, coffee, tea, snacks, and water are always available.
Destinations of the Pro Dive Cairns fleet
Pro Dive Cairns’ liveaboard diving fleet enjoys access to 16 exclusive dive sites in the Outer Reef. These are the coral cays of Flynn, Milln, Thetford, and Pellowe. The sites were chosen for the abundance and diversity of their marine life, great visibility, and low-key vibe; it’s the GBR’s best sights without the crowds. Pellowe Reef lies near the edge of the continental shelf, and its steep wall is washed by strong currents, which attract pelagics and barracuda. Milln Reef’s dive sites include walls, swim-throughs, and bommies populated with resident turtles and white-tip reef sharks. Night diving is a real treat here; you can find parrotfish snoozing in their strange mucous membranes, sleeping turtles, bull rays, and colorful invertebrates like reef crabs and painted lobsters. Thetford Reef also offers diverse topographies at dive sites such as Cathedral and Blue Lagoon. Some of these access points are dependent on favorable weather and tides. The rewards if you can visit include an array of hard and soft corals, giant clams, and lots of colorful reef fish. Flynn Reef is one of the most famous Outer Reef areas, with well-known dive sites like Tracy’s Bommie and Coral Gardens. Staghorn, table, plate, and boulder corals thrive at Thetford’s, along with plenty of soft corals and abundant resident marine life. All kinds of topographies are available, including wall dives and swim-throughs.
If you’re interested in seeing the GBR’s annual coral spawning event or catching a glimpse of migratory whales, check Pro Dive Cairns’ website for information on seasonal marine life. Luckily, the Outer Reef has not been badly affected by the recent bleaching events on the northern GBR. The area is full of life, which exemplifies why the Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's seven natural wonders.
