Diving Australia

[diver dave1 23]

I may have a chance to dive one week in Australia next April. I have seen plenty of nice photo's here from various places.

I will be in Sydney for starting/leaving point so I need to limit to the east half of the country.

 

If you had one week to spend, where would u go?

I love wide angle or macro. A mix would be nice. Not so interested in wreck diving overall.

 

A week on a liveaboard at GBR?

Some place else?

 

Also looking for suggestions of anywhere else I should investigate for this answer. Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

[Chriso 0]

Why not head up the coast from Sydney. There is amazing diving all the way up too the QLD Border.

Nelson Bay, Forster, South West Rocks, Coffs harbor and of course Byron bay to finish..

http://www.sundive.com.au/

[Otara 0]

If you havent been there before, my vote would be a liveaboard to the Ribbon Reefs, but only a week might be pushing it, given you need to get up there and back as well.

 

Otara

[diver dave1 23]

If you havent been there before, my vote would be a liveaboard to the Ribbon Reefs, but only a week might be pushing it, given you need to get up there and back as well.

My total time for the trip is 2 weeks. One of those would be for diving. I think I could manage the travel time, presuming its possible to fly up one day, dive for the week, fly back next day.

[MikeVeitch 0]

great whites!

[pmooney 6]

Out of Cairns.

 

7 day live aboard - Ribbon Reefs, Code hole and Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.

 

TAKA Dive

Spirit of Freedom

Mike Ball Expeditions

 

All go to basically the same places over 7 days - each has a different flavour.

[eyu 27]

I have been on the TAKA, it was like a cattle boat with mediocre food. You were timed from when you did your giant stride into the water and were told that if you were not back in the boat in 45 minutes you would not dive the rest of the trip.

Edited August 10, 2011 by eyu

[ATJ 1]

I agree with the liveaboard to Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef. I have done a similar 6 times (with an operator that no longer runs) and the diving is awesome. I haven't been on the three mentioned but from hearing others' reports, I think that Spirit of Freedom is the best and Mike Ball is next.

[diver dave1 23]

Thanks for all the suggestions. That was what I was after.

I have looked into various options recently and was surprised to find dive schedules like "15m ave depth, dive time 40-50 min". Reminded me of cattle boat diving from the past when everyone was expected to be in the boat in 50 min even though the depth allowed 70-80 min for those that could make the air last.

[MikeVeitch 0]

yes, Queensland has very strict diving regulations.

 

As i said, take a flight to Adelaide and jump on the Rodney Fox great white boat, its not far.. it may not be tropical and blue but a lot more interesting.. you can do tropical and blue in SE Asia instead

[eyu 27]

I don't have first hand knowledge, but I've been told that Mike Ball live-a-boards don't have the silly 45 minute rule and that they allow you to dive til you are low on air.

 

I also agree with Mike Veitch, that SE Asian diving is more interesting. In my opinion the Great Barrier is nice, but Bali, Komodo, Sipadan, Lembeh, Philippines are better.

[Drew 0]

For 7 days, I'd do this:

 

Jump on 3-4 day cruise out of Cairns to Ribbons/Osprey. Then drive down to Alva Beach and dive the Yongala from there for another 2-3 days. The Yongala is a must do dive, with macro and wide angle. Probably Oz's best all purpose site. Just don't penetrate the hull!! DO NOT DO the day trips from Townsville long boat ride and limited dive time...but you have a very decent hotel to rest in afterward. Get your EAN certification for Yongala.

 

April is whaleshark season in Exmouth and the pier at Exmouth is awesome. Not sure what the pier status is but it's a bitch to get out there, with a bad plane schedule. Not sure you can do it in 7 days but I'd do Perth-Learmouth- Christmas Island- Cocos Keeling.

 

Fiji is awesome in April (well WAS, global warming and axis shift may have changed things). As is PNG, where Port Moresby is a nice place to dive for 4-5 days. You can also dive the Solomons at Gizo and of course there's Vanuatu. All 2-4.5 hrs from CNS,BNE or SYD.

[ErolE 3]

Second Yongala. Used to live in Townsville and have a couple of hundred dives on her. Best tropical dive in Australia that isn t ridiculous to get too...

 

As Drew mentioned going with Yongala Dive is the way to go.

 

After that Osprey Reef is always worth a call.

[Tim Digger 1]

Kangaroo Island off Adelaide Warm Temperate, I 'd go back like a shot. Leafy Sea Dragons Sea Lions. and most fauna and flora Different! Not just another tropical Reef.

Tim Digger

[dragon_a 0]

Hi Dave.

Most of my diving is based around Melbourne where I live, however if you're in Australia and can get up to Queensland then of course the Barrier Reef is The iconic place. My wife has dived on the Yongala and rates it as the best dives she has ever done, however I believe that it can be a tricky site to get on to as conditions have to be just right.

I think the main thing to bare in mind is that without stating the obvious, Australia is a big country, so unless you want to spend most of your time in airports I would limit yourself to the East coast. Sydney itself has many excellent dive sites, for example Magic Point for Grey Nurse Sharks (need to check the time of year though as they are seasonal) or even Shelley Beach for an excellent shore dive. Byron Bay has a good reputation. My personal recomendation would be Southwest Rocks. Most of the diving takes place at Fish Rock, an island just off the coast, a 125m tunnel leads right through the middle of the island and if that doesn't keep you interested there are the Grey Nurse Sharks, Wobbegongs, Stingrays and Queensland Groupers :-). I've dived with them before and will be going back later this year.

http://www.southwestrocksdive.com.au

Dive Oz is also a good source of information for anyone interested in diving over here

http://www.southwestrocksdive.com.au

Wherever you pick though you're sure to have a blast.

 

Tony

[ATJ 1]

Kangaroo Island off Adelaide Warm Temperate

Warm Temperate? You're kidding, right? Sydney would be considered warm temperate but not South Australia.

[Tim Digger 1]

Warm Temperate? You're kidding, right? Sydney would be considered warm temperate but not South Australia.

Softy. I count anything I dive in a wet suit comfortably as temperate. Seriously it was mid summer and land temps 30+. 7mm hired One piece was fine.

Tim Digger

[ATJ 1]

Softy. I count anything I dive in a wet suit comfortably as temperate. Seriously it was mid summer and land temps 30+. 7mm hired One piece was fine.

Tim Digger

Temperate I agree with, I have no problem with that. A 7mm suit in mid-Summer is not warm temperate. I suspect you'd need a dry suit for Winter diving in SA. In Sydney you only need a 7mm in Winter.

[photovan 0]

Temperate I agree with, I have no problem with that. A 7mm suit in mid-Summer is not warm temperate. I suspect you'd need a dry suit for Winter diving in SA. In Sydney you only need a 7mm in Winter.

 

I have done a bit of Winter diving in South Australia over the last few of seasons.. cuttles, sea dragons, gw sharks... April/May/June.

 

The minimum I've been able to manage on multi-dive days is a tight-fitting 3mm steamer under a 5mm semi-dry or 7mm wetty. In a day, dive 1 is fine; dive 2 ...I start to feel it; dive 3... is shorter

[Drew 0]

I froze in Adelaide wearing a 7mm semi dry in Feb/Mar! The water dropped from 18-15 at times depending depth! Brrrr

[photovan 0]

I froze in Adelaide wearing a 7mm semi dry in Feb/Mar! The water dropped from 18-15 at times depending depth! Brrrr

at 20+ metres, stationary in a shark cage in June... I swear it feels like single figures! But don't quote me on that...

[ATJ 1]

I had 2 dives in Sydney last year (27 Nov and 12 December) where it got below 14ºC! Fortunately, I was wearing a 3mm one piece under my 5mm two piece.

 

Back on topic, April in Sydney (if you end up diving here) it is usually around 20-21ºC.

[Tim Digger 1]

Well it was very hot when we were there, I thought it was normal for January. I remember we debated whether to take our dry suits and were relieved when the decision not to (weight) was OK. I to would want to be in my dry suit in conditions quoted. I guess we were lucky with 20degC and the heat topside.

Tim Digger

[errbrr 73]

The Yongala is nice, but having dived on her last week the vis wasn't what I might have expected from tropical diving - we got 10 to 15m. See here for some of my shots. All the fish are huge, which makes the wreck look smaller than it actually is at 109m long. Definitely go with Yongala Dive out of Alva Beach or you're looking at a 3 hour boat ride from Townsville.

 

Closer to Sydney, the diving out of Jervis Bay has great underwater scenery. Fish Rock Cave at South West Rocks is definitely on my list - a giant swimthrough full of sharks. The Solitary Islands out of Coffs Harbour are lovely but a long boat ride out. If you don't mind the cold, Tasmania has kelp forests and huge sea caves at Bicheno and Eaglehawk Neck a bit further south.

 

It's a big country with lots of coastline...pick a section and enjoy yourself!

[Pfuller 1]

Consider Wolf Rock at Rainbow Beach if your travelling by car up the east coast to Far North Queensland. Its a Grey Nurse Shark Dive and is Queenslands best kept secret if you ask me.

 

Queenslands usually synonomous with coral gardens, but Wolf Rock is more like the diving you'll get around the north/central coast of New South Wales...similar to Bryon Bay (Julians Rocks) and South West Rocks(Fish Rock). Its a deep dive though (35m), and conditions can be difficult.

 

I'd add at least one of these to the list if your heading north from Sydney though (Wolf Rock, Julians Rocks or Fish Rock).