Best places to dive in Queensland

Well, Queensland = Great Barrier Reef, of course.

For ops, Undersea Explorer at Port Douglas gets my vote. Port Douglas is a cool town, very laid back. And UE is an experience in itself. Get on a trip out to the Coral Sea if you can.

And yes, you are a bit mad to be planning a trip around scuba since you're not even certified yet, but I'd wager you know yourself pretty well, and if you are convinced you'll love the sport enough to base a significant part of your holiday time on it, you probably will be happy with that decision.

Just make sure before you get too far into your planning (and paying deposits) that you are medically cleared for training. I've had potential divers need to change their plans around when they found they couldn't get medical clearance for one reason or another.

Before you commit to a live aboard, try to get in a dozen or so day trips or shore dives so you have around 25 dives under your belt. Diving with a real newbie on a live aboard is not a lot of fun.

Get certified in Port Douglas, there diving there is better then anywhere on the coast excluding liveaboards. Don't do a liveaboard if you are not certified yet, don't do a live aboard, try to get some experience.

Thanks for your replies. MarkMark, I'll take your advice and not do a liveaboard, even though it sounds awesome! I get certified next weekend but don't think I'll get a chance to dive much before my holiday in September.

I won't be spending all my holiday diving, but we'll see - do a few, I can always find something else to do if I'm not super-keen. I'm flexible! I'll be checking out Undersea Explorer...

Thanks again!

I enjoyed diving out of Port D- used Haba, Poseidon and Calypso. Haba was smaller and more flexible (ie zodiac dropped me and the buddy away from the group), but only did 2 tanks a day. Posiedon and Calypso were both professional but busier. The only thing I would say there is that the Quicksilver boats looked packed with snorkelers and divers, looked like cattle.

I think you might consider Heron Island. Its a mixed crowd (many families at the resort) but some great diving and they have a special divers table -great for socialising as a solo.
As you know the majority backpackers dive out of Cairns. I was not interested aside from going on out a liveaboard with serious diving. The near sites for day trips are rather poor and degraded compared to day trips from Port D (hearsay from buddies who saw both) and obviously get crowds. Of course it may be a more lively bar scene in the evenings, but I quite liked the more laid back town atmosphere and toad races in Port D bars

Hi,

It is defiantly a good idea to get a few dives under your belt before doing the liveaboard but it definatly not something you should pass up if you don't. Some things to consider-

Depending on the liveaboard company your dives may or may not be guided by a dive master or dive guide.

If they are unguided you would be paired with a buddy and after a dive brief be left to control your own dive. If you were paired with an experienced diver this may be frustrating for them as your air consumption is likely to be faster, and they may like to dive deeper than you are certified for hence limiting their dives (=not happy dive buddy), and not the best idea to buddy with another inexperienced diver.

However, if you are buddied with another open water diver, and do have the option of having a dive guide (usually pay a little extra for the guide) this really shouldn't detract from other divers experience and you don't miss out on an awesome trip!

On board you will probably find that your fellow divers are happy to help you out with plenty of tips and advise if you ask them.

I would definately do it but just ask the company first if you can have a guide and be buddied with another OW diver so not to limit other divers.

Hope you have an awesome trip!