Liveaboard Diving Cairns
Cairns liveaboard diving trips and multi-day scuba diving tours depart daily, allowing you to maximise your dive time on the Great Barrier Reef.
Diving on a liveaboard from Cairns lets you fit more dives into your trip than you could manage on day tours. As an added bonus, you can do night dives and morning dives, as well as watch sunrise and sunset over the Coral Sea.
There are many reasons to take a liveaboard dive trip from Cairns. One of the main reasons is the opportunity to dive in the Great Barrier Reef, which is one of the most spectacular and diverse marine ecosystems in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is home to thousands of species of fish, coral, and other marine life, and offers a wide range of dive sites for divers of all skill levels.
Liveaboard dive trips allow you to spend several days diving and exploring the reef, which can be more convenient and cost-effective than making day trips from Cairns. Additionally, liveaboard trips often offer more comfortable and spacious accommodations, as well as the chance to socialize and share diving experiences with other like-minded travelers.
VIEW SELECTED TOURS BELOW:
Reef Encounter – Liveaboard Dive Trips
Pro Dive – Liveaboard 3-Day/2-Night
Ocean Quest – Liveaboard Dive Trip
Do you need help choosing?
Can't decide? We have personally been on every Cairns reef and diving trip. We can help you choose the best tour, to suit your experience and budget.
All liveaboard trips visit several different dive site locations, meaning you get to explore more of the Great Barrier Reef.
Liveaboard Diving with Turtles
Potato Cod - Cod Hole
Coral Sea Shark Diving
There are several benefits to choosing a liveaboard dive trip from Cairns, including: more time diving, less time travelling, saving money on accommodation and meals (all included in your liveaboard package), getting to visit as much of the Great Barrier Reef as you can, having the opportunity to do night dives.
What are the options:
There are two different types of Cairns liveaboard diving trips. The first is the liveaboard trips that visit Cairns’ Outer Great Barrier Reef. These depart daily and can be booked anywhere from a single night to a week. The second is the liveaboard trips that depart from Cairns and visit the Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole and Coral Sea. These trips last a minimum of 4 days / 3 nights and can last up to a week.
Cairns Outer Reef Liveaboard Dive Trips
What’s the difference? Cairns’ Outer Great Barrier Reef liveaboard dive trips visit the reefs off Cairns. The reefs are generally about 60km offshore and dive depths vary anywhere from 5m to 30m. Visibility and conditions are dependent on the season, but visibility is usually anywhere from 10m – 30m, excluding extreme weather events.
Prodive's Scubapro
Ocean Quest Liveaboard Cairns Australia
Reef Encouter at Saxon Reef
These trips are suitable for beginners to experienced divers and visit several different dive sites. The reefs you may visit off Cairns include, but are not limited to: Milln, Moore, Hastings, Saxon, Thetford and Briggs Reefs, to name just a few. To give you an indication of the amount of diving you can do on these trips, you can enjoy up to seven (7) certified dives on an overnight trip and 11 dives on a two night trip.
Ribbon Reef and Coral Sea Liveaboard Dive Trips
Cairns Ribbon Reef and Coral Sea liveaboard trips go further afield than Cairns, taking you up the coast to the Ribbon Reefs and then out to the Coral Sea. These trips depart four times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) and last anywhere from 4 days / 3 nights to 7 days. The longer trips include the Great Barrier Reef’s Ribbon Reefs (with the Cod Hole) and Coral Sea, the shorter trips visit either the Ribbon Reefs or the Coral Sea and include a low-level scenic flight, to or from Cairns.
The Ribbon Reef trips are similar to Cairns’ Outer Great Barrier Reef trips, in that the maximum dive depth is generally no deeper than 30m and you are still within the protected waters of the Great Barrier Reef, however currents may be stronger here than Cairns. The difference is the marine life diversity and water clarity. These sites are less visited and further from shore, you can expect some of the best Great Barrier Reef diving here. These trips are suitable for beginner and advanced divers and nitrox is available as an optional extra.
Spirit Of Freedom Dive Boat
Mike Ball - Spoilsport
Diving at Osprey Reef
The Coral Sea is outside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area. Cairns’ liveaboard dive boats steam about 300km away from the coast, taking you to remote dive destinations with 1,000m wall drop-offs (dive depth is capped at 40m for recreational divers). These liveaboard trips are recommended for experienced, Advanced certified divers. Nitrox is available and Coral Sea trips include a shark feed dive, weather permitting. Currents here are generally stronger than on the Great Barrier Reef.
How to Choose a Liveaboard from Cairns Video
Watch our latest video below with detailed information on how to choose a liveaboard dive trip from Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Created by our very own dive-crazy team member Clint Carroll who currently at the time of writing has logged over 658 dives on the Great Barrier Reef.
Cairns Liveaboard Diving - General Information
All Cairns liveaboard dive boats have professional crew and equipment, boasting over 60 years combined dive industry experience. Diver safety and safe diving practises are paramount on all of these boats, with thorough dive site briefings and safety procedures on board.
Cabin accommodation ranges from quad share to double and stateroom. Some boats offer private ensuites and some do not. All boats include lycra suits or wet suits in the tour price.
Water temperatures on Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef is about 29 degrees Celsius in Summer and 23 degrees Celsius in Winter.
All Cairns liveaboard dive trips include accommodation, meals, linen, transfers to and from Cairns to the reef and diving. Do as much or little diving as you like.
6 Tips for Liveaboard diving from Cairns:
- Research and book in advance: Cairns is a popular destination for liveaboard diving, so it's important to book your trip well in advance to secure your spot. Make sure to research different liveaboard options and read reviews to find the best fit for you.
- Pack light: You'll be living on a boat for several days, so it's important to pack light and only bring essentials. Make a list of what you need and try to stick to it.
- Get your diving certification: Most liveaboard diving trips in Cairns require that you have a diving certification. If you don't already have one, consider getting certified before your trip.
- Get travel insurance: It's always a good idea to get travel insurance, especially for a trip like a liveaboard diving adventure. Make sure to get coverage for diving and medical emergencies.
- Be prepared for rough seas: The Great Barrier Reef can experience rough seas at times, especially during the summer months. Make sure to bring motion sickness medication and stay hydrated to help prevent seasickness.
- Follow the rules and guidelines: The Great Barrier Reef is a protected marine area, so it's important to follow all rules and guidelines while diving. This includes respecting the marine life and not touching or disturbing anything.
Overall, liveaboard diving from Cairns is an amazing experience that offers the opportunity to dive some of the most beautiful and pristine reefs in the world. By following these tips, you can ensure that your trip is safe, enjoyable, and unforgettable
Sunset over Coral Sea
Friendly Crew
Great for Photographers
About us Cairns Dive Adventures:
As each operator has different packages, reef destinations and inclusions, it can be hard to know where to start: Cairns Dive Adventures is here to help. We’ve been on and reviewed all of Cairns’ liveaboard trips and can help you choose the best one for your budget and experience.
We are not affiliated with any of the boats. We are Cairns locals who love diving and want to make sure divers who visit our town and Great Barrier Reef have the very best experience they can. This site is built and funded by us. We give unbiased advice and trip reviews, which are designed to give you a thorough overview of the trip and what you can expect to experience. We hope it is informative. We make our income from booking your tours: we thank you for your support.
For those wanting to expand their scuba diving skills, you may choose to complete a dive course while on your Cairns liveaboard trip. PADI and SSI dive courses are available.
Please note: Dive tour operators will want to see a copy of your dive certification license / card, so please ensure you have this with you when booking / travelling. It is preferable if you have your log book with you too. If you have not dived in a while, refresher courses are available.
Please note: Travelling with non-divers is no problem. All Cairns Liveaboard Diving tours offer the opportunity for guests to book an introductory dive (no experience necessary), or alternatively, your non-diving companion can snorkel and swim on the Great Barrier Reef.
For any further information please get in touch with our dive crazy reservation team by emailing: reservations@cairnsdiveadventures.com or you can call PH: +61 74041 1638
Spirit of Freedom: 7-Day / 7-Night: Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs & Coral Sea
Spirit of Freedom: 4-Day/4-Night Coral Sea & Ribbon Reefs Adventure
Spirit of Freedom: 3-Day/3-Night: Cod Hole & Ribbon Reefs
Spirit Of Freedom – Far Northern Dive Expeditions
Reef Encounter – Liveaboard Dive Trips
PRO DIVE – Ribbon Reef Minke Whale Liveaboard
Pro Dive – Liveaboard 3-Day/2-Night
Ocean Quest – Minke Whale Dive Expeditions
Ocean Quest – Liveaboard Dive Trip
Mike Ball – Spoilsport: Coral Sea & Cod Hole Expedition – 5 Night
Mike Ball – Spoilsport: Cod Hole
Mike Ball – Spoilsport: 7 Night – Coral Sea Safari
Coral Sea Dreaming Liveaboard
Search for Tours:
Cairns liveaboard dive information
Click the links below to find out more.
Do you need help choosing a trip?
Can't decide? We have personally been on every Cairns reef and diving trip. We can help you choose the best tour, to suit your experience and budget.
Special
FREE UNDERWATER CAMERA HIRE*
Spend over $550.00 AUD on your Great Barrier Reef tour with us and receive the latest Digital Underwater Camera Hire. Take amazing High-Resolution images and 1080 HD Video.
Not available for any tours to the Islands as fine white sand damages the seals on the cameras and makes them leak!
You need to come into our shop located on the Cairns Esplanade the day before departure to pick up the camera before 5:30 pm. You also need to supply your own SD Camera Card and drop the camera off back at our shop before 5:30pm.
Please Remember there is no other way to collect our cameras! All passengers must come into our shop the day before departure day before 5:30 pm.