Favorite Thing: An expedition to the reef is a fairly standard commodity and, though they charge in different ways, you will generally pay the same amount no matter what company you choose. What you want to use to guide your choice of a reef excursion are other considerations.
1. What part of the reef is the boat going to visit.? You might want to revisit the site of a previous dive, or you might want to see something new, but they go to the same spots every day, weather dependent.
2. How fast is the boat? Obviously, slower boats stay closer to shore, and you spend more time getting from point A to point B and less time in the water doing what you paid for.
3. How big is the boat. This is important for those of you who get seasick. A bigger boat is more stable, has a higher resistance to rough seas and is generally more comfortable.
4. Where does the boat leave from? Does it leave from the docks in Cairns, or do you need to take a long trip up to Pt. Douglas in the wee hours of the morning? Boats that go to the northern part of the reef, known for its clear water, generally do leave from Pt. Douglas.
5. Food.
6. Number of dives and the number of times they move the boat.
7. How many snorkelers will be there? Snorkelers generally take up a lot of space in the water and can crowd your dive ladders. The fewer there are, the better.
8. The ratio of divers to divemasters. The lower the better.
Fondest Memory: Clearing my mask and suddenly seeing the exotic fish in all their color. It just kind of dawns on you that everything everyone told you about the wondrous sights is true, but that there really aren't words to describe it. About the best comparison I can make is being in someone's carefully maintained fish tank, filled with brightly colored fish you've never seen before.
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on May 23, 2006
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