Pro Dive Cairns, Australia

Fantastic Liveaboard Experience — Perfect for Newer Divers

I just finished a 3-day, 2-night liveaboard with Pro Dive Cairns and it was a fantastic experience. I had recently received my Open Water Diver certification in Hawaii in December 2024 and only had six dives under my belt, so I was a bit nervous about doing so many dives in a short time. However, the divemasters on the boat were excellent at giving clear briefings and helping re-teach skills like compass navigation. They also have many strong safety systems in place. Even if you get lost, you simply surface, raise your flag, and they come and fetch you with their tender. Someone from the main boat is always scanning the water while divers are in — which gave me a lot of peace of mind. I did this trip with my 18-year-old daughter, who had the same amount of diving experience as me. There were a few other solo divers on board, so we partnered with another diver and formed a group of three. This ended up being incredibly helpful for navigation and learning. It had been three years since our dive buddy’s last dive, so she was also feeling rusty — we learned together and supported each other. On the very first dive there was a guide available, which was extremely helpful for shaking off the rust. About two-thirds of the divers on our boat were finishing their Open Water course, so most of the time guides weren’t available. After the first dive, we were navigating on our own. By the end of the three days, I felt very confident in my navigation skills. If you’re looking to gain experience and confidence, you absolutely will on this trip. I also want to mention the night dives. I was very nervous about them — I’m not keen on sharks or dark water. All the young people on the boat (including my daughter) hyped me up and encouraged me to try, so I pushed through my fear and went. In the end, it was a phenomenal experience and I’m so glad I didn’t skip it. A few tips from my experience: Bring seasickness medication — even if you don’t think you’ll need it. We took medication before boarding and regularly throughout the trip, which helped a lot. The first day was quite rough as we were at the tail end of a storm, and many people who didn’t expect to get seasick did. Meds are available on board, but they’re much more expensive than bringing your own. You won’t need as many clothes as you think. We mostly lived in our swimsuits since there isn’t much downtime between dives. We were there in January (hot season) and were never cold. At night, just bring comfy clothes and a warm top — the boat is air-conditioned 24/7, so it’s cool inside. Bring card games or small games. There’s little to no cell reception, which actually made the trip better. Someone brought easy card games and it was a highlight of the evenings. It became a wonderful digital detox — just make sure family and friends know you’ll be out of reception for three days. The food was amazing. There are snacks between every meal — you will not go hungry. You need to bring your own alcohol if you want it, and they provide fridge space. The accommodations were very comfortable. I was worried about sleeping, but the room stayed cool and I slept like a baby (and I’m picky about mattresses). Probably helped that I was exhausted from diving and taking seasickness meds around the clock! I’ve read some reviews complaining about depth restrictions. Personally, I didn’t mind at all — I wasn’t interested in going very deep anyway. As an Open Water diver, depth is restricted due to insurance policies. Some people on the boat completed their Adventure Diver course so they could go deeper. I’ve also read comments about the boat being crowded or challenging for experienced divers due to the number of new divers. As a newer diver myself, I actually appreciated this. I learned a lot from others and enjoyed being reminded of key skills. We had a full boat of 32 people and I loved the camaraderie. That said, if you’re a very advanced diver looking for technical or deep diving, this may not

Recommended for

Fantastic staff and crew with a great sense of humor. Beautiful dive sites. Fun camaraderie amongst fellow divers.

20 Jan, 2026