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Australia Diving Reviews:
Dive Resorts & Liveaboards

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Average Overall Ratings
(over last 3 years, 21 of 179 reports
Advanced:  4 stars Beginner:  4 stars
UW Photography:  3 stars
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Page # 1  2  
Mike Ball Spoilsport Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   The good: The Spoilsport is a large, stable catamaran with comfortable cabins, great dive deck, a large eating/ lounge area, good ... Full report  
4 stars
2 stars  
2/2003   David Reubush
250+ Dives 		 
Mike Ball SpoilSport Full report LiveAboard Yongala Wreck & Coral Sea   Warning: As has been reported elsewhere in Undercurrent, Mike Ball charges Americans (North and South), Japanese, and some others... Full report  
5 stars
2 stars  
11/2002   James & Kandace Heimer
250+ Dives 		 
Mike Ball Supersport Full report LiveAboard gbr   good operation good weather good people / staff good diving. nothing bad whish I had known it would be booked 6 months in adv... Full report  
4 stars
5 stars  
11/2003   mike foust
<100 Dives 		 
Mike Ball's live aboard Super Sport Full report   Cod Hole & Great Barrier Reef   Althought it was the trip of a lifetime, once is enough as most of the coral was dead or had no color, only some sharks, and not a... Full report  
1 stars
2 stars  
4/2002   Gerald Bertekap
<100 Dives 		 
Mike Ball's SpoilSport Full report LiveAboard Coral Sea   Good operation with much better food than the previous trip. Due to sronger currents did not see the same diversity of both dive si... Full report  
5 stars
3 stars  
9/2005   ddemming
500+ Dives 		 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
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Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest is an agency for travelers that scuba dive. See the Great Barrier Reef, Cod Hole, kangaroos, outback, leafy seadragons. Let us plan your adventure to Australia.
Mike Ball's Supersport Full report   Great Barrier Reef   Mike Ball’s Supersport Great Barrier Reef, Australia June, 2004 John Crossley What a classy operation Mike Ball has! I wa... Full report  
4 stars
4 stars  
6/2004   John Crossley
1000+ Dives 		 
MV Kalinda   Far North Great Barrier Reef   "An Adventure on the Far Northern Great Barrier Reef"
This was my first time in many years going with a budget operator, and once in that mindset, the facilities were fine. But arrivi... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
10/2023   Mark Rosenstein
1000+ Dives 		 
Nimrod Explorer Full report LiveAboard great barrier reef   I chose Nimrod Explorer due to reports in Undercurrent and also other on- line recommendations. This was my first ever liveaboard, ... Full report  
5 stars
2 stars  
6/2007   fiona rattray
250+ Dives 		 
Nimrod Explorer Full report LiveAboard Cairns   Our family of four(mom, dad, son(21) and daughter(16) spent 5 days aboard the Nimrod with Explorer Ventures. We were provided wit... Full report  
5 stars
5 stars  
4/2006   Irwin Danto
250+ Dives 		 
Nimrod Explorer Full report LiveAboard Coral Sea/Great Barrier[N/A]   This catamaran was built in 1984, and whether refitted or new as a dive boat, the very spacious dive deck created a tiny camera ta... Full report  
3 stars
4 stars  
9/2005   Bill
500+ Dives 		 
Nimrod Explorer Full report LiveAboard Barrier Reef, Cooktown-Cairns   Assemble in Cairns, perhaps fly to Cooktown or beyond at 1000 ft- a bonus- to join boat. Sleeps 18, 12 this trip- kept 4 in a cabin d... Full report  
5 stars
2 stars  
9/2004   C.F. Ward
500+ Dives 		 
Nimrod Explorer Full report   GBR   Quad share quarters are a little cramped. Only toilets are ensuite which is inconvenient in a quad share. There are no others av... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
1/2004   Pat Aderman
250+ Dives 		 
Nimrod Explorer Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   Nimrod Explorer may have had something of a checkered past, judging by other readers' past reports, but my trip was first rate all... Full report  
5 stars
4 stars  
4/2003   Barry Zigas
500+ Dives 		 
Ningaloo Reef Dive   Coral Bay, Western Australia   "Surprisingly good coral life, mantas almost guaranteed"
This operator offers a number of half & full day dive / snorkel tours, I did the full day "Ningaloo Adventure & Manta Ray Tour" on... Full report  
5 stars
4 stars  
8/2023   Phil Johnston
1000+ Dives 		Photos available 
ningaloo reef dive center/ Pot Shot Hotel Resort Full report   Exmouth   Please see my review on the Exmouth Diving Center for our review of the Pot Shot Resort and our dive travel agent (Dive Adventures... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
4/2014   John E. Keith
250+ Dives 		 
Odyssey Expeditions LiveAboard Rowley Shoals   "Pristine waters and dive freedom"
The best about diving with Odyssey Expeditions is the freedom to dive with your buddy. Dives are your own profile and your own pa... Full report  
5 stars
2 stars  
10/2019   Christhol Swanson
250+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Odyssey Expeditions Full report LiveAboard Rowley Shoals   "Stunning Isolation"
Rowley Shoals are an isolated group of 3 atolls off the coast of Broome. They are only able to be dived 1- 2 months per year so ve... Full report  
4 stars
5 stars  
11/2016   Judy Ormandy
250+ Dives 		 
Pro Dive Full report LiveAboard Cairns - Great Barrier Reef   "Three Days Aboard the ScubaPro III on the Great Barrier Reef"
Overall, the Great Barrier Reef is in tough condition due to the bleaching events of recent years. This can be seen in the vast a... Full report  
3 stars
4 stars  
4/2019   Matthew Glass
250+ Dives 		Photos available 
Pro Dive Full report   Lord Howe Island   "Great diving and operator"
The operator coordinated with resort management to get us to and from the boat everyday and drove us personally if needed. The sta... Full report  
5 stars
5 stars  
11/2018   Donald frazier
1000+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Pro Dive/ Milky Way Resort Full report   Lord Howe   "island dream"
Snorkeling in the bay at Old Settlement Beach something suddenly bumped into my thigh. For one second frozen in shock and terrible... Full report  
4 stars
4 stars  
12/2017   Michael Joest
1000+ Dives 		Photos available 
Pro-Dive Full report   Cairns   I was in Cairns for a little over 3 weeks at Pro_dive taking the Instructor Development Course (IDC) - PADI. My instructor, Alex ... Full report  
4 stars
5 stars  
2/2006   Dennis Van Langen
250+ Dives 		 
ProDive Full report LiveAboard Cairns GBR   This was a 2 night, 3 day, 11 dive trip out from Cairns on the GBR. The boat takes about 20 divers in twin bunk cabins. The trip o... Full report  
2 stars
4 stars  
9/2006   Ian Kennedy
100+ Dives 		 
ProDive Cairns Full report LiveAboard Cairns   "Good value but . . ."
We spent over two weeks in the Cairns area in April 2019. In addition to two live aboard trips out of Cairns (ProDive and Reef En... Full report  
3 stars
4 stars  
4/2019   Hugh E Aaron
1000+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Quicksilver/ [same]Diversity Full report LiveAboard     The bad was that the Coral Sea can stay rough for long periods of time, the good, we hit it right on our trip and it was qui... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
6/2003   Jerry Hamberg
500+ Dives 		 
Quicksilver Group Full report   Coral Sea   "Good day down under"
You dive off a platform, rigged for maximum snorkeling, with a surface "submarine ride" and facilities for scuba. My non- diving sp... Full report  
3 stars
4 stars  
2/2017   JOHN L SMITH
500+ Dives 		 
Quicksilver Outer Reef Cruise Full report   Great Barrier Reef   Quicksilver operates a number of Great Barrier Reef day cruises out of Port Douglas, Queensland. On the Outer Reef Cruise, the MV... Full report  
3 stars
5 stars  
9/2002   Barton Smith
<100 Dives 		 
Reef Encounter Full report LiveAboard Cairns   "Great value, comfortable and fun, but medicore diving"
Reef Encounter bills their live aboard operation as a “boutique floating hotel. ” It is somewhat unique in that Reef Encounter, a ... Full report  
3 stars
4 stars  
4/2019   Hugh E Aaron
1000+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Reef Encounters Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   "GBR Liveaboard Updates "
Loved it - The Reef Encounter Live- a- board experience offered an easy on board and flexible experience for both divers and snorkel... Full report  
3 stars
3 stars  
11/2017   Sally Byrd
250+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
resort dive op/ Lizard Island   Lizard Island   "Top notch diving on the northern edge of the Great Barrier Reef"
Great location for diving the great barrier reef. Only 1. 5 hr boat ride to Cod Hole (outer reef), where there are 9 resident Gian... Full report  
4 stars
4 stars  
9/2023   AJ HILLER
500+ Dives 		 
Resorts Padi Dive Center/ Morten Island Full report   Tangalooma island   "Less than average dive, but happy I still had the opportunity"
I was traveling to meet my friend and his wife in Brisbane before they left to start living in the United States. Originally I did... Full report  
1 stars
5 stars  
12/2015   Briton M Tater
<100 Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Sail Ningaloo   Ningaloo/Western Australia   "Interesting diving in Western Australia"
We had wanted to go to Ningaloo for awhile. After a trip planned by some friends was rescheduled due to Covid, we were able to joi... Full report  
3 stars
4 stars  
3/2023   Alice Ribbens
1000+ Dives 		 
Sail Ningaloo Full report LiveAboard [Ningaloo Reef   "Mantas and and abundant fish life on Ningaloo Reef"
We did 5 nights on Shore Thing, which is a beautiful spotlessly clean 5 year old sailboat catamaran. Sail Ningaloo is a tip top ... Full report  
4 stars
5 stars  
5/2018   Kay Schroer
500+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Scuba World Full report   Sunshine coast, Mooloolaba   I was in Mooloolaba on vacation. It is north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast. I had a chance to do a day of diving, but just abo... Full report  
2 stars
1 stars  
4/2014   Ian Kennedy
250+ Dives 		 
Sea Quest (Dive Down Under) Full report       Diving on day boats from Cairns can be a very restricing experience. The boat operations tend to over controll concentrating on g... Full report  
4 stars
5 stars  
9/2003   Joseph
250+ Dives 		 
Sea Trek Full report LiveAboard Ningaloo Reef, W.A.   Our group of nine flew from the US to Sydney, then on to Perth where we overnighted before flying up to Exmouth. The plane to E... Full report  
4 stars
4 stars  
6/2002   John Crossley
500+ Dives 		 
Seasports Full report LiveAboard Jervis Bay   Jervis Bay lies about 2 ½ hours by car south of Sydney along the Princes Highway, Australia’s main coastal route that links Sydney... Full report  
4 stars
2 stars  
6/2005   Ian Kennedy
<100 Dives 		 
Southwest Rocks Dive Center Full report   Southwest Rocks   Southwest Rocks is a small town about 6 hours drive north of Sydney. It is a favorite spot for families to vacation at the beach a... Full report  
4 stars
2 stars  
2/2006   Ian Kennedy
100+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Fredom Full report LiveAboard Coral Sea/Cod Hole   January 2005 SOF is still in great "new" boat shape. TV/ VCR is larger rooms, twin rooms small, but clean and well ventilated. Boa... Full report  
4 stars
4 stars  
12/2004   Scott Kramer
250+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   "Thirteen years later: still top-notch!"
Spirit of Freedom was our first liveaboard back in 2011. We had a great experience then, but the company has since been sold and t... Full report  
4 stars
5 stars  
4/2024   Beverly H Sobelman
100+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef and Coral S   "Definately A Bucket List Check-off"
This was a bucket list item for us. From the time we got on board until we debarked again in Cairns, we had a stellar experience. ... Full report  
5 stars
5 stars  
7/2019   Peyton Williams
1000+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea   "Winter Diving in Aus"
This is really an experienced, advanced dive experience this time of year. The surface was choppy and there was plenty of currents... Full report  
5 stars
3 stars  
7/2019   Dave Jackson
250+ Dives 		Photos available
2Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   "Sickening Experiance"
[ My trip 11/ 12/ 2018 was sickening, literally. The cabin I was assigned to was not the one they had agreed to furnish. That’s not... Full report  
1 stars
2 stars  
11/2018   Donald frazier
1000+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Far North   "Far North Baby"
Only gave it a 3 for money’s worth because this trip involves 600+ miles of cruising, so you need to accept you have to “pay” for ... Full report  
3 stars
3 stars  
11/2018   Ted Bemis
250+ Dives 		2Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Coral Sea   "Great staff, comfortable boat, nice diving"
I wish the website would do a better job of explaining bed size - we're used to a king sized bed at home, so when you put us in a ... Full report  
5 stars
3 stars  
8/2018   Kelley Price
250+ Dives 		3Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard The Great Detached Reef   "The far Northerns"
The Great Detached Reef is located on the very far northern eastern coast of Australia and just below Papua Nuigini. Access is lim... Full report  
5 stars
2 stars  
11/2017   Mark A Mintz
1000+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard GBR and Coral Sea   "Mostly great"
Everything was great except for the fact that the divemaster (Angus) treated me differently because I was on hypertension medicati... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
10/2017   Scott Cragin
250+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard GBR & Coral Sea/Osprey Reef   "Great time on SOF"
Well- organized, friendly crew. Rental equipment good (ScubaPro). Food excellent - - dietary issues were taken care of very well. ... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
4/2017   Jeff and Pat Maeda
500+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Far North   "The Great Barrier Reef Aboard the Spirit of Freedom"
Quantas allows you to check in two bags at 50 pounds each, plus carryon (is United listening?) The issue we had is that our puddle... Full report  
4 stars
4 stars  
11/2016   Pierre Hurter
1000+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Coral Sea   "Bucket List Trip"
We did the four day trip. Flew from Cairns to Lizard Island (arranged by Spirit of Freedom), then on the Spirit of Freedom and of... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
4/2016   Jeffrey R. Johnson
250+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Osprey Reef   "Spirit of Freedom Jan 24-Feb1 , 2016"
Boat well maintained and crew very competent and safety oriented. Food very good and plentiful. Dive 4 times day on most day... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
1/2016   Larry Schnabel
500+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard     "Coral Sea Treasures "
Took the 4 day and night Spirit of Freedom Live- a- board with a maximum of 15 dives. Flight from Caines regional airport limited u... Full report  
5 stars
3 stars  
11/2015   Sally Byrd
250+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard     "It is now the sort of Ok, but not great Barrier Reef"
Two adult divers took a week long trip on the S. o. F. In early October. For more experienced divers, it would be wise to go elsewh... Full report  
3 stars
4 stars  
10/2015   Lydia S Segal MD
500+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   "Finally, the Great Barrier reef!"
After reading so much about the Great Barrier Reef, I decided that it was time to check it out. I flew from Montreal to Cairns, vi... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
2/2015   Raymond Haddad
250+ Dives 		1Helpful vote(s) received
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard     "Spirit of Freedom - 7 Days"
The boat was great, we had the stateroom downstairs, large king bed, private bathroom, very stable. Large dive deck, each diver h... Full report  
5 stars
3 stars  
10/2014   Jayne A Murrill
500+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef,Osprey Reef   "A bit disappointed"
The Boat: we stayed in the one king bed cabin, near the center of the ship below decks; no porthole, but comfy and pretty roomy. B... Full report  
4 stars
1 stars  
9/2014   Gary D Simms
100+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard     This was our 20th liveaboard trip and our 33rd dive trip so I admit that we are "spoiled. " That being said, this trip was our mos... Full report  
2 stars
3 stars  
10/2013   David Marchese
1000+ Dives 		Photos available 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   We did the 7- day trip to Cod Hole and Osprey Reef. The 7- day trip really consists of 2 trips - Monday to Thursday to the Cod Hole... Full report  
3 stars
5 stars  
12/2012   Steve Dussault
500+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report   Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea   This was a special charter, arranged through Reef and Rainforest. The Spirit of Freedom (SOF) spent two weeks diving all the way f... Full report  
4 stars
3 stars  
11/2012   John Sommerer
500+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   Spirit of Freedom was top notch. This was our first experience with a liveaboard dive vessel. We have a 42' Hunter sailboat that... Full report  
5 stars
5 stars  
5/2012   Greg & Robin Webster
100+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   We went with Spirit of Freedom for a week- long tour. Leaves Monday morning (free pickup at your Cairns hotel), followed by a coup... Full report  
4 stars
5 stars  
3/2012   Joel Snyder
250+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   We had an amazing time on the Spirit of Freedom. The crew were all professional and efficient but also fun- loving; the food was p... Full report  
4 stars
4 stars  
1/2011   Beverly Sobelman
<100 Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard GBR and Coral Sea   My husband and I booked the trip through About Australia Diving as they are very familiar with the boat and were able to get a spo... Full report  
5 stars
3 stars  
9/2010   Sandra Tullis
250+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard GBR<Coral Sea   None] The boat is a first class operation. The staff is the best I have ever seen with the exception of one other boat in Microne... Full report  
3 stars
4 stars  
2/2010   Hardy Sieck
1000+ Dives 		 
Spirit of Freedom Full report LiveAboard Great Barrier Reef   Well worth the half- way- around- the- world pilgrimage. A marine biologist passenger said the corals reminded her of the Caribbean 30... Full report  
5 stars
5 stars  
10/2009   Harvey S. Cohen
100+ Dives 		 
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Diving Guide to Australia

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