Dive Review of Spirit of Freedom in
Australia/Great Barrier Reef

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Spirit of Freedom: "Thirteen years later: still top-notch!", Apr, 2024, by Beverly H Sobelman, WA, US ( Reviewer 6 reports with 4 Helpful votes). Report 12936 has 2 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Spirit of Freedom was our first liveaboard back in 2011. We had a great experience then, but the company has since been sold and the reef has taken a lot of damage from cyclones and coral bleaching events, so we were curious to find out whether our return visit would be as amazing. I'm pleased to report that it is still a top-notch operation, and the diving was lovely. There are still places where the coral hasn't recovered well, but in many spots we saw gorgeous regrowth. We felt very well taken care of from the moment we stepped on board. Every member of the crew was welcoming, friendly, and enthusiastic. The dive operation is a well-oiled machine, handling tank refills within moments of returning from a dive. We opted to rent gear this time and found everything in good shape - integrated weights in the BCDs were a nice surprise. (Note that you can't rent gear a la carte - it's the full kit or nothing.) The diving itself was easy and enjoyable. After the checkout dive, which we did in groups, we were allowed to dive in our buddy pairs and follow our own profile (but with at least two dive crew in the water with us at all times, and the option to stay with a guide). None of the sites required advanced navigation skills so this would be a great trip for newer divers to gain experience. There was a little current here and there but overall very easy diving, all in the 5m-20m depth range. The water in April was balmy - I dove in a hooded dive skin plus a 4th Element underlayer and never got cold. The accommodations are fine. We had the Ocean View room, arguably the best on the boat, and while the bed was super comfortable, the layout of the room was a little inconvenient - you can't have the bathroom and the closet open at the same time, but there's nowhere to store things in the bathroom, so there is a lot of opening and closing of doors just to brush your teeth. The food is still among the best we've had on a boat. Fresh, plentiful, delicious. They did a great job with dietary restrictions as well. The coffee machine even makes an acceptable flat white. Note that this review is for the 3-night Cod Hole excursion, which includes a very fun feeding experience/photo shoot with the iconic potato cod. SoF also offers a 4-night trip to Osprey reef (weather-permitting), or a 7-night trip that includes both areas.
Websites	Spirit of Freedom
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Hawaii, Australia, Puerto Rico, Dominica, Honduras, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Galapagos, Indonesia, Maldives
Closest Airport	Cairns	Getting There	We flew direct Vancouver, BC to Brisbane and then a short hop to Cairns.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	28-30°C / 82-86°F	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	5-25 M / 16-82 Ft
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Queensland dive rules: Must carry a snorkel, two safety stops, no deco, must carry locator beacon and safety sausage.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Spirit of Freedom in Australia/Great Barrier Reef

Spirit of Freedom: "Thirteen years later: still top-notch!", Apr, 2024,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Spirit of Freedom in
Australia/Great Barrier Reef