Scubapro

Pro Dive operate 3 identical, custom-built vessels of the multi-million dollar variety that are aptly named Scubapro 1, 2 & 3. Designed specifically for taking divers on tours of the Cairns Great Barrier Reef, each vessel is 25 metres long, over 7 metres wide and accommodates 32 divers. The Scubapro boats and crew have built a great reputation and become the best available budget option for spending 3 days diving from Cairns.

All 3 of these Scubapro Cairns liveaboards share the same design and have the same high level of professional staff onboard. This is no coincidence as this setup ensures that no matter which Scubapro you might find yourself on, you can be assured of an excellent diving adventure on Cairns' Barrier Reef.

The large dive deck has 2 toilets and showers. It can accommodate all divers in comfort, with personal storage for each diver and ample space in which to gear up. 2 sets of steps from the dive deck leads down to a platform which offers easy access to dive sites. Unusually, rather than just a narrow ladder that you need to clamber up again once your dive is over, Scubapro liveaboards feature a wide staircase in the centre of the platform, making getting back onto the boat a breeze, even in choppy conditions.

The saloon has more than enough comfortable seating providing all tour guests with a space to relax. Free Wi-Fi is available on board Scubapro. It's also the venue for meals served in the saloon's air-conditioned comfort.

The dedicated sun deck is above the saloon, providing opportunity for a spot of tanning or doing nothing much other than take in the fresh air and blue vista of the Great Barrier Reef. Bench seating around the edge of the deck is complemented by enough space in which to lie down. A small shaded area allows protection from the sun, as well as hosting the dive site briefings.

The Scubapro fleet visit a variety of the Great Barrier Reef dive sites at 4 different outer reef locations on which they have exclusive moorings. That means no sharing the dive sites with dozens of other boats on your dive tour! In all, Scubapro has access to 16 exclusive moorings and it would be unusual to dive the same site more than twice on any one trip.

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Dive experience: Divers need to be certified, Open Water with 4 logged dives, to join these Barrier Reef liveaboard trips. All divers in Queensland must submit a medical questionnaire and seek medical clearance where necessary.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, transfers to the boat from Cairns city hotels and northern beaches, dives (as detailed in the trips above), guided orientation, scuba and snorkelling equipment, torch, dive computer, dive insurance, tanks, weights, weight belts, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Fees and charges (US$ 57) to be paid in advance, towels (bring your own towel). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.
Course and Cruise: 4 night 'course and cruise' packages are also available which include 3 days of liveaboard diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Visit our Blog here: Scubapro Course and Cruise (cash only) for further details and a full list of what the price includes and excludes.

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks (you must bring your own alcohol), nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers US$ 69 for all dives. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: Scubapro departs at 7 am from Trinity Wharf in Cairns every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. A transfer from your Cairns City hotel to the Pro Dive shop is scheduled for 6 am. For more information on getting to Cairns, including airlines, see our How to get there section.
The last dive of the trip will be at around 11 am and then you will disembark back in Cairns at 4 pm. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: US$ 454.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of US$ 454.

Dive clubs and group discounts: 1 bonafide guide can join the cruise free of charge with every 15 paying guests.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): There is none available for this boat. Please contact us to enquire for a full charter.

Cairns Barrier Reef (3 Days / 2 Nights - 11 Dives)

Trip highlights: turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Pellowe Reef, Flynn Reef, Milln Reef, Moore Reef and Thetford Reef

Day 1
An early morning transfer from your Cairns hotel to the Pro Dive shop, meet the other guests and crew of your diving safari and then you will be onboard the liveaboard ready to leave port. A light breakfast is served onboard, followed by the 1st dive of your trip at around 11:30 am. The instructors on board will evaluate your underwater skills.
Lunch awaits you when you are back onboard: a hot soup to warm you, but also salad and cold meat to fill you up nicely. The 2nd dive is at 2:30 pm and you can enjoy the abundance of both hard and soft corals that are home to a great variety of fish life. More time to experience the underwater wonders of the Cairns Barrier Reef during the 3rd dive at 4:30 pm. Enjoy some freedom while diving with your buddy, as not all the dives are guided.
Back on board, and 6 pm is dinner time. Meals will vary during the cruise, with a varied buffet, including roasted chicken, spaghetti, saffron rice and grilled fish. The day is not over yet though, as there is still a 4th dive (night dive) at 7:30 pm, usually at the same site of the previous dive so that all the divers are more familiar with the surroundings. Eyes open for turtles, crabs and hunting fish, and sometimes a reef shark as a special guest. Back onboard, a nice surprise for you: dessert is served!

Day 2
These minke whale trips are a highlight of the Great Barrier Reef scuba calendar. Amazing encounters with these inquisitive creatures happen during their June and July migration. They are very curious and love to interact with snorkellers around the boat.
While the boat moves to the 1st dive site of the day, boost your energy with a light continental breakfast. In the water at 7 am. See if you can find big gorgonian fans, or giant clams surrounded by bumphead parrotfish and sweetlips. You will be served fresh fruit, bacon, eggs and toast when you are back on board. The 2nd dive is at 10:30 am, followed again by more food during the buffet style lunch. You do deserve some rest as well, in your own cabin or up on the sundeck, but don't miss the 3rd dive at 3 pm. Don't worry if you do though, you have an extra chance to get wet during the 4th dive (a night dive again) at 7 pm, just after dinner.

Day 3
Your last day on board starts with the 1st dive at 6:30 am, followed by a hearty breakfast and the 2nd and last dive of your safari. Freshly made sandwiches await your return. Enjoy the last hours on board Scubapro, before being transferred back to your city hotel mid afternoon. If you haven't made any plan for the evening, you can join your dive buddies and crew at a local restaurant to relive the highlights of your Great Barrier Reef experience.

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[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

There are 14 twin bunk bed and 2 double bed cabins on each of these Cairns liveaboards. They do not have en-suite facilities, but with 8 bathrooms onboard there is 1 for every 4 guests, so this is not really problematic.

The 2 double bed cabins and a twin cabin are located on the main deck, with 3 more twin cabins on the upper deck and have windows that allows natural light in. The remainder are located on the lower deck and feature cabin lighting and reading lights.

All the cabins are air-conditioned, have storage space for your bags and all have a reading light, in case you want to add all the marine creatures you encountered on your daily dives to your dive log.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 8 / 8 - hot water

The crew comprises: Nitrox - Dive tender - Separate rinse tank for cameras - Free wi-fi - 49m² air-conditioned lounge with TV, DVD, music centre, books, magazines, games and fish ID books - CD burner - Underwater camera rental - Large, dedicated sun deck with shaded area and sun matresses

Scubapro offers 3 international styled meals per day with fully cooked hot and cold breakfasts, lunch and hot dinners with desserts. If you're peckish, snacks during the day will bring you gastronomic comfort.

Scubapro goes the extra mile with freshly baked cakes onboard, which are simply delicious, especially after diving when you you may be overwhelmed by that urge to snack.

All meals are served buffet-style in the spacious, air-conditioned lounge.

• Buffet-style service in the lounge
• Fully cooked hot and cold breakfast
• Hot and cold lunches
• Hot, freshly cooked dinners
• Desserts are served after dinner
• Tea, coffee, Milo, and cold drinking water are always available
• Snacks between meals to to keep you going
• Candy bars and soft drinks are available for purchase
• Dining service aboard Scubapro begins on the first day with breakfast.
• All meals are freshly prepared on board, no outside catering

Customer reviews:

"They had great, easy to follow dive plans. The food, the staff and the whole experience of being on a liveaboard was excellent and beyond my expectations. I will definitely do again." - Joshua M Sampson, United States, 6 September 2024 ...

"Pro Dive is a nice shop and they run an efficient operation. The staff on the liveaboard was great. Josh was a terrific dive coordinator, Marceo and Rafa and Hiro were super helpful in getting in/out of the water, Arek was a good captain and Bonnie an excellent chef. All gear worked well and I really enjoyed their company on the boat. I would not hesitate to advise someone to use them in the future." - Scott Moye-Rowley, USA, 6 May 2015 ...