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October is one of the best months for scuba diving in Cairns. We’re talking glass out days, warm water, great visibility and an abundance of marine life. We headed out on Sunlover Reef Cruises on 23 October 2025 to bring you this reef report. We did their Moore Reef day tour, visiting their outer reef pontoon, which is about 50km offshore and provides immediate access to a vibrant coral lagoon with excellent coral cover. We did a 45-minute guided dive full of swim throughs, coral walls and bommies.
October scuba diving Cairns with Sunlover Reef Cruises. All dives are guided with a maximum dive time of 45 minutes, or less pending air consumption. The coral lagoon is relatively shallow so maximum depth will be 14m, making it suitable for all certification levels.
The Sunlover Reef Cruises Moore Reef tour takes you to the outer reef, visiting their permanently moored pontoon. The journey out takes around 90-minutes, including a stop at Fitzroy Island to collect day tour guests. October usually has optimum conditions for reef tours and scuba diving, with most days delivering calm sea and sunshine. It was a glass out the day we went, with the flat sea mirroring the big blue sky, truly just another day in paradise. Sunlover’s pontoon is positioned to provide immediate access to a stunning coral lagoon which has nearly 100% coral cover. Certified scuba divers can book 1 guided dive, you will need to show your dive certification, and those wanting to try scuba diving for the first time (introductory divers) can also book 1 dive. All diving is in addition to the tour price; other optional extras include helmet diving, scenic helicopter flights and guided snorkelling. There’s a range of activities included in the tour price including a glass bottom boat tour, semi-submersible tour, independent snorkelling, the waterslide and underwater observatory.
“The Sunlover Reef Cruises Moore Reef trip is an awesome day out! Moore Reef is an outer Great Barrier Reef site, which has clear waters providing fantastic visibility for most of the year. The Sunlover pontoon is moored at a beautiful coral lagoon, which showcases a diverse array of hard and soft corals and is teeming with life. Highlights of our Cairns October scuba diving with Sunlover included seeing a large, friendly Maori Wrasse and an impressive array of sizeable gorgonian sea fans. Swim throughs were amazing too, and our son loves a good swim through. Conditions are perfect for snorkellers as well, as the corals rise up to within a few metres of the surface. You can opt for a guided snorkel tour or explore the corals yourself, with unlimited snorkelling time. Highlights of the Sunlover snorkelling for us was the crystal clear water and abundance of reef fish in the lagoon, fish of all shapes, sizes and colours. We loved the black and white scissortail sergeants, the intricate patterns of the rabbitfish and butterflyfish, the schools of striped and yellow-tail fusiliers, anemonefish and one of our favourites, the inquisitive six-bar wrasse.” – Julie Johnston
Dive time! We love October scuba diving on Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef, and you’re guaranteed to find us under the water at this time of year. Why? The weather is warming up and so is the water, generally sitting at around 27 degrees Celsius at this time of year. This means you can opt for lycra suits or shorty wetsuits when diving, Sunlover provide both for their scuba diving customers. The winds are down too, which means you have a high chance of glass out days on the reef, perfect for photos and a high dose of Vitamin Sea. October is also post-school holidays, which means it’s less hectic on the boats and in the water. Finally, October is our son’s birthday and there’s no better way to celebrate than scuba diving on the always amazing Great Barrier Reef.
Scuba divers can book 1 dive on a Sunlover Moore Reef day tour. All dives are guided, and all equipment is provided and included in the dive price. Water entry and exit is made easy, thanks to a wide staircase taking you to a submerged platform under the pontoon. Here you stand around chest height until everyone is ready, and then descend on the shot lines or free descent, pending your preferences. Make sure you check out the sea fans and soft corals that are growing under the pontoon, they are very pretty! Dive time is a maximum of 45-minutes, or less pending your air consumption. The maximum depth of the reef around the pontoon is between 14-16 metres, so it’s suitable for divers of all certification levels.
The Sunlover Moore Reef day tour provides you with around 4 hours at the pontoon. We started our day with a dive and then enjoyed the hot and cold buffet lunch on the pontoon. This featured local prawns, a selection of salads and cold meats, as well as meatballs, chicken and vegetable coconut curry, Moroccan vegetable tagine, bread rolls and fresh fruit. With the tanks refuelled it was time to enjoy the other activities available. Ethan headed straight for the waterslide, which is always so much fun, and then we all went snorkelling. Water access for snorkellers is made easy, with a submerged platform and seating. This allows you to put your fins on in the water, then swim out to explore the coral lagoon. The day’s pace was relaxed with lots of time in and out of the water.
We’ve personally experienced nearly every tour we offer and have extensive knowledge of the Cairns region, with a special focus on snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Best of all, our advice is completely free! Why not take advantage of our expert travel and package recommendations?
October heralds the arrival / return of warm waters on the reef. It’s also the month of coral spawning on the Great Barrier Reef, so generally speaking there is an abundance of marine life, everywhere. Dive conditions are prime. The Sunlover Reef Cruises Moore Reef day tour is perfect for divers travelling with non-diving companions, due to the array of activities available on the ponton. Visit the underwater observatory, watch fish feeding, take a glass bottom boat or semi-submersible tour, scenic heli flight over the reef and/or guided snorkel tour. For families with young children, the pontoon has an enclosed ocean pool, which enables you to safely take your little ones into the ocean and be surrounded by fish all while standing on a platform.
The pontoon has 3 levels. A top sundeck with lounges and bean bags, this is also where the waterslide starts. A shaded middle deck with tables and chairs, change rooms and water access. An underwater ‘deck’ where scuba divers and helmet divers access the water on a submerged staircase. There’s an onboard photographer who is in and out of the water all day; make sure you check their pictures on the way back to Cairns, as these make the perfect souvenir of your time on the reef.
Yes. October in Cairns is great for scuba diving. The water temperature is between 25–27°C, with calm seas and excellent visibility, making it one of the best months for scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
Sunlover Reef Cruises takes divers to Moore Reef, where October conditions are clear and warm. All scuba diving is guided, with the experienced dive team ensuring you see all the ‘best bits’ on your dive.
Between 25–27°C, making it comfortable for short wetsuits or lycra suits. October offers warm, tropical water before summer arrives.
No. Sunlover Reef Cruises offers both introductory and certified dives, so beginners and experienced divers can dive safely in October. Certified divers will need to show dive license. The minimum age for introductory divers is 12 years old.
Usually one or two dives per day tour, with options to add more certified dives depending on conditions.
Visibility at Moore Reef is typically 15–25 metres in October, great for underwater photography and marine-life encounters.
Stinger season starts in November, so October diving is generally safe from jellyfish. Sunlover provides lycra suits for sun protection.
Expect parrotfish, clownfish, turtles and reef sharks. Coral spawning begins late October, creating a rare natural spectacle.
Yes. Sunlover day tours combine scuba diving and snorkelling, with a pontoon, underwater observatory, glass bottom boat and semi-sub tours for all guests.
Departures are daily from the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal at Marlin Marina, close to the Esplanade Lagoon.
October scuba diving in Cairns is all about calm seas, warm water and an abundance of marine life. Sunlover Reef Cruises Moore Reef day tour is perfect for divers who are travelling with non-diving companions, thanks to the extra activities available on the pontoon. Moore Reef at the Sunlover pontoon and dive area, has a maximum depth of 14m. So if you’re planning a Cairns dive in October, expect warm water and stable weather, paired with healthy reef life at Moore Reef with operators like Sunlover.
© I Love Cairns 2025
