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Introductory diving on the Great Barrier Reef. No experience needed. Just you, the reef, an experienced dive guide, and that first unforgettable moment of breathing underwater. We took our friends, who were visiting us from the USA on the weekend, and they had an amazing time. We’ve prepared this post specifically to provide all you need to know about introductory diving in Cairns, including first-hand accounts from the participants. We went with Sunlover Reef Cruises, as their pontoon is the perfect place for first time divers, and as an added bonus, their coral lagoon provides excellent snorkelling, for when you are not diving. The dive crew are thorough, professional and very friendly. They are with you throughout the dive, guiding you around the reef ensuring your comfort, safety and enjoyment. Scuba diving is an epic way to experience the reef up close and personal and who knows, you might even come face to face with a turtle or Humphead Maori Wrasse! If introductory diving has ever been on your bucket list, this is your sign to do it.
Ally’s thoughts on the introductory dive: “It was amazing and I would do it again! The diving was a lot easier than I thought and it was really nice to get face to face with everything. The guide was super helpful, in and out of the water.”
Our Introductory Divers for this review are a family of 4, parents Amanda and Tim, their daughter Ally and son Jonathan. Tim and Amanda are certified divers who have not dived for over 20 years. Ally and Jonathan have never dived before and were excited to try. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time,” Ally said. “It’s a little bit scary about breathing underwater, but I’m excited and it should be fun.” Jonathan wasn’t nervous, he was excited for the dive and found the PADI Introductory Diving test questions nice and easy. Tim and Amanda were both looking forward to sharing the experience with their kids. Amanda said: “I learned to dive in Cairns at the earliest possible age in the 1980s. I’m looking forward to this and can’t wait to see the colours of the coral and some colourful fish.” Tim remembered that scuba diving ‘felt like flying underwater’ and was hoping to see some colourful fish on his dive.
“This family are very good friends of ours, so we wanted to make sure they had the best time possible when doing an introductory dive together. That’s why we suggested Sunlover Reef Cruises. The water entry from the pontoon is nice and accessible, the reef is fantastic and the crew always go above and beyond to make everyone feel safe and comfortable. Additionally, Sunlover has professional underwater photographers on board to capture all of your amazing underwater memories, some of which are featured on this page. For this post we interviewed everyone before and after the dive, to discover expectations versus reality, and to our delight they had the most amazing time. As a double bonus, they spent some awesome underwater time with a friendly Green Sea Turtle, Humphead Maori Wrasse, Giant Clams and red Sea Fans. Shout out to Dive Instructors Aden and Diego for an amazing time.” – Julie Johnston
The Sunlover Dive Instructors with us were Diego and Aden. These guys were absolutely brilliant, providing the family with excellent instruction and support, in and out of the water. So, how did the experience go? Did introductory diving live up to their expectations? Yes it did!
Ally said: “It was amazing and I would do it again! The diving was a lot easier than I thought (much easier than helmet diving) and it was really nice to get face to face with everything. … I did find the buoyancy difficult and that was the hardest part of the dive.” Her Dad Tim said: “The whole experience was way better than I thought! Super easy having the guides with us. They checked on us a lot during the dive, so made us feel safe and comfortable. … This was the best spot I have ever dived, we saw so many different species of fish all in one space and an amazing diversity of corals.” Last word from Mum Amanda: “I saw so much more, than I ever thought I would! I was thrilled. It makes me want to get straight back into diving. I was worried that I wouldn’t remember, but I did and it was awesome! The turtle was amazing! This was really special, having the time to observe it in its natural habitat. The Sunlover guides were brilliant and made us feel so comfortable.” Richard was in the water filming the family and introductory dive, while Ethan and I snorkelled above them, to see what they saw. Ethan even duck-dived down to say ‘hello’.
Sunlover Reef Cruises offers introductory diving at their Moore Reef pontoon, on the Great Barrier Reef. The introductory diving is in addition to the standard tour price and includes professional instruction by a PADI Dive Instructor, all equipment needed, safety briefings and a guided dive. Please note you must be aged at least 12 years old and complete a medical questionnaire prior to diving. Some health conditions, including but not limited to asthma, epilepsy, chronic sinus and more will prevent you from participating, for your own safety. Dive briefings are provided on the boat, on the way to the reef. This is followed by a short test, which is supported by the Dive Instructors (Jonathan said the PADI Introductory Diving test questions were nice and easy). The maximum group size for introductory divers is 4 guests to 1 dive instructor. The dive time is around 30 minutes, going to a maximum depth of 12m.
One of the biggest differences for Sunlover Introductory Diving, versus other reef tours, is water access. Water entry with Sunlover is via a set of stairs that descend beneath the pontoon. You can stand in waist-high water, practicing skills with your Dive Instructor, before descending on drop lines for the dive. The drop line rope system was custom designed by Sunlover’s Dive Instructors to create the most natural skills training environment for first time divers, to mimic the natural flow of entering the water with gear on for the first time, gradually increasing depth and space. The water under the pontoon is protected from waves and current, so it’s a nice ‘stable’ way to start and end the dive. If you were taking introductory diving off a reef boat, then water entry is usually giant stride from the back deck, stepping straight into the open ocean. Depending on the prevailing weather conditions at your time of travel, this can be a difficult start to trying a new skill and experience.
No, not everyone can do introductory diving in Cairns. You need to be at least 12 years old to participate in this experience. You will also need to complete a diving medical form prior to participation. Some health conditions will preclude you from diving, including but not limited to asthma, epilepsy, chronic sinus and more.
You need to be at least 12 years old to participate in introductory diving.
No. Introductory diving is designed for people who have never scuba dived before. You receive a dive briefing, basic instruction, equipment, and a fully guided dive with a qualified instructor.
Yes, Sunlover is a great option for many first-time divers because the dive starts from their Moore Reef pontoon. Instead of jumping straight off the back of a boat into open water, you enter from stairs beneath the pontoon and can practice skills in shallow, protected water before starting the dive.
Once ready to descend for the dive, you’ll use a drop line / rope system that was custom designed by the Sunlover instructors to create the most natural skills training environment for first time divers. It mimics the natural flow of entering the water with gear on for the first time, gradually increasing depth and space.
Sunlover lists a maximum group size of 4 introductory divers per dive instructor, which helps keep the experience more personal and supported.
Introductory dives are kept within beginner-friendly limits and are fully guided by a dive instructor. The maximum depth you will go is 12m.
It can feel a little strange at first, especially breathing underwater for the first time, but many people find it easier than expected once they relax. In our experience, having calm instructors and easy water access makes a big difference.
YES! If you are comfortable in the water and have always wondered what scuba diving feels like, introductory diving is absolutely worth considering. It gives you the chance to experience the reef below the surface without needing to complete a full dive course first.
Yes. One of the benefits of doing introductory diving with Sunlover is that you can also enjoy the Moore Reef pontoon activities before or after your dive. The coral lagoon is excellent for snorkelling, so non-divers and divers can still enjoy plenty of reef time.
Yes, families can often do introductory diving together, provided everyone meets the age and medical requirements and spaces are available. Sunlover’s maximum introductory dive ratio is 4 guests to 1 instructor, which works well for small family groups.
Sunlover Reef Cruises provide introductory diving from their Moore Reef pontoon, on the Great Barrier Reef. You can add this to your whole day reef tour, or their Reef & Island day tour which includes time at Fitzroy Island. Dive Instructors, equipment and briefings are all provided and included in the introductory diving price. Maximum diver to instructor ratio is 4 to 1, for safety and comfort.
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