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Down Under Cruise and Dive have one of the latest dive and snorkel boats in the Cairns reef tours fleet. Evolution was custom designed and built to provide first class passenger comfort. It has 3 decks, which are a combination of air conditioned interiors and exterior sun decks. On their Cairns reef day tours, they visit 2 different sites and provide up to 5 hours at the reef. There’s unlimited snorkeling and a range of optional extras, including snorkeling tour with a Marine Biologist, a semi submersible tour, scenic heli flight over the reef and certified and introductory scuba diving. Morning and afternoon tea and a hot and cold buffet lunch are included, as is a glass of wine on the way home.
Certified divers have the choice of guided or unguided diving, with up to 3 dives each day. For those who want to try introductory scuba (minimum age to participate is 12 years old – no previous experience necessary), the Great Barrier Reef is the place to do it! All diving is an additional cost to the tour price.
What We Love About Down Under Cruise And Dive. We love the fact that certified scuba divers have the option to go unguided diving. There are only a few boats in Cairns that allow that. They also have moorings at some excellent outer Great Barrier Reef dive sites. On one of our dives, we saw a green sea turtle, white tipped reef shark, clownfish (Nemo) and a humphead maori wrasse – so all our favourites. The crew are great and the boat is really well laid out. Read Our Down Under Cruise And Dive Trip Review.
We’ve been on all the tours we book. As a couple, as a family with a baby, then with a young child and now pre-teen. We’ve taken non-swimming friends and older relatives to the reef. So, we have first-hand experience and can help you make the right choice for your Cairns Reef Tour. Chat with us or send us an enquiry and we’ll get back to you.
Get In Touch Chat With UsDown Under Cruise and Dive provide dive and snorkel tours that depart Cairns daily, for the outer Great Barrier Reef. They provide up to 5 hours at the reef and visit 2 different reef sites. As you are on the outer Great Barrier Reef, underwater visibility is usually great. Exact locations for your Cairns reef tour will be chosen on the day, to maximise your reef experience pending weather, such as tides and currents. Please note that all of Down Under Cruise and Dive’s reef destinations are open water sites. Waves and current are sometimes present and as such, you should be a confident swimmer with reasonable fitness. Flotation devices are available, if required.
The snorkeling on Down Under Cruise and Dive is great. They visit 2 outer reef locations and spend up to 5 hours at the reef. You can enjoy unlimited snorkeling at both sites, with all equipment and site briefings provided and included. All snorkeling is at open water sites and flotation devices and provided, should you require them. Water access is via a large platform, which is lowered to the water.
Down Under Cruise and Dive also offer a guided snorkel tour with a Marine Biologist. This is an additional cost to the tour price. The guided snorkel tour is perfect for those that want to learn more about the corals and Great Barrier Reef fish you are seeing.
If you have never scuba dived but want to try it, then the Great Barrier Reef is the place to do it! Down Under Cruise and Dive provide guests with the opportunity to do up to 3 introductory dives, during their Cairns reef day tours. Scuba diving is an additional cost to the tour price and includes all of your diving equipment and instruction, which is provided on your journey to the reef. You will have a professional dive instructor with you the entire time you are in the water. The minimum age to participate is 12 years old. The dive goes no deeper than 12m and generally lasts 20 minutes.
Please note certain health conditions can prevent you from participating in introductory diving. This includes but is not limited to: asthma, epilepsy, chronic sinus conditions and ear problems, heart disease and sugar diabetes. It is not advised to try scuba diving if you are pregnant.
Certified scuba divers can do up to 3 dives on Down Under Cruise and Dive, at 2 different reef sites. Down Under have excellent dive site moorings, at Norman, Saxon and Hastings Reefs, with great coral cover and diversity of marine life. You can choose between guided and unguided diving. If you are not travelling with your dive ‘buddy’, one will be allocated to you by the crew. All scuba diving on Down Under Cruise and Dive is an additional cost to the tour price, covering your dive equipment and site briefings. The dives generally last around 40 minutes.
Please note you will be required to provide proof of your dive certification and you will be required to complete a safety waiver, prior to dive (and snorkel) activities.
Down Under Cruise and Dive have a semi submersible and provide tours at Hastings Reef, during their Cairns reef day tours on the outer Great Barrier Reef. The semi submersible tours provide you with an underwater view of the reef and commentary is provided by a Marine Biologist, so you can learn more about the reef, its corals and different marine life. The semi submersible tours last 20 minutes and are an additional cost, to the main tour price.
Semi submersible tours are a great way to learn more about the reef and are awesome for families with young children and/or infants.
This is another optional extra activity on Down Under Cruise and Dive and provides a completely new perspective of the Great Barrier Reef. The 10 minute scenic heli flights take place at Hastings Reef and are run by Nautilus Aviation, a respected Cairns aviation company. The price for the scenic helicopter flight is in addition to the tour price, and includes tender transfers, to and from the boat to the helicopter platform.
Please note there is also limited availability each day for guests to cruise to the reef with Down Under Cruise and Dive and take a 25 minute scenic flight back to Cairns, or take the heli to the reef from Cairns, and cruise back with Down Under Cruise and Dive.
Down Under Cruise and Dive’s boat, Evolution, is moored at Cairns’ Marlin Marina. Prior to boarding, you must check in at the Down Under Cruise and Dive desk, to collect your tickets. This is located inside the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal. Check in and boarding is from 7.15am – 7.45am, boat departs Cairns at 8am. Snorkelling equipment is issued on boarding, as is dive equipment, and morning tea is available. Lunch and afternoon tea are also included. You should take a towel, sunglasses, hat, change of clothes and sunblock for the day, as well as cash or credit cards to make any beverage purchases. Tea, coffee and cold water is supplied and included.
Check in at the Down Under Cruise and Dive desk, which is located inside Cairns’ Reef Fleet Terminal. Once you have your tickets, make your way to their boat – Evolution – which is moored at the Marlin Marina.
Board Evolution. The crew will provide you with all relevant paperwork for snorkelling and diving. Tea, coffee and mini muffins are provided.
Evolution departs Cairns and commences its journey to the Great Barrier Reef. All safety, dive and snorkel equipment briefings are conducted on the boat, on the way to the reef.
Arrive at the first Great Barrier Reef site. Certified divers enter the water. Followed by introductory divers and snorkelers.
Enjoy the BBQ lunch, while Evolution moves to its second reef site. Lunch includes steak (only Cairns reef day tour boat to do a BBQ), veggie patties, prawns and a range of salads and breads
Arrive at your second Great Barrier Reef site for the day, with more snorkelling and scuba diving. The second reef site is also the place for the 10 minute scenic heli flight and semi submersible tours and Marine Biologist led guided snorkel tour, all of which are optional extras to the main tour price.
Once in-water activities are concluded, the crew complete a final headcount, before Evolution heads back to Cairns. During the return trip you are provided with a complimentary glass of wine, cheese and crackers. You can purchase additional beverages from the bar, at your own expense.
Evolution arrives back to Cairns.
Down Under Cruise and Dive have multiple moorings on Cairns’ outer Great Barrier Reef. Their sites are at Norman, Saxon and Hastings reef. They will always visit Hastings Reef, as this is where the semi submersible tour is run, and where the scenic heli pad is located. Your other reef site will be selected on the day, to maximise your in water experience, pending tides and current. It visits 2 different sites, each day and provides up to 5 hours at the reef.
The snorkelling on Down Under Cruise and Dive is good. They have access to some excellent reef sites, where the coral rises up to within just a few meters of the surface. You will see a range of colourful corals and Great Barrier Reef fish. As well as enjoying unlimited snorkelling at the 2 reef sites, you can also join a Marine Biologist guided snorkel tour (extra cost), which allows you to learn more about the corals and fish you are seeing. This is highly recommended. Please note you will be snorkelling in the open ocean, so for your comfort, it is recommended that you have reasonable swimming ability and fitness. There are flotation devices available for your use.
Yes, Down Under Cruise and Dive provide certified and introductory diving on their Cairns reef day tours. They visit 2 reef sites and provide guests with the opportunity to do 3 dives. All scuba diving is an additional cost, to the main tour price. The dive cost includes all of your dive equipment and site briefings. Certified scuba divers can choose between guided or unguided dives (dive guide is extra). You will be required to show proof of certification. All introductory diving is guided by a professional dive instructor. The minimum age to participate in an introductory dive is 12 years old. The maximum depth you will go on an introductory dive is 12m. Certain health conditions will preclude you from diving, such as asthma, epilepsy, heart conditions, sinus and ear infections and more.
Certified scuba divers and introductory scuba divers can all do up to 3 dives each day. Introductory divers may be limited to less dives, pending demand on the day. Dive time is limited to 40 minutes for certified divers, to ensure there is time to complete the 3 dives with tank refills. Introductory dives generally last 20 minutes.
The scuba diving with Down Under Cruise and Dive is good. They have access to some excellent outer Great Barrier Reef sites. Water entry is generally giant stride, off the lowered platform on the back of the boat.
Yes, Down Under Cruise and Dive is a dive and snorkel boat. The majority of the ways you can view the reef with Down Under Cruise and Dive, is in the water. Flotation devices and buoyancy jackets are available if needed. That being said, they do operate semi submersible tours (weather permitting) and 10 minute scenic heli flights.
No, Down Under Cruise and Dive does not have a glass bottom boat, but they do have a semi submersible.
Yes, Down Under Cruise and Dive is suitable for kids, who can swim with confidence. We took our son on Down Under Cruise and Dive and he loved it (he is also a certified Junior Open Water Diver – so very comfortable in the open ocean). If you have younger children, or children who are not comfortable swimming at sea – where there may be waves and/or current, pending conditions at the time of travel – then a reef pontoon or island trip might be better for you.
Yes, Down Under Cruise and Dive is family friendly – especially for families with older children, who are confident at swimming in open ocean.
Down Under Cruise and Dive is the only Cairns reef tour to provide a BBQ lunch, featuring steaks, veggie patties and prawns. There is also a range of salads and breads. Morning and afternoon tea are also provided, including a glass of wine at the end of the day. Cold water is included in the tour price and you have the option of purchasing additional drinks (soft drinks etc) at the bar, at additional cost.
If you have any question regarding this tour, please do not hesitate to contact us, we can help you find the perfect tour for you, we understand it can be overwhelming trying to decide. Our advice and booking service is free.
A great day at the reef! Ticked off all of our favourite underwater things – turtles, clownfish, maori wrasse and reef sharks – and that was all on the first stop of the day. Down Under Cruise & Dive delivered the goods.
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