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Ocean Free provides small group Cairns sailing tours to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef. Green Island is located 27km offshore from Cairns and as well as having surrounding fringing reefs, which you can snorkel from the beach, there is Pinnacle Reef which is where Ocean Free moors. Pinnacle Reef provides superior Green Island snorkelling and with Ocean Free, you can scuba dive here too. The Ocean Free Cairns sailing tour to Green Island provides you with around 4.5 hours to explore Pinnacle Reef and enjoy some island time. It includes all your snorkel equipment and instruction, return tender transfers from the boat to Green Island, delicious food throughout the day and a true sailing experience.
Ocean Free departs Cairns at 8am and returns around 5pm. It takes a maximum of 25 guests and has 4 crew, ensuring outstanding customer service and attention throughout the day. Locally owned and operated by a family passionate about the reef, your experience and sustainability.
What We Love About This Tour. We love the fact that this is a true sailing experience on a beautifully maintained boat. We love the fact that this includes time on Green Island, and snorkel and diving on Pinnacle Reef. We love that this locally owned and family operated business invests back into the community and the reef – and the fact that their crew are dedicated to providing you with the best possible day. Did we mention the lunch and the food – amazing!
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 UsOcean Free is a 16m sailing monohull that takes just 25 guests on Cairns reef tours to Green Island. The pace is leisurely and you can’t help but feel relaxed with the wind in your hair and sunshine on your face. Their transfer time from Cairns to Pinnacle Reef, which is around 1km offshore from Green Island, is around 2 hours each way. This provides you with around 4.5 hours to explore and enjoy the reef and the island.
Ocean Free have an exclusive snorkel site at Pinnacle Reef, which is about 1km offshore from Green Island. All of your snorkel equipment and instruction is included in the tour price and you can enjoy unlimited snorkel time, while at the reef and island. Learn more on guided snorkel tours, which are included in the price. On Ocean Free, all snorkelling is from the boat on Pinnacle Reef. Water access is giant stride off the back or the side of the boat. You will be snorkelling in open water sites and as such, you should be confident in the water. Flotation devices are available, if these make you feel more comfortable.
The Ocean Free crew love to dive and provide you with the opportunity to do 1 or 2 introductory dives, during your Cairns sailing tours to Green Island. Introductory diving is in addition to the tour price and the cost includes all dive equipment, dive instruction and your dive guide. The Ocean Free introductory dives are undertaken on Pinnacle Reef. You will have a dive guide with you for the entire time and generally do not go any deeper than 6m. The dive guide to student ratio on Ocean Free is a maximum of 1 to 3, but pending numbers can be 1 on 1. Introductory dives are 25-30 minutes long. You must be aged 12 years old or older, to participate in an introductory dive.
Please note certain health conditions can prevent you from trying scuba 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 go diving on an Ocean Free Cairns sailing tour to Green Island and can choose between 1 or 2 dives. All dives are guided and are in addition to the tour price. The dive price covers your equipment, instruction and dive guide. The Ocean Free dives are on Pinnacle Reef, where you can explore coral bommies, see hard and soft corals, an array of Great Barrier Reef fish and maybe even a sea turtle or stingray. The maximum dive depth is around 10-12m.
You will be required to show proof of your certification prior to diving. The maximum dive time is around 45 minutes.
The Ocean Free Cairns sailing tour to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef, provides you with around 4.5 hours to explore and enjoy the reef and island. Check in is at the Ocean Free tour desk, which is located inside Cairns’ Reef Fleet Terminal. Check in is from 7.15am, boarding is at the boat, which is moored at Cairns’ Marlin Marina from 7.30am with an 8am departure. Ocean Free returns to Cairns at around 5pm. A delicious morning and afternoon tea is included, as is a cold buffet lunch featuring smoked salmon, prawns, cold roast chicken and more. 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 additional food and beverage purchases.
Check in at the Ocean Free tour desk, which is located inside Cairns’ Reef Fleet Terminal. You will be given your boarding passes.
Boarding commences at the Ocean Free sailing boat, which is moored at Cairns’ Marlin Marina. There is a delicious morning tea awaiting you, including Danish, fresh fruit and tea and coffee. The crew will issue you with any relevant dive and snorkel paperwork.
Ocean Free departs Cairns for Green Island. During the 2 hour transfer, you will have lots of time to complete any necessary snorkelling and/or scuba diving paperwork and be advised of the timing of these activities. There is also lots of time to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Arrive at Pinnacle Reef, about 1km offshore from Green Island. Time to commence your Great Barrier Reef experience with snorkelling from the boat, on the surrounding reefs. You can participate in a snorkel tour, which is included in your ticket price. The introductory and certified diving will also take place here.
A delicious buffet style lunch is made available on Ocean Free. It includes smoked salmon and chilled prawns, cold roast chicken and a selection of deli meats, 3 fresh salads and a selection of bread.
Ocean Free provides tender transfers for guests wanting to explore Green Island. You can spend 1 or 2 hours on the island, where you can relax on the beach or take a self-guided tour through the island’s rainforest boardwalks. If you are interested in crocodiles and anemonefish then visit Marineland Melanesia on Green Island, it’s home to the world’s largest saltwater crocodile in captivity, as well as many other crocodiles. You can also remain on Ocean Free for more snorkelling and/or scuba diving.
With everyone back on board, Ocean Free commences the return journey to Cairns. On the way back to Cairns, you’ll enjoy a delicious afternoon tea of fresh fruit, cheese, crackers and cake, and a complimentary glass of wine. The engines will be switched off for some sailing.
Ocean Free arrives back into Cairns’ Marlin Marina.
There are lots of inclusions in the Ocean Free Cairns sailing tour to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef.
Ocean Free visits Pinnacle Reef, which is around 1km offshore from Green Island. It also provides tender transfers to and from the boat to Green Island. They provide around 4.5 hours to enjoy and explore the reef and the island.
Snorkelling on Ocean Free’s sailing tour is undertaken on Pinnacle Reef. This reef has coral bommies, with colourful corals, and an abundance of marine life. We’ve seen green sea turtles here and a blue spotted stingray, which was a highlight of the snorkel. You can learn more about the reef on a guided snorkel tour, which is included in the Ocean Free tour price. 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, you can scuba dive on Ocean Free. They provide guests with the opportunity to do 1 or 2 dives on Pinnacle Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef. For certified divers, the maximum dive depth is around 10-12m and dive time is around 45 minutes. For introductory divers, the maximum dive depth is around 6m and dive time is around 25-30 minutes. All diving on Ocean Free is guided and all diving is in addition to the tour price. The dive price includes the dive equipment, site briefing and dive guide. Certified divers will be required to show proof of certification. Introductory divers must be aged 12 years old or older. Some health conditions will preclude you from diving, such as asthma, epilepsy, heart conditions, sinus and ear infections and more. Scuba diving while pregnant is not recommended.
Certified scuba divers and introductory scuba divers can do up to 2 dives each day on Ocean Free.
The scuba diving with Ocean Free is good. Water entry is generally giant stride, off the side of the boat. The reef has good coral cover and is home to a diverse and abundant array of Great Barrier Reef fish and marine life.
No, we would not recommend an Ocean Free Cairns sailing tour for non-swimmers. If you are non-swimmer, we suggest a pontoon or island day tour would be more suited to you.
No, Ocean Free does not have a glass bottom boat.
Yes, Ocean Free is suitable for kids that can confidently swim in the open ocean. We have taken our son on Ocean Free many times, at various stages of his life and he has always enjoyed it. They even let him drive the boat, which he loved.
Yes, Ocean Free is family friendly – it’s family owned and operated and the crew are attentive and helpful to all members of the family.
Lunch on Ocean Free is awesome. In fact, they have the best lunch of any of the Cairns reef tours (except for their sister ship – Ocean Freedom, which has the same lunch). It includes smoked salmon and prawns, cold roast chicken and selection of deli meats, salads and breads. Morning and afternoon tea is provided and included and is also delicious. A complimentary glass of wine is provided during the sail on the return to Cairns and you can purchase additional drinks (soft drinks etc) at the bar, at additional cost.
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