Scuba Diving the Whitsundays

Scuba diving the Whitsundays

Having so many coral reefs and an abundance of sheltered anchorages so close to Airlie Beach, the Whitsundays has become a major departure point for people who come specifically to the Whitsundays to dive. There's quite a few options too. You can try diving for the first time or get right into out to the outer reef to experience more challenging dive locations. You can dive just once as a fun extra on your day trip around the islands or to the outer Great Barrier Reef, or you might like to dedicate 3 days specifically to just diving. The Whitsundays offers all of these opportunities and everything in between.

Day trips diving the Whitsunday Islands

There are a few companies offering day trips out and around the Whitsunday Islands that also offer scuba diving as an option during the day. On a trip like this, you can expect to get at least one dive in and maybe two depending on the conditions. Most day vessels take around 30-100 passengers and will take in places like Whitehaven Beach and a snorkel/dive site chosen to suit the prevailing conditions.

Overnight island trips

There are even more choices if you're planning on spending a few days sailing and diving the Whitsunday Islands. You can choose from trips of 2 days and 2 nights, 3 days and 2 nights or even 3 day and 3 nights. Some vessels have diving as an option, but not a focus and others have diving as a focus and you can easily fit 4-6 dives in to a 2 day/2 night or 3 day 2 night trip. Most (If not all) of the Whitsundays diving vessels charge for each dive you do. The beauty of this model is that you'll only pay for the diving you actually do and can choose which of the locations they are visiting that you actually want to dive.

Overnight outer reef trips

If you're really serious about your diving, or you're really serious about getting in to it, then there are a few trips going to the Outer Great Barrier Reef specifically for divers. These trips are usually longer as there is more distance to cover. As a result you'll find they are at least 3 day and 2 nights, but most are 3 day and 3 nights.

Scuba Diving Courses

Some of the overnight vessels also offer dive courses on board. You can start your diving future with an open water course or if you're already a certified diver, you can undertake an advanced dive course.

Introductory Diving

This is the most common diving done here in the Whitsundays by passengers on overnight vessels sailing and diving the islands. Some of the vessels carry their own dive gear and dive instructors allowing anyone who passes a simple medical questionaire, the opportunity to try diving under close supervision of the dive instructor.

Before your first dive, the dive instructor will brief you on the equipment you'll be wearing underwater. You'll get to touch, feel and try the equipment on till you are comfortable with it. The dive instructor will then run through some very basic skills you need to know to make your dive a safe and happy one. The skills are simple and can be learned by just about anyone.

Once you've got this far, you'll enter the water with the dive instructor who will control your bouyancy for you. All you need to do is breath gently through the regulator and try not to smile too much as you are surrounded by thousands of fish ranging from tiny ones to larger ones. Once you're settled in the water, the instructor will reinforce some of the skills with you, then it's off for a guided dive. You'll reach depths of up to 6m and explore all the corals and fish the instructor can find for you. He'll point out things you can touch and things you can't.

For anyone who is travelling to the Whitsundays, it's highly recommended to give diving a try. Most people are hooked from the first dive and do many more during their time here.

Certified Diving

If you're already certified, then you'll find the diving just get's better and better. Diving around the fringing reefs of the islands is a great way to kick of your diving future. If you haven't done too many dives already, then this type of diving behind the shelter of the Whitsunday Islands, produces easy conditions and all the coral and fish you'll find on the outer reef. Depending on the company or vessel you dive with, you may find your dive is guided or non-guided. This is usually based on an assessment of every person in the dive group and their experience levels.

Diving the outer Great Barrier Reef though is definately the type of diving that will knock your booties off ! The water further our on the reef is generally clearer than that around the Whitsunday Islands, with visibility often in excess of 25+m. There are steep, deep drop offs and enourmous walls and ledges to explore, along with shallower dives amongst the throngs of millions of tiny reef fish. If you are booked on a vessel and planning to dive a cert dive, then make sure you have your certification with you. Generally open water dives are limited to a maximum of 18m. But you're certified and you already know that right ?

Resources

The website Diving Whitsundays covers a huge range of diving options in the Whitsundays, from dive courses to overnight trips and day trips.
This page, Whitsunday Marine Life, is a good kick off point to what you'll see when diving the Whitsundays.