What to Expect when you Scuba Dive on the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is on so many backpackers bucket lists and when you visit, you’ll see why – spoiler alert – it’s EPIC! There are loads of trips to choose from and many different ways of seeing all that the reef has to offer – we’re talking catamarans, sailing boats, speed boats and even a helicopter ride to see it from above.

It 100% has to be on your Aussie bucket list – if it’s not, what are you playing at! It’s an epic spot, it’s one of the seven wanders of the world and it’s incredibly easy to access and we’re gonna tell you how…

Spending a day at the GBR is a guaranteed day of full on mermaid fun – when you visit you will see exactly what we mean. The place is out of this world.

If you’re already a pro at diving or just love a good ol’ snorkel and want to check out the reef, we’re going to tell you exactly how to go about doing that, what the boats are like and how the whole thing works.

Grab your fins and snorkel and let’s gooooooo…

Click images to see more.

What are the boats like?

There are many different boat trips that you can hop on to see the reef.

To check them out, click here

But, if you wanna know what the boats are like, keep reading…

As an example, we’re going to be referring to the Passions of Paradise tour, because it’s the best rated 3 day 2 night live aboard option and we can provide the 10% RatPack discount to this.

The boat is a 25 metre high performance catamaran that sails you from Cairns to two difference outer reef locations. All the equipment you need is on board (snorkels, fins, masks etc). It has an upper deck and netted deck trampoline, ideal for chilling out before dives. There is also a hot lunch, fruit and morning and afternoon tea provided – epic stuff!

Let's talk about scuba diving!

It goes without saying, the underwater world of the GBR is beautiful. A once in a lifetime experience.

So, if you’re keen to do a dive – rather than just a snorkel – we can hook you up with that no problem.

So long as you book in advance (drop us a message on WhatsApp when you’re ready), we can get you a dive at a special backpacker rate of $45.

The team on board  provide all the equipment and tuition – an intro dive will give you 20 – 30 mins to discover the reef & you’ll go to a maximum depth of 10 metres! You do not need any prior experience!

Why Book

with RatPack Travel?

  • Cheaper than booking direct

  • Free date changes

  • Personalised all the way

  • 5 star reputation

The deets

  • You can do an intro dive without ANY experience
  • If you are a complete beginner and the crew on board will give you all instructions you need including instruction, safety briefing and train you up about all the equipment.
  • All equipment needed is included on the boat.
  • An instructor will be with you on the dive.
  • There is also an under water photographer to snap up some epic shots, leaving you hands free and not having to worry about snapping the shots.

Ready to check out the reef?

The Great Barrier Reef is like NO other and should be right up there on your bucketlist for your Aussie trip… Don’t leave it til you get to Cairns to book this epic experience, we recommend getting this one locked in around a week before you want to try a dive as there is limited availability at that epic discounted backpacker rate…

  • We can book you a dive at a special backpacker rate of $45
  • Fancy getting your PADI Open Water certificate? We can help you choose the right course for you and of course get you a sick discount!
  • Not keen on diving? NO worries! There are also epic options for snorkelling which you can check out here
  • What are your other options for checking out the Reef? Read our blog post here for some epic tips and tricks from the crew..
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24 March 2023

Good costumer service, quick reply and very professional. Mike was a great help!

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24 March 2023

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23 March 2023

Mike helped us get sorted with an ideal route and van for our east coast trip!! Got us a super discount and was really helpful with any questions we had - a pleasure to deal with!!!

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Amazing service by the team at Ratpack. They helped us to book our camper and tours for the east coast, making a really simply a straightforward process, saving me hours of research and deliberation. I trust them implicitly. Never sales-y, or pushy, always glad to answer queries. Took a real interest in us and our trip. Would wholeheartedly recommend.

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23 March 2023

Tyla was amazing! Found exactly what I needed and even when it wasn’t available, called to check other options. In the end I got a trip suited for my needs & all my questions answered. Will definitely suggest friends to talk to you guys next time they’re in Australia!

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23 March 2023

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21 March 2023

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21 March 2023

Such an excellent service from Jenna. I was taken through all the possible options for my budget - no matter how many times I changed my mind. Jenna made the process very easy and I booked the same day as I enquired. Would highly recommend!

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21 March 2023

Mike made the process easy with options we had not thought of. Would recommend 5 stars.

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20 March 2023

Made renting a campervan so much easier!! Jenna was amazing and helped us through multiple different options and dates until we found the right one for us, would definitely recommend!

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20 March 2023

Really great help sorting a camper car for us. Everything booked within 24 hours of making the enquiry. We had actual conversations over the phone too which really helped us relax and decide what to do. Would definitely recommend

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17 March 2023

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