Intro Diving Day Trip

Overview

Take the plunge and try an introductory dive on a day trip from Cairns with the local experts, Divers Den. If you want to try diving at the Great Barrier Reef, let our friendly and experienced crew be your guides.

You don’t need any previous experience – if you’re comfortable in the water, you can usually dive (see health requirements). You’ll be given briefings, tuition and all the skills practice you need at the surface to make sure your dive is a safe, amazing experience.

With the expert supervision of our instructors, you’ll soon be comfortable breathing underwater. During your introductory dive you’ll descend to 12m (40 feet) below the surface and enjoy the amazing marine life that awaits beneath the waves.

We visit two outer reef dive sites every day, chosen from our exclusive moorings based on the conditions.

Our diving equipment is top quality, and our vessel AquaQuest is purpose-built for diving, with a spacious dive decks and easy access platform for introductory divers. In between dives, enjoy snorkelling (included for all passengers). Travelling with certified divers? No problem – you’ll share your journey out on the reef together on the same vessel, and complete your dive experiences at the same sites.

While on board, enjoy large sun decks, air conditioned indoor spaces and delicious food and beverage options. Join us on board – we’d love to introduce you to a whole new underwater world! You might even decide to become a certified diver – find out more about learning to scuba dive.

Available:

Seven days a week

Departure/Return Location:

B Finger, Cairns Marina

Duration:

8am - 4:30pm

Dive Sites:

Norman Reef / Saxon Reef / Hastings Reef

Medical Information:

All introductory scuba participants must meet medical questionnaire requirements and some conditions or medications may prevent you from diving. Visit the Can I Dive page to see if you meet the requirements before booking.

Included:

  • Two locations
  • Five hours at the outer reef
  • All diving equipment
  • In depth briefing and equipment tuition
  • Wetsuit/lycra suits
  • Prescription masks
  • Guided snorkel tours
  • Fresh tropical buffet lunch with hot and cold options
  • Chilled drinking water
  • Complimentary tea and coffee
  • Hot fresh water showers

Book now

Outer Reef Day Trip + Intro Diving

per person from
$335
Day Trip: Snorkelling + 1 Intro Dive
$385
Day Trip: Snorkelling + 2 Intro Dives
$415
Day Trip: Snorkelling + 3 Intro Dives

​Includes all equipment and tuition. Intro dive participants must be 12 years or older. Prices valid to 31st March 2025. Price is per person and inclusive of GST and all fees, including the GBRMPA environmental management charge (EMC) which contributes directly to the management of the Marine Park. Learn more at gbrmpa.gov.au

Itinerary

Great Barrier Reef Intro Dive Day Trip

AquaQuest

8am: Check in at Cairns Marlin Marina

8.30am: Depart Cairns

10.00am: Arrive at first snorkelling and diving site

12.45am: Move to second snorkelling and diving site and enjoy lunch

1.30pm: Continue snorkelling and diving

3pm: Depart reef site

4.30pm: Arrive Cairns

Additional info

Extras

  • Digital camera hire
  • Professional photos for purchase
  • Soft drinks, alcohol and snacks
  • Quality souvenirs
  • Shared instructors (ratio of 4:1)

What to bring

  • Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
  • Swimsuit and towel
  • Reusable water bottle

Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The crew was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. All the briefings, instructions and organisation of the trip was great. And the dive itself was just amazing. I did two dives at two different locations and still had plenty of time for snorkelling. The trip fulfilled all my expectations. Highly recommended!”

– Patricia

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Had my first dive with Divers Den and it was absolutely awesome. The safety briefing was clear and easy to follow, and the intro video was so cool! It was really colourful out there at the Reef, we even got to see turtles and beautiful corals. The crew were really friendly and did the best they could to help us feel comfortable going scuba diving for the first time. Highly recommend Divers Den for a trip to the Reef!”

– Lieke

Medical and Altitude/Flying Info

All introductory scuba participants must meet medical questionnaire requirements. Some conditions or medications may prevent you from diving. These requirements can be found on our Can I Dive? page, and we strongly recommend reviewing before booking.

Queensland’s code of practice on diving states that for a single no decompression dive, you should not fly/go to altitude for at least 12 hours, or 24 hours if divers have had multiple dives per day for several consecutive days, or have made dives that require decompression stops.

Altitude is defined as 300m/1000ft above sea level. This includes going to the Atherton Tablelands (a popular local scenic attraction), so please be aware if booking tours to follow your dive trip. Under normal circumstances, you should be out of the water from your last dive of the day at 2:30 pm.

Cancellation Policy

You can reschedule or cancel your trip any time up to 48 hours departure with no penalty. Read our terms and conditions.