Cairns:
Liveaboard Trips (Overnight)
Supersport, Mike Ball Itinerary #1
Northbound
5 days/4 nights departs Thursdays
Departs Thursdays
includes up to 14 dives (Dive
up, fly back)
The Great Barrier Reefs most remarkable marine
life encounter await you at the Cod Hole, imagine dive size fish
that swim with you! A special bonus with your ‘Fly Dive Cod
Hole’ participation is you experience one of the worlds most
spectacular low-level reef flights and see stunning views of the
Great Barrier Reef. These reefs are visited by fewer operators then
the Outer Barrier Reef and as such are in pristine condition.
Included in this trip,
a spectacular low level scenic flight back from Lizard Island to
Cairns.
New itinerary from Mar 2006 - click here
for new itinerary (from 16th March 2006)
Thursday
Check in and Departure
Arrivals prior to 4pm can leave their luggage
at Mike Balls office (143 Lake St, Cairns). This luggage will
be transferred to Supersport after 5pm.
Board Supersport 8pm at the Marlin Jetty/ Trinity
Wharf Cairns - Please check with the office 1 week prior to departure
for exact details (phone number is on your travel voucher).
Cruise overnight to the magnificent Ribbon
Reefs, the first stop on your 150-mile expedition.
Friday
Ribbon Reef #3
- Flare Point, Steve’s Bommie, Fish Market
Anticipate spectacular coral gardens, spotted rays, reef sharks
and green turtle sightings. Spiral majestic pinnacles teeming
with life. Huge schools of fusiliers invite predatory barracuda,
large schools of trevally mesmerize the diver & lionfish prey
on beautiful and bountiful tropicals.
Night dive where decorator crabs, egg cowry
shells, moray eels and crayfish are just a few of the critters
you can find.
Saturday
Ribbon Reefs #4
Clam Beds, #5 Rouge Reef and
#9 Challenger Bay
Rich in diversity dive superb patch reefs dotted with huge Giant
Clams. Caves, canyons and encrusted coral bommies encourage great
exploration. Unique collections of some of the best plate corals
to be seen are home to an array of tropical fish including sweetlip,
butterfly, angel and beautifully coloured trumpet fish. Glide
through fields of garden eels, blue spotted rays, leaf scorpion
fish, moray eels to name but a few, and when the lights go out,
spectacular night diving awaits.
Sunday
Ribbon Reef #9,
#10, Cod Hole, Dynamite Pass and Lizard Island
Circumnavigate Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie while engulfed
in schools of fusiliers. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias
attract predatory fish to these photogenic sites. Majestic Minke
Whales can be seen between May & August. Swim, play with,
and photograph a family of giant potato cod at the Cod Hole. Enjoy
close encounters with huge maori wrasse. Here, diver size fish
dive with you!
5:00pm, exit last dive and cruise to Lizard
Island.
Monday
Spectacular low level (700ft) 150 mile flight
along Great Barrier Reef to Cairns
Breakfast on board and transfer to Lizard Island.
Fly back to Cairns over the magnificent Great
Barrier Reef.
Return at approximately 11am for courtesy transfer
to city hotels.
Breakfasts served with Fresh Fruit Salad, Porridge, yoghurt,
cereals and Hot Toast.
Lunches served with homemade Soup of the Day, Hot Bread, Selection
of fresh Salads. Pate & Toast, Cheese Board & Biscuits
and a Tropical Fruit Platter.
Dinners served with Fresh Garden Salad & Warm Dinner Rolls.
Experience & Minimum Age Required
Minimum age: 18 years if Divemaster certified or 21 years with proof
of 100 dives with 5 in the last 12 months.
Equipment Required:
Redundant air system (minimum 6 cubic feet)
'Dive Alert' air horn or similar & safety sausage
Dive light on dive if within 2 hours of dusk
Dive knife and compass
Skill Evaluation:
Surface snorkel 100m wearing scuba and be familiar with use
Demonstrate use of safety sausage & air horn
Navigate 100m at 5m with 75% accuracy
Hover at 5 metres for 3 mins, clear mask
Slowly surface using redundant air source
Safe Solo Dive Procedures
Plan each dive to be shallower than the previous dive, and
within the no decompression limits of dive tables or computer.
Advise dive staff: direction of dive and ETA back onboard.
Dive depth must be limited by the capacity of your redundant
air system and your experience and training. The redundant air
system must not be used to extend bottom time and is for emergency
use only. With an absolute maximum depth of 30m (100ft) permissible
whilst solo diving.
Drink water before every dive to reduce risk of decompression
sickness.
Do not drink alcohol until after your last dive of each day
and then in moderation to ensure safe diving the next day. Also,
no illegal drugs must be taken.
Slowly ascend from every dive. Recommend less than 9m (30ft)
per minute.
Complete a 5 min. safety stop at 5m (16ft) on every dive.
If you are feeling unwell after a dive, or at any time, tell
a staff member & lie down flat. Do not sit up or allow anyone
to sit you up.
Multiple dives over multiple days can have an accumulative
effect in contributing to decompression sickness. Every 3rd or
4th day make fewer dives. If you do 4 - 5 dives one day, do less
the next. On the final day reduce bottom times and increase safety
stop times.
You understand that diving is potentially dangerous and fully
accept that risk and agree to pay any medical, vessel relocation
or evacuation costs incurred on my behalf and you are authorised
to make medical and transport arrangements as may be determined
to be necessary or desirable in my interests.
You will also be required to complete a "Dive Experience
Record" which includes your diving experience, information
about your certification and medivac information and sign a "Discharge
of Liability."
Cairns:
Liveaboard Trips (Overnight)
