Learn to Dive on the Great Barrier Reef

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3 days (approximately)
Offered in: English

Every course here is taught entirely on the Great Barrier Reef — never in a pool, never in a classroom, never overnight.

Most dive schools make you choose: train in a heated pool in town for two days before you ever see the reef, or head out on a liveaboard for several nights. Sunlover's Moore Reef pontoon does neither. The purpose-built training area sits right on the reef — 1 to 3 metres, calm and sheltered, shallow enough to stand up in, but genuinely part of the ocean. Every skill is learned in salt water, from day one.

And every night, you're back in your own hotel bed in Cairns. No liveaboard, no nights away.

Why it matters?
Real reef dives from day one, not a pool warm-up
Home in Cairns every night — keep your holiday
Fewest days of any comparable Cairns operator
SSI certification, recognised worldwide

What's Included

If selecting Advanced Open Water Course: 2 days at pontoon, with a total of 6 dives
Access to the Sunlover Dive Centre pontoon
Use of SCUBA equipment
Lunch
If selecting Stress & Rescue Course: 3 days at pontoon, with a total of 9 dives
Dive course and expert guidance with Sunlovers instructors
Maximum of 1 guide per 4 divers
If selecting Open Water Course: 3 days at pontoon, with a total of 9 dives
Fuel surcharge

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Location: Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns Where to go: Sunlover desk, Reef Fleet Terminal Check-in time: 9.30am Please note: the vessel departs shortly after check-in — arrive on time.

End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Ticket Redemption Point

What to expect

Check in at the Sunlover desk, Reef Fleet Terminal, 9.30am. During the 1.5–2 hour transfer to Moore Reef, your instructor briefs you on the day's skills and dives. At the pontoon — a sheltered training area, 1 to 3 metres deep — you gear up and complete three dives a day, roughly 40 minutes each, with buffet lunch during your surface interval. Back in Cairns by late afternoon.

Open Water Diver — 3 days, 9 dives (5 confined-water sessions + 4 open water training dives), certifying you to dive to 18 metres.

Advanced Open Water Diver — 2 days, 6 open water dives across five SSI specialties, certifying you to dive to 30 metres.

Diver Stress & Rescue — 2 days, 5 training dives plus 1 fun dive, teaching you to prevent and manage diver emergencies.

Additional info

  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • All participants complete a dive medical questionnaire before diving. If you have asthma, a heart condition, ear or sinus problems, epilepsy, diabetes, a lung condition, recent surgery, or are pregnant, you'll need written clearance from a doctor before you can take part.
Supplied by Sunlover Reef Cruises

Tags

Scuba Diving
On the Water
Freediving
Small Group
Additional fees

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

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