Category: Local Dives

Dive Flinders Reef – South East Queensland’s Hidden Jewel!!

The Trip

Join us as we explore the best dive sites that Moreton Bay and Flinders Reef have to offer! Considered by many to be the southern most point of the Great Barrier Reef, Flinders Reef is as diverse if not more biologically and ecologically diverse than the GBR! Come and explore some of the best diving in Australia in your own backyard!

Dive Information

Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)

Wreck certification is not a requirement to dive this site

Depth ranges from 6 – 25 metres

Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

Trip Dates

21 November 2020

Price
$280 per person

What’s Included
2 dives
Tanks and weights
Nitrox fills if you are nitrox certified
Snacks and drinks between dives
Lunch between dives (please feel free to bring your own lunch if you have any allergies)
Divemaster services if you require them
Return transport from Woolloongabba to Mooloolaba

What’s Excluded

All Dive Gear (this can be hired from us at an additional cost)

Gear Hire
PDS is able to hire you a wetsuit, BCD, regulator or computer for the day and please communicate your requirements through the booking link. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire).

Itinerary

Meeting at Adreno at Woolloongabba at 5:30am (for those who require transport) or Sunreef at Mooloolaba at 7am to check in. You will be whisked away on one of the fastest and most comfortable dive boats on the East Coast of Australia. The trip from the Sunshine Coast to Flinders Reef is only 45 minutes! This is almost a third of the time that it used to take leaving from Scarborough! Once we arrive at Flinders Reef your expert guides will determine which sites based on conditions and the direction of the current will be optimal to dive that day though Flinders Mooring number 2 with the famous turtle cleaning station is always a priority and a crowd favourite!

Your dive guide John Gransbury has dived Flinders Reef more than any other guide / Instructor in South East Queensland so you know you are in good hands when you choose to dive with us! You will do two dives of 50 mins / 50 bar which ever arrives first. The marine life that can be seen at Flinders is absolutely incredible and if you are a turtle lover then there is no better place in South East Queensland where you can see them!

Once we have completed our two dives we will be whisked back to the Sunshine Coast by 3:30pm at the latest, where the incredible staff at Sunreef Mooloolaba will wash your gear for you if you wish. John will then drive everyone who requires transport back to your awaiting vehicles in Woolloongabba no later than 5pm.

PADI Specialities Suitable for this day trip

Nitrox
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

This is the perfect way to complete a specialty course as you have already paid for the dives!!

HOW TO BOOK
Please click on the link HERE to secure your spot today!

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December 22, 2019
Spend a Weekend Away in Byron Bay – Julian Rocks is one of the Top 10 dive sites in Australia!

THE DIVE SITE

Discover the Magic of Julian Rocks in Byron Bay – One of the Top 10 dive sites in Australia!

According to a story from the Bundjalung people a jealous husband threw his spear at the canoe of his wife and her lover. The canoe broke in two and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Only the back and the front of the boat stuck out of the water, creating a rock formation just 2.5 km off shore.

Named by Captain Cook in 1776, Julian Rocks in Byron Bay consists of ancient sedimentary rock, remains of a volcanic eruption more than 20 million years ago. It is an extension of Cape Byron separated by water and forms a most unique marine reserve, providing shelter and food for more than 500 tropical and temperate fish species alone!

From the 1st of December 2002 Julian Rocks has become part of the Cape Byron Marine Park and in May 2006 the new Marine Park zoning plan has come into action which amongst other things means that an area of 1500m around Julian Rocks has become a Sanctuary Zone for most of the year. This will hopefully see fish stocks replenish and give the critically endangered Grey Nurse Sharks some well-deserved additional protection.

Grey Nurse Sharks come to Julian Rocks during the winter months, presumably to breed. Although these sharks look ferocious with their mouths slightly opened and their teeth sticking out, it is perfectly safe to dive with them. The most commonly dived sites during the winter months are the Cod Hole, Turtle trench and Hugo’s Trench as these are where the Grey Nurse sharks like to patrol the sand trenches. An absolutely incredible sight as they are not shy about approaching divers and making sure that they put on a performance you will never forget!

In spring the blue tang pays Julian Rocks a visit. This is a fish, which can be easily distinguished by its blue body and bright yellow tail. Schools of big-eye trevally are most common in summer. The docile leopard sharks can be seen on almost every dive during mid-summer when the waters are warmest. The spotted patterns on their skin gives them their name. Most of the time they lie resting on the sand, but if you are lucky you can see them swimming, moving their long tail slowly. During the Summer months the biggest draw card to the rocks are definitely the Leopard sharks (also known as Zebra sharks) and the main stars… Manta Rays!! These gorgeous graceful creatures glide effortlessly through the water dazzling divers with their somersaults and back flips, twisting and changing direction with the slightest bend of a fin. These magnificent creatures will keep you enthralled and begging for more as they soar from view

And then there are of course the ‘regulars’ like different species of wobbegong sharks, turtles, cuttlefish (family of the octopus), schools of white spotted eagle rays, egg-cowry shells, moray eels, banner fish, giant guitar fish and shovel-nose rays. Sometimes there are so many fish around, you can hardly see where you are going. Not to mention all sessile animals (attached to substrate) like tunicates, colourful sponges, both hard and soft corals, giving you the feeling you are floating through some beautifully landscaped underwater garden.

The Rock also forms a home for rare species such as the leaf scorpion fish, the pineapple fish with bioluminescent organs under its eyes, the shy blue devil fish, white banded anemone fish and a species of nudibranch previously thought not present in Australian waters: Noumea labouti. (A nudibranch is a colourful underwater snail without a shell, carrying its respiratory organ on its back)

The interaction of tropical and temperate species makes every dive an exhilarating adventure. The three minute boat trip to the rock is almost as exciting: surfing the waves sometimes accompanied by playful dolphins. From May till September the Humpback whales come past Byron Bay and can easily be spotted from the boat. With water temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius and visibility of 20 meters at most times there is really nothing to complain about.

Dive Information

-Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
-Depth ranges from 4 – 22 metres
-Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

Trip Dates

Friday, 23 – Sunday, 25 March 2018

To book onto this weekend of diving click HERE

Price

Weekend Away -$700 per person and includes 6 dives, 2 night’s accommodation return transport from Woolloongabba, Divemaster services, photos of your trip, tanks and weights.

The following are recommended upgrades for this trip

PADI Advanced Open Water course @ $250 per person
PADI Enriched Air speciality Course @ $245 per person for manual learning or $395 on-line learning (both prices include 2x Nitrox fills)

What’s Excluded

All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All Meals are at leisure

Gear Hire

PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the day and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability.

Itinerary

If you are travelling to Byron Bay in the Professional Dive Services van, which will leave from Adreno (54 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba) at 7pm on Friday evening to miss the weekend traffic south. We will confirm for you on pick up which spots are okay to park that aren’t part of the Woolloongabba zone and are free unlimited parking.

A confirmation with all timings will be sent to you closer to the dive date.

Specialties Suitable for this trip

Advanced Open Water
Under water Navigation
Enriched Air (Nitrox)
Deep Diver
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Underwater Navigation
Dry Suit
Diver Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

Note- Some specialties are site and conditions dependant. All efforts will be made to complete course dives on a booked trip, however if conditions do not allow it the diver will have to book onto another trip to complete the course requirements.

HOW TO BOOK
Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

OR

Click HERE to book online

September 20, 2016
Night Dives at the Gold Coast Seaway

THE DIVES

The Gold Coast Seaway has greater variety and more recorded species of any shore dive in Australia. With over 400 different species found in the seaway we are lucky to have it right on our back door step! You can dive a site a thousand times and when you dive it for the first time at night it feels like an entirely different site. So come down and join us and rediscover our local under the cover of darkness!

If you have already completed a night dive as part of your Advanced Open Water then you only have to join us for one night to complete the practical component of your Night diver specialty. If you haven’t then we will need you to join us for both nights.

Brief History of the Gold Coast Seaway –

In 1984 a project commenced to stabilize the Nerang River estuary which links the Gold Coast Broadwater and Nerang River to the Pacific Ocean. The purpose was to ensure a safer entrance for recreational boats, the trawler fleet and other commercial boats accessing the Pacific from the Gold Coast and to also provide permanent point at which to pump treated effluent water out to sea. In addition, the objective was to reduce the northward sand drift from forming bars in the entrance to the seaway and blocking access to small craft. As a result, a sand pumping jetty was installed south of the seaway and the sand is pumped north across the seaway through a bypass pipe and out onto the beach of South Stradbroke Island. Prior to the Gold Coast Seaway being constructed there was an area at the southern end of Crab Island known as “The Deep Hole”. This was a thriving ecosystem that was home to many fish. However, on the opening of the Gold Coast Seaway in 1986, this filled with sand and the habitat was lost.

The sand bypass pipe was initially set under the sand at 6m, with the planned seafloor at low tide to be approximately 4.5 metres, but the tidal currents that filled The Deep Hole with sand quickly uncovered the pipe. It has since remained largely exposed. Since being uncovered, 10 upright supports were installed anchoring the pipe above the seaway floor, 13 metres being the deepest point the bypass pipe reaches and in some places the pipe is 3 m off the seaway floor. This pipe, the effluent outlet pipe and the rock walls of the Gold Coast Seaway have gradually over the last 20 years replaced the lost habitat of The Deep Hole and now offer a special and significant marine environment.

DIVE INFORMATION

Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
Depth ranges from 4 – 18 metres
Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

DATES

Monday, 29 April 2019
Tuesday, 30 April 2019

To book onto anyone of our night dives click HERE

PRICE

$50 per person

The following are recommended upgrade for this dive
PADI Night Diver speciality course @ $295 per person

WHAT’S INCLUDED

1 x Night dive at the Gold Coast Seaway
Tank and weights
Dive Master services

WHAT’S EXCLUDED

All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)

GEAR HIRE

PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the dives and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Full gear hire is $40 for the dive and individual pricing is available upon request. You must provide your own mask, snorkel, fins and boots these items are not available for hire from us

HOW TO BOOK

Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

OR

Click HERE to book online

Please do not turn up unannounced as we may not have enough tanks and weights for everyone.

July 4, 2014
Project AWARE Clean Up!

THE CLEAN-UP

Project AWARE Foundation is a growing movement of scuba divers protecting the ocean planet – one dive at a time.

Over the past two decades of underwater conservation we’ve learned that divers are true leaders in ocean protection. We’re ocean heroes numbering in the millions across the globe. We believe together our actions will make a huge impact and will help to rescue the ocean.

With new programs and more online resources than ever before, Project AWARE supports an unprecedented global movement of divers acting in their own communities to protect oceans and implement lasting change.

We’re focusing in on two major ocean issues –Sharks in Peril and Marine Debris, or trash in our ocean. Truly, there are many conservation issues converging on our ocean planet at once, but we’re concentrating on these serious problems where scuba divers are uniquely positioned to directly and positively affect real, long-term change in these two areas.

We will concentrate our clean-up at the Gold Coast Seaway and whilst we clean up our oceans on every dive; unfortunately, rubbish is added more quickly than we can clear it. Particularly with fishing refuse – line, hooks, lead, lures etc. So it is up to us to clear our favourite dive sites to make sure they are kept rubbish free and the ocean residents are not choking on filth. So periodically we organise a clean up to help get on top of the growing problem.

DIVE INFORMATION

Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres
Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

DATE & LOCATION

Monday, 24 September 2018

PRICE & INCLUSIONS

$30 per person

A Donation to Project AWARE
Rubbish collection bags
Morning/ Afternoon Tea
Tank & weights

WHAT’S EXCLUDED
All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)

GEAR HIRE

PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the dives and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Fulll gear hire is $30 for the dive and individual pricing is available on booking. You must provide your own mask, snorkel, fins and boots these items are not available for hire from us.

ITINERARY

We will meet you at the South West Wall at the Gold Coast at 9:30 am. We will have a sausage waiting for you upon your arrival and once everyone has arrived, you will be given a briefing, paired up with a dive buddy (if you do not already have one), gear up and get in the water for the clean-up. We expect that you will be finished with the clean-up by midday.

Please do not turn up unannounced as we may not have enough tanks, bags and food for everyone.

HOW TO BOOK

Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

January 13, 2014
Get your Grey Nurse Shark on during Shark Fest at Shark Alley, North Stradbroke Island

THE DIVE SITE

North Stradbroke Island is a pristine, secluded island paradise – a hidden treasure only one hour from central Brisbane. Diving off Stradbroke Island can only be described as exhilarating! The dive sites you will explore are only a 10- 15 minute boat ride from shore and Manta Bommie has been rated in the top 10 dive sites in Australia.

Straddie’s reefs are teeming with various marine life like Manta Rays and Leopard Sharks during Summer (Oct- Apr), endangered Grey Nurse Sharks and Humpback Whales during Winter (May- Sept), plus Bull and Eagle Rays, guitar and Wobbegong Sharks, Turtles, Dolphins, Octopus, Pelagics, hard and soft corals, Nudibranchs plus hundreds of tropical fish species.

Up to 8 fabulous dives getting up close and personal with the labradors of the sea, Grey Nurse Sharks. Flat Rock in winter is a melting pot of pelagic life. Grey Nurse sharks patrolling the sand gutters whilst you are serenaded by the haunting melodies of the southern humpback whales. Literally anything could swim past!

There is a choice of 12 varying dive sites to choose from and we can plan your trip based around your experience level which include the most popular sites of Manta Bommie, Flat Rock and Shag Rock.

As we are able to dive with Grey Nurse Sharks over the entire weekend, every effort will be made to dive Shark Alley at Flat Rock.

DIVE INFORMATION

Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)

Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres

Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

TRIP DATES

TBA

PRICE

$750 includes – 8 dives, 2 nights’ accommodation at Manta Lodge, tanks, weights, return transport from Woolloongabba to Cleveland, ferry transfers, Divemaster services if required and photos as a momento of your trip.

The following are recommended upgrades for this trip

Advanced Open Water Course @ $250 per person
PADI Deep Diver speciality Course @ $195 per person
Peak Performance Buoyancy @ $195 per
Shark Awareness @ $195 per person
Enriched Air / Nitrox @ $245 per person (includes 2 nitrox fills)

NITROX NOW AVAILABLE!! Nitrox fills are $20 per double dive i.e. $40 for the day or $80 for the weekend.

WHAT’S EXCLUDED

All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All Meals are at leisure

GEAR HIRE

PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the day and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available if arranged in advance and are subject to availability. Gear hire is available from the dive operator on North Stradbroke, however this maybe at a higher rate.

ITINERARY

The timings for this weekend of diving will be dependant on the number of dives you do over the weekend. If you choose to do the full weekend of diving; I have noted the timings below. A more detailed itinerary will be sent to the divers closer to the date.

You have the option of meeting the group either at the ferry terminal in Cleveland or in Woolloongabba where John will drive you to Cleveland in our van.

Departing Woolloongabba

We will meet at 4pm sharp at Adreno, 54 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba. You are able to park your car here for the weekend, either off street parking or at the rear of Adreno.

Departing Cleveland

We will be catching the Big Red Cat car and passenger ferry which will depart Toondah Harbour (1 Emmett Drv, Cleveland) at 5pm sharp . Please meet John at the ferry by 4:45 pm.

We will aim to catch the 5:55 pm ferry from Dunwich (North Stradbroke Island) and should be back at Cleveland by 6:30pm on Sunday. If you are travelling back to Adreno with John, we should have you back there around 7:30pm. There maybe a possibility that we could catch an earlier ferry back to the mainland, however this will all be dependant on the running of the day.

COURSES & SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THIS TRIP

Advanced Open Water
Under water Navigation
Enriched Air (Nitrox)
Deep Diver * Site dependant
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Dry Suit Diver
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

Note- Some specialties are site and conditions dependant. All efforts will be made to complete course dives on a booked trip, however if conditions do not allow it the diver will have to book onto another trip to complete the course requirements.

* Site dependant

HOW TO BOOK

Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

June 24, 2013
North Stradbroke Island – Expect the Unexpected!

The Dive Site

North Stradbroke Island is a pristine, secluded island paradise – a hidden treasure only one hour from central Brisbane. Diving off Stradbroke Island can only be described as exhilarating! The dive sites you will explore are only a 10- 15 minute boat ride from shore and Manta Bommie has been rated in the top 10 dive sites in Australia.

Straddie’s reefs are teeming with various marine life like Manta Rays and Leopard Sharks during Summer (Oct- Apr), endangered Grey Nurse Sharks and Humpback Whales during Winter (May- Sept), plus Bull and Eagle Rays, guitar and Wobbegong Sharks, Turtles, Dolphins, Octopus, Pelagics, hard and soft corals, Nudibranchs plus hundreds of tropical fish species.

There are a choice of 12 varying dive sites to choose from and we can plan your trip based around your experience level which include the most popular sites of Manta Bommie, Flat Rock and Shag Rock.

Dive Information

-Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
-Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres
-EAN (nitrox) is available upon request
-Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

Trip Dates

Saturday, 10 March 2018

Saturday, 17 March 2018

Sunday, 18 March 2018

To book online for one of these day dive trips click HERE

Price

4 dive Day Trip- $350 per person

The following are recommended upgrades for this trip

Diving on Nitrox@ $ 20 per double dive
PADI Deep Diver speciality Course @ $195 per person
PADI Enriched Air speciality Course @ $255 per person for manual learning or $395 for on-line learning (both prices include 2 Nitrox fills)
Peak Performance Buoyancy @ $195 per person
Shark Awareness @ $195 per person

What’s Included

4 dives
Return ferry transfers to Stradbroke Island
Land transfers whilst on Straddie
Tanks Weights
Return transport from Woolloongabba to Cleveland (6 spots only)

What’s Excluded
All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All Meals are at leisure

Gear Hire

PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the day and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available if arranged in advance and are subject to availability.

Itinerary

You have the option of meeting the group either at the ferry terminal in Cleveland or in Woolloongabba where John will drive you to Cleveland in our van.

Departing Woolloongabba

We will meet at 5 am sharp at Adreno, 54 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba. You are able to park your car here for the day, either off street parking or at the rear of Adreno.

Departing Cleveland

We will be catching the Gold Cat passenger ferry which will depart Toondah Harbour (1 Emmett Drv, Cleveland) at 5:50 am sharp . Please meet John at the ferry by 5:40 am.

We will aim to catch the 5:55 pm ferry from Dunwich (North Stradbroke Island) and should be back at Cleveland by 6:30pm. If you are travelling back to Adreno with John, we should have you back there around 7:30pm. There maybe a possibility that we could catch an earlier ferry back to the mainland, however this will all be dependant on the running of the day.

Courses & Specialities Suitable for this trip

Advanced Open Water
Under water Navigation
Enriched Air (Nitrox)
Deep Diver *
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Dry Suit Diver
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

Note- Some specialties are site and conditions dependant. All efforts will be made to complete course dives on a booked trip, however if conditions do not allow it the diver will have to book onto another trip to complete the course requirements.

* Site dependant

HOW TO BOOK

Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

OR

Click here to book online

April 11, 2013
The Ultimate Easter Eggstravaganza – The Best of New South Wales!
This trip sold out quickly last year and was talked about for months after! So why would we change the winning formula?! Well we have! You get an extra two dives at South West Rocks! Given the action in Shark Alley at the moment I am sure the extra two dives will be used getting up close and personal with these marvellous sharks! Escape the craziness of Brisbane and head south for a weekend that you will replay on your deathbed! Starting off the Easter long weekend we are heading down to South West Rocks to dive at Fish Rock Cave, hitting up the South Solitary Islands and if the conditions prove right, the North Solitary Islands. THREE of the BEST dive sites in New South Wales in one weekend!!

Fish Rock and Solitary Islands – ONLY 6 SPOTS TOTAL!!
Departing Brisbane at 5:00am on Friday you will be chauffeur driven down to South West Rocks where we will check in at midday to dive the world famous Fish Rock Cave and play with the Grey Nurse Sharks at Shark Alley. These are two phenomenal dives!! For what you can expect check out Leigh Workman of Moist Multimedia’s video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg01KV_TWhM ! After two dives we will then head back to Coffs Harbour for a relaxed evening.

We have two air conditioned family suites in Coffs Harbour close to shops and amenities were we will be staying for the weekend. With multiple restaurant options in close proximity and more importantly within walking distance to the latest opening bar in the area! After a sleep in on Saturday we will then venture back to South West Rocks to do two more dives at Fish Rock. Whether you have another crack at the cave or savor the opportunity for another dive with the magnificent Grey Nurse Sharks, it is up to you!

Sunday morning we will then to do more dives with Grey Nurse sharks at the South Solitary Islands which is a MACRO photographers paradise. There are nudibranchs galore, cuttlefish, and then there of course the big boys and girls – Grey Nurse sharks! We will have a leisurely dinner on Sunday night before getting up early the next morning where if the weather is in our favour we will be looking to get out to the North Solitary Islands. The conditions have to be perfect to make it there from Coffs so if the heavens are not on our side we will continue to explore the plethora of dive sites that the South Solitary Islands have to offer! I will then drive everyone back to Brisbane after we return on Monday.

This is a unique opportunity to dive three of the most desirable dive sites in Australia in one weekend ALL for ONLY $850! This amazing weekend which includes:
- 8 dives at 3 of Australia’s BEST dive sites!
- 3 nights accommodation in a family suite
- Return private transport
- Tanks
- Weights
PADI ADVANCED OPEN WATER Course can also be done this weekend for only an additional $220! This includes online learning! No boring classrooms! Do all of the learning in the comfort of your own home with a glass of wine or beer in hand. The best part of the AOW is that there are NO exams!! Just practical knowledge and 5 dives to challenge and improve your skill set. If you would like to do your Advanced Open Water on this weekend please mark the box on the booking form and we will get the online learning pass to you ASAP!

I can organise all gear requirements for the weekend for $80 (with the exception of mask, snorkel and fins – every diver must provide their own) which is very reasonable as most dive shops in Brisbane charge $80 a day! If anyone needs to buy gear I am more than happy to assist and ensure that they get the best value and quality. If you are interested in joining us for the weekend please fill in the attached booking form and make sure your don’t miss out on this trip of a lifetime!

As always if you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to contact John on 0457 007 040 , [email protected] or Lisa on 07 3204 5857 , [email protected] .

** Please note whilst it is not compulsory in New South Wales to dive with a snorkel, safety sausage, knife or whistle, Professional Dive Services highly recommends that all divers dive with these items in the interest of their own safety.**
February 11, 2013
Advanced Digital Underwater Photography Techniques with U/W Photography Legend Ross Gudgeon!
4 to 6 July 2014

Ross Gudgeon has been running digital photography workshops at Sundive for years but this is the FIRST time he will run one on one of our favourite dive locations, the North Solitary Islands at Wooli, NSW! This is an opportunity you WON’T want to miss! Most published photographers will agree that the turning point in their photography was a course with an industry expert and Ross is at the top of his game! I have seen first hand the significant improvements that have come with attending one of Ross’s courses. Always generously willing to give of his time, knowledge and expertise you will not only be getting Ross for one weekend but a mentor for life!

Availability on this AMAZING weekend is strictly limited so make sure you don’t delay and secure your spot TODAY! Fill out the booking form and send it back to secure your spot! The course is $800 and is PACKED FULL of value!

Aside from the phenomenal course that Ross runs (details below of the format for the weekend) the weekend also includes:
- 4 dives
- Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
- BBQ dinner on Saturday night
- 2 nights accommodation
- Tanks
- Weights
- A weekend of picking the brain of one of the world’s foremost U/W photographers improving your Macro and Wide Angle photography!
Ross Gudgeon learned to dive in December 1979 and still remembers the thought that went through his head on his first dive clearly, “I’ve gotta get a camera, no one is going to believe this!”. Three months later he got his first underwater camera, a second hand Nikonos III and has been taking photos underwater ever since. After shooting film underwater for 18 years Ross made the switch to digital underwater photography with in 2002 and currently uses a Canon 7D in a Nauticam housing. When not diving there is nothing more he likes to do than pass on his 30+ years of underwater photography knowledge and experience to help others improve their underwater photography skills and currently runs underwater photography courses at Sundive in Byron Bay, Australia.

Ross has won awards in many major underwater photographic competitions including:
- Our World Underwater International Underwater Photo & Video Competition 2012
- 2012 Beneath the Sea Photo & Video Competition
- Underwater Festival 2011
- Our World Underwater International Underwater Photo & Video Competition 2010
- 2010 Beneath the Sea Photo & Video Competition
- 2010 Underwater Photography Guide Ocean Art Photo Competition
- 2009 British Society of Underwater Photographers Underwater Excellence Competition
- 2009 Celebrate The Sea Festival Underwater Imagery Competition
- 2008 Los Angeles Underwater Photographic 46th International Underwater Photographic Competition
- 2008 Northern California Underwater Photographic Society SEA International Underwater Photographic Competition
He has been published in several magazines including Scuba Diving Magazine (USA), Asian Diver and Ocean Geographic. In 2010 Ross had one of his shots included in an article published in the Guardian and Telegraph newspapers (UK) titled I The World’s Best Underwater Photographs 2010

This 2 Day course designed for those who have their own camera, have been shooting for while and are frustrated with not getting
the results they want and/or want to learn new techniques to improve their UW photography.

Course structure:

Friday Night

Welcome from Ross and start absorbing his wealth of information!

Camera knowledge & settings
Taking better UW photos
Composition

Saturday

2 dives to set the bar – Where your photography is up to

Lighting
Wide Angle Photography
Macro Photography
Q&A session

Sunday
2 dives to practice skills
Post Processing
Critique and Q&A session
February 10, 2013
Hone your skills and get your eye in for the smaller stuff at Cook Island Aquatic Reserve!

THE TRIP

Cook Island is located approximately 600m offshore from Fingal Head and four kilometres southeast of Tweed Heads in Northern NSW on the Southern end of the Gold Coast, Australia

-Cook Island Aquatic Reserve was declared on October 23, 1998 to protect the marine biodiversity of the island’s reef system.

– Cook Island plays host to an amazing array of marine life, offering spectacular temperate, subtropical and tropical species of fish which are bountiful. Nudibranchs, Rays, Eels and Occys are plentiful. Clown fish, Bullseyes, Gropers, Leatherjackets, Parrot fish, Pufferfish, Surgeonfish, Sweetlips and Trevally.

-Other additional species include a couple of species of crayfish, flatworm and shrimp.

-Migratory shark species such as the Blind Sharks, Shovel Nose Rays, Guitar Sharks and Leopard Sharks (summer) Grey Nurse (winter) and Wobbegongs visit throughout the year.

-Regular visitors include a number of protected species such as the Giant Queensland Groper, Black Cod, Estuary Cod and Grey Nurse Shark.

-Some of the star attractions in the Reserve are the green and loggerhead turtles, which you will more than likely see on your magical dive or snorkel tour.

-The island has 13 moorings, offering great boat dives from three sides, the North, South and East, each offering something different from the other

The North Wall has a long easy navigational wall which extends right through to Mary’s Rock. Has a ledge at 5m perfect for safety stops or snorkelling. The North Wall is home to baby wobbegongs, nudibranchs, lionfish, octopus and a diverse range of schooling fish. The drop off is 12 meters to a sandy bottom, where you will find plenty of marine life.

The South side – a photographer’s dream. Colourful soft corals are teeming with marine life, Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, Shovel Nose Rays, Groper, Cod, and schools of Kingfish are all residents of this colourful marine wonderland. This is an easy 10 m dive so enjoy the beauty and take your camera.

The East is a great adventure dive. Caves, crevices and swim throughs will delight any explorer. As you swim around the next corner or out of the swim throughs a Wobbegong won’t be too far away. The East plays host to the ‘Turtle Nursery” the baby turtles hang out here to grow and learn before they move on to the more open waters of the North side.

Coral gardens, schools of Taylor, Jewfish a variety of sharks and oodles of marine life, the east wall is the deepest side of the island at 18 m. This is the perfect dive site for novice divers to hone their skills or photographers searching for macro subjects – nudis galore!!

DIVE INFORMATION

Suitable for Advanced Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
Depth ranges from 18 – 30 metres
Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

TRIP DATES

28 November 2020

To book online for one of our day dive trips click HERE

PRICE

$220 per person

WHAT’S INCLUDED

2 dives
Tanks and weights
Dive guide services
Transport from Brisbane to Tweed Heads for the first 6 to book on

WHAT’S EXCLUDED

All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All Meals are at lesiure
GEAR HIRE

PDS is able to with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the weekend and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability.

ITINERARY

If travelling in the Professional Dive Services van, we will leave Woolloongabba early morning to head down to Tweed Heads. It is expected that we will have you back in Woolloongabba by mid afternoon. A more detailed estimate of timings will be sent to those who have booked closer to the date of the day trip.

PADI SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THIS TRIP

Enriched Air (Nitrox)
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Underwater Navigation
Dry Suit Diver
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

This is the perfect way to complete a specialty course as you have already paid for the dives!!

Note– Some specialties are site and conditions dependant. All efforts will be made to complete course dives on a booked trip, however if conditions do not allow it the diver will have to book onto another trip to complete the course requirements.

HOW TO BOOK

Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

OR

To book online click HERE

January 21, 2013
Weekend on North Stradbroke Island – MANTA FEST !!

THE TRIP
North Stradbroke Island is a pristine, secluded island paradise – a hidden treasure only one hour from central Brisbane. Diving off Stradbroke Island can only be described as exhilarating! The dive sites you will explore are only a 10- 15 minute boat ride from shore and Manta Bommie has been rated in the top 10 dive sites in Australia.

Straddie’s reefs are teeming with various marine life like Manta Rays and Leopard Sharks during Summer (Oct- Apr), endangered Grey Nurse Sharks and Humpback Whales during Winter (May- Sept), plus Bull and Eagle Rays, guitar and Wobbegong Sharks, Turtles, Dolphins, Octopus, Pelagics, hard and soft corals, Nudibranchs plus hundreds of tropical fish species.

We will be right in the middle of Manta Season then with an average of 6 manta rays sighted per dive!

There is a choice of 12 varying dive sites to choose from and we can plan your trip based around your experience level which include the most popular sites of Manta Bommie, Flat Rock and Shag Rock.

DIVE INFORMATION
Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)

Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres

Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

TRIP DATES

Friday, 16- 18 March 2018

To book online for this weekend of diving click HERE

PRICE

$750 per person

The following are recommended upgrades for this trip
Advanced Open Water Course @ $275 per person
PADI Deep Diver speciality Course @ $245 per person
PADI Enriched Air speciality Course @ $245 per person for manual learning or $390 for on-line learning (both prices include 2 Nitrox fills)
Peak Performance Buoyancy @ $245 per person

WHAT’S INCLUDED
2 night’s accommodation at Manta Lodge
8 dives
Return Ferry transfers to North Stradbroke Island
Land transfers on Stradbroke Island
Tanks and weights
Transport to and from Woolloongabba if required

WHAT’S EXCLUDED
All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All Meals are at leisure

GEAR HIRE
PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the day and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. If you do not have your own mask, snorkel, fins and boots these items are available for hire through the operator. Underwater camera and torches are also available if arranged in advance and are subject to availability.

The quintessential diver and manta pic. This famous photo was taken by Manta’s very own David Biddulph.

ITINERARY
The timings for this weekend of diving will be dependant on the number of dives you do over the weekend. If you choose to do the full weekend of diving; I have noted the timings below. A more detailed itinerary will be sent to the divers closer to the date.

You have the option of meeting the group either at the ferry terminal in Cleveland or in Woolloongabba where John will drive you to Cleveland in our van.

Departing Woolloongabba

We will meet at 4pm sharp at Adreno, 54 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba. You are able to park your car here for the weekend, either off street parking or at the rear of Adreno.

Departing Cleveland

We will be catching the Big Red Cat car and passenger ferry which will depart Toondah Harbour (1 Emmett Drv, Cleveland) at 5pm sharp . Please meet John at the ferry by 4:45 pm.

We will aim to catch the 5:55 pm ferry from Dunwich (North Stradbroke Island) and should be back at Cleveland by 6:30pm on Sunday. If you are travelling back to Adreno with John, we should have you back there around 7:30pm. There maybe a possibility that we could catch an earlier ferry back to the mainland, however this will all be dependant on the running of the day.

Another great photo from the Manta Whisperer – David “Biddy” Biddulph

SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THIS TRIP
Advanced Open Water
Nitrox
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Dry Suit Diver
Underwater Naturalist

HOW TO BOOK
Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

OR

To book online click HERE

January 21, 2013
Explore Windarra Banks – The Cod Grounds and find out what all the fuss is about!

Windarra Banks – The Cod Grounds

Upcoming Dives at Windarra Banks – 8 May 2013

Probably the most legendary dive site near Byron Bay and definitely the most requested by divers venturing out with Blue Bay, Windarra Banks is located 16 km North-East of the Brunswick Heads bar. Divers who are fortunate enough to have visited Windarra Banks in the past, rate it as one of Australia’s best dive sites. Being so far out, diving at Windarra Banks is extremely subject to sea conditions and very hard to plan. Not only do sea conditions have to be favourable on the day to make the 16 km journey acceptable for our customers, we also have to take into account the ocean currents that run along the East Coast of Australia. The strength of the current can’t be predicted from shore and is independent of the weather pattern, so the only way to know is to go out and check it.

The dive site consists of two enormous bommies or sea mountains approximately 500 metres apart and a lot of rocky country rising up to about 25 metres depth with the sandy bottom at about 45 to 50 metres. Due to it’s location and depth, Windarra Banks is a truly challenging dive site for the more experienced diver.

You can see several types of shark including Grey Nurse Sharks, Bronze Whalers, Tiger Sharks and Hammerheads as well as big schools of large pelagics including Kingfish, Tuna, Trevally, Barracuda, Wahoo and Mackerel when in season. Since Windarra Banks is not dived frequently, most marine life is not used to scuba divers and especially sharks can be quite inquisitive. Throughout February and March of 2012, we saw big schools of Hammerhead Sharks swimming past. There has been a friendly dolphin hanging around the boat during surface intervals, and even a Whale Shark was seen out there earlier in the year. This is why the saying goes: “You could see ANYTHING out there”.

Cost of the Day – $180 inclusive of two dives, fuel surcharge, tanks, weights, tea, coffee, snacks, exclusive use of the Bay Warrior and for the first 6 people who book on… return transport.

**Please note that every effort will be made to make it to Windarra Banks but it is VERY dependent on ocean and weather conditions. It is a challenging site which is very prone to current so it will only be attempted if the conditions allow. If the weather or ocean don’t play ball, we will be diving Spot X or the Mackerel Boulder off of Julian Rocks (two other dives sites VERY rarely dived by the shops in Byron).

Mackerel Boulder

The Mackerel Boulder is a beautiful rocky area surrounding a giant boulder that rises from the sandy bottom at about 25 metres up to 15 metres below the surface. The shallower areas consist of deep cracks in the rocks, big enough for divers to swim through and explore. In winter, Grey Nurse Sharks visit the Mackerel Boulder, in summer Leopard Sharks and Manta Rays can be seen here. All year round, the area is best known for large pelagics, so keep your eyes open when you first start your descent and make sure you look up into the blue every now and then to make sure you’re not missing anything.

Spot X

Spot X was named by Rod of Blue Bay Divers (former owner of Sundive). It’s a great dive site only about 800 metres from Julian Rocks. It consists of two big bommies that rise up to about 17 metres. The sandy bottom is at about 25 metres. Spot X is a good spot for large pelagics such as Kingfish, Trevally, Mackerel and Wahoo, especially when there is a bit of current. Grey Nurse Sharks can be seen here from June to December, Bronze Whalers cruise by frequently all year round. The marine life at Spot X is very similar to Julian Rocks, but more concentrated in a smaller area especially with current.

January 21, 2013
Amazing structure and Big pelagics – Experience the Awe of Cherubs Cave and Henderson Rock Moreton Island.

Cherubs Cave and Henderson Rock are two of the most popular and least scuba dived sites in South East Queensland.

Just the very mention of diving here will send pangs of jealousy into any experienced Queensland diver!

Next Trip – A MIDWEEK two day two night trip on Wednesday 4 September to Friday 6 September 2013.

Cost – $650 includes 6 dives (2 dives at Cherub’s and Henderson’s, 4 dives at Shark Alley), fuel surcharge, tanks, weights, return ferry transfers, 2 nights accommodation and transport on Moreton Island.

This is a unique opportunity to dive one of South East Queenslands hidden gems!! Hendersons Rock/Cherubs Cave is on the Eastern side of Moreton but due to it’s location and travel time is not often dived. If you are in ANY position to join us for this trip, schedule a day in lieu, call in sick, you don’t want to miss this!

A small concrete cherub, last seen near the engine of the wreck of the “St Paul” 6 miles north, once marked the main entrance to this fantastic hidden cave off Moreton Island. The large circular shaped cave roughly measures 20m x 15m and has six exits. The entire area is surrounded by rocky gullies, small caves, overhangs and can be filled with some SPECTACULAR pelagic action. Cherubs Cave has a large resident Queensland groper and during winter grey nurse sharks enjoying patrolling the waters in this area.

Check out this fantastic video from Ben Murray http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pg13iCGodY

Depth Range : 12 – 40m+
Visibility averages 20m

**Please note that due it it’s location and position on the windward side of Moreton Island, it is not always possible to dive on Cherubs and Henderson Rock. Every effort will always be made to reach the sites but if conditions do not allow us to do so we will ensure that you will dive the best sites that North Stradbroke has to offer be it Shark Alley, Shag Rock, Manta Bommie e.t.c. Divers who are prone to sea sickness are strongly advised to take medication as it is a 40min to an hour boat ride to the sites from North Stradbroke. Divers with recurrent back problems are also warned that it can be bumpy in any swell.

January 21, 2013
Spend a Day at Julian Rocks in Byron Bay

THE DIVE SITE

Discover the Magic of Julian Rocks in Byron Bay – One of the Top 10 dive sites in Australia!

According to a story from the Bundjalung people a jealous husband threw his spear at the canoe of his wife and her lover. The canoe broke in two and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Only the back and the front of the boat stuck out of the water, creating a rock formation just 2.5 km off shore.

Named by Captain Cook in 1776, Julian Rocks in Byron Bay consists of ancient sedimentary rock, remains of a volcanic eruption more than 20 million years ago. It is an extension of Cape Byron separated by water and forms a most unique marine reserve, providing shelter and food for more than 500 tropical and temperate fish species alone!

From the 1st of December 2002 Julian Rocks has become part of the Cape Byron Marine Park and in May 2006 the new Marine Park zoning plan has come into action which amongst other things means that an area of 1500m around Julian Rocks has become a Sanctuary Zone for most of the year. This will hopefully see fish stocks replenish and give the critically endangered Grey Nurse Sharks some well-deserved additional protection.

Grey Nurse Sharks come to Julian Rocks during the winter months, presumably to breed. Although these sharks look ferocious with their mouths slightly opened and their teeth sticking out, it is perfectly safe to dive with them. The most commonly dived sites during the winter months are the Cod Hole, Turtle trench and Hugo’s Trench as these are where the Grey Nurse sharks like to patrol the sand trenches. An absolutely incredible sight as they are not shy about approaching divers and making sure that they put on a performance you will never forget!

In spring the blue tang pays Julian Rocks a visit. This is a fish, which can be easily distinguished by its blue body and bright yellow tail. Schools of big-eye trevally are most common in summer. The docile leopard sharks can be seen on almost every dive during mid-summer when the waters are warmest. The spotted patterns on their skin gives them their name. Most of the time they lie resting on the sand, but if you are lucky you can see them swimming, moving their long tail slowly. During the Summer months the biggest draw card to the rocks are definitely the Leopard sharks (also known as Zebra sharks) and the main stars… Manta Rays!! These gorgeous graceful creatures glide effortlessly through the water dazzling divers with their somersaults and back flips, twisting and changing direction with the slightest bend of a fin. These magnificent creatures will keep you enthralled and begging for more as they soar from view

And then there are of course the ‘regulars’ like different species of wobbegong sharks, turtles, cuttlefish (family of the octopus), schools of white spotted eagle rays, egg-cowry shells, moray eels, banner fish, giant guitar fish and shovel-nose rays. Sometimes there are so many fish around, you can hardly see where you are going. Not to mention all sessile animals (attached to substrate) like tunicates, colourful sponges, both hard and soft corals, giving you the feeling you are floating through some beautifully landscaped underwater garden.

The Rock also forms a home for rare species such as the leaf scorpion fish, the pineapple fish with bioluminescent organs under its eyes, the shy blue devil fish, white banded anemone fish and a species of nudibranch previously thought not present in Australian waters: Noumea labouti. (A nudibranch is a colourful underwater snail without a shell, carrying its respiratory organ on its back)

The interaction of tropical and temperate species makes every dive an exhilarating adventure. The three minute boat trip to the rock is almost as exciting: surfing the waves sometimes accompanied by playful dolphins. From May till September the Humpback whales come past Byron Bay and can easily be spotted from the boat. With water temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius and visibility of 20 meters at most times there is really nothing to complain about.

Dive Information

-Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
-Depth ranges from 4 – 28 metres
-EAN (nitrox) is available if arranged prior to the trip
-Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

Trip Dates

Sunday, 22 March 2020

To book online click HERE

Price

Weekend Day Trip– $300 per person and includes 3 dives, return transport from Woolloongabba, tanks and weights.

Weekday Day Trip -$250 per person and includes 2 dives, return transport from Woolloongabba, tanks and weights.

Weekend Away -$700 per person and includes 6 dives, 2 night’s accommodation return transport from Woolloongabba, tanks and weights.

The following are recommended upgrades for this trip

Diving on Nitrox@ $ 30 per dive
PADI Deep Diver speciality Course @ $245 per person
PADI Enriched Air speciality Course @ $295 per person for manual learning or $445 on-line learning (both prices include 2x Nitrox fills)

What’s Excluded

All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All Meals are at leisure

Gear Hire

PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the day and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability.

Itinerary

If you are travelling to Byron Bay in the Professional Dive Services van, which will leave from Adreno (54 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba) bright and early in the morning. There is parking available for the day either at the rear of the shop or off street parking.

A confirmation with all timings will be sent to you closer to the dive date.

Specialities Suitable for this trip

Advanced Open Water
Enriched Air (Nitrox)
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Underwater Navigation
Dry Suit
Diver Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

Note- Some specialties are site and conditions dependant. All efforts will be made to complete course dives on a booked trip, however if conditions do not allow it the diver will have to book onto another trip to complete the course requirements.

HOW TO BOOK
Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

OR

Click HERE to book online

January 9, 2013
Dive the EX HMAS Brisbane, Wreck and Nitrox courses

THE DIVE SITE

Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in 1967 the HMAS Brisbane was a 133 metre, Charles F Adams Class DDG, guided missile destroyer of approx 5000 tons. The HMAS BRISBANE served Australia faithfully for 34 years, till she was decommissioned in 2001. She served in both the Vietnam and Gulf wars and assisted on many humanitarian missions such as in Darwin in 1974 after cyclone Tracey.

In January 2003, the Queensland Government agreed to accept the decommissioned HMAS Brisbane from the Commonwealth Government for sinking off the Sunshine Coast as an artificial reef and dive site.

On 31 July 2005, with the expertise of a crew who had extensive experience in scuttling ships for artificial reefs at a site 2.9 nautical miles east of Mudjumba Island off the Sunshine Coast these explosives were detonated and in 2 minutes and 10 seconds, the former HMAS BRISBANE was on the bottom in 28 metres of water.

The HMAS Brisbane offers a great opportunity for you to complete your enriched air and wreck diving specialities.
The wreck now serves as a world-class artificial reef and diving site. Sitting bolt upright the HMAS Brisbane has 15 metres of water over her forward decks and 18 metres over her stern.

DIVE INFORMATION

Must have your own dive torch to do these dives (rentals available) Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
Wreck certification is not a requirement to dive this site
Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres
EAN (nitrox) is available upon request
Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

TRIP DATES

Sunday, 22 November 2020

Friday, 27 November 2020

Wreck course : Sunday 22 and Friday 27 November 2020

To book online for a day or weekend dive trip click HERE

PRICE

Day Trip

$250 per person – 2 dives, tanks and weights, return transport to the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane

Enriched Air Speciality– additional $245 (total $495) – course materials (manual learning), nitrox fills and the services of your dive instructor

(2 day trip)

$500 per person – 4 dives, tanks and weights, return transport to the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane

PADI Wreck diver speciality course @ $675 per person- includes course materials, 4 dives over 2 days, tanks and weights, the services of your dive instructor and transport to the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane

PADI Wreck diver and Enriched Air speciality courses @ $850 per person- includes course materials, 4 dives over 2 days, Nitrox fills and weights, the services of your dive instructor and transport to the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane

WHAT’S EXCLUDED

All Dive Gear
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All meals are at your leisure

GEAR HIRE

PDS is able to provide with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the weekend and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability. All hire gear must be organised prior to the trip date.

ITINERARY

You will be doing a maximum of 2 dives each day and these dives are usually done in the morning, allowing you to have your afternoon free. An itinerary with timings will be sent to those booked onto the trip closer to the trip date.

PADI COURSES & SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THIS TRIP

Advanced Open Water
Enriched Air (Nitrox) (perfect for this trip)*
Deep Diver
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Dry Suit Diver
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist
Wreck Diver (perfect for this trip)

This is the perfect way to complete a specialty course as you have already paid for the dives!!

* The Nitrox specialty is the only specialty that you can do at the same time as another qualifying dive so this is the perfect opportunity to do two specialties in one go!

Note- Some specialties are site and conditions dependant. All efforts will be made to complete course dives on a booked trip, however if conditions do not allow it the diver will have to book onto another trip to complete the course requirements.

HOW TO BOOK

Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

OR

To book online click HERE

October 21, 2012
Lady Elliot and the Capricorn Bunker Group Liveaboard Weekend

LADY ELLIOT ISLAND & THE CAPRICORN BUNKER GROUP

The Trip
Come and join us on South East Queensland’s ONLY live aboard Big Cat Reality. The Big Cat crew will be taking us to the Bunker group of Islands and Cays. This trip is 4 days of unique dive sites in the Capricorn Bunker Groupand surrounding Lady Elliot Island! This trip is a must for every diver with diverse coral cays, reefs, islands and abundant marine life.

Dive Information

Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)

Wreck certification is not a requirement to dive this site

Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres

Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

TRIP DATES & PRICES

24 – 28 March 2016 – Easter Long Weekend – $1,359 per person- SOLD OUT

What’s Included
Up to 18 dives including a night dives
Accommodation on all nights in air conditioned bunks
All your meals, including fresh fruit and snacks between dives
Large Stable 25 metre vessel
Huge dive deck and fresh water tubs for your camera equipment
All air fills
Transport to Bundaberg for the first 6 to book on

What’s Excluded
$20 per person GBRMPA reef tax to be paid on board
Tanks
Weights
All Dive Gear
Transport to Bundaberg if you are making your own way
Alcohol (No alcohol can be brought on board as this is a licensed boat)
Soft drinks

Gear Hire
PDS is able to with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the weekend and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability.

4 Day Trip Itinerary

The First Night: (Thursday 24th March) (Passage Plan) We all meet at the Bundaberg Port Marina by 5.00 pm, where everyone stows their gear and settles in onboard. The master then introduces the crew, gives the safety brief and you watch our induction DVD. A light supper is served and we depart Burnett Heads at about 8:30pm. (For anyone wanting a meal before boarding, there is a great fish & chip takeaway located at Burnett Heads 5 min from the Marina). “Big Cat Reality” then steams overnight to Llewelyn Reef and arrives ready for an early morning dive.

Day One: (Friday 25th) Day one starts with two great dives at Llewelyn Reef to get you started and then a short move north to Lamont Reef for an afternoon of exploring this amazing and rarely dived reef. After completing 5 dives for the day, we settle down for our first night on the Great Barrier Reef.

Day Two: (Saturday 26th) On the second day we start the day with an early morning dive at Lamont Reef before move south to spend the rest of the day diving the sites around Hoskins Island where we generally get the opportunity to snorkel in the crystal clear lagoon with reef sharks and baby sea turtles.

Day Three: (Sunday 27th) On the second day we wake up at the world famous Lady Elliott Island where there is always heaps of beautiful Manta rays and great viz. You will have the opportunity to dive all the best sites here including the Blow hole, Hero’s Cave and Lighthouse Bommie. Our last night on the reef is finished off with a calm night dive and a BBQ on the top deck followed by a great night’s sleep.

Day Four: (Monday 28th) Our last day gives us the RARE opportunity to explore a little known dive site called the “Snake Pitt”. This site is well off shore and has an amazing landscape with huge over hangs and swim throughs and of course heaps of Sea Snakes and Big Fish. Weather permitting we are able to dive the Snake Pitt we will then do two dives at Lady Elliot before we head back to Bundaberg, arriving at approximately 6:30pm. If we are unable to dive the Snake Pitt we will do three dives at Lady Elliot.

This trip is truly great fun and top value. Included: up to 18 dives, all air fills, all meals, 4 nights air-conditioned accommodation, dive master services and full use of all facilities onboard.

Specialities Suitable for this trip
Advanced Open Water (perfect for this trip)
Under water Navigation
Nitrox
Deep Diver
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Underwater Navigation
Dry Suit Diver
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

HOW TO BOOK
Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected]

October 21, 2012
Wooli – Pimpernel Rock and the North Solitary Islands!

THE TRIP

The islands are just a short 20 minute ride away and will provide you with some absolutely world class diving. The islands are not only home to the temperate species, but being the southernmost limit of permanent colonies of tropical species.

North Solitary Island is only 7 nautical miles from Wooli. The marine park reserve is famous for a diverse variety of marine life, thickly populated at different dive locations around the island.

At the north eastern end is a small sheltered inlet called Anemone Bay. The boulder strewn site is carpeted with anemones and numerous Anemone fish, cowries, rays, turtles and hard and soft corals.

The Step, is a rocky drop-off; the wall drops from 15m to 45m and numerous sharks, giant Manta Ray, cod, eagle and bull rays patrol this section.

The Canyons is another popular spot best described as a multi-coloured aquarium with a few southern species thrown in. Also famous for Painted Cray’s and large dive able depressions in the ocean floor.

The Bubble Cave near a spot called Southern Anchorage. The cave is very dark and a torch is required to appreciate it. There are air bubbles trapped at the top of the cave. Fish life includes Lion Fish, large schools of White Bait and Spanish Dancers at times cling to the walls of the cave.

Fish Soup is one of the most requested dive locations. Located at a group of wave washed rocks called North West Rock. It is renowned for a variety of larger fish species such as Black Cod, Mangrove Jack’s , Jew Fish, Spangled Emperor, Snapper, Red Mowong, Tarwhine just to name a few.

Pimpernel Rock

The depth of this site is 40 metres and features steep pinnacles and a large tunnel.

Pimpernel Rock is one of the finest scuba diving locations along the entire New South Wales Coast. This site is also isolated, doesn’t break the surface and is some distance from solid earth. There is an enormous cavern approximately 12m high and 15m wide in the centre of the vast main structure some 40 metres from the surface. All manner of sea life including sharks inhabit the giant shelter.

Sponge gardens decorate a reef spreading from the base of each of the three pinnacles. Large rocky bolders, small trenches and overhangs, flat areas and step overs host seafans, seawhips and anemones.

Tom Byron arguably one of the most prolific divers in Australia and one of the godfather’s of East coast diving rates this as his number 1 site. Two Pinnacles with an underwater cavern connecting them surrounded by Grey Nurse sharks and prolific sea life.

DIVE INFORMATION

Suitable for Advanced Open Water Diver only
Depth ranges from 6 – 40 metres
EAN (nitrox) is available upon request at an additional cost
Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

TRIP DATES

Friday, 24 – Sunday, 26 June 2016

PRICE & INCLUSIONS

Midweek Trip @ $400 per person and includes 3 dives, 1 nights’ accommodation, return transport from Brisbane to Wooli, BBQ dinner of arrival and continental breakfast in the morning, tanks and weights.

Weekend Trip @ $600 per person and includes 4 dives, 2 nights’ accommodation, return transport from Brisbane to Wooli, BBQ dinner on Saturday night and continental breakfast each morning, tanks and weights.

WHAT’S EXCLUDED
All Dive Gear
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All meals are at your leisure (with the exception of meals otherwise specified)

GEAR HIRE
PDS is able to rent you a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the weekend and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability. All gear must be arranged prior to the trip.

ITINERARY
The group travelling in the PDS van will be departing Brisbane (Woolloongabba) late in the afternoon on first day of the trip and from here you will be driven in our company van to Wooli. Upon arrival we will check in to our accommodation, have a BBQ dinner and get a good night sleep ready to dive in the morning.

Depending on the trip and the number of dives will determine the return time to Brisbane at the end of the trip. A full itinerary with more accurate timings and details will be sent to the divers prior to the dive trip.

SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THE TRIP
Advanced Open Water
Nitrox(Enriched Air)
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Dry Suit Diver
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

HOW TO BOOK
Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

October 18, 2012
Wolf Rock – Grey Nurse Sharks All Year Round!!

THE DIVE SITE

Wolf Rock at Rainbow Beach is one of the few places in Australia where you can see Grey Nurse Sharks all year round and they are HUGE! Compare Wolf Rock to other dive sites where Grey Nurse Sharks are only seen in winter, this site is truly unique. Wolf Rock is also the ONLY known aggregation site for pregnant female grey nurse shark on the whole east coast of Australia.

At the end of mating season (Oct- Dec) the numbers of grey nurse shark found at Wolf Rock increases dramatically; meaning that you will be diving with mainly female sharks. It is understood that Wolf Rock receives 50% of the pregnant females and no-one knows where the other 50% go. This has triggered scientists to research their movements and find other aggregation site/s. They suspect it is somewhere in southeast Queensland, perhaps even at the top end of Fraser Island.

Wolf Rock – Video by Simon Walkden-Brown

DIVE INFORMATION

-Suitable for Advanced Open Water Divers or Open Water Divers doing their Advanced Open Water Course
-Depth ranges from 10 – 35 metres
-EAN (nitrox) is available upon request
-Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

TRIP DATES

DAY TRIPS

Thursday 31 December 2020

To book online for one of our Wolf Rock day trips click HERE

WEEKEND TRIPS

11 to 13 December 2020

To book online for a weekend trip click HERE

PRICE

Day Trip – $300 per person- 2 dives, tanks, weights, surface interval snacks, lunch, photos from your trip and return transport to Rainbow Beach.

Midweek Overnight Trip – $600 per person- 4 dives, 1 night accommodation, tanks, weights, surface interval snacks, lunch, photos from your trip and return transport to Rainbow Beach.

Weekend Trip – $650 per person 4 dives, 2 nights accommodation, tanks, weights, surface interval snacks, lunch, photos from your trip and return transport to Rainbow Beach.

The following are recommended upgrades for this trip

Diving on Nitrox@ $ 40 per double dive
PADI Advanced Open Water Course @ $275 per person
PADI Deep Diver speciality Course @ $245 per person
PADI Enriched Air speciality Course @ $295 per person for manual or $445 for on-line learning. These prices include 2 nitrox fills

WHAT’S EXCLUDED

All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
Travel Insurance
Personal spending money
All Meals are at lesiure

GEAR HIRE

PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the weekend and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability.

Alternatively, gear hire can be arranged from the operator, however this could be at a much higher cost.

COURSES & SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THIS TRIP

Advanced Open Water
Enriched Air (Nitrox)
Deep Diver
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Dry Suit Diver
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist

HOW TO BOOK

Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

OR

Book online via one of the following links:

Day Dive Trip- To book online for one of our Wolf Rock day trips click HERE

Weekend Dive Trip- To book online for a weekend trip click HERE

September 15, 2012