Scuba diving from Cairns on the outer Great Barrier Reef
Intro dives for first-timers, guided dives for certified divers, and a helmet dive for non-swimmers. Every dive starts from our pontoon at Moore Reef, 47 km off Cairns, with all equipment included.
Choose by your diving experience
Never dived? Want to try scuba?Introductory Scuba DiveNo experience needed · up to 12 m$149 Hold a scuba certification?Certified Scuba DiveUp to 45 minutes · up to 18 m$149 Can’t swim, or prefer to stay dry?Seawalker Helmet DiveWalk on a platform 3.5 m down$149 Certified, but it’s been a while?Scuba Skills UpdateRefresher + 1 guided dive$228 Want a certification for life?SSI dive coursesOpen Water starts every dayfrom $783Dive prices are added to the Moore Reef day trip (adult $317). Reef day + dive packages from $409.
Acknowledgement of Sea Country. We acknowledge the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji, Mandingalbay Yidinji, Yirrganydji and Gunggandji peoples, who for thousands of years have been the first scientists and caretakers of the Great Barrier Reef. Their deep knowledge, passed through generations, continues to guide how we learn from and protect this remarkable Sea Country.
Your first breath underwater, on the outer reef.
You don’t need any experience to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef with us. You don’t even need to swim.
We run 4 ways to get underwater from our Moore Reef pontoon: an introductory scuba dive, a certified scuba dive, a Scuba Skills Update for divers who are out of practice, and the Seawalker helmet dive. Each one is an optional extra on your Moore Reef day trip, guided by our dive team, with all equipment included.
Quick Answer
Sunlover runs scuba and helmet dives daily from Cairns at Moore Reef on the outer Great Barrier Reef. An intro or certified dive is $149 on top of the reef day, or from $409 with the reef trip included.
How much does it cost to dive in Cairns?
Every price here is per person. Single dives are added to the Moore Reef day trip. Packages include the reef trip, so you book everything at once.
| Option | Who it’s for | Price | Reef trip included? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reef day + dive packages | ||||
| Moore Reef + Intro DivePackage | First-time divers, 12+ | $409child 12–15: $323 | Yes | Book now → |
| Moore Reef + Certified DivePackage | Certified divers, 10+ | $409child 10–15: $323 | Yes | Book now → |
| Add a dive to your Moore Reef day trip (reef fare: adult $317, child 4–15 $177) | ||||
| Introductory Scuba Dive1 dive | No experience needed, 12+ | $149 | No, reef fare extra | Add it → |
| Second scuba diveAdded on the day | Intro or certified divers | +$99 | No, reef fare extra | |
| 2 intro divesPre-booked package | First-timers who want more time underwater | $248 | No, reef fare extra | Add it → |
| 2 certified divesPre-booked package | Certified divers | $228 | No, reef fare extra | Add it → |
| Certified Scuba Dive1 dive | Divers holding a certification, 10+ | $149 | No, reef fare extra | Add it → |
| Scuba Skills UpdateRefresher + 1 dive | Certified, but out of practice | $228 | No, reef fare extra | Add it → |
| Seawalker Helmet DiveNot scuba | Non-swimmers and first-timers, 12+ | $149 | No, reef fare extra | Add it → |
| SSI certification courses | ||||
| Open Water · Advanced · RescueMulti-day courses | Getting certified, or going further | from $783 | Yes, every course day | See courses → |
Prices from Sunlover’s live booking system, 28 October 2026. Reef fares include the fuel surcharge.
Intro, certified or helmet: which dive is right for you?
All of them run daily from the same pontoon at Moore Reef. Pick the one that matches your experience, or ask our dive team on the day.
No experience neededimage© Bob BobisavljevicYour first dive
About 30 minutes learning the skills in the sheltered training area under the pontoon, then a guided reef dive of about 20 minutes with your instructor beside you. Recognised by SSI as a Basic Diver experience. It is not a certification.
2nd dive on the day: +$99 · or pre-book 2 dives for $248
For certified diversimage© MaresDive the reef
Explore the dive sites around the Moore Reef pontoon for up to 45 minutes, to a maximum of 18 m, guided by our dive staff. Bring your internationally recognised certification on the day.
2nd dive on the day: +$99 · or pre-book 2 dives for $228
No swimmingWalk underwater
Walk along an underwater platform 3.5 m below the surface, breathing normally inside a clear helmet. Your head stays dry and you never need to swim. Fully escorted by our dive team. Seawalker is surface-supplied air, not scuba.
Ideal for non-swimmers and nervous first-timers
Scuba Skills Update
A refresher in the sheltered training centre to get your skills back, then straight out on a guided reef dive. For certified divers aged 10+.
Choose the Scuba Skills Update under the diving options when you book your Moore Reef day.
Where can I go diving in Cairns as a beginner?
If you have never dived before, an introductory scuba dive from a reef pontoon is the gentlest way to start. You train in calm, sheltered water first, your instructor stays close the whole time, and there is a stable platform to come back to.
At Moore Reef, the training area is built into our pontoon. It is enclosed, sheltered from wind and shallow enough to stand up in, so you can get used to breathing underwater before you see the reef. There is no pool involved at any stage: your first breaths are taken in the ocean.
How your intro dive works
- Fill in the medical formWe send the RSTC Diver Medical questionnaire when you book. If every answer is no, you are cleared to dive.
- Briefing and skills, about 30 minutesYour instructor shows you how to breathe, clear your mask and equalise your ears, then you practise in the sheltered training area.
- Guided reef dive, about 20 minutesDescend the guide line at your own pace and explore the reef with your instructor beside you, in a group of no more than 4 divers, to a maximum of 12 m.
- Want more?Add a second dive on the day for $99, or pre-book 2 dives for $248, or come back for the SSI Open Water course, which starts every day of the week.
Good to know before your first dive
- No experience or certification needed
- Minimum age 12 (Queensland code of practice)
- Be reasonably comfortable in the water
- All equipment and a free stinger suit included
- Maximum 4 divers per instructor
- Allow 12 hours before flying after 1 dive, 24 hours after more
Can’t swim? Choose the Seawalker helmet dive instead. You walk on a platform 3.5 m down and breathe normally, with no swimming at all.
The intro dive is a one-day experience, not a certification. If you want to get certified to dive anywhere in the world, see our SSI dive courses.
Intro vs certified vs helmet dive side by side
The 3 day-trip dives compared on experience, depth, time underwater and price.
| Introductory Scuba Dive | Certified Scuba Dive | Seawalker Helmet Dive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | First-time divers | Qualified divers | Non-swimmers and the nervous |
| Experience needed | None | A valid scuba certification | None |
| Swimming needed | Comfortable in the water | Yes | No |
| Maximum depth | 12 m | 18 m | 3.5 m platform walk |
| Time | About 30 min skills + about 20 min dive | Up to 45 minutes | Fully escorted walk |
| Guiding | Max 4 divers per instructor | Guided by dive staff | Fully escorted |
| Minimum age | 12 | 10 (12 m max for ages 10–11) | 12 |
| Price (add-on) | $149 | $149 | $149 |
| Second dive | +$99 on the day, or $248 for 2 pre-booked | +$99 on the day, or $228 for 2 pre-booked | — |
| With reef trip | Package from $409 | Package from $409 | $317 + $149 = $466 |
Is Cairns good for scuba diving?
Cairns is the main departure point for the outer Great Barrier Reef. Here is what diving at Moore Reef is actually like, including the parts that change from day to day.
The outer reef, 1.5 hours from Cairns
Moore Reef sits about 47 km off Cairns on the outer Great Barrier Reef. We cruise out in roughly 1.5 hours and spend about 4 hours at the reef, so there is time to dive and still enjoy the rest of the day.
Diving from a pontoon
You gear up and enter the water from a stable, permanently moored platform, not a rolling dive deck. For first-timers especially, that makes the whole experience calmer.
Conditions change every day
Visibility, current and surface conditions depend on wind, tide and weather. Our dive team chooses where and how to dive on the day. If conditions are not safe for diving, we will not dive.
How we dive the reef
These rules apply on every dive, for every diver, with no exceptions:
- Never stand on the reef.
- Never touch anything on the reef.
- Never touch, tease or harass any wildlife.
Stinger suits, all year
A full-length stinger suit is free for every diver and snorkeller and is available all year round, not only in summer. Wear one for every dive.
Our marine biologists are on the pontoon every day and can tell you more about the reef you are diving.
What will I see diving at Moore Reef?
Moore Reef is on the outer Great Barrier Reef, with coral gardens close to the pontoon and a coral wall a short swim away. What you see depends on the day, the site your guide chooses and your depth.
image© Mares
Most divers remember the fish life around the pontoon first. Our resident Maori wrasse often swims right up to divers under the platform, and schools of reef fish gather in the shade below it. Further out, the coral gardens and the coral wall are home to sea fans, hard and soft corals and the fish that feed on them.
We never promise a particular animal. The reef is a wild place, and that is part of what makes every dive different. Ask your dive guide or one of our marine biologists what has been seen lately.
What a dive day at Moore Reef looks like
Your dive is part of our Moore Reef day trip from Cairns. Times are the same every day.
- 8:45amCheck inReef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns. Check-in runs 8:45 to 9:45am.
- 10:15amDepart CairnsAbout 1.5 hours out to Moore Reef on the outer reef.
- MiddayArrive at the pontoonArrive at Moore Reef at approximately 11:45am to midday.
- Reef timeDive, snorkel, eat, exploreAbout 4 hours at the reef: your dive, buffet lunch, snorkelling, the semi-submersible and the underwater observatory.
- 4:00pmDepart Moore ReefCruise back to Cairns.
- 5:30pmBack in CairnsApproximately.
Which trips include diving?
- Moore Reef day trip: add any of our dives as an optional extra
- Reef day + dive packages: the reef trip and an intro or certified dive in one booking, from $409
- Reef & Island day: choose one diving experience during the Moore Reef part of the day
No diving at Fitzroy Island. All our diving happens at the Moore Reef pontoon. At Fitzroy Island you can snorkel the fringing reef.
Not diving? See snorkelling, the helicopter scenic flight or all pontoon activities.
Check you’re fit to dive before you book
This is the most important step. Some medical conditions and regular medications can stop you diving on the day, and our dive team can’t make exceptions at the reef.
Read the medical form
Every diver completes the RSTC Diver Medical questionnaire before getting in the water. We send it at booking.
Any yes? See a doctor
If you answer yes to any question, a doctor needs to sign the form before you dive. Sort it out at home before your trip.
Under 18?
A parent or guardian must sign the consent form and be present on the day.
Plan your flight
Allow at least 12 hours after a single dive, and at least 24 hours after more than one dive, before any flight, including a helicopter flight.
It takes a minute, and it means no disappointment on the day.
Want to get certified? Learn to dive on the reef.
Our SSI courses run entirely in the ocean at Moore Reef, with no pool and no liveaboard. Every course price includes your Moore Reef day trip on each course day.
Filmed when the I Love Cairns family brought first-time and returning divers out with us.
Trusted on the reef for over 3 decades
On the reef since
Taking guests to the outer Great Barrier Reef from Cairns for over 3 decades.
Training Centre
Sunlover Dive teaches SSI courses at Moore Reef.
Ecotourism Australia
Inducted into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame.
Ecotourism Australia
Our reef operations hold Ecotourism Certification.
Scuba diving in Cairns questions answered
Quick answers on prices, beginners, ages, medicals and flying.
Is Cairns good for scuba diving?
Cairns is the main departure point for the outer Great Barrier Reef, and it suits both first-time and certified divers. Our dives are at Moore Reef, about 47 km offshore and roughly 1.5 hours by boat, where you start every dive from a stable pontoon rather than a rolling deck. Conditions change from day to day with wind, tide and visibility, so no two dives are the same.
How much does it cost to dive in Cairns?
With Sunlover, an introductory scuba dive, a certified scuba dive or a Seawalker helmet dive is $149 per person, added to your Moore Reef day trip (adult $317, child $177). A second scuba dive added on the day is $99, or you can pre-book 2 dives as a package: $248 for intro divers and $228 for certified divers. Packages that include the reef trip start from $409 for adults.
Where can I go diving in Cairns as a beginner?
Beginners can take an introductory scuba dive at our Moore Reef pontoon with no experience needed. You learn the skills in a sheltered training area first, then dive the reef with an instructor beside you, with a maximum of 4 divers per instructor. Minimum age is 12.
What is the 120 rule in diving?
The 120 rule is an old rule of thumb for staying within no-decompression limits on a single dive: your depth in feet plus your bottom time in minutes should not add up to more than 120. At 60 feet (about 18 m), for example, it suggests no more than about 60 minutes. Today divers use dive computers or dive tables instead. On our dives, your instructor or dive guide manages depth and time for you.
Do I need to be able to swim?
Not for the Seawalker helmet dive: you walk on an underwater platform and breathe normally, with no swimming at all. For an introductory scuba dive you need to be reasonably comfortable in the water. Certified divers need to hold a valid scuba certification.
How long is each dive?
An introductory dive is about 30 minutes of skills training followed by a guided reef dive of about 20 minutes. A certified dive lasts up to 45 minutes, to a maximum depth of 18 m.
Do I need to bring my own dive gear?
No. All scuba and helmet dive equipment is included, and a full-length stinger suit is free all year round. Certified divers just need to bring their certification card.
What is the minimum age to dive?
Introductory (non-certified) scuba dives and the Seawalker helmet dive start at age 12, the minimum Queensland’s code of practice sets for non-certified diving. Certified divers can dive from age 10, with divers aged 10 and 11 limited to 12 m. Divers under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign a consent form and to be present.
Do I need a medical to dive?
Every diver completes the RSTC Diver Medical questionnaire before getting in the water. If you answer no to every question, you are cleared to dive. If you answer yes to anything, a doctor needs to sign the form before you dive. We send the form at booking so you can sort it out at home.
How long after diving can I fly?
Allow at least 12 hours after a single dive, and at least 24 hours after more than one dive, before any flight. Plan helicopter flights and flights home with this in mind.
Is diving included in the reef day trip price?
No. Diving is an optional extra on the Moore Reef day trip, so the $149 dive price is on top of the reef fare. If you would rather book it all at once, our Moore Reef + Intro Dive and Moore Reef + Certified Dive packages include the reef trip and start from $409 for adults.
Can I dive at Fitzroy Island?
No. All our diving happens at the Moore Reef pontoon on the outer Great Barrier Reef. On our Reef & Island day you can choose one diving experience during the Moore Reef part of the day, then snorkel the fringing reef at Fitzroy Island in the afternoon.
Can I cancel or change my dive?
Yes. Free cancellation or rescheduling up to 24 hours before departure.
image© Predrag Vuckovic
Get beneath the surface on the Great Barrier Reef
Intro dive, certified dive or helmet dive. All equipment included, every day of the week.