Whats the best way to see the Great Barrier Reef?

[Chocolaty Claire]

Obviously the best way is to dive but i read somewhere on here that you wont be able to dive atall unless you have your PADI?

I did mine a few years ago, but have lost my membership & have forgotten everything there is to know about diving! Does anyone have any info on any companies offering one off dives with a guide - if at all they exist? Or any other ways to explore the Reef without diving? that would be tops

[U2fan]

I have heard a lot about snorkeling in a place called Cape Tribulation.

Anyone know about this?

[LiveFreeorDie]

The best way to see the reef is probably on a liveaboard, but daytrips are available as well. Either way, if you do not want to dive, you can snorkel.

If in the past you got your c-card but have not gone diving in awhile, most dive shops will do a refrsher course (usually 1 day) in the pool to get you back up to snuff. You might want to consider that. Also, some places will do a guided dive trip without a cert, usually called a resort course, or something of that nature. usually they require some level of instruction first as well, but I am not sure if they do this out on the GBR or not. I have only seen those in the Caribbean.

Here is a company I dove with in Australia - they were decent:

Down Under Dive

I am sure you could e-mail them your exact situation and they could recommend some options. I did the liveaboard on the Atlantic Clipper and it was great. I will warn you that many of the daytrips are like being on a cattle car - liveaboards are better - less people. Good luck!

[chelseafc05]

When i was in Hamilton Island you could take a day trip out to an floating outpost kind of thing where there was cafe and rooms if you wanted to stay overnight out on the water

Anyway with the company which i went with (cant remember the name, just go to a tourism queensland websites there all pritty similiar) you could choose to go snorkelling or to go diving

I chose snorkelling which was a great way to see the reef but if you wanted to go diving you could take an 1hr or so training course before you left, they would come out on the day trip and go dive with the instructers and other divers, while people who wanted to go snorkelling would go snorkelling. there was also two boats with glass floors and sides that would take you around the reef.
Then when everyone was hungry there was a big buffet served and you could watch the video of the divers then you get back on board the boat a return.

anyway hope this helps

daniel

[chelseafc05]

When i was in Hamilton Island you could take a day trip out to an floating outpost kind of thing where there was cafe and rooms if you wanted to stay overnight out on the water

Anyway with the company which i went with (cant remember the name, just go to a tourism queensland websites there all pritty similiar) you could choose to go snorkelling or to go diving

I chose snorkelling which was a great way to see the reef but if you wanted to go diving you could take an 1hr or so training course before you left, they would come out on the day trip and go dive with the instructers and other divers, while people who wanted to go snorkelling would go snorkelling. there was also two boats with glass floors and sides that would take you around the reef.
Then when everyone was hungry there was a big buffet served and you could watch the video of the divers then you get back on board the boat a return.

anyway hope this helps

daniel