2016 Coral Sea Charters
February 16, 2016 4 min read
The Coral Sea off North Queensland's coastline is a pinnacle dive destination, renowned by spearos worldwide. We are running three trips this year to offer our customers the experience of a lifetime. Read the info below, watch some of the videos, and if it looks like something you should do in 2016 (who are we kidding, of course you should!) then shoot an email though to james@adreno.com.au
Owner of Adreno Tim Neilsen with one of our customers after a successful Spanish hunt!
When: The dates for our three Coral Sea/Ribbon Reef spearfishing charters are: April 20-26, July 10-16, and October 14-20.
Where: We will be departing from Port Douglas aboard Bianca Charters. Price includes bus transfer from Cairns to Port Douglas - however there will only be one bus for all of our crew, so we will have to co-ordinate everyone to arrive at the same time.
Cost: $2,500pp includes 6 nights and 5 days aboard the boat, including food, drinks, bait etc. Just like if you were booking a flight, payment is due in full to secure your spot.
That grin says it all! A doggie from our last Coral Sea trip. Diver: Blake McMahon
Fish:
We've taken Australian and World Record fish on our charters - it's not hard when you're in such pristine waters! You can get SUCH a huge variety of species in the Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea including: Dogtooth Tuna, Wahoo, Spanish Mackerel, Dolphin Fish, Yellowfin Tuna, Job Fish, various emperor species (Red Throat, Spangled, Long Nose, Yellow Lip etc), Trout, Mu, Maori Sea Perch, Purple Cod, Mangrove Jack and other exotic reef species - you never know what you'll encounter there!
Depth:
In the Coral Sea you'll be spearfishing in depths from 2m to 2,000m and everything in between! From underwater volcanos, to untouched atolls, the Coral Sea and Ribbons Reefs have it all. While you can dive any depth your comfortable in on any given day, we would recommend being comfortable at a depth of 15m to get the most out of the trip.
Shallow or deep - the Coral Sea has it all.
Experience:
While two Adreno staff members will be on board to help ensure you have a great experience, this isn't a guided trip so experience is essential. You will be diving with lots of small (and occasionally big) sharks and MUST be capable of always being a great dive buddy and diving in pairs or small groups. While you don't need experience shooting big fish, or bluewater spearfishing experience, you should be a confident diver and capable buddy to get the most out of the experience.
Massive jobbies and jacks are common at the Ribbon Reefs
The boat:
The MV Phoenix is a fully air conditioned well appointed 20m aluminium vessel that gives a comfortable cruising speed of 10 knots. A beautiful roof-top dining area for meals around a large table, or indoor dining and comfortable leather lounges, means there's plenty of space to spread out. The main saloon has a TV and plenty of movies to watch in the evening or over lunch while cruising, or you can relax and snooze in the lounge saloon that convert into additional bunks if needed! The fully-air conditioned accommodation in spacious cabins with ensuites, from bunks to grand master state rooms, will have you sleeping soundly after a long day of diving. (DISCLAIMER: the excitement of the day may keep you awake...) The boat comes with two 5m tenders which are driven by qualified crew so that all you have to do is shoot fish! Because you get boaties though, it means you will have to fillet and bag up your own fish at lunch time and at the end of the day.
Meals:
Be prepared to indulge!!! Rather than losing weight from all of the diving, we find people put on a few kilos while enjoying the five star meals provided by the chefs on board! A menu of fresh seafood, steak and modern cuisine form the basis of the 3 cooked meals per day, along with scrumptious snacks and tasting plates throughout the day to keep you energised!
What to bring:
You'll need to come prepared with your own gear including a couple of guns and spare shafts. The water is 28 degrees celcius most of the year, so a 1.5mm wetsuit or lycra suit is ideal for these conditions. Divers targeting larger pelagic species including Dogtooth Tuna and Wahoo will often bring larger guns and floats to land the beasts that are frequently encountered! If you're a fan of line fishing, bring a rod as well. You can troll while the boat is cruising and fish for sharks or fish any time of the day straight off the back of the mothership - it's a lot fun and the guys are always very successful! Bait like squid and pillies is available on the boat and can be used for burly while spearfishing, or bait while fishing. There's plenty of storage space on top deck and main deck for gear!
Apart from gear, bring clothes for 5 days - hat, boardies and shirts/singlets/rashies will be all you need! All food, water and soft drinks are supplied, but if you like any particular sweets, snacks or energy/replenishment drinks then bring that along. BYO alcohol.
Bring your own gear to suit the type of diving you want to do - reef, bluewater, or both
Other info:
- 5 days in the water on a beautiful, well-equipped live aboard
- 8 spaces available
- 2 x 5m tenders
- Full-time boaties so all you need to do is shoot fish!
- Stewardesses to cook and clean, all meals provided
- Ribbons Reef diving, venturing to the Coral Sea weather permitting
