Scuba Diving on Moreton Bay with Big Cat Reality

Big Cat reality is the premier scuba diving vessel in SE Queensland and is now offering an amazing range of dive trips to suit everyones budget and experience level.

Day trips in Moreton Bay Marine Park (2 dives); Full Details »

Day trips offshore & Flinders Reef (2 dives); Full Details »

Weekend Island Adventure Trips (5 dives); Full Details »

Weekend Liveaboard Trips (8 dives); Full Details »

Five Day Bunker Group Trips (22 dives); Full Details »

Day Trips Moreton Bay  (Wed to Sat) $99

Amazing Value: Two dives for less than $50 each including BBQ lunch & hot showers

Includes

Big Cat Reality and her professional crew will provide you with unparallelled Moreton Bay scuba diving by taking you to some of the most spectacular dive sites around South East Queensland.

Guests load at 7.40am for an 8.00am departure from our home birth at Newport Marina. See Map. Big Cat goes straight to Bulwer to unload transfer passengers and then starts our eco/dive day. Morning tea is served and then your first dive starts on the pines. This is a great drift dive at about 6-14m with plenty to see, wobbygongs, turtles, schools of bait fish and other pelagic fish. We then head down to Tangalooma for a BBQ lunch on the top deck.  Your second dive is a still dive through the famous Tangalooma wrecks.  This site offers a large diversity of marine life that has made it's home amongst the 15 large steam dredgers with a depth range from 6 to 14m. Large Cod, Octopus and hundreds of other fish are here all year round. The afternoon is then spent relaxing on the sun deck, or cruising on the boom net for the more adventurous, before Big Cat heads back to Newport.

Friends and Family: What is special about this trip is that it gives you the chance to bring your non-diving friends and family along to enjoy the day with you as we offer them an eco trip with in-water guided snorkelling, boom netting and eco commentary.  See full eco details.

 

Day trips Offshore & Flinders Reef (Sunday) $130

Amazing Value: Two dives for $65 each including BBQ lunch and hot showers!

Includes

• 2 Dives
• Air fill
• Morning Tea, BBQ lunch and Afternoon Tea
• Hot Showers
• Huge dive deck
• Dive Master Services
• Fully Licenced Bar on board

Big Cat Reality and her professional crew will provide you with unparallelled Moreton Bay scuba diving by taking you to some of the most spectacular dive sites around South East Queensland.

Guests load at 7.40am for an 8.00am departure from our home birth at Newport Marina. See Map. Big Cat goes straight to Bulwer to unload transfer passengers and then start our day.  Morning tea is served as we head out to our first dive site.  Our first dive is on one of the more exposed sites (weather depending) like; Gotham City, Charlie's Chapel, Cement-co or any other one of our great sites. See dive sites. We then head to the calm waters behind the reef for a BBQ lunch on the top deck.  Your second dive is a still water dive at Flinders Reef.  This site offers a large diversity of marine life with over 180 different fish species including pelagic, estuarine fish and the famous turtle cleaning station.  The afternoon is then spent relaxing on the sun deck with afternoon tea and refreshments from the bar as we cruise back to Newport.

Friends and Family:  What is special about this trip is that it gives you the chance to bring your non-diving friends and family along to enjoy the day with you as we offer them an eco trip with in-water guided snorkelling, boom netting and eco commentary. See full eco details.

 

Weekend Island Adventure Trips (Sat to Sun) $385

Amazing Value: Five dives for $77 each including an island stay on beautiful Moreton Island!

Includes

• Up to 5 Dives
• Air fills
• All Meals
• 1 Nights bunk style accommodation on Moreton Island
• Linen
• Dive Master Services

Big Cat Reality and her professional crew will provide you with the opportunity to get away from it all with some great diving and an over night stay on Moreton Island.

Guests load Saturday morning at 7.40am for an 8.00am departure from our home birth at Newport Marina. See Map. Big Cat goes straight to Bulwer to unload transfer passengers and then starts our eco/dive day. Morning tea is served and then your first dive starts on the Pines.  This is a great drift dive at about 6-14m with plenty to see, wobbygongs, turtles, schools of bait fish and other pelagic fish.  We then head down to Tangalooma for a BBQ lunch on the top deck.  Your second dive is a still dive through the famous Tangalooma wrecks. This site offers a large diversity of marine life that has made it's home amongst the 15 large steam dredgers with a depth range  from 6-14m. Large Cod, Octopus and hundreds of other fish are here all year round. The afternoon is then spent relaxing on the sun deck or cruising on the boom net for the more adventurous, before arriving back at Bulwer on Moreton Island.

At 3.30pm we get off Big Cat and head up to our accommodation at Bulwer. Our trailer will drop all your gear to your door. The accommodation is basic bunk style with 8 to a room and has a good clean toilet and shower facilities. The units are set just back off the beach and are within easy walking distance to the beach and the dive site where you will have the opportunity to do an afternoon or night dive.

After your dive and a hot shower, you will enjoy a BBQ dinner and a few drinks as you catch up with your fellow divers. The evening is finished off trading stories around a camp fire.

Sunday morning starts with a hot breakfast after a sleep-in or early morning walk along the beach. Big Cat will meet you on the beach at 10.00am.

Morning tea is served as we head out to our first dive site of the day. Today's first dive is on one of the more exposed site (weather depending) like; Gotham City, Charlie's Chapel, Cement-co or any other one of our great sites. See dive sites. We then head to the calm waters behind the reef for a BBQ lunch on the top deck.  Your last dive is a still water dive at Flinders reef.  This site offers a large diversity of marine life with over 180 different fish species including pelagic, estuarine fish and the famous turtle cleaning station. This afternoon is then spent relaxing on the sun deck with afternoon tea and refreshments from the bar as we cruise back to Newport.

 

Weekend Liveaboard Trips (Fri to Sun) $470

Amazing Value: Eight dives for less than $60 each including meals & accommodation!

Includes

• Up to 8 Dives
• Air fills
• All Meals
• 2 Nights Accommodation
• Linen
• Dive Master Services
• Full use of all facilities on board

Big Cat Reality and her professional crew will provide you with unparallelled Moreton Bay scuba diving by taking you to some of the most spectacular dive sites around South East Queensland.

Guests load Friday night at 7.00pm for an 8.30pm departure from our home birth at Newport Marina. See Map. On the way out, all divers are briefed in the lower back lounge area on the safety procedures and complete all paper work. Transfer passengers to Moreton Island will be on the top deck for this first leg to Moreton Island and will disembark at 10.30pm and then Big Cat will Anchor up for the night to give you the chance to have a nice calm sleep in your air-conditioned birth.

Saturday Morning, Big Cat heads out to our first dive site ready to dive at about 6.30am.  We try to offer the best sites available given the weather conditions; however it is normally a site like Robert's Shoal, Cement-Co, Hutchison's Shoal or one of our other great sites. See Dive Sites. A continental breakfast is available from 5.30am through to 8.30am.  Your dive cylinder is filled ready for the next dive at about 9am.  Hot morning tea and fruit platters are then served and we are off to complete our third dive for the day at about 11.30am. After this dive we head to the calm waters behind the reef to relax and have a delicious hot lunch with fresh garden salads. The afternoon gives you the chance to watch a movie, sunbake on the top deck or have a sleep in your air-conditioned birth. At 3.30pm, the dive crew rallies the divers to the dive deck to start the afternoon dive which is normally on one of the moorings at the beautiful Flinders Reef. The sun going down marks the opportunity to enjoy the reef at night for your fifth and final dive of the day, the night dive. Once back onboard you enjoy a nice hot shower as Big Cat steams to a safe, calm anchorage for the night. At our anchorage the famous Big Cat BBQ is served, followed by desert and a good nights sleep.

Sunday morning is the chance for a deeper dive normally at Gotham City, Breanna's Balcony or another great site. After breakfast we set up for the second dive of the day around 9am. More delicious fruit and snacks for morning tea and off to complete your eighth and final dive for the weekend.  The last dive is normally shallower and sometimes is in the calm waters off Moreton Bay on one of the many wrecks and rock sites we have to offer. On our way back to Newport Marina we make a quick stop to pick up transfer passengers from Bulwer and head home arriving back about 6.00pm.

 

5 Day Bunker Group Trips (Jan 2011)

Amazing Value: 22 Dives, meals & accommodation!

Includes

• Up to 22 Dives
• Air fills
• All Meals
• 5 Nights Accommodation
• Linen
• Dive Master Services
• Full use of all facilities on board

Big Cat Reality and her professional crew will provide you with unparallelled Moreton Bay scuba diving by taking you to some of the most spectacular dive sites around South East Queensland.

Big Cat Reality heads north in Jan 2011 for three weeks to explore the pristine reefs off the bunker group north of Bundaberg. It is great to have the opportunity to enjoy the warmer weather around a fantastic setting of tropical islands and baby turtles. These trips will include the opportunity to dive a large part of the Capricorn Bunker Group which is the most southern part of the Great Barrier Reef System including great sites like; Lady Elliott Island, Lady Musgrave Island, Fairfax Island, Hoskins Island, Bolt Reef and Fitzroy Reef.

These trips are truly great fun and top value. 

 

Our dive trips visit the following popular and sought after locations:

 

Flinders Reef

4 Nautical Miles off Cape Moreton. Highest number of coral species of any sub tropical/temperate reef along Australia's east coast.  Has moorings western side.

• Diver rating - Open water and above
• Depth - 5-20 metres

 Cod Feed

An experience to remember. A wrecked yacht laying on sand in the middle of nowhere, that has about 15 large resident cod that can be hand fed.

• Diver rating - Open Water
• Depth - 18 metres

St Paul Wreck

With-in half hour of Flinders reef Large wreck > 60 meters long Sunk early 1900's with passenages, hit Smith's Rock

• Diver Rating - Advanced and above
• Depth - 35-42 metres

Cement-Co wreck

Sunk in the 80's, old barge Over 80m long, able to swim inside - wreck specialists only The best wreck dive off Moreton Island

• Diver Rating - Open water and above Outside wreck
• Depth - 14-28 metres

Charlie's Chapel

Part of Hutchinson's Shoal. Amazing site - swim-throughs, over hangs and caves

• Diver Rating - Open water and above
• Depth - 18-22 metres

Harry's Hideout

Close to Charlie's - can be explored on same dive. Huge mushroom shaped site with crack down middle - resident COD

• Diver rating - Open water and above
• Depth - 18-22 metres

PJ's Ark

Part of Hutchinson's Shoal. Incredible underwater landscape - swim throughs and overhangs.

• Diver Rating - Open water and above
• Depth - 14-25 metres

Breanna's Balcony

Huge site. Everything is big - fish, rocks, boulders, caves and swim throughs

• Diver rating - Advanced and above
• Depth - 20-35 metres

Gotham City

Close to Breanna's and Cement-Co wreck. Beautiful site with depth.

• Diver Rating - Advanced and above
• Depth - 23-38 metres

Curtain

Man made with nearly 30 wrecks.  Always plenty of fish life including large Qld Gropers

• Diver Rating - Open water and above
• Depth - 14-30 metres

The Pines

Coffee rock ledge.  Nearly always exploded on DRIFT dive.  Always something to see.

• Diver Rating - Advanced and above
• Depth - 5-15 metres

Tangalooma Wrecks

This site offers a large diversity of marine life that has made its home amongst the 15 large steam dredgers.  Large Cod, Octopus and hundreds of other fish are here all year round.

• Diver Rating - Open water and above
• Depth - 6-14 metres

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INSIDE MORETON BAY

Curtain Artifical Reef

Man made with nearly 30 wrecks. Always plenty of fish life including large QLd Gropers

• Diver Rating - Open water and above
• Depth - 14-30meters

The Pines

Coffee rock ledge. Nearly always exploded on DRIFT dive. Always something to see.

• Diver Rating - Advanced and above
• Depth - 5-15meters

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DIVE OPERATIONS

• Big Cat Reality is the largest and most comfortable vessel operating in South East Queensland. It is specifically set up for overnight diving operations.
• The vessel boasts the following features:
  • The master and crew have up to 15 years exprience in the dive and marine industry, with full knowledge and skill of all dive sites and local areas. (We found the "St Paul" FIRST!).
  • Huge dive deck that is well organised. It is located at the stern of the vessel therefore movement is minimised. Plenty of room to move on this back deck. (No more kitting up on the bow on uneven, rocky ground!!)
  • Personal gear space - there are tank racks with padded seats, spots for dive bins, wetsuit hangers & drying rack, fin bins, camera area with table and wash down facility & drying area
  • Warm showers - on dive deck for those cold mornings!
  • Dive compressor - 21 cubic foot with 4 filling whips for fast fills. It is a remote filling system therefore no moving of heavy tanks
  • Professional dive crew who dedicate the whole trip to diving operations only!
  • Submersible duckboard - it is large and submersible with solid handrails for easy exit out of the water in all conditions
  • 4 entry points into the water
  • 30m J Line & float line to anchor
  • 3 large dive lights for night dives
  • Tagging system - Reality Cruises has developed it's own unique Diver Tagging System that has proved to be very safe and comprehensive for both diver and dive crew!
  • P.A system and whiteboards to assist with professional dive briefs.
  • Electronic plotting system - state of the art technology used for pin point accuracy when locating dive sites. (No sand dives!)
  • Training areas - 2 larges areas with white-boards for on-board training
  • 240 v power outlets throughout the vessel for computers, chargers and videos.
  • T.V/Video to play back footage taken after dives.
  • Rescue vessel - a 4.3m, high speed rigid inflatable boat with G.P.S. and sounder which can take 6 divers (geared up) comfortably.

THIS REALLY IS THE BEST WAY TO GO DIVING!

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A Divers Perspective by Lumpy

When you arrive at Newport Waterways Marina and board "Big Cat Reality", you will be amazed. Firstly, at the size of the boat. Secondly, how well it is setup. You will be in awe at the amount of work and thought that has been put into setting up the facilities. You can sit 24 divers back to back and side to side (heres a photo) across the back of the boat. She is 10 Metres wide; plenty of room when you are gearing up. Before she steams out, you will be mustered into the Lounge/bar area for the first briefing.

The Master will greet you and introduce you to the crew, safety features, and an orientation of the boat. After he is finished he hands over to to your Dive Master/Instructor for your diving brief. Once the crew slips the lines and gets underway, you are presented with supper, and a smooth cruise across the bay.

Looking around the boat you have comfortable bunks which are air conditioned to a constant 21 degrees, you have a forward lounge with whiteboard for dive briefs. The Bar is fully licensed with beer, spirits, softdrinks, bottled water, tea and coffee. In the rear lounge, which is next to the bar, you have a TV with Video Recorder and plenty of movies to watch and/or games to play between dives.

You have 2 toilets per sex to use, and 5 showers with Hot Water. There is "The Party Deck" for sunning yourself or for partners or non-divers that come onboard. Now the one thing they do have which divers love is plenty of room to get your gear on, and a large capacity compressor to quickly fill tanks (under 4 mins per tank). You have 240 Volt power outlets all round the boat for your convenience.

The other thing divers live is food. Be rest assured there is plenty of food served up to you constantly. There are hot main meals and morning teas, fresh fruit platters, home made cooking to name but a few.

But, the best thing about the boat is dive time, the crew have devised an excellent tagging system to keep track of divers in the water; 2 main entry points and a huge submersible steps for getting out of the water; it can fit 2 divers at a time getting out (click the little pic of it). Also the crew help you into the water and help you out. The service is just amazing!

I could keep raving about the boat and the level of service you receive, but let me say just this. The crew is very friendly, professional, motivated and above all; there to help YOU!

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