Visit Date: June 2012

I dived with Poseidon as a guest of TQ (Queensland Tourism). Poseidon depart out of Port Douglas to the Agincourt Ribbon reefs which are are the very outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef.

The format is for 2 dives in the morning followed by a third one after lunch.

The dive boat is fast, comfortable and spacious. Entry is by giant stride but Poseidon also has a dive tender for drift diving, depending on the conditions. Plenty of rental kit available though I was glad I'd brought my own 5mm full wetsuit as there were mainly shorties on board to hire.

We did three dives, Totem, Harry's Bommie and The Maze. It was my first time diving the Great Barrier Reef and my perception was that the reef had seen better days and wasn't as spectacular as the reefs further north in the Indonesian sea. I was wrong. But, don't take my word for it, here's a video of our three dives (I'm the one with the yellow fins!):

Poseidon is a slick, well oiled operation. The staff are knowledgeable and professional. There was a marine biologist on board who explained about the different species we saw and carried a slate to identify fish and coral while we were underwater. Dive briefings were thorough and attention to safety was always apparent.

All in all, a thoroughly reputable dive operator. Highly recommended.

Visit Date: September 2009

We only had two days at Palm Cove and decided to book our first scuba diving experience with a small boat and it was the best things we could have done. We visited 3 different reef sites, one in the morning, another after a great buffet lunch (do be careful not to eat too much!) and then another after afternoon tea and snacks (all included in the price). Emma picked us up from our hotel and gave us the initial introduction to scuba as we were travelling out to the first reef, then we were kitted out with our wet suits, flippers and masks and put in groups of 4 per instructor. Once in the water and holding onto a rope we were slowly guided deeper into the water once the instructor was happy that we were happy. I think we were down for about half an hour and was shown each time various things that we might have missed, giant clams, a small shark, barracuda and hundreds of amazing coloured fish, not to mention the fantastic coral. Unfortunately one of us had to come up on the third dive because their ears would not equalise but she snorkelled instead and in some places the coral is just below the surface of the water, so you can still get a good feel of this amazing place and swim amongst the fish! Herald was our instructor the following day and he was a star. They were a brilliant crew, very friendly and if we were ever to go again would definitely go with Poseidon. For beginners an introductory dive at home before you go is a good idea then you know what to expect. There was a photographer there but there was also the opportunity to hire an underwater camera which is a must, (we wish that we had). For people not wanting to scuba there was the opportunity to snorkel and for the experienced diver they also had their own instructors who they went out with and did their own thing.

The equipment was in good order, everything was checked once we were kitted up and all in all an excellent experience.

Visit Date: October 2009

Arriving from cold Port Lincoln & travelling as an

ADVENTUROUS MARRIED COUPLE WITH 2 CHILDREN

we wanted to choose a family friendly cruise that allowed us to dive and snorkel. We were met by a lovely family operation that welcomed us on board with scrumptious muffins and tea/coffee.

We took our seats in the spacious air conditioned cabin and were instantly welcomed further by the rest of the crew including the underwater photographer who took many shots of everyone which could be bought or put on disk after the cruise.

We filled out a couple of forms for divers. As first time scuba divers, my husband and I listened intently to our very competent and animated dive instructor.

Herald kept us interested (hard to do) and gave very clear instructions. As there were 3 stops on the reef on the first one we snorkeled as a family with our 2 children aged 13 & 10. Our youngest was a bit sceptical at first but was given a noodle and bodyboard to hold on to, she was very happy after that.

WE SAW MANY COLOURFUL FISH, CLAMS CORAL & EVERYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD EXPECT ON THE REEF!

On our second stop my husband & I went for our first dive.

Herald guided us into the water individually to make us comfortable before we all headed off to the reef. THE DIVE WAS AMAZING! As a qualified Marine Biologist Herald showed us various creatures and coral & used easy to understand hand signals to point things out.

While eating the scrumptious buffet lunch (before our 3rd & final stop)

OUR13 YEAR OLD EXPRESSED HER INTEREST IN SCUBA DIVING OFF THE REEF!!

I was a bit shocked & probably more freaked out than anyone as she had only snorkeled a little previously.

HERALD TOOK HIS LUNCH BREAK OFF TO GO THROUGH THE INSTRUCTIONS INDIVIDUALLY WITH HER!

His explanation to her was excellent and eased any nerves she (OR I) had. She was very keen and excited to jump straight in.

At first she bacame a bit uneasy after a couple of minutes like most people do but he spoke to her and eased her into it then they were off. She dived with the group including my husband and had an amazing time, still raving about it!!

As an option from the Poseidon we hired an under water camera for the trip which were put on disk so she has about 120 excellent photos to show her class and our family!

Thankyou Poseidon 10/10 for you guys!!! :)

Visit Date: August 2009

We booked a dive trip on the Poseidon out of Port Douglas upon the recommendation from another diver.  This is a day trip and Poseidon visits some of the northern most reefs.

Poseidon had approximately 40 people on board, with mostly snorkelers, some new divers and including us, a few certified divers.  Luckily, we were two of a group of three divers with a guide. Our guide (Garrett) was very professional, helpful and led us on two great dives and one fantastic one.

The Poseidon crew are extremely friendly, helpful and professional.  There was one diver who had not dove in ten years and misplaced her certification card.  she was annoyed that she was grouped with newbie divers due to her lack of recent diving, but we were glad to see that the crew took safety seriously.  She had never dove much in the first place and couldn't even remember how to work her gear.  So, if you are a certified diver, do not forget your card and take a refresher, if you haven't dove in a while.

As the boat is a bit older, though well-maintained, it only has two toilets onboard, while other boats we used had four toilets.  At half capacity, this was not a problem, but it could be an nuisance if the boat was full.

A point to note for experienced divers is their dive/ascent policy. Dive time is limited to 40 minutes. At 40 minutes, you have to be on the ladder and climbing out of the water. Other boats we used, our limit was air levels/dive computers and dives were routinely 50-65 minutes. While this policy is likely, due to Poseidon's schedule in diving more remote  locations, it was a bit disappointing to be climbing out of the beautiful water with 1500-1700psi still in the tanks and so much to see. But new divers and those doing introductory dives will probably not be affected by this policy.

In conclusion, Poseidon was great.  They are certainly one of the better dive operations out of Port Douglas, especially, as their crew are friendly, professional, safety-conscious and as their dive sites are remoter and therefore, less dived than other operators.

Management Response from Poseidon:

As owner of Poseidon and an avid diver myself, I was horrified to read that experienced divers were limited to 40 minute dives on their day with us.Our policy has always been to allow experienced divers extended bottom times ie 50-60minutes (depending on the days conditions of course) and this over-zealousness has now been addressed. Thank you for drawing my attention to this matter and apologies to the diver concerned.

Visit Date: August 2008

Poseidon is a boat for diving the Great Barrier Reef and not a cattle boat.

On my second day, the big surprise on telling the skipper that I was a repeat diver, he ensured that we would go to new places - of course if the weather allowed.  If that is not service, what is?

I never experienced such a high level of service from a crew, even not on smaller vessels. The people on the Poseidon seem to be there to give you the best time of your life, like many more people in Port Douglas.

For people without their own equipment, I can confirm that the quality of the rental equipment is excellent and well maintained. During the winter I would swuggest a full wetsuit, as they only carry shorties and August water temperartures are 24-25C. For the logistics: snorkellers are waiting at the upper deck until all divers have left the vessel. The certified and new divers have their own area on the dive deck. The time schedule is a little tight with relative short dives (45 minutes), but this guarantees 3 dives on a day trip.

We´ll be back for great diving and snorkeling next year, no question we will board the Poseidon again. Hope to see most of the crew back.

Cheers, Leoniek (Nicky for the crew) and Kees