I am an extremely advanced scuba and freediver and have been on dive boats all over the world. That being said. The best experience I have had as far as diving off of a boat (scuba included) was just a few days on the Wavelength boat. I am also an underwater filmmaker/photographer, so my criteria is even more stringent than most. I was holidaying with my family in Port Douglas and my 9 year old daughter does not SCUBA so after going out on hybrid boats, I wanted to find a snorkel only boat and asked my hotel to recommend the best based on my needs (small groups, personal service and guys who were passionate about the ocean). So I gave Wavelength a shot.

What are the criteria for a great dive boat experience?
1. Great sites - okay, the Great Barrier Reef is...well...great. BUT there are great sites and good sites. I experienced three Great Barrier Reef boats out of Port Douglas/Carins and Wavelength took us to the absolute best sites. YES they are snorkel only, but SCUBA divers DO NOT be snobs. Besides the wrecks (Pandora or Yongla) or Cod Hole, the best parts of the reef are within 10 meters. And if you are a freediver, you can go pretty deep with these guys. So for dive sites, Wavelength is by far, the best.

2. Great boat - the tidiest, most well run boat I have been on BAR NONE. Lots of room, places to store your dry gear, large roomy bathrooms (for a boat). Lots of great places to sit before and after dives. Captain Mick did a great job AND we saw a mother and baby Humpback within the first hour!

3. Great crew - okay, you've got two extremely knowledgeable marine biologists on board: Fluffy and Dan. Fluffy is a fantastic photographer and unlike other dive boats they don't push the photos on you, but trust me, you'll want them. Fluffy's got a great eye and a breathold that puts me to shame! By the way, once Captain Mick found out I was a freediver who neglected to bring longfins, he let me borrow his! Make sure you here Fluffy's lecture on coral reefs, fascinating!

I wish I had some criticisms so this review might sound more legit, but in truth, I do not (and I am hard to please when it comes to dive boats). So even if you are a diver, swallow your pride and take Wavelength. You'll have the best possible Great Barrier Reef experience!

J. Nathaniel Berke
www.theblueedgemovie.com
jnberke@pacificcinemedia.com

I opted to do my reef snorkelling with Wavelength as they take only snorkellers so don't spend all their time assisting novice divers. The team on the boat were awesome, so friendly, helpful and patient with all the beginners. With a much smaller group than some of the more well-known tours, we were able to have a small diversion on the way out to the reef to do some whale watching, and the day is a little more flexible than others. Everyone on board was rapt with their day, particularly those who had been a little nervous about snorkelling for the first time.
Although we had a marine biologist with us who took us for a tour, I think I would have got more out of the day if I had done some study of the reef inhabitants beforehand.
The food provided was attractively presented, tasty and plentiful.
I opted not to buy an underwater camera to take with me as the crew take their own photos and you can buy a CD afterwards with the day's photos plus a set of standard pictures, but I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a picture of myself actually snorkelling.

Our family of 5 including 2 teenagers recently visited Port Douglas and after deciding we would all snorkle rather than mess with diving we were directed to Wavelength as their tour is purely snorkel. They carry 30 passengers, we liked the small numbers as some of the larger concerns take 2 or 3 times that many and I couldn't imagine getting into the water with that many people, it would be a bit like Pitt Street in peak hour!!

On the way out to the reef we spotted 2 humpback whales 'Wavelength' stopped so we could watch these beautiful, magestic creatures, very special.

Flippers (or fins) and goggles are provided and for the cold fish (like me) there are wetsuits, bless them, the water was about 22 degrees C, (it was Winter), OK for some but not all. They also provide noodles for people who may not have snorkelled before and need a little support until they feel comfortable. All equipment was clean and in good condition and there were ample sizes available to accommodate everyone.

We visited 3 reefs and if you followed "Fluffy" (don't ask, I don't know), the resident Marine Biologist, he would take you to where all the neat creatures lived, he would name them and give a few details and was always available to answer questions. We saw turtles, Anemone fish (like Marlin and Nemo, there are many different varieties, they are beautiful to see), stingray, reefshark and many many fish and of course the beautiful coral. The whole time Fluffy takes photographs of the coral, creatures and the people on the tour, on return these photos are put onto a disc and is available to purchase for $25.00AU. This is well worth the money, we bought the disc and now have great photos (much better than the ones I took) of the whole day including the whales, on the boat shots and some taken in the water, individual and family shots, fantastic memories.

Between reefs, Fluffy give an informative talk on how the Great Barrier Reef came to be. Fascinating learning how several factors e.g. water temperature, have to be in place to allow the coral to spawn and when it does (and it's not every year) it can be seen from space!!! Fluffy answers questions as well. It was good enough to keep our kids attention and they had some questions too.

The food is good and is included in the fare. Tea, coffee and hot chocoalate is available whenever the boat stops. Water available at all times and softdrinks can be purchased (they run a tally for each person and you pay at the end - inexpensive). Morning tea consisted of muffins and biscuits. Lunch was a cold buffet including prawns, cold meats, salad and bread rolls. Afternoon tea was a platter of fruit - strawberries, watermelon, rockmelon, pineapple etc. and also a cheese plate and crackers/biscuits. There was plenty of everything.

The crew are friendly, helpful and informative.

If you don't fancy doing battle with the crowds and just want to snorkel, this is definately a tour worth considering. We would definately go again, it was that good.

We have just returned from our trip to Port Douglas and would say that our Wavelength Tour was the highlight. We had some initial trepidation with snorkelling, being beginners, but the staff on board made us feel very at ease and provided support both in and out of the water. It was an incredibly rough day to be going to the reef, but with advice to take the complimentary motion sickness tablets we were all absolutely fine. Once at the reef the water was calm and clear for viewing the most fantastic marine life. There was only 25 people on our tour which also added to the level of confidence and knowing that you had someone looking after you.

The crew were wonderful, funny and informative and again very supportive of both myself and 11 year old son (both of us were a little scared of the open ocean). There was plenty of food and fabulous quality. Welcome hot cups of tea and coffee were always available after your snorkelling experience of which there were three.

Would highly recommend this tour group over any others in this region if you are wanting to see the magnificent reef. Wavelength took us to other spectacular parts of the reef and you felt you were being treated to a memorable experience. Would recommend taking an extra towel and some warmish clothes for when you have finished snorkelling as it can be quite cool on the way home.

Thanks again Wavelength (Dan, Dan and Steve) for a fantastic day spent discovering the underwater cities and beautiful, colourful marine life. We'll be back soon!!