As a guest, you are free to enjoy your own diving style within the boundaries of safe and responsible diving. As such, the crew set no limits on time, depth or style of diving outside of normal safe diving practices. You and your buddy are in charge, planning your own dive and diving your own plan. Buddy teams may follow one of the inexperienced groups, led by a Safety Diver, and come and go as they please.

Every dive begins with a detailed dive briefing. The dive staff are on deck providing surface support, including a safety lookout. When available, dive staff may be in-water, offering support with photography and critter spotting. Spirit of Freedom does not provide a full guided dive service. The Safety Divers are assigned to those divers who are at risk or to assist students.

Spirit of Freedom can accommodate a maximum of 24 guests and operates with a minimum of 12 crew members.

Yes, Travel Insurance is strongly recommended. 

In the event the trip is cancelled due to inclement weather, deeming it unsafe to travel, the company does not offer refunds for cancellations for reasons beyond the company’s control (Force Majeure). Therefore, comprehensive Travel Insurance covering trip cancellation due to poor weather is strongly recommended in this case, particularly during the Australian summer months (November to May) when cyclones and high winds can affect the trips.

The Operator strongly recommends travel insurance to cover you against any unforeseen eventuality, as the policies do not allow for refunds on cancellations within 21 days.

Also, should you experience any flight delays or cancellations, lost luggage, etc, which may result in you missing the vessel departure, Travel Insurance should cover these issues.

The Operator strongly recommends all passengers have evacuation and medical cover for scuba diving. Please be aware that scuba diving and in-water activities are not covered by all Travel Insurance Companies, and it is advisable to check with your insurance agent regarding your coverage for scuba diving. It is important to note that in a medical emergency, the costs involved for an evacuation, vessel relocation or medical expenses are the responsibility of that diver.

Spirit of Freedom provides divers with a mask, snorkel, boots, fins, tanks, weights, and weight belts. They also supply safety equipment, including surface marker buoys, whistles, and Nautilus LifeLine Marine GPS. Cyalume sticks and torches will also be provided for night diving.

Diving the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea is great year-round! During Cairns’ winter (May to August), the water is a little cooler and offers great visibility and beautiful clear days, but sometimes can bring stronger winds. During this season, it’s an excellent opportunity to swim with minke whales.

From September through December, the water warms up a little, and generally, conditions are clear with light winds. Many coral reef species breed at this time.

January through April is considered the wetter season, with amazing feeding and marine action following the breeding season.

There is no maximum age on board Spirit of Freedom, and if you are fit and healthy to dive, The Operator would love to have you join. However, for guests over the age of 65, a current dive medical is requested for your own safety and for the Operator's duty of care.

The minimum age on board Spirit of Freedom is 10 years. All guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times, including when diving or snorkelling. The Operator cannot guarantee that a crew member will be available to dive with a Junior open-water diver (limited to 12m depth) on all dives. Spirit of Freedom does not supply child-sized scuba equipment or wetsuits. Diving in ill-fitting equipment is not allowed, so any child-sized scuba equipment required will need to be provided by the traveller(s).

It is recommended (but not limited to) packing the following items:

• Personal items and toiletries (personal soap for each guest is provided)

• Swimwear

• Sunhat

• Warm clothing, especially if you are travelling in the winter months (May – September)

• Quick-dry towel or chamois for the dive deck

Cabin towels are provided on board Spirit of Freedom. The crew supply you with one cabin towel for a 3 or 4-day trip and two cabin towels for a 7-day trip. However, extra towels are available on request should you require them. The Operator recommends you bring your own chamois/quick-dry sports towel for use after water activities.

While onboard Spirit of Freedom, you can enjoy access to free Wi-Fi when in range. The satellite internet connection has limited bandwidth and is only suitable for general messaging and emails. It is not possible to upload photos, videos or use streaming services. High-speed broadband is not available.

Lunch and dinner are provided on the day of departure, with four meals per day on ensuing days and breakfast on the day of your return to Cairns. The four meals include a continental breakfast, followed by a cooked breakfast after the first dive of the day. Most special dietary requirements can be catered to with prior notice.

Tea, coffee, and fountain water are always available for self-service.

You will get one complimentary drink (house wine, beer, or a soft drink) with your evening meal. Outside of this time, there is a ship’s bar with a selection of Australian beers, wines, and soft drinks. Drinks can be placed on a tab for payment at the end of your trip.

The chefs serve a variety of fine-quality healthy meals. You will find a mix of international influences in the meal selection that caters to almost every taste. If you have a special dietary request, please be sure to note this on your Diver Information Form so that the chefs can be prepared before departure in the event you require a special meal.

Due to steep stairwells, hatch combings, and a lack of accommodation on the main deck, Spirit of Freedom is not a suitable vessel for people with mobility impairments.

Smoking is not allowed inside the vessel or on the dive deck. However, there is a designated outdoor smoking area on the sundeck.

Yes, all divers must dive with their own (or a rental) dive computers.

The Operator recommends Lycra skin of 3mm in the summer (October – March) and 5mm in the winter (April – September). Vests and hoods are recommended to bring for extra warmth if you are not sure. Depending on the season, the rental suits on board are 5mm full-length suits.

The majority of tanks are 12-litre (80 cubic feet) aluminium tanks. The Operator also has a limited number of 10.5 litre (65 cubic feet) tanks for smaller guests and 15-litre steel tanks.