A fantastic reef option for confident swimmers, intro divers and cert divers. The only boat from Cairns that visits 3 outer reef locations – their exclusive pristine sites makes this one of the very best experiences on the Great Barrier Reef. They have roving permits which means they can pick and choose their sites each day depending on the conditions (wind, current, tides etc), which means you get the best experience and keeps the reefs more pristine as they move around and do not visit the same sites every day, minimising man’s impact on them! 
Great vessel – out to the outer edge of the reef in 70 mins, excellent service / crew / dive deck and lovely food! This option is hard to beat!
They also have a sister boat in port douglas – 3 reef cruise Port Douglas. You wont be disappointed with either or both! Both boats are also in our amazing 3 day reef pass, providing 3 quality outer reef day trips for the price of 2!

Adventure snorkellers can explore spectacular coral formations and underwater gardens awash with vibrantly coloured marine creatures.

Locations vary with the conditions however each site is chosen for visual impact, ecological diversity and the challenge of discovery (Milln, Pellowe, Flynn & Thetford reefs).

Onboard, your crew will encourage you to relax and enjoy the comfort of Silverswift with its full bar facilities, fresh water showers, airconditioning and a delicious lunch for hungry adventurers.There's morning and afternoon tea as well and the spacious deck areas are just ideal for sharing a cold drink and tales of your adventure.

 

Your Day

08.15 am:  Coaches arrive at the Marlin Wharf and passengers board Swift. Tea, coffee and biscuits served until departure

08.30 am:  Depart Marlin Wharf for the trip to the Outer Barrier Reef. On the way, detailed certified and introductory dive briefings are given

9.50 am: Arrive at the first site. Divers gear up, while snorkellers listen to a site briefing by the snorkelling advisor. Get ready to view the beauty of this natural wonder!

11.15 am:  The Cruise departs for second reef location. Option for introductory divers and certified divers to do their second dive. Snorkellers are once again briefed as to the best areas to snorkel.

12.30 pm:  After the water activities, enjoy a tropical hot and cold lunch [included in the fare] served in the air conditioned cabin. The lunch includes fresh prawns, pasta, meats, salads and fruit. There are bar facilities available where you can purchase drinks.

1.40 pm:  The cruise departs for third reef location. Snorkellers are once again briefed as to the best areas to snorkel. Option for introductory divers and certified divers to do their third dive.

2.15 pm:  Afternoon tea is served.

2.45 PM:  All passengers to board vessel for count

3.00 pm: Commences return to Cairns

4:30 PM  Arrives at Cairns

4:40 PM  Coaches depart for accommodation

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you really go to the Outer Edge?

• Swift travels to 3 different reef location at the very edge of the Great Barrier Reef.

How many hours are we on the reef?

• Over 5 hours on the sites combined

Do you go to a platform?

• No. The vessels within the Silver Series have roaming permits. The days operation is conducted straight of the back of the vessels under the watch of safety supervisors.

Can we take the children?

• Yes. Any age is welcome accompanied by an adult. We strongly recommend however, that children be confident in the water. We don’t have crèche facilities. Also remembering minimum diving age is 12 yrs.

How many dives can we do?

• 3 introductory or certified dives at different sites are available.

Are you just a dive vessel?

• No our reef sites and vessel ensure we are as much a snorkel vessel as we are a dive vessel with large sundeck areas and sufficient room to conduct both activities with out either affecting the other.

Is lunch provided?

• A fully catered 5 star reef lunch is provided with the cruise price.

Is it safe?

• Our vessels operations are conducted in accordance with all marine regulations and work place health and safety guidelines to ensure passenger safety is our main priority.

How long does it take to get to the outer edge?

• Sonic cruises at 30 knots and takes 11/2 hours to Agincourt reef. Swift cruises at 25 knots and takes 1 h 15 mins to Flynn and Milln reefs.

How far out is the outer edge?

• The Outer Edge is 35-40 Nautical Miles from the coast (1.8 km’s to 1 Nautical Mile)

How deep can you dive?

• The Great barrier reefs best diving is in the top 20m. All of our sites offer this. Our first dives are approx 18 meters with the second and third dives being 14m and 12m respectively in accordance with recommended diving guidelines.

Will we see marine life?

• Yes. All of the sites the Silver Series vessels visit have abundant marine life. Some of the commonly seen marine life include: Turtles, Anemone fish (Nemo), Lion Fish, Cuttlefish, Moray Eels and Reef Sharks.

Are there any sharks on the reef?

• Yes. The Great Barrier Reefs most frequently seen sharks are white and black tip reef sharks. If a passenger is lucky they will see one of these. Any other sharks on the reef are nocturnal and would be present only at night.

Can my son/daughter dive?

• Yes if accompanied by yourself the minimum age is 12 yrs and above for a child to do an introductory dive, subject to the successful completion of a medical questionnaire and the PADI Discover Scuba Diving briefing.

Do I need my dive certification card?

• Yes. We accept most certification cards including PADI, Maui and SSI. In certain circumstances where the days ‘Dive Supervisor’ is provided with sufficient information a Statutory Declaration, declaring the existence of the certification, may be executed by the customer in lieu of the certification being provided. Customers are reminded that it is a serious and punishable offence under Australian Law to misrepresent this declaration.

Is Agincourt reef system or Milln / Flynn and Thetford reef systems better?

• The two reef systems are approx 100 km apart giving rise to very different styles of reef formations. Agincourt’s formations offer large wall dives and snorkel sites as well as great bommie and pinnacle sites while Milln, Flynn and Thetford have superb bay like dive/snorkel sites providing spectacular under water sand dunes and remote stepping stone like bommie systems. Milln, Flynn and Thetford are also renowned for the congregation of large schooling pelagic fish such as Mackerel and Tuna.

What type of dives do you offer?

• Both Northern and Southern sites offer a range of dive types including Drift, Wall , Pinnacle, Ledge, swim throughs depending on the conditions of the day.

What will we see?

• The Great Barrier Reef consists of hundreds of different coral types and marine species of which many of these will be seen by a customer on a day out on a Silver Series vessel.

Can anyone do an intro dive?

• No. Some medical conditions prevent diving eg types of asthma and heart conditions. This information will be requested on the vessel upon boarding.

Do we have foreign speaking dive/snorkel staff?

• The Silver Series vessels offer a range of different languages, including Japanese, however staff rosters and sick days may not guarantee a certain language on a certain day.

Are our instructors PADI certified?

• Yes.

Do we provide optical masks for snorkelling/diving?

• Yes. These are free and we have a range of different strengths available from -2 to -7.

Do we have life jackets and other swimming aids.

• Yes life jackets and swimming noodles are available upon request.

Do you have DIN fittings for our dive gear?

• Yes both vessels carry DIN fittings.

Can I do a refresher because I am certified but haven't done any diving for quite some time?

• If you do not have a chance to do a refresher before traveling you can participate in the first introductory dive of the day and if comfortable then participate in the 2nd and 3rd certified dive.

Do you need to know how to swim to dive?

• Not technically. It is heavily recommended by the Silver Series that if a customer can’t swim but wishes to do an introductory dive that they book with a island or reef activity platform product such as Quicksilver or Great Adventures to ensure the best experience.

My child is certified to dive, but I will not be traveling with him / her? Do I need to sign a waiver?

• If your child is under the age of 15 years they are unable to travel without a parent / legal guardian accompanying. If your child is between the ages of 15 -18 years he / she can travel unattended but a dive waiver (either certified or introductory) and letter signed by you the parent / legal guardian giving permission for your child to dive, must be presented to the crew on the day before travel for your child to be allowed to dive. Please contact our office and we send via email the paperwork for you to sign and send with your child.

I am keen to do an introductory dive but at what stage can I pull out if I am not comfortable?

• You can withdraw from the dive at any time under the care of the instructor. Please note if you have commenced the dive (i.e. let go of the skills decent line and started the dive) you will be charged.

Is there any guidelines regarding ‘FLYING’ after diving?

• If only one dive is undertaken then a minimum of 12 hours is recommended before flying.
• If more than one dive is conducted in the day it is recommended that a minimum of 18 hours passes before flying.
• The Silver Series ‘recommends’ a passenger preferably wait 24 hours before flying after diving.