• 3 day 2 night liveaboard scuba diving and snorkelling tour from Airlie Beach
• Up to 11 dives and snorkels including night dives (conditions permitting)
• Outer Great Barrier Reef access including Bait Reef and northern Hook Island sites
• Maximum 14 guests with 3 professional crew for a personalised, non-party dive experience
• Onboard dive compressor allowing more dives and flexible schedules
• Air-conditioned cabins with private and shared configurations
• Two large bathrooms with hot freshwater showers
• Designed for serious divers, first-time divers and confident snorkellers

Serious 3 day 2 night Whitsundays liveaboard dive tour from Airlie Beach. Small group dive boat, outer reef access, night dives, private cabins, onboard compressor and expert instructors.

This is a fully equipped liveaboard dive vessel offering one of the only 3 day 2 night scuba diving and snorkelling tours in the Whitsundays with access to the outer Great Barrier Reef. The focus is on diving, marine environments and quality time on the water rather than partying or large group cruising.

What to Expect

Scuba Diving Whitsundays Tour

This Whitsundays overnight scuba diving tour departs from Airlie Beach and is designed for guests who want more than a single day on the reef. By spending multiple days and nights onboard, you experience a far greater range of dive sites, conditions and marine life than any day trip can offer.

The vessel carries a maximum of 14 guests with three crew, creating a calm, dive-focused atmosphere where guests quickly get to know one another. There are no daily passenger changeovers — everyone boards together, stays together and returns together.

Diving and snorkelling locations are selected daily by the skipper and dive crew based on weather, visibility and sea conditions to ensure the best possible underwater experience. Expect a mix of daytime dives, snorkelling sessions and night dives where marine life behaviour changes dramatically after dark.

For non-divers, the snorkelling is exceptional. Coral rises close to the surface, allowing snorkellers to see the same reef systems and marine species as divers, just at shallower depths.

Features and Highlights

Exclusive 3 Day 2 Night Liveaboard Whitsundays Sailing Holiday

• Our dive boat caters to only 12 guests, ensuring a personalised and intimate atmosphere. You'll sail around the picturesque Whitsunday Islands to dive and snorkel the Outer Great Barrier Reef in comfort, avoiding the crowds for a more serene and relaxed adventure. Enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded individuals while indulging in the ultimate scuba diving holiday.

Unmatched Diving and Snorkelling

• Dive and snorkel at premier Whitsunday reef sites like Bait Reef, known for its abundant marine life and vibrant coral gardens. This protected environment offers a magical underwater experience for both novice and experienced divers. All necessary dive equipment is provided, and the first scuba dive is complimentary. Our dive instructors ensure a safe and exhilarating experience, even for first-time divers.

Cabin Configurations & Comfort

Accommodation includes a mix of private and shared cabins:
• Private double cabin with double bed
• Private twin cabin with twin beds
• Saloon double
• Shared double cabins
• Shared single bunks

All cabins and indoor areas are air-conditioned.

Bathroom & Onboard Amenities

• Two large bathrooms with electric toilets
• Freshwater showers with high-capacity hot water system
• Spacious communal saloon for meals and social time
• Fully equipped electric galley
• Permanently shaded aft deck
• Licensed onboard bar (no BYO)

  Gourmet Dining

• Savor delicious meals prepared fresh onboard. We provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with morning and afternoon tea. Our fully licensed vessel offers an onboard bar with a selection of soft drinks, chips, and chocolates available for purchase. Enjoy a traditional New Zealand Hangi, prepared in an earth oven, for a unique culinary experience.

Iconic Whitsunday Destinations

• Sail to the iconic Whitehaven Beach, renowned for its pure white silica sand. Explore the northern end of Hook Island, home to some of the best dive and snorkel sites like Luncheon Bay, Mantaray Bay, and Mackerel Bay. These locations offer spectacular marine life and breathtaking underwater scenery.

Seasonal Whale Watching

• From June to September, witness the awe-inspiring sight of Humpback Whales as they migrate to the Great Barrier Reef to calve and mate. These majestic creatures often approach the boats, providing a spectacular show of breaching, spy hopping, and tail slapping. It's an unforgettable experience that adds to the magic of your sailing holiday.

Airlie Beach Dive & Snorkel Tour Itinerary

Day Before Departure

• Pre-Trip Briefing: Meet the crew and receive a souvenir environmental bag for your belongings.

Day 1

• Morning: Check-in and board the yacht at Airlie Beach.
• Afternoon: Set sail, visiting various snorkelling and dive sites around the Whitsundays.
• Evening: Enjoy a freshly prepared dinner and relax on deck under the stars.

Day 2

• Morning: Dive and snorkel at Bait Reef and other premier sites.
• Afternoon: Continue exploring the reef with guided dives and snorkel tours.
• Evening: Savor a delicious dinner and share stories with fellow guests as you stargaze.

Day 3

• Morning: Final dives and snorkelling sessions at select reef sites.
• Afternoon: Sail back to Airlie Beach, arriving in the late afternoon.

Whitsundays 3 Day 2 Night Sailing Holiday Inclusions

• Diving Equipment: All necessary gear and a complimentary first scuba dive.
• Snorkelling Gear: High-quality equipment, including Lycra sun suits in summer and wet suits in winter.
• Gourmet Meals: Freshly prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus morning and afternoon tea.
• Comfortable Accommodations: Private and shared cabin options with air-conditioning.
• Guided Tours: Professional dive instructors and marine biologists onboard.

Optional Extras

• Introductory Diving: Perfect for first-time divers, with all equipment provided and a souvenir dive certificate.
• Guided Snorkel Tours: Led by experienced marine biologists, offering an in-depth look at the reef's ecosystem.

Dive Boat Details

• Vessel: 16.5m ketch with spacious decks and air-conditioned cabins.
• Capacity: 12 guests for an intimate experience.
• Crew: Three professional crew members, including dive instructors and cooks.
• Amenities: Two large bathrooms shaded aft deck, and a fully equipped kitchen.

Highlights

• Whitehaven Beach: Explore the stunning white silica sands and crystal-clear waters on Whitehaven Beach.
• Hook Island: Dive and snorkel at world-renowned sites with vibrant marine life.
• Whale Watching: Seasonal sightings of Humpback Whales performing spectacular breaches.

Book Your 3 Day 2 Night Sailing Holiday Adventure

Join us for an unparalleled diving and snorkelling experience on the Great Barrier Reef. Whether you're a seasoned diver or a first-time snorkeller, our 3-day, 2-night liveaboard tour offers the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. Book now and discover the underwater wonders of the Whitsundays on a luxurious sailing holiday you'll never forget.

Who This Tour Is For

• Certified divers wanting extended reef time
• First-time divers seeking a supportive, professional introduction
• Confident snorkellers wanting multi-day reef access
• Guests who prefer small groups and quiet evenings
• Travellers wanting more than a one-day reef experience

Who Should Not Book This Tour

• Guests unwilling or unable to swim in open water
• Those with medical conditions preventing diving or snorkelling
• Travellers seeking party-style sailing experiences
• Guests uncomfortable with shared cabin accommodation

All guests must complete medical questionnaires prior to diving. Diving during pregnancy is not permitted.

Why This Beats One-Day Reef Tours

Day trips offer a brief introduction to the reef. This liveaboard allows:
• Access to outer reef sites
• Multiple dives over several days
• Night diving opportunities
• Early morning reef time
• No daily crowds or passenger turnover

It is the difference between visiting the reef and truly experiencing it.

Barrier Reef Australia – Local Knowledge & Support

Barrier Reef Australia works directly with liveaboard dive operators across the Whitsundays and understands seasonal conditions, reef access and diver suitability.

Support is available seven days a week excluding Christmas Day. If you are unsure whether a 3 day liveaboard is right for you, speak with our local team or book a Discovery Call.

Ask us about our scuba dive Whitsundays private charter boat options for your group or family holiday we can tailor a bespoke dive and snorkel tour package to suit everyone.

See all scuba diving tours from Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island.

Learn all the things you need to know before you go on the Barrier Reef Australia Blog. 

3 Day 2 Night Dive - Snorkel - Sail

We always like to meet our guests the day before we set off on our 3 day 2 night diving and sailing adventure so we can give you advice on all the things you need to bring along for the journey.

Upon checking in, we will provide you with a souvenir environmental bag to pack your belongings in for the sailing trip.

We ask that you only take this bag on board with you as your luggage so make sure you trim down what you are taking to ensure it all fits in as there is limited space on the boat.

Traveling on board our 16.5m ketch, you will get to see the best parts of the Whitsundays with like minded guests who are there for the scuba diving and snorkelling and not the partying.

You will have the chance to explore the Whitsunday Islands as you sail, snorkel, dive, and bushwalk, you will visit the icons of the Whitsundays including Whitehaven Beach, as well as a cruise to the Outer Barrier Reef, some 2-3 hours beyond the islands.

Scuba Diving is definitely a main focus on board our sailing boat and the crew will ensure that even first time scuba divers feel safe and are able to enjoy the splendor of our magnificent coral reefs.

The crew love to dive and want everyone to try scuba diving so they offer the first scuba dive for free!

This will allow you to relax with the dive equipment, feel comfortable under water if it is the first time, and of course improve your abilities for future diving.

The crew on board are all fully qualified Dive Instructors and Divemasters.

Please note that scuba diving is subject to age, medical questionnaire and conditions. 

Freshly prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner is provided with enough variety to keep you satisfied.

Our dive boat is a fully licensed vessel with an onboard bar (no BYO) with soft drink, chips and chocolates also available for purchase.

Scuba Diving

We are the only boat in the Whitsunday Islands that takes our divers and snorkellers to the outer Great Barrier Reef to pristine dive and snorkel sites at Bait Reef.

It is here that the magic of the Great Barrier Reef comes alive with vibrant underwater activity from the brilliant marine life below the waters surface.     

The lagoon here provides a safe haven for overnight mooring giving our divers another opportunity to dive the reef again the next morning.

Our boat was purpose built for scuba diving and we have a compressor on board that is capable of filling 6 scuba tanks simultaneously to ensure our guests dive numbers are not limited by the number of tanks carried on board.

Note Bonus: We also include the first scuba dive in our dive trip cost and all dive equipment is also included in the price.   

Snorkelling & Sightseeing

Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands is just as exciting as scuba diving, as the coral reef rises up from the bottom of the ocean close to the surface very similar to how a shrub grows in your garden.

This allows snorkellers to get up close to the coral gardens to see the same marine life that the scuba divers can see down below the surface at levels of 7 - 12 metres

Our crew know these coral reefs like the back of their hand and they can show you the best parts to snorkel to enhance your Great Barrier Reef snorkelling experience. 

On our 3 Day 2 Night Dive and Snorkel sailing trip we will visit the iconic places in the Whitsunday Islands.  

Whitehaven Beach - Hill Inlet

Now you cannot come to the Whitsundays and not take a sailing trip to see the world famous stretch of sand called Whitehaven Beach.

This beach is made up of pure white silica sand that blinds you if you are not wearing sunglasses, so don't forget to pack them!

We will spend an afternoon here giving you plenty of time to explore and take as many selfies as possible.

Hook Island

The northern end of Hook Island is one of the Whitsunday Islands best dive and snorkelling sites.

Hook Island is an ideal location for first time introductory scuba divers who can immerse themselves into the water from a gently sloping beach.   

Cora reef sites like Luncheon Bay, Mantaray Bay and Mackerel Bay will have you in awe with the vibrant marine life living amongst the soft coral gardens. 

Whale Watching

Now who does not love to watch a huge Humpback Whale coming flying upwards vertically into the air from the depths of the Great Barrier Reef and then come crashing down with one ginormous splash?

The answer is no-one!

During the months of June thru to September these huge mammals arrive on the Great Barrier Reef to calve and mate in the safe surroundings of the coral fortresses of the Great Barrier Reef.   

In the beginning of the season you see the younger whales who are more inquisitive, and they just love to come up close to the boats to take a look at everyone on deck and then do some belly rolls, spy hopping, breaching and just generally showing off. 

They seem to hear and take note of all the squealing that is going on up on the boat and it drives them to do even more antics.     

Dive Boat Details

She is a 16.4m ketch that is fitted out for maximum comfort to accommodate 14 divers and snorkellers below her decks in air conditioned cabins.

We have 3 crew to cook for you, dive and snorkel with you and answer any questions your may have about the Whitsundays or the Great Barrier Reef.  

We are reef greenies and have our Advanced Eco Certification

Our cabin accommodation consists of:

Private Double cabin - Double bed

Private Twin cabin - Twin beds

Saloon Double - Double bed

Share Double cabin - Share with others

Share Single cabin - Share with others

Our communal saloon below deck is nice and roomy for get togethers and meals, and above deck there is lots of room for gearing up to go diving, snorkelling or simply relaxing in the sun.

As we are a dive boat we have all the good dive gear as well as an onboard dive compressor capable of filling 6 scuba tanks simultaneously.

Should there be no wind we put on our diesel engines and off we go to our next diving location.

All meals are freshly prepared on board and one of our specialities is a Hangi, a traditional New Zealand way method of cooking in an earth oven.

Our sail boat has two large bathrooms with electric toilets and freshwater showers with a high capacity hot water system.

Our aft deck is permanently shaded from the sun and any potential rain storms.   

Our on board cooks love the kitchen as it is fully electric with a microwave convection oven.

See more Whitsundays dive and sailing tours on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

Learn more about the Great Barrier Reef

Tour Languages Offered

• English

Departs From

Airlie Beach

Departure Time

• Meeting Time 7.45am - Departs 8.00am - Returns 4.00pm
• Meeting point: Coral Sea Marina North End (Meeting Point B)

Destinations

• Great Barrier Reef
• Outer Islands
• Bait Reef
• Hook Island
• Hill Inlet
• Luncheon Bay
• Mackerel Bay
• Shute Harbour
• Whitehaven Beach
• Whitsunday Island

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Monday, Friday

Duration

3 days 2 nights

Available for Purchase / Hire

All diving is payable on board at the end of trip – cash only 1st Dive: Included 2nd Dive: $100pp 3rd Dive: $80pp Additional Dives $70pp

Fitness Level Required

Medium

Restrictions

• All passengers must be able to clearly understand safety directions and instructions given in English by the crew and be able to complete the required safety forms in English
• All passengers wishing to participate in snorkelling or scuba diving must acknowledge that they are able to swim in deep water without a flotation device & unassisted
• All passengers must be able to climb a 1.5 metre high ladder unassisted

IN-WATER RESTRICTIONS

Scuba Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving.
• Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator
• Minimum age for scuba diving is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Additional Information

• Your safety in the water is the primary concern. To ensure your comfort and safety divers must be 18 years or over (if 12 years or older may be able to dive with parent’s consent) and they may require that you have a Divers Medical Certificate for certain medical conditions and also if you are over 45 years old.
• All departures and itineraries are subject to weather.
• Vessel operators reserve the right to vary itineraries for safety and passenger comfort.
• Please be aware operators may pass on credit card merchant fees
• Please note it is the passengers responsibility to advise at time of booking of any medical conditions including food allergies they may suffer from
• Each passenger must be able to adhere to the following: have a clear understanding of safety directions and instructions given in english by the crew and be able to complete required safety forms in englih, a passenger is only able to participate in water activities if they have a level of swimming experience. If they are unable to swim they will be able to participate in the sailing trip excluding water activities such as snorkelling. Passengers must be able to exit the vessel unassisted in an emergency. For example, a 1.5 meter ladder either into the tender vessel or into the saloon area depending on the chosen vessel.
• Kiana = $20 pp – Gluten Free, lactose intolerant, fad diets

Eco Certifications

• Any special needs medicines
• Swimwear
• Beach towel
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Snacks
• Spare clothes
• Light jacket
• Walking shoes
• Toiletries
• A small overnight "NO ZIPPER" bag
• Camera
• Cash or credit card for additional purchases

Minimum age 12