Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Spoilsport liveaboard diving the Coral Sea

Introduction

Location

Accommodation

Diving

Dive Sites

Pricing & Schedules

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Mike Ball – the loudest name in Australian Diving!

Spoilsport offers exciting 3, 4 and 7 night expeditions to the Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole and Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea from their base in Cairns. The short itineraries include a scenic flight between Cairns and Lizard Island which give you unforgettable views of the Great Barrier Reef. Spoilsport is certainly one the most comfortable luxury dive vessels in Australia.

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Mike ball dive expeditions spoilsport cairns

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Spoilsport cruises to the Ribbon Reefs and the Osprey Reef and includes the best dive sites in Australia on their schedules. Sharks at Osprey and the fantastic diversity of the marine life on the Ribbon Reefs will not fail to excite you.

Vessel

The Spoilsport has an excellent reputation among Australian dive cruises and she has earned it. Food, accommodation and dive deck organisation satisfies even the most demanding divers. Spoilsport takes a maximum of 28 divers on board. There is plenty of space for everybody on this spacious three-story luxury catamaran.

Staying Connected

Due to the remoteness of the trips, WiFi is not available on board. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions has made an informed decision to give you the time of your life. No distractions; no work emails; no Facebook. Just enjoy the deep blue of the ocean.

We think…

For getting the best dive adventures in Australia, Spoilsport is the ship to choose. Spoilsport offers all the comforts one can wish for and the crew and service are outstanding.

The dives are in the Coral Sea and on the northern Great Barrier Reef, Far North Queensland, Australia. Spoilsport’s home port is Cairns and you can see the full 7 day itinerary on the map below. If you are doing a 3 or 4 trip, you fly out to Lizard Island (or back from Lizard) where you connect with the liveaboard.

Spoilsport has cabins in different price categories in either twin or double configuration.

The best cabins are the “Premium” cabins with double bed and private en suites. There are large “Standard” twin cabins with big windows and their own private bathrooms, and “Club” twin cabins (over and under bunk beds) with private bathrooms and the “Budget” cabin with shared bathroom facilities.

PREMIUM CABIN: 4 cabins with double bed, private bathroom and a window. They are the nicest and most spacious cabins on board. They are the only cabins with double beds.

STANDARD CABIN: 4 twin bedded cabins (one bed on each wall, L-shaped set up) with private bathroom and large windows.

CLUB CABIN: 4 twin cabins (with over and under bunk beds) and no window. Each cabin has its own private bathroom.

BUDGET CABIN: 2 twin cabins (with over and under bunk beds), no window and shared bathroom facilities.

Dive Services

On a full day on board you will be offered 4 to 5 dives per day (including 1 night dive after dinner). The full dive services include:

PADI Instructor on board, no beginner courses (Open Water referral courses on the 3 night Fly Dive Cod Hole Expedition possible)
PADI Advanced courses are offered for an extra charge
Safe Solo Diving program
Daily Marine biology presentation
Digital underwater cameras are available for hire
Photography courses offered by on-board photo-pro
Excursion DVD and Photo CD available for purchase at the end of the trip
Spoilsport offers Nitrox diving. Nitrox EAN 32 is available at extra cost.
SDI Easy Nitrox and PADI Nitrox courses are offered on board at extra cost.
Non-divers/Snorkelers are welcome on board and receive a 10% discount on excursion fee.

Equipment available on board:

Nautilus Lifeline – All divers are required to use a Nautilus Lifeline GPS.
Dive Tanks – There are 42 tanks on-board 50% Air and 50% Nitrox; two thirds average 10.3L (80 cuft) and one third average 11.3L (88 cuft).
Four 15L steel tanks are available for hire.
Tank Valves – Air and Nitrox cylinder valves are compatible with US yoke regulators (UK A clamp).
DIN Fitting Regulators – There are 16 cylinder valves with a removable plug which will accommodate European DIN style regulators.

Dive Itineraries

The Spoilsport runs a regular itinerary of 7 Night / 26 Dives Coral Sea Safari trips, starting from Cairns on a Thursday evening. But these can also be joined (or left) half-way via a low-level flight to and from Lizard Island, as a 4 Night Coral Sea trip (Thursday to Monday), and a 3 Night Cod Hole trip (Monday the Thursday).
The Spoilsport offers more than just regular diving. You can booked your own private shark shoot, as below.

And the regular itineraries are interspersed by Special itineraries and expeditions such as the Minke Whale Expeditions. Here’s one from 8-11 July 2019.

Check out the different itineraries and special expeditions in the Live Availability panel on the Pricing Tab.

Trip dates & Availability

Mike Ball Extras Payable Locally

		AUD
Environmental Management Charge (Reeftax) - (per day max 3 days)		8
Full set of hire gear (per day)		44
2L (13 cu.ft) Pony Bottle+Reg (per day)		15
15L steel tank (per day)		25
Nitrox fills (per day)		30

Not Included:
* Environmental management charge * Fuel surcharges * Diver evacuation insurance is highly recommended (e.g. DAN )
Special payment and cancellation charges apply for this operator

Here's what our clients say about us!

I've been using these guys since 2008, and every single trip has been awesome. Only thing I need to worry is to get to airport in time. They have wide experience of dive destinations and there's always an option to pick. Strong recommendation!

Janne M
The team at Diveplanit were tremendous help for my recent trip to Palau. The trip was a bit last minute, and bookings were filling up, so I appreciated Claire’s patience and first-hand knowledge as we tried to find the right combination of dates, flights and operators. Unsurprisingly, the trip was spectacular and ticked off multiple bucket list experiences.

Steph R
I'm here to tell you that Deb from Diveplanit had my diving tour absolutely nailed in every single detail. An experience of a lifetime that will take a lot to top. Thank you so much for looking after us at every step of the way Deb. Significantly above and beyond <3

George F
I have been using Diveplanit for several years now and just recently on a liveaboard trip to Komodo where there was a change of port arrival and Claire helped with the air travel changes and all went smoothly. Superb trip and organisation. Highly recommend.

Christine L
Michelle is a legend. I didn't know how difficult it could be to organise travel and diving in Vanuatu! Having been there, I can only wonder at the organisation and care that went into making my trip special. There was even a cancelled flight that meant a rearrangement of activities on a couple of days. But it all went seamlessly. I would highly recommend Diveplanit.

Robert E
I'd like to thank the crew from Diveplanit, great communication and organisation. The Ocean Divers in Oakleigh, so welcoming and helpful. The Odyssey boat crew, catering and dive group, best holiday / adventure ever.

Darrell F
“Everything was just perfect. Great accommodation, great dive operator, flights, etc all smooth. Trip well planned and organised. Simon, thank you so much.”

Dagmar P
Michelle from Diveplanet was so helpful. So brilliant in getting back to me and making sure my trip ran smoothly and I did get the best bungalow at Fatboys thanks to her. I wouldn’t have known what to book. She did it all perfectly.

Jill N
The whole trip was flawless and went by without any issues. Thank you so much Claire for your work, your attention to what we wanted and catering to our every request. This was the dive holiday of a lifetime, made even more memorable because of the perfection In organising every detail for us.

Steven A
Everything went like clockwork - and Uepi exceeded expectations on all levels.

Carolyn M
Michelle was fantastic in helping with my recent PNG excursion. I got straightforward and detailed advice, and nothing was too much trouble. I had some package tweaks after committing to the initial trip, but the changes were no problem. There's no question whom I'll contact for my next South Pacific itinerary.

Jessica B
Had a fabulous trip diving at Ningaloo, all organised from the other side of the world by Claire at Diveplanit. When the airline cancelled my flights and I would’ve been stranded, she rescheduled them for me on a Sunday! That’s 7-star rating! 🙏 🥰

Sarah C
If you’re a diver and don’t quite know where to go on your next trip, you absolutely have to book through Deb and the team. The most reliable advice about the best (and most secret) dive spots around the world, super responsive and trustworthy people who want you to have the best time possible. Couldn’t speak highly enough of the service I’ve received!

Rachel W
Diveplanit provides outstanding advice and service for travelling divers. When booking a dive trip to Okinawa, Deb knew exactly what to do, where to go and how to put it together. Since then my (dive buddy) son and I have used Diveplanit four times. Highly, highly recommend.

Jaala P
Had a great trip to the far north barrier reef with Mike Ball Expeditions arranged through Diveplanit. Diveplanit were great and everything went without a hitch. Diving was great and Mike Balls team were fantastic. Highly recommend.

Barry L
Deb was wonderful and helpful in organising the full packaged trip to Puerto Galera for 8 days of scuba diving. Everything worked out well that was within our control. An amazing time at Altantis resort Sabang, great weather and conditions. Truly trouble free and worry free holiday. Thank you Deb!

Daniel R

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions: Spoilsport