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In September 2023 I took two trips with HBDC- one a day trip and the other a 4 day liveaboard dive trip. The day trip to swim with humpback whales was great but the liveaboard was disappointing. The engine on the boat broke down several times and we had the number of dives shortened and were out in the ocean for many hours at a time with nothing to do in the middle of the day while the crew tried to fix it. Also the engine dying affected the air compressor which meant the tanks were only partially filled when we finally got to dive, shortening the dive time on our already limited dives. The captain said the engine broke down all the time, and on the last trip the refrigeration broke down. Why run a vessel with such an unreliable boat?
I also didn't think the dive guide was very professional, telling us not to have dive buddies and to just follow her in a group of eight while she swam off very fast instead. The currents affected the dives a lot, and she refused to check them before giving the dive briefing even after I requested it on the second day. As a result, on one of the dives we swam against the current the entire time. It was exhausting and felt more like a boot camp than a recreational dive! I wasn't the only passenger to complain about this but the crew just shrugged it off. They also didn't follow the regulations for Queensland dive safety, which include having every diver sign back in once they get back on the boat. Not such an issue with only eight divers compared to the much larger boats, but still.
When I wrote an email of complaint about these issues later, the captain responded and acknowledged everything I said was true but he didn't see a problem with it or offer any solution or compensation.
If you're looking for a dive liveaboard in QLD check out the Spirit of Freedom leaving Cairns. A far better experience for not much more money! - via 
Fantastic, I'm not sure with was better- the diving or the food! Even though I stayed in the cheapest room- the dorm- I had such a great experience. The meals were unreal- two breakfasts with fresh fruit salad, a variety of croissants and a full English spread daily. The evenings were themed- Chinese one night, Italian another. One night we had salmon which was perfectly cooked.
The diving was incredible too- beautiful macro life at Pixie Pinnacle, and helpful guides with torches pointing it all out. Cod Hold didn't have as many cod as I had expected but the coral was unreal- bright towers of colour like out of the Little Mermaid. We went during dwarf minke whale migration season and I was one of the lucky divers to see one, albeit briefly.
Some little things that could be improved- the merchandise looked great but it was so expensive- >$100 for a hoodie! And check the price of the drinks before you buy them- I don't think I would have drunk so much coke if I had known they were $7 per can! - via
I highly recommend Indigo divers, I did a refresher and two open water dives. They really focus on safety and make sure you are happy and comfortable throughout the great experience. - via