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    Quicksilver an OK choice for day on outer reef?

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    fluff_astrid
    Bay Area, California
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    Quicksilver an OK choice for day on outer reef?
    Nov 11, 2007, 1:18 AM

    Hi, my boyfriend and I will be arriving in Cairns in early December. One of the things we want/definitely need to do is see the outer reef.

    I'm a snorkeling junkie. However, the boyfriend, though loving marine life, has a lingering fear of water from childhood and is not a good swimmer.

    I think Quicksilver will be a good compromise for us; I'll get to go snorkelling while he can see the wildlife "without getting his feet wet." The boat seems large enough to keep him from being seasick.

    However, I saw the number of people they take out, and I'm concerned that I won't enjoy the trip due to the water being overcrowded or the wildlife being scared/harmed by so many travelers. Is this the case, or do they handle the crowd well enough that you get to see some of everything?

    Thanks!

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    1. Re: Quicksilver an OK choice for day on outer reef?
    Nov 11, 2007, 2:26 AM

    I've done the Quicksilver thing three times now. The first time was on the larger boat that goes out to the floating pontoon and I didn't enjoy it at all. That was my first time out to the reef and the seas were very rough. We and a lot of other people did get sick. There was a ton of people.

    The second and third time I went out on the Silverswift. I much preferred that. The boat is a small catamaran style and leaves directly from Cairns so there's no need to transfer to Port Douglas. There are less people on the boat, the boat is newer, and they take you to three different sites to check out.

    Some people still get sick, but I didn't these last two times. It all depends on the person and most of the time I fall asleep for the ride out and back as it does take a good hour (or more).

    Hope this helps.

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    templc74
    Brisbane, Australia
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    2. Re: Quicksilver an OK choice for day on outer reef?
    Nov 12, 2007, 1:11 AM

    I've been out on the big Quicksilver boat to Agincourt Reef and had a wonderful day!

    Lots of options for a non-swimmer and if you have the budget definitely take the optional helicopter flight from the pontoon. The view is amazing and gives you a totally different perspective of the reef.

    It is a big boat but once you reach the pontoon people disperse amongst the various activities. At no stage during the day did I feel overcrowded, or that there were too many people in the water. It certainly didn't detract from my snorkelling experience.

    I think Quicksilver does a fantastic job at managing that number of people in a sensitive way. And the abundant wildlife is definitely not bothered by the visitors.

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    3. Re: Quicksilver an OK choice for day on outer reef?
    Nov 12, 2007, 4:06 AM

    Hi fluff_astrid

    You might also like Reef Magic which also goes to a pontoon (so your boyfriend is catered for), but takes a lot less people than Quicksilver and also leaves directly from Cairns.

    http://www.reefmagic.com.au/

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    4. Re: Quicksilver an OK choice for day on outer reef?
    Sep 13, 2009, 2:17 PM

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