Silverswift Review
Silverswift is the dive and snorkel catamaran of the Quicksilver Group's Silver Series, with five hours at the outer reef across three sites picked each morning from 19 exclusive sites. All snorkelling and diving is done from the boat, every dive is guided, and you can add up to three certified or two introductory dives. It is not a cheap day, and for certified divers who want more than one site it is the one we point them to.
GuestTours Verdict · 🤿 Best for Divers
GuestTours award: Best for Divers. GuestTours rating: 4.8 / 5.
Silverswift
Full Day · Great Barrier Reef · Cairns
Ticket Prices
Adult
15 years and over
$308
Child
4–14 years
$228
Infant
3 years and under
Free
GST and the reef Environmental Management Charge are included. A fuel surcharge of $10 per adult and $5 per child (4 to 14 years) is collected at check-in on the day of travel. Diving and coach transfers are optional extras.
What's included in your ticket
- Return cruise from Cairns, 3 different outer reef sites
- Snorkelling equipment: mask, snorkel & fins, with instruction
- Lycra suit and buoyancy vest
- Prescription masks at no extra cost
- Snorkel brief at each of the 3 sites
- Reef Discovery guided snorkel tour
- Morning tea on boarding (focaccia & muffins)
- Hot & cold tropical buffet lunch
- Afternoon tea (cake, cheese & biscuits)
- Qualified lifeguard supervision
- All dives are guided
- GST and the reef Environmental Management Charge
Best for these travellers
Great fit
Certified divers
Up to 3 guided dives across 3 sites, chosen from 19 exclusive sites.
Great fit
Serious snorkellers
A snorkel brief at each of 3 sites, the Reef Discovery guided snorkel tour and five hours at the reef.
Great fit
Divers who feel the cold
Dive packages with gear include a wetsuit. On board there are hot freshwater showers, change rooms and an air-conditioned lounge.
Great fit
Food-focused travellers
Three food services: morning tea on boarding, a hot and cold buffet lunch, afternoon tea with cheese & biscuits.
Not ideal
Families with young children
No family pass, a $228 child fare and no pontoon. Diving starts at 12.
Not ideal
Budget travellers
$308 adult and no family pass, so every guest pays an individual fare.
Your day, hour by hour
These are the published times. They can shift depending on which reef sites the skipper picks on the morning.
8:00 to
8:15 AM
8:15 AM
Arrive at the Reef Fleet Terminal
Check in for boarding passes, then board. Complimentary tea and coffee served until departure, with muffins and focaccia.
8:30 AM
Depart for the Outer Barrier Reef
Roughly 80 minutes out to the first mooring.
9:50 AM
Arrive at the 1st reef site
Snorkel brief, then in the water.
11:15 AM
Transit to the 2nd reef site
Snorkel brief at each site.
11:45 AM to
1:15 PM
1:15 PM
Hot & cold tropical buffet lunch
Served on board between 11:45 AM and 1:15 PM.
1:40 PM
Transit to the 3rd reef site
The Reef Discovery guided snorkel tour runs here.
2:15 PM
Afternoon tea served
Cake, cheese and biscuits.
2:50 PM
All passengers board
Final passenger count.
3:00 PM
Commence the return journey
Licensed bar on board.
4:30 PM
Arrive at the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal
Around eight and a half hours from check-in.
4:55 PM
Coaches depart for accommodation
For guests who added a return coach transfer.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Three outer reef sites in one day
Silverswift visits three different outer reef sites in a single day. The sites are chosen each day from 19 exclusive sites at Flynn, Pellowe, Milln and/or Thetford Reefs, to suit the day's conditions. All snorkelling and diving is done from the vessel.
Flynn Reef
~45 km from Cairns · Outer Reef
Silverswift's named moorings here include Tracy's Bommie, Gordon's Mooring, Tennis Courts, Coral Gardens, Boulders, The Flats and Ski Slope.
Milln, Pellowe & Thetford Reefs
~50 km from Cairns · Outer Reef
Sites are picked daily from these three reefs as well. Milln holds Whale Bommie, Petaj Bommie, Pools, Fish Town, Round The Bend, Lost (Table Tops) and Wild Side; Thetford has Cathedrals, Stepping Stones, Blue Lagoon and Roscos; Pellowe has Cucumber Alley and Darth Vader.
Optional extras, worth it?
Dive prices below are per person and are added to the $308 ticket. Every dive is guided, and the minimum diving age is 12. Transfers are priced per adult and per child.
Introductory Dive (dive gear & wetsuit included)
Guided dive, no certification needed. $98 for one dive, $186 for two. Best for first-timers who want to try diving.
from $98 pp
Certified Dive (dive gear & wetsuit included)
Guided outer reef diving with dive gear and wetsuit provided. $78 for one dive, $116 for two, $142 for three.
Highly recommended · all dives guided
from $78 pp
Certified Dive (tanks & weights only)
Guided diving covering tanks and weights only, without dive gear or wetsuit. $65 for one dive, $103 for two, $129 for three.
from $65 pp
Return Transfer, Cairns
Coach, pick up and drop off from Cairns. Coaches leave the terminal at 4:55 PM.
$36 adult / $23 child
Return Transfer, Northern Beaches
Coach, pick up and drop off from the Northern Beaches. Coaches leave the terminal at 4:55 PM.
$46 adult / $25 child
Before you go
Departure
Departs 8:30 AM, check in between 8:00 and 8:15 AM. Back at the Reef Fleet Terminal at 4:30 PM, coaches leave at 4:55 PM.
Food & Drink
Morning tea on boarding (focaccia and muffins), hot and cold tropical buffet lunch, afternoon tea with cake, cheese and biscuits. Licensed bar on board.
What you wear
A lycra suit and buoyancy vest come with every ticket. A full wetsuit comes with the dive packages that include dive gear.
Diving
Sites chosen from 19 exclusive sites. Up to 3 certified or 2 introductory dives in the day, and every dive is guided. Minimum diving age is 12.
Children
Child fare $228 covers ages 4 to 14. Children 3 and under travel free. No family pass.
Meeting Point
Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns. Optional coach transfers from Cairns and the Northern Beaches, add them when you book.
Fuel surcharge
$10 per adult and $5 per child (4 to 14 years), collected at check-in on the day of travel, on top of the fare.
In the fare
GST and the reef Environmental Management Charge are included in the ticket price.
Not operating
Silverswift does not run on Christmas Day, New Year's Day, ANZAC Day or Easter Sunday.
The vessel
A 29 metre catamaran with a ride control system, a large hydraulic entry platform, hot freshwater showers, change rooms and an air-conditioned lounge.
The full review
Silverswift is the dive and snorkel catamaran of the Quicksilver Group's Silver Series. It leaves the Reef Fleet Terminal at 8:30am and is back at 4:30pm, with five hours at the outer reef across three different sites, picked each morning from 19 exclusive sites at Flynn, Pellowe, Milln and/or Thetford Reefs.
All snorkelling and diving is done from the boat, off a large hydraulic platform. Every dive is guided, and you can add up to three certified or two introductory dives to the $308 fare. Food comes in three rounds: focaccia and muffins on boarding, a hot and cold buffet lunch, then cake, cheese and biscuits in the afternoon.
At $308 adult and $228 child, with GST and the reef levy included, it is not a cheap day, and there is no family pass. For certified divers who want more than one site, it is the one we point them to.
Common questions
Three different outer reef sites in a day, chosen each morning from 19 exclusive sites at Flynn, Pellowe, Milln and/or Thetford Reefs to suit the conditions. Silverswift leaves the Reef Fleet Terminal at 8:30am and is back at 4:30pm, with five hours at the reef. The third stop includes the Reef Discovery guided snorkel tour, which comes with the base ticket.
Yes. Every dive on Silverswift is guided, and there is a snorkel brief at each site.
Dive prices are added to your $308 ticket. Introductory dives, dive gear and wetsuit included: $98 for one dive, $186 for two. Certified dives, dive gear and wetsuit included: $78 for one, $116 for two, $142 for three. Certified dives with tanks and weights only: $65 for one, $103 for two, $129 for three. The minimum age for diving is 12.
A lycra suit and a buoyancy vest come with every ticket, along with mask, snorkel and fins. A wetsuit comes with the dive packages that include dive gear, both introductory and certified. The tanks-and-weights-only option covers just that, without dive gear or a wetsuit.
Reef-safe sunscreen, a towel, swimwear to wear under your lycra suit, and any seasickness medication you use. Silverswift goes to the outer reef, so if you're prone to motion sickness, take your medication before departure. Prescription masks are available at no extra cost, just tell us when you book. Leave valuables at your hotel. There is a licensed bar on board, so bring a card.
Free cancellation 48+ hours before departure. Within 48 hours the booking is non-refundable. Weather cancellations receive a full refund or reschedule option.
No, Silverswift does not offer a family pass. Tickets are priced individually: $308 adult and $228 child for ages 4 to 14, with GST and the reef Environmental Management Charge included. Children 3 and under travel free. Families with younger children may prefer Down Under, Passions or Sunlover, which offer family passes.
Yes, as an optional extra with pick up and drop off. From Cairns it is $36 adult and $23 child. From the Northern Beaches it is $46 adult and $25 child. Choose one zone per booking and add it when you book, and we'll confirm your pick-up time with you. Coaches leave the Reef Fleet Terminal at 4:55pm after the boat returns.
Yes, $10 per adult and $5 per child (4 to 14 years), on top of the fare. It is collected at check-in on the day of travel, so it is not part of the total on your booking summary. The reef Environmental Management Charge is already in the fare.
Silverswift's reef sites sit roughly 45 to 60 km offshore. The boat leaves the Reef Fleet Terminal at 8:30am and reaches the first site at around 9:50am, so allow about 80 minutes each way.
Silverswift does not operate on Christmas Day, New Year's Day, ANZAC Day or Easter Sunday. On other days a departure can still be cancelled for weather, in which case you get a full refund or a new date.
Yes. Whitetip and blacktip reef sharks are common at outer reef sites and are not aggressive. Every dive on Silverswift is guided, and there is a snorkel brief at each site.
Yes. Silverswift goes to the outer reef, and three different sites in a day show you more of its variety than one. Reef sharks, turtles and rays are regularly seen on the outer reef.
June to October gives the best visibility and calmest seas. Water temperature averages 24-26°C year-round, so diving is comfortable in any season. The dive packages that include gear come with a wetsuit, and the boat has hot freshwater showers and an air-conditioned lounge. Summer months can bring stronger swells.
Silverswift
Full Day · Great Barrier Reef · Cairns
Ticket Prices
Adult
15 years and over
$308
Child
4–14 years
$228
Infant
3 years and under
Free
GST and the reef Environmental Management Charge are included. A fuel surcharge of $10 per adult and $5 per child (4 to 14 years) is collected at check-in on the day of travel.