Full Service Dive Shops
Adrenalin Dive operate both smaller day boats plus a larger live-aboard vessel the MV Sea-Esta to the Reef and Yongala wreck site. Regular live-aboard trips are conducted as either a 2-day/2-night weekend trip, or a 3-day/3-night week day trip, with extended live-aboard trips held at specific times such as Easter and the annual coral spawning event. They also offer dive training from Beginner to Divemaster under the PADI training curriculum, plus air cylinder filling and air quality analysis.
RAD operates the vessel Coral Gypsy and specialises in day trips and extended safaris to remote areas of the North QLD region such as the Palm Group and Atherton Tablelands. They also provide dive training to both recreational and technical divers from Discover SCUBA under the SDI training curriculum to Closed Circuit Rebreather Mixed Gas Diver under the TDI training curriculum. The RAD shop also stocks a comprehensive range of equipment that is featured in their training packages.
Located on Magnetic Island, Pleasure Divers boasts a purpose-built dive training pool, and has easy access to the island’s best shore dive and snorkel sites such as Geoffrey Bay, the Moltke wreck, Bremner Point, and Arthur and Florence Bays. They offer gear hire and tour services, and they provide a very wide variety of SSI speciality courses in addition to traditional dive training packages.
Located in Alva Beach Ayr (104km south of Townsville), Yongala Dive specialises in tours of the Yongala wreck. Their purpose built 10m rigid inflatable vessel; the Yongala Express, can ferry 12 divers to the site in 30 minutes under favourable conditions. Yongala Dive also offers customised charters for up to 12 divers or snorkellers to Stanley Reef on their 11m Cougar Catamaran; Ocean Magic. Yongala Dive provides PADI dive training, and operates an on-site accommodation lodge.
Mike Ball Dive ExpeditionsMike Ball opened his first dive school in Townsville in 1969, and was a founding member of NQUEC. His company is now based in Cairns, and operates the 30m live-aboard vessel MV Spoilsport to northern areas of the GBR and Coral Sea. He offers a range of high-end live-aboard itineraries from 3-night packages to week long special-purpose expeditions, and is one of only a few operators permitted to facilitate interactions with Minke Whales during the June/July whale migration.
Other Dive Services
Andrew Schofield owns and operates TDS as a manufacturer-certified SCUBA equipment technician. Andrew provides servicing, sales, and support for a wide range of recreational and technical SCUBA brands including Mares, Suunto, Oceanic, Sherwood, Hollis, Genesis, and Apollo.
Dave Stewart owns and operates ACG, which specialises in group charters aboard his 22m timber motor vessel the Kalinda. ACG conducts monthly 3-day weekend dive trips to the outer reef and Yongala wreck sites, plus his annual Far North Trip which is a 13-day dive safari exploring remote and rarely visited sites from Thursday Island to Cairns. ACG provides research charters, commercial charters, and special event charters (whale watching, EOY functions) aboard the Kalinda, and operates smaller vessels for day trips and snorkel tours.
Get Around Island Boat Tours and Hire
Based in Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island, Cliff from Get-Around-Island Charters conducts island day-trip tours for groups of up to six, and he also hires boats to those who prefer to skipper themselves. His hire vessels are 6m barges with centre console and canopy, and have all the necessary safety equipment for operation around the island for those who hold a marine drivers licence.
Formerly Integrated Breathing Systems, Richard Speers services and repairs equipment used in the mining, firefighting, and commercial and recreational dive industries. As a Bauer authorised service agent, Richard offers sales and service for high pressure breathing air compressors, air quality analysis, and gas cylinder testing and filling.
Formerly the Dive Bell, QBS is an engineering business which caters to the North QLD commercial dive industry. QBS offer sales and service for breathing air compressors, design and fabrication for breathing systems, service and support for breathing apparatus, plus air purification testing and cylinder testing and filling.
Townsville Skin Diving Centre
Fritz Quintemeyer of Townsville Skin Diving Centre (TSDC) owned and operated the business which serviced compressed gas and breathing equipment for the mining, commercial diving, recreational diving, fire and rescue industries of the North QLD region for many decades. As of 2018; TSDC no longer trades, as Fritz has made a well-deserved transition into retirement. This listing has been posted to both advise his former customers of his retirement, and to also thank Fritz on behalf of NQUEC members and friends for his hard work and effort in establishing the club, plus all the years of service, support, and friendship he has given us.
Townsville Dive Clubs
North Queensland Underwater Explorers Club
Our very own NQUEC, while you might already be on our site the list wouldn’t feel complete if we weren’t on it!
The TSDC is an AUF affiliated non-profit Incorporated club which organises and promotes the pursuit of spearfishing, freediving, and underwater photography. TSDC conduct trips using both private vessels and chartered services, and participate in state and national level competitions. The club meets monthly at the Townsville Yacht Club.
The JCU Dive Club is an Incorporated University Club with a clubhouse on the Townsville JCU Campus. They provide dive training, offer equipment hire, conduct regular Reef and Yongala trips, and membership is available to non-students.