Price from:
140 USD
**Location:** Cook Island (Jungarra Ngarrian), also known as Turtle Island
**Duration:** Approx. 6 hours (half-day trip including travel, setup, 2 boat dives, and pack-down)
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**Discover One of Australia’s Top Dive Sites**
Just two nautical miles off Fingal Head, Cook Island is a protected aquatic reserve rich in marine life. Known locally as Turtle Island, it’s home to resident green, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles.
You may also encounter seasonal leopard sharks, along with year-round sightings of giant groupers, rays, wobbegongs, nudibranchs, anemonefish, giant sponges, and vibrant soft corals.
Following transport to the Tweed Heads launch site, the boat journey takes approximately 20 minutes.
Conditions vary throughout the year, with generally good visibility and occasional mild to moderate currents. This site is best suited to confident Open Water divers and above. Dive sites are selected based on conditions to ensure safety and the best possible experience.
Water temperatures typically range from 19–27°C (66–81°F). A 5mm wetsuit is recommended in winter, and a 3mm in summer.
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**Trip Schedule**
Departure times are set according to sea conditions, tides, and participant numbers.
Trips may run alongside snorkelling trips or a dedicated dive charters, depending on demand.
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**What’s Included**
- Two boat dives at Cook Island
- Experienced and friendly dive guides
- Full scuba equipment (if required)
- Light refreshments on board
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**Trip Breakdown (Approx. 6 Hours)**
- Arrival and gear setup at Gold Coast Dive Centre
- Transport to the Tweed Heads (approx. 30 minutes)
- Safety Briefing conducted onboard
- Boat travel to Cook Island (approx. 20 minutes)
- Two dives (sites selected based on conditions)
- Return to dive centre
- Equipment rinse, pack-down, and debrief
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**Prerequisites**
- Certified SSI Open Water Diver or equivalent
- Must have dived within the past 12 months
- Fewer than 6 logged dives must have dived within the past 6 months
- Please bring your certification card and/or logbook
Note: You must only dive within your certification and experience limits. Certification and logbook may be checked for safety.
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**Departure Info**
- Meet at: Gold Coast Dive Centre, Miami QLD
- Boat launch from: Public Jetty, 1A Minjungbal Dr, Tweed Heads South, NSW
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**Weather & Cancellation Policy**
- Free reschedule or cancellation with 48 hours’ notice
- Trips are weather-dependent for safety
- Notifications sent via SMS and/or email — please check before departure
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**Motion Sickness Advice**
If you’re prone to seasickness, we recommend:
- Travacalm Original, Travacalm HO, or Kwells (30 minutes before departure and/or night before)
- Avoid heavy or greasy meals (light food like toast is recommended)
- Stay hydrated and bring a reusable water bottle
Note: Natural remedies like ginger are generally ineffective.
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This trip offer the opportunity to explore one of the most rewarding dive sites on the East Coast.
Booking Notes
#🏝️ Cook Island Trip – Confirmation & Safety Info
We’re excited to have you joining us for a trip at Cook Island (Jungarra Ngarrian) — one of Australia’s top marine reserves!
###Please read the key info below to ensure a smooth and safe day.
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**1. Sign Your Waiver**
All participant must complete the digital waiver before arrival.
You'll find the link in your booking confirmation email.
Please complete it in advance to avoid delays at check-in.
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**2. Meeting Point & Timing**
Gold Coast Dive Centre
2/54–56 Paradise Ave, Miami QLD
Please arrive at the time shown on your booking
(e.g., for a 6:30 trip, check in by 6:30).
We can’t accommodate early arrivals, but there will be plenty of time to get ready once checked in.
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**3. Parking**
Free on-street parking nearby.
Please allow extra time for parking, especially during busy periods or roadworks
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**4. Proof of Certification**
Certified divers must bring proof of certification (physical or digital), showing:
- Your full name
- Photo
- Your certification level
- The certifying agency
Logbooks are not accepted.
If you’re SSI certified and can’t find your card, contact us at least 24 hours in advance, and we’ll try to look it up.
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**5. Diving Ability, Confidence & Fitness**
Cook Island is an open-ocean site. Conditions can vary and may include currents, swells, and winds.
Divers should be confident, fit and competent to dive in open-water conditions.
If unsure about your skills, we strongly recommend booking a private guide.
While group dives are guided, divers are expected to be self-sufficient, capable of managing their equipment and confident in their skills to avoid affecting the group.
The minimum certification level for regular dives is SSI Open Water Diver or equivalent; below this (e.g., SSI Scuba Diver) requires a private guide.
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**6. Recent Diving Experience**
If you haven’t dived in 12+ months or more, you must complete the SSI Scuba Skills Update.
Divers with 250+ logged dives may be eligible to complete a Pool Check-Out Dive instead.
If it has been 4 years or more since your last dive, you will need to repeat the Open Water Diver course.
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**7. Weather & Plan Changes**
Cook Island is weather-dependent, and sometimes trips get cancelled due to conditions.
Weather is unpredictable and cancellations are beyond our control.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we prioritise safety.
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**8. Seasickness & Remedies**
Due to the location of Cook Island, seasickness can be an issue.
We recommend taking a seasickness remedy (e.g., Travacalm, Travalcalm HO, or Kwells) 30 minutes before boarding.
Bring extra remedies with you — Natural remedies (like ginger) are not as effective.
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**9. What to Bring**
Pack light — space on the boat is limited!
Only bring the essentials:
- swimmer
- towel,
- sunscreen
- water
- light snack
Avoid large bags or bulky items.
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**10. Gear Handling**
You’ll carry your own gear from the trailer to the boat (approx. 50m).
Please handle all equipment with care.
After the trip:
- Return all gear to the trailer at the jetty
- Once back at the dive centre, rinse the gear you used in the designated wash area
- Turn wetsuits right-side out before placing them in the rinse station
Thanks for helping us look after shared gear.
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**11. Boating Etiquette**
- Always wear your life jacket when instructed
- Stay seated when the boat is in motion
- Maintain three points of contact when walking on the boat
- Stay clear of running engines
- Pay attention to the safety briefings
- Respect everyone’s space
- Keep personal items tidy and out of the way
- Never throw anything overboard
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**12. Diving Etiquette**
- Arrive on time and be ready
- Be a good buddy, look out for each other
- Be self-sufficient with your gear
- Respect marine life and fellow divers.
- Practice excellent buoyancy control
- Follow the SSI Blue Oceans Philosophy: don’t touch, don’t take
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**13. Best Practices & Dive Briefing**
- Giant stride entry off the Ocean Adventurer
- Max depth: OW 18m, AOW 30m
- No-decompression dives only
- Max bottom time: 45 minutes
- Surface interval: 30 minutes
- Always dive in Buddy Teams and complete a pre-dive check
- Lost Buddy Procedure: 1-minute search → ascend → inflate SMB → signal the boat
Air Guidelines:
- 100 bar = turn around
- 70 bar = begin ascent
- 50 bar = minimum surfacing pressure
Safety stop 3/5 minutes at 5 metres on all dives
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**Surface Interval**
- After the first dive, change tanks immediately once safely back on the boat
- Reassemble and secure your equipment without delay so you are fully prepared for the second dive
- Once your gear is organised and ready, relax and enjoy your surface interval
Keep weight belts, masks, and fins neatly stored and clear of walkways and seating areas at all times.
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**Surface Hand Signals (When on the Surface)**
If communicating with the boat:
- OK → Form a clear “OK” sign above your head\
- Not OK → Raise one arm straight up above your head
- Help / Distress → Wave one arm side to side above your head until assisted
Always stay with your buddy and deploy your SMB if required.
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**Emergency Recall**
If you hear:
- Continuous loud banging on the hull
- Repeated engine revving
This indicates a full recall to the boat.
Stop immediately, stay with your buddy, and return directly to the vessel.
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**Exit procedure**
- Approach the boat and wait for crew instruction
- Keep your mask and regulator in place until instructed otherwise
- Hand up loose equipment if instructed
- Remove weights and fins before boarding while holding the ladder
- Board carefully using three points of contact
Once onboard:
- Remove your regulator once stable on deck
- Secure your mask either on your face or around your neck — do not carry it loosely
- Store fins and weight belts neatly in the designated area
- Keep all gear clear of walkways and seating areas
- Avoid placing equipment on benches unless instructed
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**14. Personal Items**
Gold Coast Dive Centre isn’t responsible for personal items.
Any gear or items brought on the trip are at your own risk. We are not liable for loss, theft, or damage.
Please check your belongings before leaving. Unclaimed items will be disposed of after a week.
We do not provide storage.
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#🐢Cook Island Marine Reserve Code of Conduct
###Cook Island is a protected aquatic reserve. Help us protect it.
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- Look, don’t touch marine life, even shells
- Keep your distance — Don’t chase or crowd animals
- Stay 3+ metres from turtles and never block their path
- No feeding or baiting marine life
- Don’t rest or grab rocks or reef
- Control your fins to avoid contact with reef or sediment
- Maintain buoyancy and stay horizontal above the seabed
- Secure all gear to prevent dragging
- Avoid flash or prolonged light when photographing
- Use reef-safe sunscreen or wear protection
- Leave artefacts undisturbed
- Remove floating litter if safe to do so
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**By completing your booking, you acknowledge that you’ve read and understood the safety guidelines and requirements outlined above.**
Thank you for diving responsibly and helping us protect this special marine environment.
**Gold Coast Dive Centre Team**
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Cancellation Policy
All trips require a confirmed booking on our vessel, with limited spaces available.
- Cancellations made more than 48 hours before departure are eligible for a full refund
- Bookings cancelled within 48 hours of departure are non-refundable
- Missed trips, No-shows or late cancellations are non-refundable
- Rescheduling is subject to availability
For third-party vouchers, payments and refunds are handled by the provider.
[Full Terms & Conditions apply](https://documentcloud.adobe.com/gsuiteintegration/index.html?state=%7B%22ids%22%3A%5B%221P2pDUf-KcV6qpciJFyUPNFKplepKpjTA%22%5D%2C%22action%22%3A%22open%22%2C%22userId%22%3A%22111615608064503601934%22%2C%22resourceKeys%22%3A%7B%7D%7D)
Please contact us early if you need assistance.
