Boating and diving

Hire a vessel

You can hire a vessel if you meet Australian Maritime Safety Authority and UQ requirements.

You must first register your interest by emailing us at hirs.boating@uq.edu.au.

You must operate the vessel in accordance with UQ Boating Safety procedures.

Masters and crew must be qualified, and all crew must undergo a boat-handling induction and safety check for each vessel. Allow up to an hour.

Required qualifications

Vessels used for research and education are classed as commercial vessels.

Minimum qualifications

You'll need these minimum qualifications to operate UQ Science vessels.

All vessel masters must hold:

• valid first aid and CPR certificates
• short range radio operator certificate of proficiency.

Where the vessel master is not UQ personnel, they may only operate a research vessel if they hold:

• AMSA issued certificate of competency (eg. Coxswain)

Where the vessel master is UQ personnel, they may operate a research vessel if they hold:

• coxswain certificate of competency, or
• valid state-issued recreational marine driver's licence AND operate the vessel in accordance with AMSA Exemption 15.

All vessel operations must comply with the restrictions of the licence the vessel master holds. For example: a person holding an NC3 Coxswain certificate of competency may only operate a vessel up to 1nm from shore, during daylight hours, and with no more than 6 persons aboard the vessel.

Hire a skipper

Researchers and educational groups can hire a station skipper (requires advance booking).

For more information, email us at hirs.boating@uq.edu.au.

Visit the Faculty of Science website for full details on diving with UQ, including required paperwork, qualifications, dive plans, and other policies and procedures.

Minimum requirements for snorkelling with UQ as part of your fieldwork:

• fit and clear mask and snorkel
• breathe with snorkel to avoid carbon dioxide toxicity
• effective fin technique
• swim 200 metres with mask, snorkel and fins
• fitness to snorkel.

Before you start fieldwork:

• download and fill in the required UQ Snorkelling Safety forms
• email your forms to us at hirs.boating@uq.edu.au
• provide us with medical fitness information
• ensure you’re familiar with and follow UQ Snorkelling Safety procedures.

You can hire dive and snorkelling equipment from us, including:

• mask and snorkel
• fins
• booties
• wetsuit or stinger suit
• BCDs
• regulators
• tanks and weights
• tank refills.

See our price lists to estimate costs for hiring dive and snorkelling equipment.

We recommend experienced divers bring or hire your own gear before you arrive on Heron Island.