FOUNDERS: STEVE AND CATHY SHERWEL
The founders originally started their first business in the tourism industry in 1986. This was a jet ski hire, parasailing, and tube riding business at Lake Boga in Northern Victoria.
In 1994, Lake Boga dried up, so they moved to Port Douglas to start Extra Action Watersports, operating the same activities for 10 more years.
Steve and Cathy noticed that there were no quick snorkelling trips from Port Douglas, so they sold their jet ski and parasailing business and started Reef Sprinter with quick-trip snorkelling tours in 2005. Due to high demand, they built another boat called the Jet Sprinter in 2011. With two boats, this allowed up to four trips daily to the Low Isles Reef.
In 2013, they had many requests for a half-day Outer Reef snorkelling tour, so they purchased a permit at the spectacular Third Sister Reef. To operate half-day tours to the Outer Reef, you need to get there fast, so they placed an order with Woody Marine in Brisbane to build one of the fastest snorkelling boats in Australia. In 2016, they sold Jet Sprinter and replaced it with the fantastic Reef Sprinter 4. It has 3 x 350hp supercharged Mercury outboards.
With three boats and multiple departures, Steve and Cathy employed their daughter Sam who helped with the bookings and looking after the marketing.
In 2017, they purchased a very rare low Island Access permit allowing 365-day access to the spectacular Low Island and Lagoon. Now operate morning and afternoon tours to this location.
NEW OWNERS, SAME PASSION
After 20 years in the business, Steve and Cathy decided they were ready for retirement. They sold their business to their long-term employee Matthew Wynne, his partner Kelly Rawding and Matt’s father Chris Wynne.
Matthew Wynne born in Port Douglas, originally started his employment as a deckhand in 2017, quickly moving up to Skipper then Head Skipper in 2020.
Kelly Rawding, originally from Brisbane Queensland, moved to Port Douglas in 2021 after completing her Bachelor’s in Marine Science. While working for a different tour company out of Port Douglas, she met Matt on the beach of Low Isles where they quickly fell in love.
Chris Wynne, originally from Horsham Victoria, slowly made his way up the Eastern Australian Coast with his parents and two siblings at 18 months old. After living in many places along the way, they settled in Port Douglas in 1988.
Reef Sprinter is a legacy, passed from one local family to another.
With over 15000 happy customers a year (check our Trip Advisor page), Reef Sprinter continues to provide personalized half-day snorkelling tours as well as a fun and exciting boat ride to the Low Isles Reef or the Outer Reef.
