GREAT Barrier Reef trip operators who exhibit a lax approach to stinger safety may be leaving themselves wide open to being sued by passengers who may be stung by jellyfish, an expert has warned.

The Weekend Post has received reports of local dive operators telling reef-trippers they should only wear stinger suits when snorkelling on the Reef unless they were "really paranoid" about being stung.

In some cases, operators charge passengers $10 to hire a stinger suit.

It comes as researchers last week caught 200 potentially fatal irukandji off Cairns' northern beaches within a five-day period to find a cure for the potentially fatal venom.

JCU stinger expert Jamie Seymour said dive operators had a duty of care to promote wearing stinger suits.

"Rather than telling them you will die unless you put this on, this will decrease your chances of being stung and it will decrease your chances of wearing sunscreen or getting sunburnt," Dr Seymour said.

If they chose not to, they were leaving themselves wide open to being sued.

"I think it is likely to get you into all sorts of trouble if someone gets stung, especially if an overseas tourist decides to litigate on the whole thing," he said.

Alex Van Welderen of Pro Dive Cairns said both stinger suits and wetsuits were included in the cost of their reef trips. He said in the case of many operators, the hire fee was for suit maintenance and hygiene.

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