Cape Town Non-shark related diving

[Varun]

Hi everyone,
I'm going to be in cape town for a few days in mid-september touring. I'm interested in doing regular, non-shark related diving, but was wondering what the danger level was, and what sites are good/safe. Is night diving advisable/safe? I'd be in need of a buddy/guide, so if you could recommend any good companies or resorts that would be awesome.

Thanks,
--Varun

 

[SafetyStopBait]

Varun,

It's 10 years ago now but I lived there for six months and logged 40-50 dives, including a number of night dives. Never saw a shark unless I went out looking for one. Its very safe and very fun. I highly recommend it.

It's mostly wreck diving and artificial reefs. I'd dive False Bay instead of Atlantic Ocean as the difference in temperature is dramatic. I might be able to look up my old diving company's info. PM if you want it.

Mike

Mike

 

[Kreef]

Hi Varun

There are several dive charters around Cape Town which you can choose from but keep in mind diving in Cape Town depends heavily on the weather, so a booked dive might get cancelled on short notice.

Concerning sharks the chances of encountering a great white shark is very slim, very few local divers I've talked to have seen one while scuba diving. If you want to see some smaller sharks I recommend you go see the cow sharks at Shark Alley, a really nice and safe dive. You can also go dive with some ragged tooth sharks at the Two Oceans Aquarium, you get to dive in the predator exhibit with a guide and it's not weather dependent I&J Predator Exhibit ? Exhibits ? Two Oceans Aquarium Cape Town, South Africa

For night diving Long Beach in Simon's Town is the usual spot, but there are other more exciting sites as well.
There are also some nice wrecks in Simon's Town and on the Atlantic side.

Here is a link to a wiki with most of the dive sites around Cape Town with very good descriptions of each site Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay travel guide - Wikitravel

Charters which I have personally gone diving with include:

Pisces Divers : Welcome to Pisces Divers - Cape Town, South Africa
Underwater Explorers : Scuba Dive Charter Cape Town
Indigo Scuba : Indigo Scuba Diving Centre: Scuba Diving Courses, Dive Charters, Guided Dives

Other charters in the area include (but are not limited to):

Blue Flash : BlueFlash | Welcome to BlueFlash
Dive Action : Scuba Diving in Cape Town - SCUBA Diving Centre | PADI Training | IANTD Nitrox Trimix Rebreather Training | Dive Shop | Cape Town | South Africa

If I had to recommend a charter for someone from outside Cape Town I'd say get in touch with Pisces Divers. They are (in my mind) better orientated towards tourists and have a wide selection of scuba gear for rental, and they run dives during the week not just over weekends.

Hope this helps

 

[Varun]

Thanks a lot for the info guys, this info is invaluable. Can't wait to go diving in Africa!

I was debating diving either at Zanzibar, or cape town(going to be visiting both places), how does the overall experience compare between these two?

Thanks!
--Varun

 

[xyrandomyx]

I dive in Cape Town pretty regularly (although I've only been diving for a couple of years). I did one dive in Zanzibar (had planned a few more, but the weather didn't play along nicely). They're very different. Zanzibar is tropical, with warm water and coral reefs. Cape Town has temperate water with rocky reefs and kelp forests, as well as some nice wrecks. Zanzibar diving's probably a bit easier, catering more to the resort diver. I know this doesn't help much, but, if you can, do a dive or two in both places. I very much doubt you'll regret either.

 

[Kreef]

Cape Town, has cold water (around 13 degrees Celsius in False bay and lower on the Atlantic side) visibility is usually not very good (less than 12m). Interesting things you can see in Cape Town include (but are not limited to) wrecks, reefs, kelp forests, seals and different shark species.

I recommend you check out some videos on youtube, they clearly illustrate the differences in conditions.

 

[namnam123]

Thanks a lot for the info guys, this info is invaluable. Can't wait to go diving in Africa!

I was debating diving either at Zanzibar, or cape town(going to be visiting both places), how does the overall experience compare between these two?

Thanks!
--Varun

For diving in Zanzibar, the best and most accurate information I have come across (as someone who lives and works here) was written on the PADI blog by someone who has been here many years operating a dive centre in the north west of Zanzibar:

A tropical island paradise, Zanzibar Archipelago consists of numerous small islands and two larger ones, Unguja (commonly referred to as Zanzibar) and Pemba. Located 35 kilometers off the coast of mainland Tanzania, Zanzibar is only six degrees south of the Equator. Zanzibar has something for everyone including a turbulent and fascinating history, exotic spices, stunning beaches, unique wildlife, turquoise waters and spectacular coral reefs. In the words of David Livingstone (1866), “This is the finest place I have known in all of Africa… an illusive place where nothing is as it seems. I am mesmerized.”The Indian Ocean surrounding Zanzibar is just that – truly mesmerizing! Fringing coral reefs and several patch reefs provide a rich habitat for an amazing diversity of marine life. Divers are enchanted with more than 450 species of fish and other marine life including brightly coloured reef fish, octopus, stingrays, mantis shrimps, moray eels, ribbon eels and many, many more!
An underwater photographer’s paradise, the macro life is astonishing and one can expect to spot a different nudibranch on every dive. Plenty of different shrimps, seahorses and ghost pipefish are also sure to impress the experienced diver. Our bizarre sightings include the Mauritius and weedy scorpion fish (Rhinopias frondosa), frogfish, Indian Ocean Walkman, sea moths and leaf fish (also known as paper fish) in a wide variety of colours.
Scuba diving around the Zanzibar Archipelago caters to divers of all experience levels, from shallow coral gardens, to deep walls and even a couple wrecks for the advanced divers. Most of the diving is from boats, and with up to 5m of tidal water movement, a majority of the diving is drift diving. Some dive sites are susceptible to strong currents.
Sea Turtles also nest around Zanzibar and are commonly spotted by divers on many of the dive sites, mostly Green turtles and also Hawksbill. Several species of dolphins can be seen traveling around the islands and the curious ones occasionally come to investigate the divers. Humpback whales migrate to Zanzibar between July and November and can be seen, and more commonly heard by the divers. Although sightings are rare, the fortunate diver may even get to see a whale shark, manta ray or other reef sharks.
Zanzibar is an amazing destination for night diving allowing divers to see the unusual things that are often hidden during the day such as Spanish dancers, squids, free-swimming moray eels, spiny lobsters, and many different crustaceans. Several locations offer night diving from the shore or by boat.
An ideal place to learn to dive or complete advanced diving qualifications, many dive centres around the islands offer PADI e-Learning courses which allow the divers to complete the academic portions of their course at home so they can make the most of their holiday and get straight into the fun part – the diving!
Zanzibar offers year-round diving, however the best diving conditions to dive the North of Unguja island often contrast the peak holiday seasons – which is great for divers who want to avoid the crowds! From mid-February to mid-May or from mid-October to mid-December is the best time for great visibility combined with calm, flat sea conditions. The trade winds blow from the north for approximately six weeks anytime between mid December and mid February and come up from the south for the remainder of the year. The North winds do bring clear water from the Pemba channel, however the boat rides can be a bit more adventurous! The average visibility year round is from 12-18m and can exceed 30m. Water temperatures range from 24-25C in July/August to 28-29C in January/February.