Diving in/around Cape Town!

[Callasrn]

Hi everyone!
So, I am coming to Cape Town Nov 18 to dec 2 for a conference and some diving. I will have about 10 days to dive and I was wondering what is the weather like, diving conditions and most important, where should I dive? I am a relatively new diver with most of my diving in cold water of the coast of California and I can do either boat or shore diving and I am not interested to dive with sharks unless they are whale sharks, you know, the mellow type. I know that time of the year will be the tail end of the whale season so that might be a hit or miss to encounter. Anyway, any kind of info would be very appreciated since my research is never a accurate as people's experiences. Thank you for taking the time to answer!
Dive safely!:goingdown:

 

[xyrandomyx]

If you haven't found this already, here's a very helpful and pretty detailed guide to diving in Cape Town:


Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay ? Travel guides at Wikivoyage


I can't add anything to it, but I can give you a bit of a summary. It'll be summer when you're here, so it'll be fairly warm -- average high of about 75F, maybe a couple of days in the high 80s, maybe a couple cooler days in the mid 60s with some rain. It'll also be windy -- the south-easter blows in summer.


There are two pretty distinct coastlines in Cape Town, generally referred to as the 'Atlantic side' and the 'False Bay side' (even though they're both really in the Atlantic). The south-easterly wind usually messes up the diving on the False Bay side, so most summer diving (particularly boat dives) are done on the Atlantic side.


The water on the Atlantic side is pretty cold -- bottom temperatures of between 45 and 50F (and the surface not much warmer). Visibility can be as much as 60 feet on a good day, more typically around 30 or 40. A bad day could be 10 foot or even less. Unfortunately, the better visibility usually comes with colder water (due to upwellings). Diving on the warmer False Bay side is possible, but visibility is poorer in summer (seldom more than 30 feet, usually more like 10 or 15).


As to where to dive, it depends a bit on what you want to see. You're right that it's too late for whales and, sadly, it's very rare to see them on a dive. The Atlantic side has wrecks, kelp forests, giant granite outcroppings, many species of nudibranch, hard and soft corals, sponges, all sorts of other sessile fauna, small catsharks (various species up to about 3 feet in size, no threat to people), a fair number of fish species.


Boat dives and shore dives are possible. Boat dives are done from RIHBs. Either can be done with or without a guide/ DM. The shore dives often involve a fairly long and steep walk with gear on, which is a problem for some people. The logistics of either would depend on whether you'll be hiring or car, where you're staying, etc.


If you have any questions, ask and I'll try to answer.

 

[Callasrn]

Thank you so much! This is all I need to get all the info. Sounds like it will be cold and potentially surgy conditions. I will have to look at the weather and make my dive plan carefully. I was thinking to rent an apt in the V&A waterfront area to be close to the CTCCiC for my conference and then move somewhere closer to a dive area, sounds like the western coast. Thank you again for taking the time to answer me.

 

[xyrandomyx]

The cold water is pretty much unavoidable, but you can miss the worst of the surge if you watch the weather forecast. I'm not aware of any shops that rent drysuits here (though I haven't looked that hard), so, if you have one, it may be worth bringing along.


The area around the V&A Waterfront is quite central, so might not be such a bad option. There's at least one dive shop a mile or two away -- I've never used them, so I can't personally vouch for them, but I haven't heard any bad reviews.


Anyway, feel free to ask questions if you have any more. And drop me a line a bit closer to the time if you're looking for a buddy.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

I can think of two shops a mile or two away from the V&A waterfront. One is good and the other not.

I have rented a dry suit from Alistair at Underwater Explorers (he is good, but only dives Sundays). If you have a drysuit, rather bring it.

You should start with Pisces Divers as they are probably best for divers that are new to the area. I think they also offer a pick up service for divers residing in Cape Town, but without transport. Their shop is about 45mins by car from the V&A waterfront.

If you are more experienced, consider BlueFlash, they tend to go to more interesting sites, but the last dive had me as the least experienced on the boat. Grant doesn't have a shop per se and will meet you at the launch site. He is very good.

Those three I mention are the key dive opperators here in CT. There are at least 3 others I am aware of, but I wouldn't use them again. I have never tried scuba shack.

Weather is unpredictable, particularly in Nov. About 50% of the time boats don't launch cause of weather. Usually, they only know three days in advance. Expect and accept weather delays, they make for a good excuse to go to a wine farm.

xrandomx, PM if you are looking for a buddy. I will probably book with BlueFlash for Saturday.

 

[xyrandomyx]

I can think of two shops a mile or two away from the V&A waterfront. One is good and the other not.

I have rented a dry suit from Alistair at Underwater Explorers (he is good, but only dives Sundays). If you have a drysuit, rather bring it.

You should start with Pisces Divers as they are probably best for divers that are new to the area. I think they also offer a pick up service for divers residing in Cape Town, but without transport. Their shop is about 45mins by car from the V&A waterfront.

If you are more experienced, consider BlueFlash, they tend to go to more interesting sites, but the last dive had me as the least experienced on the boat. Grant doesn't have a shop per se and will meet you at the launch site. He is very good.

Those three I mention are the key dive opperators here in CT. There are at least 3 others I am aware of, but I wouldn't use them again. I have never tried scuba shack.

Weather is unpredictable, particularly in Nov. About 50% of the time boats don't launch cause of weather. Usually, they only know three days in advance. Expect and accept weather delays, they make for a good excuse to go to a wine farm.

xrandomx, PM if you are looking for a buddy. I will probably book with BlueFlash for Saturday.

The original Scuba Shack is no more. The brand/ website has been bought by an independent instructor. He gets his rental gear from Pisces Divers. I did a guided dive with him once -- no complaints about the service, but he's a bit more expensive than the other shops.