vjongene
Contributor
I traveled through kwaZulu Natal with the family over the holidays, and we figured that a few days' diving in Sodwana Bay would be nice. We reserved a cottage at Sodwana Bay Lodge, and arranged dives with the Lodge's Scuba Club. While this may have been a good idea at other times of the year, early January is definitely not the time to be there.
The beach at Sodwana Bay, which is supposed to be a National Park, is in fact a National Parking Lot. In spite of regulations aimed at limiting the number of vehicles on the beach, there are hundreds of SUVs and "bakkies" spread out along the water, and a constant stream of vehicles driving in and out. There are also about half a dozen dive operators setting up tents on the beach, and processing as many divers as they can handle. SBLSC was running three or four RIBs, each of them making dives every two hours (7, 9, 11 and 1 pm). The tent area, where the divers had to prepare their kits, was total chaos, with rig handlers constantly shuttling equipment in and out. Just making sure that you knew which boat you were supposed to be on, and that your gear would be on the same boat, was a major challenge. The dives were cattle dives at their worst: one DM for 10 clients, and no possibility to dive independently, since the RIB was following a float towed by the DM and everyone was under strict orders to surface if they should lose the group. Of course, no effort was made to group divers of similar experience. Finally, many seemed intent on destroying the reef with their fins and hands (a strong surge didn't help), and the DMs couldn't care less.
To top it all off, the weather was hot and muggy (about 35 C at midday), and the cottages had no A/C. There was absolutely nothing to do for my wife, who is not a diver. I would gladly go back to dive Sodwana Bay in winter (say, June or July), because the reefs are really worth it, but I would strongly recommend against going there during the South African summer holidays.
The beach at Sodwana Bay, which is supposed to be a National Park, is in fact a National Parking Lot. In spite of regulations aimed at limiting the number of vehicles on the beach, there are hundreds of SUVs and "bakkies" spread out along the water, and a constant stream of vehicles driving in and out. There are also about half a dozen dive operators setting up tents on the beach, and processing as many divers as they can handle. SBLSC was running three or four RIBs, each of them making dives every two hours (7, 9, 11 and 1 pm). The tent area, where the divers had to prepare their kits, was total chaos, with rig handlers constantly shuttling equipment in and out. Just making sure that you knew which boat you were supposed to be on, and that your gear would be on the same boat, was a major challenge. The dives were cattle dives at their worst: one DM for 10 clients, and no possibility to dive independently, since the RIB was following a float towed by the DM and everyone was under strict orders to surface if they should lose the group. Of course, no effort was made to group divers of similar experience. Finally, many seemed intent on destroying the reef with their fins and hands (a strong surge didn't help), and the DMs couldn't care less.
To top it all off, the weather was hot and muggy (about 35 C at midday), and the cottages had no A/C. There was absolutely nothing to do for my wife, who is not a diver. I would gladly go back to dive Sodwana Bay in winter (say, June or July), because the reefs are really worth it, but I would strongly recommend against going there during the South African summer holidays.
