I see this thread was started over two years ago, but has been revived. So the OP may not be reading it any more or may have already done his shark trip.
On crime: There's some crime everywhere, and some risk in everything we do. But a reputable tour operator will tell you what places/activities to avoid to minimize your risk. The drives to and from the airport are still probably the riskiest part of any trip, unless you're engaged in some of the more dangerous extreme sports. For me, the trip distance and jet lag are a greater deterrent to South Africa than the incidence of crime.
On sharks: I talked to someone who did a caged dive with great whites. She described them bumping the cage hard, and generally in a very agitated state. But I've also talked to someone who operates non-cage shark dives, including with great whites, and he says you can dive with them safely if you know what you're doing. He showed me some pictures of divers and sharks together, sometimes quite close. I gather that the cage operators are doing something to agitate the sharks.
I'd be wary (read: "scared") of diving with sharks under any circumstances, but I would not entirely rule it out if the opportunity presented itself. A very long boat ride would discourage me more than the cost. And I'd be more inclined to do a non-cage dive than a caged one, provided that I completely trusted the operator and the operator had a good safety record. It would have to be an operator I'd been with for non-shark diving, and knew personally.
On crime: There's some crime everywhere, and some risk in everything we do. But a reputable tour operator will tell you what places/activities to avoid to minimize your risk. The drives to and from the airport are still probably the riskiest part of any trip, unless you're engaged in some of the more dangerous extreme sports. For me, the trip distance and jet lag are a greater deterrent to South Africa than the incidence of crime.
On sharks: I talked to someone who did a caged dive with great whites. She described them bumping the cage hard, and generally in a very agitated state. But I've also talked to someone who operates non-cage shark dives, including with great whites, and he says you can dive with them safely if you know what you're doing. He showed me some pictures of divers and sharks together, sometimes quite close. I gather that the cage operators are doing something to agitate the sharks.
I'd be wary (read: "scared") of diving with sharks under any circumstances, but I would not entirely rule it out if the opportunity presented itself. A very long boat ride would discourage me more than the cost. And I'd be more inclined to do a non-cage dive than a caged one, provided that I completely trusted the operator and the operator had a good safety record. It would have to be an operator I'd been with for non-shark diving, and knew personally.