For scuba diving enthusiasts, the possibilities are endless: there are coral reefs with brightly-coloured inhabitants that enjoy the warm Indian Ocean, the wrecks of dozens of ships that struck rock along the treacherous Cape south coast, and the icy waters of the Atlantic West Coast that offer a completely different scuba-diving experience.
Sodwana Bay, along the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, is most popular amongst divers of all levels of interest and experience. This is an enchanted coral garden teeming with rainbow-hued creatures. Although it’s the first stop for beginners, it is just as loved by intermediate and advanced divers.
Wreck-diving along the Cape south coast is the playground of advanced and highly experienced divers, as special safety precautions are necessary in this enticing ship graveyard.
Numerous inland dive-sites also attract intrepid scuba-divers wanting to wet their suits, but most of these sites are underwater cave systems and require a high level of experience to ensure optimal safety.
Popular Dive Sites:
Western Cape
By world standards, the Western Cape is a unique dive spot in every sense. Embraced by two oceans – one warm, one cold – diving here is possible throughout the year in two completely different environments. In summer, south-easterly winds ensure a calm Atlantic Ocean with clear, though icy, water. The winter north-westerly gales bring rain and clear, clean water to False Bay.
Summer (from September to April) is the best time to dive the Atlantic Seaboard and its myriad of wrecks. At least 16 wreck-diving sites have been identified west of False Bay and these include RMS Athens (1865), SS South African Seafarer (1966), The Vis (1740), The Trafalgar (1839) and the famous Lusitania (1911).
False Bay is filled with the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, courtesy of the Agulhas Current. Although actually situated in the transition area between currents, a much greater variety and density of fish is found on this eastern side of Cape Point. However, divers should steer clear of Seal Island and Whittle Rock as this is great white shark territory. Rather head for Garden of Eden, Castle Rocks, Miller’s Point, Spaniard Rock, The A-Frame or the many other spots accessible to all levels of experience.
Advanced divers can enjoy Batsata Rock or Steenbras Deep, further along the coast. Between Cape Hangklip and Mossel Bay are more inviting dive-sites, most notably the wreck of the HMS Birkenhead, which promises a thrilling dive for experienced divers.
The Garden Route
Although best-known for its magnificent terrestrial beauty, the Garden Route offers warm-water diving along a splendid stretch of coastline.
Water clarity here is affected by the seasons as well as by the numerous rivers that flow into the ocean. Plan your trip for the winter months of May to September, when water temperatures range between 16 and 18°C and visibility is good (from eight to 15m).
December and January are also popular diving months, with water temperatures often hitting 25°C (but with visibility reduced to 5m). Reefs along this coastline are brilliantly colourful, with many animal species found nowhere else in the world.
Good sites in the Mossel Bay area include Windvogel Reef with an impressive variety of large fish, but this spot is only for experienced divers. Less experienced enthusiasts should head for Santos Reef.
Knysna offers the Phantom wreck, fit for beginners, and the Paquita in the Heads for experienced divers. There are also plenty of options when it comes to ocean dives, and the reefs in the area remain remarkably unspoiled.
The sweeping curve of Plettenberg Bay has good diving conditions all year round, though September and October are the best months for diving. Most diving is from boats or inflatables to easily-accessible reefs that are well populated with marine life.
Further along the coast, in the rugged Tsitsikamma National Park, is the only scuba trail in the country. Best times are February and March and again in June and July to see both soft and hard corals, magnificent sea fans and delicate basket stars.
Sunshine Coast
Between Cape St Francis and Port Elizabeth, reefs remain relatively unexplored.
February to September and in November are good times to explore this area of the Sunshine Coast .
Depths range from three to 40m and reefs are mostly only accessible by boat. Along this stretch of water you’ll find the wreck of the Santissimo Sacramento from 1647 and, more recently, the MV Kapodistrias, which sank in 1985 before a beach of spectators.
There are many, many other gems lining the coast all the way to Bird Island, famous for the sinking of the Doddington in 1755. Just 23 of her crew of 270 survived when the ship struck rock at midnight. Survivors then endured seven months on the uninhabited island before being rescued.
Further along the coast between Port Alfred and Gonubie lie numerous relatively unexplored dive-sites and wrecks. Here the best time to dive is from May to August, but sea conditions are known to change extremely fast, which makes planning a dive trip rather tricky. Boat and shore dives are possible to the dramatic underwater world that is a blaze in colours of red, yellow and orange. Magnificent corals and sponges and unusually large fish characterize this area – but so do sharks.
Wild Coast
The Wild Coast stretches along the Eastern seaboard of South Africa and is known for its rugged scenery and unforgiving ocean waves.
Scuba divers have hardly explored the reaches of the Wild Coast , and the missing treasure of the Grosvenor (1782) and the wreck of the Waratah (1910) still elude treasure seekers.
This south-east stretch of coastline is truly wild and rolling swells pound the coast, making diving only possible by boat. Difficult road access to the area has also spared dive-sites from exploitation and enabled the underwater world to remain pristine.
KwaZulu Natal South Coast
Further north, along the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, the land is characterized by rolling hills of green sugar cane, and the Indian Ocean is warm and inviting.
Winter, from May to September, is the best time to dive this coastline, as rainfall is low and rivers don’t muddy the ocean.
Aliwal Shoal, an extensive submerged reef 5km off Umkomaas, is popular amongst experienced divers and those who love sharks. Accessible by boat only, diving this site requires steely nerves as the launch is often difficult. Although this stretch of coast is known for great white, mako, Zambezi, dusky and tiger sharks, no scuba-divers have ever been attacked. The famous wreck of the Produce (1974) – lying gracefully on her side – is another popular dive nearby.
Elephant Coast
North of Durban is the Zululand Coast – including Sodwana Bay – which ribbons all the way to Mozambique. Here scenery above and below water is breathtaking and diving is rated as some of the best in the world. This is the mecca of South African scuba-diving with near-perfect underwater visibility, lukewarm water, fantastical coral gardens and a spectacular array of marine species.
The best time for diving are the winter months, from April to September, with peak underwater visibility in May and June.Here the water temperature is always above 21°C, but often reaches 28°C.
Loggerhead and leatherback turtles lay their eggs on these beaches in the summer months, which completes the picture of this piece of paradise. This coastline couldn’t be more beautiful if it tried.
Inland dive sites
Wondergat – this freak sinkhole is the most popular inland dive-site in South Africa. It’s said to be bottomless and many divers have disappeared in its sinister depths. Situated near Mafikeng in the North West province, Wondergat is a cave system and shrimps, crabs and small freshwater fish can be seen.
Badgat – a high-altitude dive near Badplaas in Mpumalanga. There’s little life in the water and a shotline is essential.
Miracle Waters – this 30m deep man made hole caused by silica mining is very popular with divers and is situated only 10km from Hartbeespoort Dam, north of Johannesburg.
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