The intricate reefs and amazing variety of marine life in South Africa will leave you reeling with disbelief.
There’s nothing quite like the underwater world of South Africa. The intricate reefs and amazing variety of marine life will leave you reeling with disbelief. Due to the size of the South African coastline almost every type of diving is available here so if variety is what you’re after you couldn’t pick a better place. The environment changes the further you head along the coast and there’s even an inland diving spot located near Johannesburg where divers can explore a quarry and beginners can practise the lessons they have learned in a confined space.
South Africa experiences relatively good weather all year round. Divers who aren’t fond of full wetsuits will prefer the eastern side of the country where, due to the Mozambique current, the waters are on par with those in more tropical locations. The closer you get to Cape Town the cooler the waters become, however this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the cooler temperatures have enabled a beautiful kelp forest to thrive that is definitely worth seeing. That said, the best time to dive is during the months of March and April when the water temperatures and visibility are at their highest.
Finding a dive school in South Africa is easy as there are a selection for you to choose from in almost all of the major cities and coastal resorts, even in landlocked Johannesburg where many people opt to do their training and confined water activities before heading to nearby Sodwana Bay for open water dives. The majority of the dive schools in the country offer PADI courses and certifications, however with a bit of looking around you will also find schools offering SSI and NAUI courses.
If you have the opportunity to visit South Africa for an extended length of time you will be in for a real treat as there are a number of occurrences here that no diver will want to miss out on. During January the east coast of South Africa is populated with whale sharks that travel here via the Mozambique current. February sees the turtle season and divers that are lucky will be able to see the turtles moving out to the beaches in order to lay their eggs. Humpback whales visit South African waters between August and October and catching a photograph of one of these magnificent beasts is not something any diver would pass if given the chance. And finally the great white is known to populate the waters between May and October and there are plenty of opportunities to experience swimming with one in a specially designed cage.
South Africa really is a country like no other and the vast variety of dive sites and experiences really should not be underestimated. One thing that is guaranteed is that you will have a truly unforgettable time so remember to take your dive camera (or hire one) so that you can record your memories and look back on them for the rest of your life.