South Africa offers a range of beautiful dive sites, but if you do not want to take a boat out to dive then you should consider the shore dives available. If you are taking a trip to Cape Town there are many dive sites on the east coast of the Cape Peninsula. Some of the sites are located in False Bay while others are on the Atlantic side.
Why Go Shore Diving?
There are many reasons why you should consider shore diving instead of boat diving. Cape Town offers a number of amazing dives that you can easily access from the shore and you will not have to worry about the costs of a charter to take you to the dive site. It is also possible to hire a dive leader from dive shops to help you find and travel through the dive sites.
The Clan Stuart
In 1914 the SS Clan Stuart, a British turret steam ran aground on the False Bay coast. The dive is an easy shore dive because it is shallow and suitable for divers of any experience level. The wreck offers diverse reef animals and an interesting wreckage. The engine block of the wreck can be seen from the shore because it sticks out of the water. Great white sharks have been seen in the area on occasion, but this is very rare.
The A-Frame
The A-Frame offers easy entry and some very interesting swim throughs. The entry point is a flat rock plateau where you will descend to a sandy area where you can move through a kelp forest. There are a number of deep holes and overhangs to explore. The site is suitable for night dives and shy sharks are commonly seen along with cuttlefish and octopus.
Pyramid Rock
While the pyramid rock dive is a shore dive it is possible to also complete this using a boat. The highlight of this dive is the Seven Gill Cow Sharks and many divers have seen many of these sharks in a single dive. While these sharks do have teeth no divers have ever been bitten.
Justin’s Caves
One of the most popular shore dives during the summer months is Justin’s Cave. This is a fun dive because there are caverns with crayfish, sponges and anemones living in them. There are many harmless small sharks in the area. Many years ago there was a great white shark seen on the dive, but this is extremely rare.
The Maori
If you are looking for a wreck dive on the Atlantic side then the Maori is the right dive for you. The cargo ship which went down was traveling from London to New Zealand and was carrying pipes, crockery and explosives. The wreck is considered to be one of the best-preserved wreckages to dive off the South African coast Some points of interest in the dive at the steam engines and railway lines for the cargo.
Castle Rock
The name of the dive is a bit misleading as Castle Rock is actually made up of a number of huge rocks in a small bay area. The starting point of this dive is a small bay which will lead you through a large kelp forest. This site offers some amazing marine life with large numbers of different fish types including Cape Knife Jaw, Steenbras and Pyjama sharks. You will need to park on the side of the road and kit up there before walking down to the entry point.
There are many shore dives that you should consider when visiting Cape Town. The best dives are on the False Bay and Atlantic sides of the peninsula.