South Africa is known for its great variety of water attractions that offer tremendous scuba diving opportunities. The country has an extensive coastline with a great variety of marine life, underwater topography and water temperatures that offer some of the world’s greatest scuba diving experiences The Mozambican currents flowing towards the eastern side of South Africa carry warm currents known to make the water perfect for sighting dolphins, eagle rays, manta, white sharks, whales and intricate display of coral reefs.
Outstanding Dive Sites
South Africa offers terrific diving sites at Northern Pinnacles in Protea Banks. The area is renowned for glorious stretches of pink coral and some of the world’s rarest fish. Divers will be tempted to try cave diving at Hole in the Wall for captivating penetration dives. The place is also a focal point where ragged tooth sharks can be spotted in November.
For novice or intermediate divers, a small reef known as Anton’s reef at Sodwana Bay is distinguished for shallow dives. For more adventurous dive, cage dives are rife at Mosselbaai where shoals of white sharks can be spotted. Sodawana Bay’s Nine Mile Reef offers great diving sites for deep underwater divers. The place has stunning underwater topography with predominant pinnacles and coral tree growth.
The Western Cape coast offers cool diving sites where divers can dive in chilly yet beautiful kelp forests. Divers can float beneath the canopy as they admire the stunningly colorful reef diversity
Dive Schools
Novice divers can take their first dive in a derelict quarry called Komati Springs situated in Mpumalanga Province. Here, deep diving, mixed gas and re-breather courses are taught. A wide selection of scuba diving resorts are also found at Rocktail Bay and Sodwana bay. Both venues operate dive camp as well as offer a range of dive packages, PADI dive courses in addition to diving equipment hire.
Best Time to Dive
Since the waters are known to reach 19 degrees Celsius between July and October, the warmer months — when the temperatures reach as high as 24 degree Celsius — are highly recommended for diving in February and March. Ragged tooth sharks can be spotted from June to November, and if looking to sight hammerheads and tiger sharks, then December and January are the ideal months.
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