Cape Town is a year around cold water dive paradise with a constant backdrop of stunning mountain scenery.

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Cape Town is with a population of almost four million the second biggest cities in South Africa. It is a city almost all tourists visit and has become one of the most popular diving destinations. It is known for its shark cage dives, colonies of seals, its beautiful wrecks and excellent coral reefs, most reached from shore or by Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs). If you are a trimix or nitrox diver you will be treated special as there are several wrecks at depth which technical divers can fully explore and enter.

Cape Town is together with Mosselbaai and Gansbaai, the prime destination for baited shark diving; a thrilling experience that is on most divers wish list. The great white shark is protected in South Africa since 1991 and education, strict guidelines and regulation is on a very high level. It is also very common to see sharks jumping out of the water catching one of the seals from beneath and splashing back into the water. There are actually two separate dive sections at close distance from Cape Town. The Atlantic Coast experiencing colder 13 degrees scuba conditions because of the Benguela currents and False Bay with 17 degrees a lot milder because of the Agulhas currents.

Hout Bay is the common access point for the western Atlantic Coast which is best dived in summer from October to February. Water temperatures are between ten and twelve degrees year-around and visibilities are between ten and twenty meter. Diving here is not for the faint hearted. Surge can be enormous and is known to throw and pull divers out onto the sharp rocks. With a north-western wind you can be diving in waters with less than two meter viz. And on top of that; we strongly advice dry suits as the water can be freezing.

False Bay is protected from winds and currents because of the Cape Peninsula to the west. March to September is the best time to dive False Bay, especially after a period of north-westerly winds when visibilities can catch up to about fifteen meters. Water temperatures are between twelve and eighteen degrees Celsius and most diving activities start near Millers Point.

So whenever you are in Cape Town, there is a place which has the perfect conditions to do a great dive. It is easy to book a tour, some dives are easily accessible from shore and the scenery with its table mountains offers a spectacular background. Other non diving activities include visiting the rugged cape, horse riding, hiking and sunbathing on white beaches. You can visit Robben Island and visit the place where Nelson Mandela spent much of his life. Two Oceans Aquarium is a diving experience located at the waterfront of Cape Town where you can experience diving with sharks or some of the other animals that live in South Africa waters. Underwater sights you don't want to miss are seals, colourful anemones, tall greenish kelp forest and many different species of nudibranches. Southern Right Whales are often spotted in False Bay from August to October.

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