Namen tega regionalnega potapljaškega vodnika je že usposobljeni potapljač z informacijami, ki bodo pomagale načrtovati potope v vodah polotoka Cape in False Bay, bodisi kot lokalni prebivalec ali obiskovalec. Informacije so na voljo brez poseganja in niso zajamčene točne ali popolne. Uporabite ga na lastno odgovornost. Ko je mogoče, jo razširite ali popravite.
Opisana regija je znotraj enodnevnega potovanja s ceste iz katerega koli dela večjega Cape Town, v Zahodni rt provinca Južna Afrika in vključuje več kot 280 imenovanih potapljaških mest, za katera so zabeleženi položaji, kar je veliko za kateri koli posamezen cilj.
Podrobne informacije o posameznih potapljaških mestih najdete v podčlenikih, povezanih z Potapljaška mesta odsek. Informacije v opisih strani se gibljejo od površnih do zelo podrobnih, odvisno od tega, kaj je znano o spletnem mestu. Obstaja lahko zemljevid. Batimetrične karte podjetja SURGMAP se posodabljajo, ko in ko se zbirajo novi podatki o raziskavi, in se preslikajo s plavanjem kontur z vleko boje GPS. So razmeroma natančni - običajno v nekaj metrih - in zanesljivi za prikazano, a le redko popolni. Povsem mogoče je, da so bili zamujeni nekateri visoki vrhovi. Ni zagotovila, da ga ne boste odkrili, če ga udarite s čolnom. Če boste, nas obvestite.
V nekaterih primerih bo članek o potapljaškem mestu vključeval več spletnih mest, ki so v neposredni bližini, saj bo večina informacij skupna vsem. V drugih primerih bosta dve sosednji lokaciji, ki običajno zajemata razbitine, vsak svoj podčlen, če pa sta dve ali več razbitin v enakem položaju ali če se znatno prekrivata, bosta opisani v istem pododstavku.
Razumeti
Splošna topografija
Mesto Cape Town je bilo ustanovljeno na severnem koncu Ljubljane Polotok Cape, ozek gorski pas kopnega s širino največ 11 km in dolžino nekaj več kot 50 km. Severna meja je obala zaliva Table, velik odprt zaliv z enim samim otokom, Otok Robben, v ustih.
Raztrgana obala označuje zahodno mejo vzdolž Atlantskega oceana. Številni majhni zalivi se nahajajo vzdolž obale z enim samim velikim, Zaliv Houtpribližno polovico poti. Južneje se polotok zoži, dokler se pri Cape Pointu ne konča. Območje gora s Table Mountain na 1.085 m na severnem koncu predstavlja hrbtenico polotoka. Najvišja točka južnega polotoka je Swartkop, na 678 m, blizu Simonovega mesta. Polotok ima po večjem delu obale dokaj strma pobočja, z zelo ozkimi območji razmeroma ravnega zemljišča, razen zahodne strani južne konice.
Strma vzhodna stran meji na False Bay, ta odsek obale pa vključuje manjši zaliv Smitswinkel, Simonov zaliv in zaliv Fish Hoek, kjer se med obalama na obeh straneh razprostira pas nizkega tal. Pri Muizenbergu postane obala razmeroma nizka in peščena ter se zavije proti vzhodu čez južno mejo Ljubljane Cape Flats do Gordonovega zaliva, da tvori severno mejo False Baya. Od Gordonov zaliv obala se niha približno na jug in se cik-cak usmerja ob vznožju gorskega veriga Hottentot's Holland do rta Hangklip, ki je na skoraj enaki zemljepisni širini kot Cape Point. Najvišji vrh na tej strani je Kogelberg s 1.269 m.
V načrtu je zaliv približno kvadraten s precej klimavimi robovi, približno enak obseg od severa proti jugu kot vzhod proti zahodu (30 km), celotna južna stran pa je odprta proti oceanu. Površina False Baya je bila izmerjena na približno 1090 km², prostornina pa približno 45 km³ (povprečna globina približno 40 m). Območje kopnega je bilo izmerjeno na 116 km z zemljevida v razmerju 1: 50 000.
Dno morfologije False Baya je na splošno gladko in dokaj plitvo, nežno nagnjeno navzdol od severa proti jugu, tako da je globina v središču ustja približno 80 m. Dno je prekrito z usedlinami, ki segajo od zelo grobe do zelo fine, večina drobnih usedlin in blata pa je v središču zaliva. Glavna izjema je dolg greben sedimentnih kamnin, ki se razteza v smeri proti jugu od Stranda do približno ustja reke Steenbras. Južni vrh tega grebena je znan kot Steenbras Deep.
V zalivu je en pravi otok, otok Seal, pusta in kamnita izrastlina granita, dolga približno 200 m, s površino približno 2 ha. Od Strandfonteina je oddaljen približno 6 km in je na najvišji točki manj kot 10 m nad morjem. Obstajajo tudi številni majhni skalnati otočki, ki se raztezajo nad mejo visoke vode, in druge skale in plitvine, ki se približujejo površju. Večina teh je granit Polotok pluton, toda vzhodno od otoka Seal so navadno peščenjak, verjetno iz Tygerberg v zalivu, čeprav je možno, da so nekateri iz Namizna gora serije. Največje od teh grebenov je Whittle Rock, podvodni hrib granita, ki se dviga od peščenega dna na približno 40 m do 5 m od površine in s premerom približno 1 km.
Zunaj zaliva je Rocky Bank, obsežen greben, ki vpliva na valovne vzorce v njem Namizna gora greben peščenjaka med 20 in 30 m globine na vrhu in nagnjen navzdol globlje od 100 m proti jugu.
Natančno rečeno, False Bay je del Atlantskega oceana, ki sega vse do rta Agulhas, toda v Cape Townu se Atlantic na splošno sklicuje na zahodno obalo polotoka Cape, na vzhodni strani pa False Bay, oz. strani Simonovega mesta. Ta konvencija bo uporabljena v celotnem vodniku.
Lokalna topografija
Najmočnejši vpliv na lokalno topografijo ima lokalna geologija. Nekonsolidirani nanosi mulja, peska ali gramoza so ponavadi dokaj ravni. Skodla in majhni balvani se lahko strmeje nagibajo, podlage in veliki balvani pa so lahko kar koli, od dvignjenega nekoliko nad okoliško nekonsolidirano dno, do previsnih pečin in tor. Tip kamnin in sedimentnih plasti, potop in prepad močno vplivata na obseg možnih oblik grebenov.
Današnje grebenske strukture so se v ledenih obdobjih, ko so bile nadmorske višine, razvile kot oblike površja, granitni grebeni pa so bili v še daljših obdobjih v veliki meri oblikovani s podzemnim vremenskim procesom. Graniti so dokaj stari in so jih tektonske sile zelo spojile, robovi razpok pa so že dolgo imeli, da jih je podtalnica kemično erodirala, da bi zaokrožila vogale in oblikovala globoke razpoke in žlebove, ki so bili kasneje izpostavljeni eroziji. saprolita in nadalje spremenjen z vremenskimi vplivi in erozijo izpostavljenih površin na konstrukcijah, znanih kot temeljni kamni in torji. Podobno je izpostavljena sedimentna skala erodirala, ko je bila izpostavljena nad tlemi. Ko se je gladina morja dvignila med ledeniškim taljenjem, so te oblike preprosto poplavile in ohranile večino svoje prejšnje oblike in značaja. Obalna erozija je od takrat prilagodila grebene na območjih, ki so izpostavljena dovolj visokemu delovanju energijskih valov, zaradi valov in tokov pa pride do nekaterih premikov usedlin.
Podnebje, vremenske in morske razmere
Podnebje Zahodnega Rta
Podnebje na jugozahodnem rtu se močno razlikuje od preostale Južne Afrike, ki je poletna deževna regija in večino padavin prejme v poletnih mesecih od decembra do februarja. Na jugozahodnem rtu je podnebje sredozemskega tipa, v katerem je največ padavin v zimskih mesecih od junija do septembra.
Poleti prevladujoči dejavnik, ki določa vreme v regiji, je območje z visokim pritiskom, znano kot Atlantsko morje, ki leži nad južnim Atlantskim oceanom zahodno od obale Rta. Vetrovi, ki krožijo v nasprotni smeri urnega kazalca iz takšnega sistema, dosežejo Rt z jugovzhoda in povzročijo obdobja do nekaj dni močnega vetra in jasnega neba. Ti jugovzhodni vetrovi so lokalno znani kot Cape Doctor. Regijo ohranjajo razmeroma hladno in pomagajo izpuščati onesnažen zrak z industrijskih območij in Cape Flats na morje. Zaradi svojega južnega vidika je False Bay izpostavljen tem vetrovom, zlasti na zahodni strani, medtem ko Table Bay in zahodna obala polotoka doživljata priobalni veter. Na ta vzorec vetra lokalno vpliva topografija, kolikor pihajo vetrovi Gordonov zaliv , medtem ko je približno 10 km oddaljenih delov Ljubljane Somerset West ima lahko vroč dan in brez vetra.
Za zimo na jugozahodnem rtu so značilne motnje v cirkupopolarnem zahodnem vetru, kar ima za posledico vrsto vzhodno premikajočih se čelnih depresij. Ti prinašajo hladno oblačno vreme, veter in dež s severozahoda, čemur sledi padec temperature in prehod v jugozahodni veter ob prehodu fronte. Jugovzhodni vetrovi nad južnim Atlantikom povzročajo prevladujoč jugozahodni oteklina, značilna za zimske mesece, ki je utripala na izpostavljeni atlantski obali in na vzhodni strani False Baya. Gore polotoka Cape zagotavljajo zaščito na zahodni strani False Bay pred tem vetrom in pred jugozahodnimi valovi - dejstvo, ki je vplivalo na guvernerja Simona van der Stela pri izbiri Simonovega zaliva kot zimskega sidrišča nizozemske vzhodnoindijske družbe ladje za Cape Town. Zimske nevihte na severozahodu so skozi stoletja uničile številne ladje, zasidrane v zalivu Table. Tudi danes se kljub tehničnemu napredku in izboljšanim vremenskim napovedim to še vedno dogaja, čeprav manj pogosto kot v preteklosti, danes pa so reševalne akcije pogosteje uspešne.
Vreme
Splošni trend je, da vreme prihaja z zahoda in se s čelnimi sistemi premika proti vzhodu, lahko pa je tudi več lokalnih vremenskih pojavov, kot so nevihte (redke) in 'berg' vetrovi, ki so topli vetrovi, ki se spuščajo čez gore iz notranjosti. V različnih vremenskih razmerah na območju, zajetem v tem priročniku, se lahko vsak dan znatno razlikujejo, čeprav je splošna težnja morda podobna. Na primer zjutraj lahko na polotoku Cape pade dež, do popoldneva pa so se te razmere morda preselile na vzhodno stran False Baya, polotok pa se lahko razjasni s pomembnim premikom vetra s severozahodnega na jugozahodni. Lokalne razlike v moči vetra so lahko skrajne in včasih težko verjeti, saj je na enem mestu mrtva tišina, nekaj kilometrov stran pa tulje veter. Obstajajo kraji, ki so znani po izpostavljenosti tako jugovzhodnim kot severozahodnim vetrovom, nekateri pa so zaščiteni pred enim ali drugim, medtem ko jugozahodniki pihajo večino krajev, običajno pa ne do enakih skrajnosti. V praksi to pomeni, da se vremenske razmere, v katerih ste v določenem času, lahko bistveno razlikujejo od tistih na kraju potapljanja nekoliko pozneje čez dan.
Berg veter povzroča visoka nadmorska višina v celinskem visokem tlaku, običajno pozimi, na hladnih, suhih osrednjih planotah nad velikim obrobjem, skupaj z nižjimi tlaki na obali. Veter teče po pregibu in se segreva s stiskanjem. Povišanje temperature je lahko znatno in v kratkem obdobju. Ta vroč in suh veter je na morju in ne vpliva močno na pogoje potapljanja, običajno pa mu sledijo hladni vetrovi na kopnem z nizko oblačnostjo, meglo in rosom, ki je pozimi pogosto povezan s približevanjem hladne fronte z zahoda, ki lahko prinese močan zahodni veter in močan čelni dež.
Morske razmere
Valovi in nabreknejo
Valove, ki segajo do obale False Bay in polotoka Cape, lahko obravnavamo kot kombinacijo lokalnih valov in valov iz oddaljenih virov. Oteklino povzročajo vremenski sistemi na splošno južno od celine, včasih precej oddaljeni, med katerimi so najpomembnejši čelni sistemi v južnem Atlantiku, ki ustvarjajo vetrovne valove, ki se nato razpršijo od izvora in se sčasoma ločijo na območja z različnimi območji. obdobje. Dolgotrajni valovi so hitrejši in imajo več energije ter se premikajo pred komponentami krajšega obdobja, zato običajno najprej dosežejo obalo. To je deskarjem znano kot impulz, na splošno pa mu sledi postopno krajšanje, nabrekanje manj energije.
Lokalni vetrovi bodo povzročali tudi valove, ki bodo svoje učinke kombinirali z otekanjem. Obalni vetrovi bodo praviloma splošili morje, saj je doseg (razdalja, ki jo je veter odnesel nad vodo) običajno premajhen, da bi razvili valove velike višine ali dolžine. Če obmorski vetrovi naredijo dovolj močne, bodo povzročili kratek in neprijeten rez, zaradi česar bo vstop in izstop neprijeten, plavanje na površini ali vožnja s čolnom pa neprijetna.
Pri načrtovanju potopa je treba upoštevati kombinacijo nabreklih in vetrovnih valov. To zahteva poznavanje teh pogojev, ki jih številne organizacije napovedujejo s spremenljivo natančnostjo, v nekaterih primerih za sedem ali več dni naprej. Natančnost je praviloma obratno sorazmerna intervalu napovedi. Običajno je precej zanesljiv, če pogledamo dva ali tri dni naprej, lahko pa je nekoliko več kot več kot teden dni. Vreme je takšno.
Upwellings
Jugovzhodni vetrovi, ki pihajo na morju in ob obali na zahodni strani polotoka Cape in vzhodni strani False Baya, povzročajo gibanje površinske vode na morju zahodno od obale zaradi prevoza Ekman. Ta premik vode stran od obale se kompenzira z dvigovanjem globlje vode.
Te počitnice so za potapljača zelo zanimive, saj je voda na zahodni obali hladna in razmeroma bistra. Ker pa ima voda z vodo veliko vsebnost hranil, so počitnice pogosto predhodnice cvetenja planktona, znanega kot "rdeča plima", kar bo drastično zmanjšalo vidljivost. Temperatura vode med dvigovanjem zahodne obale običajno pade pod 12 ° C in občasno lahko doseže hladnih 7 ° C.
Na vzhodni strani False Baya upwellings pogosto povzročajo slabo vidljivost, saj lahko motijo zelo drobne usedline z nizko gostoto, ki so pogoste na tej strani zaliva, zlasti v plitvejšem delu blizu Gordonovega zaliva. Tudi voda je razmeroma hladna, vendar običajno ne tako hladna kot na zahodni strani polotoka, temperature pa se lahko čez dan ali dva spustijo s približno 19 ° C na 12 ° C.
Plima in oseka
Lokalne plime in oseke so v luninem položaju, pol dnevne in sorazmerno šibke, na atlantski obali ali v False Bayu ni močnih plimskih tokov. Nastali plimski tokovi za potapljača malo vplivajo, glavni učinek so rahle spremembe globine na mestu potapljanja in spremembe ovire, ki jo predstavljajo listi alg v bližini površine, kar lahko vpliva na napor, potreben za prehod skozi alpe na površina. V zvezi s tem je na splošno lažje ob plimi.
Spuščanje čolnov na nekaterih navozih je lahko težko ob oseki, kar lahko občasno vpliva na urnike potopov, pomlad pa je približno v času prvega spuščanja (približno od 9:00 do 9:30).
Največje območje plimovanja v Cape Townu je približno 1,86 m (pomladna plima), v Simonovem mestu pa 1,91 m, z najmanjšimi dosegi na obeh mestih približno 0,26 m (neplima).
Temperatura vode
Povprečna temperatura poletnega površja Atlantika ob polotoku Cape je v območju od 10 ° do 13 ° C. Spodnja temperatura je lahko za nekaj stopinj hladnejša. Najnižja temperatura je približno 8 ° C, čeprav so bile trditve že do 6 °, največ pa okoli 17 ° C.
Povprečna zimska temperatura površine Atlantika ob polotoku Cape je v območju od 13 ° do 15 ° C. Spodnja temperatura na kopnem je približno enaka.
Povprečna zimska temperatura površine False Bay je približno 15 ° C, temperatura dna pa približno enaka ali nekoliko nižja. Povprečna poletna temperatura površine False Bay je približno 19 ° C. Spodnja temperatura je običajno 1 ° do 3 ° C nižja kot pozimi, vendar 10 ° do 12 ° C ni neznana.
Tokovi
Na večini potapljaških mest v tej regiji tokovi običajno niso pomembni. Plitvi površinski tok lahko v kratkem času povzroči močan veter, kar je lahko nevšečnost, če se pusti na morju. Globina toka je odvisna od tega, kako dolgo piha veter, in ko se med potapljanjem pojavi nenaden veter, je tok plitk in potapljač se lahko vrne na obalo s 3 do 6 m globine pod večino toka. Plimski tokovi so zanemarljivi in se pojavijo le na nekaj izoliranih potapljaških mestih, kot je npr Plaža Windmill, med pomladanskimi plimovanjem, ko nekaj nabrekne. Upoštevajte, da bo površinski tok, ki ga poganja veter, zaradi Coriolisovih učinkov tekel levo od smeri vetra, kot pa se bo povečeval in moč bo padala z globino.
Dve kraji, ki bi lahko občutili pomembne tokove, sta na izlivu False Baya, na Rocky Bank in Bellows Rock, kjer vrtinci iz toka Agulhas pogosto proizvajajo tok lahke do srednje moči, ki je lahko dovolj močan, da potapljačem povzroča nevšečnosti v plitvini okoli Bellows Rock. Zaliv južno od Simonovega mesta in na atlantski obali blizu Duiker Pointa in otoka Robben. Ti tokovi so na dnu običajno precej šibkejši in potapljačem ponavadi ne predstavljajo večjih težav, čeprav jim je uporaba DSMB za površinsko obdelavo pomembnejša, saj lahko tudi pri običajnem vzponu z varnostnim postankom zanesemo precej daleč. . Ti površinski tokovi so lahko na začetku potopa bolj neprijetni, saj vas bodo popeljali mimo strelske črte, če vas ne bodo pozvali, da se spustite, kar je treba storiti takoj, ko je črta na vidiku. Tudi glede na ohlapnost strelne črte bo boja navzdol in navzdol tok znamke za več metrov. Pristojni skiper bo nekaj dovolil in potapljače spustil pred bojo.
Podatki o vremenu
Podatki o vremenu v realnem času so za False Bay na voljo od vremenska boja upravlja Center za opazovalno oceanografijo. Prikažejo se trenutni in 7-dnevni zgodovinski podatki za temperaturo površine zraka in morja, moč in smer vetra ter zračni tlak. Položaj boje se lahko razlikuje, vendar je bil oktobra 2012 na 34 ° 11'19 "J, 18 ° 27'03" V. (približno 700 m vzhodno od pristanišča Simon's Town)
Napovedovanje vremenskih in morskih razmer
Napovedovanje potapljaških razmer v tej regiji je dokaj zapleteno. Obstajajo spletna mesta, kot so Buoyweather, Surf-Napoved in Windguru ki zagotavljajo razmeroma zanesljive napovedi vetra in nabrekanja. To bo skupaj z informacijami o nedavnih pogojih temperature vode in vidljivosti omogočilo dokaj zanesljivo napoved razmer nekaj dni vnaprej. Lokalni Wavescape Poročilo o spletnih straneh in surfu je tudi dragocena referenca z značilnim južnoafriškim vzdušjem, čeprav je tako kot drugi namenjeno predvsem deskarjem, potapljači pa se morajo nekoliko interpolirati.
Vidljivost se lahko precej hitro (čez noč) na atlantski obali razjasni zaradi tokov in razmeroma grobih usedlin. Na zahodni strani False Baya je nekoliko počasneje in lahko traja nekaj dni, celo tednov, na vzhodni strani zaliva, kjer so usedline lepe in lahke.
Podatki o satelitski površini morja in klorofilu so na voljo tudi prek interneta in lahko pomagajo napovedati površinske razmere, koliko napovedujejo dna, pa ni znano.
Dokler si ne boste ustvarili občutka za ta postopek, je koristno pridobiti druga mnenja ljudi ali organizacij z izkušnjami.
Nekateri lokalni potapljaški čarterji imajo boljši sloves za napovedovanje vremena kot drugi, nekateri pa bodo skoraj vedno trdili, da so razmere dobre ali so bile dobre. The Modra bliskavica tedenska glasila so tako dobra kot katera koli druga in boljša od mnogih. To se bo nanašalo na prednostna območja ob polotoku Cape, vključno z zahodno stranjo False Bay. Za informacije o vzhodni strani False Bay lahko poskusite poklicati Indigo Divers.
Morska ekologija
Bioregije
Cape Point na vrhu polotoka Cape velja za mejo med dvema od petih obalnih morskih bioregij Južne Afrike. Zahodno od Cape Pointa je hladna do hladna zmerna jugozahodna biološka regija Cape, na vzhodu pa toplejša zmerna bioregija Agulhas. Prelom Cape Point se šteje za razmeroma različno spremembo v bioregijah, kar je jasno razvidno iz razlike v morskem življenju med Atlantskim primorjem polotoka in False Bayom.
Habitati
V tej regiji obstajajo v morju štirje glavni habitati, ki jih odlikuje narava substrata. Substrat ali osnovni material je pomemben, ker zagotavlja podlago, na katero se lahko organizem zasidra, kar je življenjsko pomembno za tiste organizme, ki morajo ostati na določenem mestu. Kamnite obale in grebeni zagotavljajo trden fiksni substrat za pritrditev rastlin in živali. Nekateri med njimi imajo gozdove alg, ki zmanjšujejo učinek valov in zagotavljajo hrano in zavetje za širok spekter organizmov. Peščene plaže in dna so razmeroma nestabilna podlaga in ne morejo zasidrati alg ali mnogih drugih bentoških organizmov. Končno je odprta voda nad substratom in brez gozda alg, kjer morajo organizmi plavati ali plavati. Pogosto najdemo tudi mešane habitate, ki so kombinacija zgoraj omenjenih. Habitati so podrobneje opisani v naslednjih oddelkih.
Skalnate obale in grebeni
Velika večina priljubljenih potapljaških mest v lokalnih vodah je na skalnatih grebenih ali mešanih skalnatih in peščenih dnih z velikim številom razbitin, ki so enakovredne skalnatim grebenom za klasifikacijo habitatov, saj na splošno morski organizmi niso posebni glede material podlage, če je tekstura in trdnost primerna in ni strupen. Za mnoge morske organizme je substrat druga vrsta morskega organizma in običajno je, da več slojev sobiva. Primeri tega so stroki rdečih vab, ki so ponavadi obloženi z gobicami, ascidiji, briozoni, vetrnicami in polži in uhani, ki jih običajno pokrivajo morske alge, podobne tistim, ki jih najdemo na okoliških skalah, običajno z različnimi drugimi organizmi, na morskih algah.
Vrsta skale grebena je nekaj pomena, saj vpliva na obseg možnosti za lokalno topografijo, ta pa na obseg zagotovljenih habitatov in s tem na raznolikost prebivalcev.
Granitni grebeni imajo na splošno razmeroma gladko površino v centimetrski do decimetrski lestvici, vendar so v metrski lestvici pogosto visoko vidni, zato zagotavljajo makro variacije habitata od razmeroma vodoravne zgornje površine, blizu navpičnih stranic, do previsov, lukenj in predorov, v podobnem merilu kot sami balvani in izviri. V primerjavi s celotno površino je majhnih razpok razmeroma malo.
Peščenjak in druge sedimentne kamnine se zelo različno erodirajo in vremensko vplivajo, odvisno od smeri potopa in udarca ter strmine kopanja pa lahko povzročijo grebene, ki so razmeroma ravne do zelo odmevne in polne majhnih razpok. Te značilnosti so lahko pod različnimi koti glede na obalo in fronte valov. V grebenih peščenjaka je veliko manjših jam in prelivov, pogosto pa je veliko globokih, a nizkih skoraj vodoravnih razpok. Na nekaterih območjih je greben pretežno valovito zaokrožen srednje do majhen balvan. V tem primeru je vrsta kamnine malo pomembna.
Obala v tej regiji je bila v zadnjih ledenih dobah precej nižja, podrobna topografija potapljaških mest pa je bila v veliki meri oblikovana v obdobju izpostavljenosti nadmorske višine. Posledično so mesta za potapljanje po značaju večinoma zelo podobna najbližji pokrajini nad morsko gladino.
Obstajajo pomembne izjeme, ko je skala nad in pod vodo drugačne vrste. Ta so večinoma v False Bayu južno od zaliva Smitswinkel, kjer je obala peščenjaka z granitnimi grebeni.
Gozdovi alg
Gozdovi alg so različica kamnitih grebenov, saj alge zahtevajo precej močan in stabilen substrat, ki lahko prenese obremenitve ponavljajočih se valov, ki se vlečejo na rastline alg. Morski bambus Ecklonia maxima raste v vodi, ki je dovolj plitva, da lahko s svojimi plinsko napolnjenimi steblji doseže površino, tako da listi tvorijo gosto plast tik pod površino. Krajša alga s splitskimi ventilatorji Laminaria pallida raste predvsem na globljih grebenih, kjer ni toliko konkurence morskega bambusa. Obe vrsti alg zagotavljata hrano in zavetje številnim drugim organizmom, zlasti morskemu bambusu, ki je osnova za širok spekter epifitov, ki pa zagotavljajo hrano in zavetje za več organizmov.
Alge v mehurju Macrocysta angustifolia je mogoče najti tudi na nekaj lokacijah, večinoma v bližini otoka Robben. To je eno redkih krajev na svetu, kjer lahko na istem mestu najdemo tri rodove alg.
Peščene plaže in dna (vključno z dnom lupine, prodnatega in prodnatega dna)
Na prvi pogled se zdi, da so peščena dna dokaj neplodna območja, saj nimajo stabilnosti, da bi podpirala številne spektakularne vrste, ki temeljijo na grebenih, raznolikost velikih organizmov pa je razmeroma majhna. Pesek se nenehno premika z valovanjem, v večji ali manjši meri, odvisno od vremenskih razmer in izpostavljenosti območja. To pomeni, da morajo biti sedeči organizmi posebej prilagojeni območjem razmeroma ohlapnega substrata, da bodo na njih uspevali, od vseh teh dejavnikov pa bo odvisna raznolikost vrst na peščenem ali gramoznem dnu.
Iz teh razlogov peščena in gramozna dna običajno niso priljubljena pri novcih in obiskovalcih, ki jih ponavadi privlačijo bolj spektakularna mesta, potapljač, ki ga zanima celotna raznolikost morskega okolja, pa lahko osveži in očara. saj obstaja veliko organizmov, ki jih najdemo samo na teh dnih. Večinoma jih lahko najdemo v bližini grebenov, nekaj mest pa je pretežno peščenih.
Peščeno dno ima eno pomembno nadomestilo za svojo nestabilnost, živali se lahko vtaknejo v pesek in se gibljejo gor in dol po njegovih plasteh, kar lahko zagotovi možnosti hranjenja in zaščito pred plenilom. Druge vrste si lahko izkopljejo luknje, v katere se lahko zaprejo, ali pa se prehranjujejo s filtriranjem vode, ki se potegne skozi tunel, ali s podaljšanjem delov telesa, prilagojenih tej funkciji, v vodo nad peskom.
Rdeče plime
Na zahodni obali polotoka in v manjši meri na vzhodni strani False Baya lahko jugovzhodni vetrovi povzročijo dvig globokih, hladnih, s hranili bogatih voda. To se običajno zgodi poleti, ko so ti vetrovi najmočnejši, kar v kombinaciji z močno poletno sončno svetlobo zagotavlja pogoje za hitro rast fitoplanktona. Če nato vzponu sledi obdobje rahlega vetra ali na kopnem, lahko nekatere vrste fitoplanktona cvetijo tako gosto, da obarvajo vodo, najbolj opazno rdečkasto ali rjavkasto, kar je znano kot rdeča plima.
Odvisno od vrste, lahko te rdeče plime zaradi različnih razlogov povzročijo množično smrtnost morskih živali. V nekaterih primerih lahko organizmi zaužijejo vsa razpoložljiva hranila in nato umrejo, pri čemer ostanejo razpadajoči ostanki, ki vodijo do izčrpavanja kisika in zadušijo živalsko življenje, drugi pa lahko preprosto postanejo tako gosti, da zamašijo škrge morskih živali s podobnim učinkom. Tretja skupina je sama po sebi strupena in je lahko še posebej problematična, saj so nekatere vrste, ki se hranijo s filtri, imunske na toksine, vendar jih kopičijo v svojih tkivih in bodo nato strupene za ljudi, ki jih lahko pojedo.
Rdeče plime tudi bolj neposredno vplivajo na potapljaške pogoje, saj zmanjšujejo vidljivost. Zmanjšanje vidljivosti je lahko od blagega vpliva na površinske plasti do resno zmanjšane vidljivosti do precejšnje globine.
Rdeče plime so lahko majhne in lokalizirane ter običajno trajajo nekaj dni, v skrajnih primerih pa je znano, da segajo od Doringbaaija do rta Agulhas, nekaj sto kilometrov do obeh strani Cape Towna, in trajajo tedne, da se razpršijo (marec 2005).
Oprema
Standardna oprema
Večina potapljaških mest v tej regiji je razmeroma plitvih in jih je mogoče izvajati v zraku z običajno rekreacijsko potapljaško opremo, ki bi vključevala:
- Popolna mokra obleka debeline najmanj 5 mm, kapuca, škornji in rokavice.
- Jeklenka s snopom, regulatorjem in potopnim manometrom.
- Naprava za izravnavanje vzgona (BCD).
- Maska in dihalka.
- Plavuti.
- Sistem uteži, ki ga je mogoče odstraniti, je pravilno kalibriran za ostalo opremo.
- Potapljaški računalnik ali merilnik globine in časovnik z dekompresijskimi mizami in načrtom potopa.
K temu lahko dodate:
- Vsa dodatna oprema, ki bi jo vi ali vaša agencija za potrjevanje morda štela za obvezno, na primer sekundarni regulator, nizkotlačni napihovalnik BCD, nož itd.
- Vsa oprema, ki jo nosite ali uporabljate po lastnih željah, kot so kamera, signalna naprava, zapestje, suha obleka, kolu in površinska označevalna boja, nadomestni dovod plina, kompas itd.
Priporočila
- Če imajo vaše plavuti polne žepe na nogah (zaprta peta) in čevlji z mokro obleko na mehkem podplatu, bo morda treba obuti čevlje, da pridete do vstopne točke na kopnih potopih. Plavuti z odprtimi petami in čevlji s trdimi podplati so priporočljivi za večino obalnih potopov v tej regiji, ker so tla ponavadi groba in čevlji morda še vedno ne bodo tam, kjer ste jih pustili, ko se vrnete s potopa.
- Standardna boja za označevanje površin ni priporočljiva tam, kjer je močna rast alg, saj se bo pogosto zataknila in povzročala neskončne motnje. Na takšnih mestih je boljši površinski označevalnik, ki ga je mogoče namestiti ali odložiti, in je vedno dobro, če se potopite s čolnom.
- Opustitev katerega koli od zgornjih elementov je na lastno odgovornost. Obstajajo potapljači, ki ne bodo nosili kapuc, rokavic ali škornjev ali menijo, da dihalka ali BC ni potrebna ali da se lahko potapljajo v 3 mm obleki. Najprej poskusite s tem na enostavnem potopu, kjer lahko hitro pridete ven. Morda vam bo uspelo - v vsakem od teh primerov obstajajo potapljači, vendar ste bili opozorjeni.
Dodatna oprema
Za vsako potapljaško mesto je morda potrebna ali priporočena dodatna ali nadomestna oprema, ki lahko izboljša potapljaško izkušnjo ali izboljša varnost na tem mestu. The most commonly recommended items are:
- Kompas
- Dry suit
- Svetloba
- Nitrox
- Reel with DSMB
Use of a compass is recommended wherever it may be desirable to swim back to shore below the surface to avoid wind or boat traffic, or to keep below the kelp fronds. It is required for the compass navigation routes.
A dry suit is recommended for most dives on the Atlantic seaboard, or in general if the dive is deeper than about 20 m and the water is colder than 13°C. An appropriate undergarment is required for the dry suit, at this is what provides the insulation. With a suitable combination it is possible to enjoy an hour's dive in comfort at a water temperature of 8°C, when most of the divers in 7-mm wetsuits are cold after 30 minutes. If your face and head are particularly sensitive to cold, a full-face mask will keep your face warm.
Recommendations for a light are for daytime dives, as lights are considered standard equipment on night dives. Backup lights should be carried on night dives from a boat. Underwater flashers may not be well received by the other divers as they are extremely annoying. If you feel you must use one, warn the others and stay away from those divers who do not wish to have a light continually flashing in their peripheral vision and distracting them. A strobe which may be switched on in an emergency is another matter entirely, and is accepted as a valuable safety aid.
The equipment recommendations are for divers who are competent to use those items, and if you are not, you should consider whether your competence is sufficient to dive the site without this equipment.
No recommendations are made regarding equipment for wreck penetration dives and deep dives. If you do not know exactly what equipment is required and have it with you, or are not competent in its use, you should not do the penetration. Depth, wrecks and caves are nature’s tools for culling reckless divers.
Recommendations for gas mixtures are generic. You must choose the appropriate mixture based on your qualifications, competence and the dive plan. Nitrox mixtures are generally recommended to increase dive time without obligatory decompression stops, and Trimix to reduce narcotic effects. Nitrox is available from many of the dive shops, and charter operators will usually provide cylinders filled with the blend of your choice if given sufficient notice. Trimix is more difficult to arrange, as not many filling stations keep Helium in stock, so it may require a bit of shopping around.
Decompression dives should generally only be planned by divers who are familiar with the site, and are competent and properly equipped for the planned dive. Recommendations in this regard are outside the scope of this article, and it will be necessary to discuss any planned decompression dives well in advance with the dive operator, as only a few of them are competent and willing to support planned decompression dives, and those will usually require strong evidence of your competence to do the dive, and advance notice of your dive plan.
Exotic equipment
Diving equipment other than open circuit back mounted scuba with half mask and mouth-grip demand valve is considered to be exotic for this section.This would include surface supplied breathing apparatus and full face masks, used as standard equipment by commercial divers, and rebreathers, seldom used by commercial divers, but frequently used by military divers and gaining popularity with Technical recreational divers.
Also considered as exotic equipment is side-mount scuba and diver propulsion vehicles (scooters), as they are not used by many recreational divers.
Generally speaking, any use of surface supplied diving equipment will require special preparation and logistics, which are not available from the listed service providers, but are perfectly legal for use and technical support is available from the suppliers to the commercial diving industry in Cape Town.
Rebreathers are relatively uncommon, but are used by a few local aficionados, and sorb is available over the counter at a few suppliers. There is even one charter boat which regularly runs dives for mainly rebreather divers. Expect to be checked out for skills and certification before being allowed to join these dives, so it would be advisable to make prior arrangements. Technical support is available for a limited range and parts will usually only be available from overseas agencies. Most of the local dive sites do not really justify the expense and relative risk of rebreathers, and they are mostly used by divers who also use them in other places where they are more of an advantage, and by those who just enjoy the technology. They are not available for rental, except in some cases as part of a training package.
Full-face masks will not be a problem, provided you can show your ability to provide buddy support if diving with a partner (some charters will insist that you dive with a buddy). Technical support and parts are available from local agencies for most of the more popular models used for commercial and technical diving, but you may have to wait some time if parts are not in stock. The use of a full-face mask can be a particular advantage when the water is cold, and if you have one and prefer to use it, by all means bring it to Cape Town.
Side mount scuba is relatively uncommon in Cape Town, but there should be no problems if you chose to use it. Do not expect boat crews to know how to help you kit up, but they will probably respond well to explanations. There is a growing number of local side-mount aficionados, including several instructors for side-mount.
Diver propulsion vehicles (scooters) are rare but not unknown. Check with the charter boat whether will be space on board for your unit, and don't expect to find one for rental.
Decompression and bailout sets are not considered exotic, but are not easily available for rental. Bring your own, or ask around. Some of the service providers carry a small range of cylinders suitable for sling mount, but may not have the gas mixture you want in stock. Almost all the local divers that carry decompression or bailout cylinders routinely have their own equipment
Potapljaška mesta
The dive sites described in these articles include some which are well known favourites and have been dived frequently and by many divers for decades, and also newly described sites, which may only have been dived a few times, and by a few divers. There are also sites which have been known for years, but seldom dived due to their relative inaccessibility, and a few which are basically not particularly interesting, but have been included in the interests of completeness, as the information is available, and occasionally people want to know what they are like. With a few exceptions, the information provided is based on personal observation at the sites by Wikivoyagers. All photos of marine life and features of interest were taken at the listed site.
Geographical information is provided in as much detail as is available. Sites are geolinked, which allows them to be identified on various internet map systems. Positional accuracy is usually good. The maps provided should be usable, to scale, and accurate, but are not guaranteed either to be correct in all details or complete. Clicking on the thumbnail will open a link to a higher resolution image.
Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula
Introduction and some tips on diving the Atlantic coast.
This coastline from Table Bay to Cape Point is exposed to the south westerly swells generated by the cold fronts of the Southern Ocean. The continental shelf is narrow in this part of the coast and swells are not greatly influenced by the narrow band of shallow water, so they retain most of their deep-water energy. These swells pound this coast most of the winter, and to a lesser extent in summer, so diving in this region is mostly a summer activity, and the frontal weather patterns far to the south are more important than local weather for swell prediction.
North westerly winds are a feature of the approach of a cold front, and in winter they can be very strong for a few days before swinging to southwesterly as the front passes. These north westerly winter storms were responsible for many shipwrecks in Table Bay and other parts of the west coast, and the associated wind waves can be severe. However the fetch is short and these onshore wind waves do not last long after the storm. They do mess up the visibility though, and this effect lasts for some time after the waves have dissipated.
The south easterly winds are longshore to offshore in this area and tend to knock the swell down a bit. They also cause an offshore displacement of the surface water, which results in deeper water rising to take its place. This upwelling brings colder, initially cleaner water to the inshore areas, and can produce conditions of 20 m visibility and temperatures down to 8°C, though more usually 10° to 12°C. The diving is wonderful if you are sufficiently insulated. Out of the water, however, it is commonly fine and hot, with blazing sunshine high ultraviolet levels and air temperatures in the high 20 and 30° Celsius. This means you will be overheating until you get in the water, hence the comment that summer diving in Cape Town is one easy step from hyperthermia to hypothermia.
There is no escaping the need for a well-fitting, thick (preferably 7 mm), wet suit or a dry suit with an adequate undergarment for these conditions if you intend to stay for more than a few minutes. Carrying a bottle of water with your equipment to wet the outside of your suit before or after putting it on will help keep the temperature down due to evaporative cooling, specially on a windy day. Overheating after leaving the water is seldom a problem. The alternative option of kitting up at the water’s edge requires a shore party to look after your clothes, etc., while you dive, so it has become less common. Do not leave equipment unattended if you wish to see it again.
An upwelling is frequently followed by a plankton bloom, often called a red tide. This will reduce visibility considerably, particularly near the surface. Often the water will be much clearer below the surface layer, though the light levels may be a bit dim and the colour relatively green, or even brownish. The phytoplankton will bloom while the sun shines, so it is much more developed in summer.
The south-easter is an offshore wind at some sites, and besides its influence on temperature and visibility, it also affects the swim back to shore after the dive. The south-easter can appear seemingly out of nowhere on a previously cloudless and windless day, and build up to near gale force in the time you are underwater on a dive, though it is usually predictable, so take note of weather forecasts, and in any case, allow sufficient reserve air to swim back a few metres below the surface. A compass is extremely useful if you do this as it allows you to swim shallower, which is good for air consumption, decompression and warmth. A depth of 3 to 5 m is recommended for a long swim home. The strong south-easter in these cases produces a short, steep wind chop with white-caps which does not penetrate to any significant depth, but the constant slapping of waves and the spray in the air can make snorkelling unpleasant and difficult. There may also be a shallow offshore wind drift (surface current), but this takes some time to develop and gets rapidly weaker with depth and is not usually a problem below about a metre depth inshore. Further offshore the wind induced current can take you several hundred metres during a decompression stop, at a rate of about 0.5 to 1 kph.
When boat diving a deployable surface marker buoy (DSMB) is useful to both facilitate controlled ascent and accurate decompression or safety stop depth, and as a signal to the boat that you are on your way up. In strong wind conditions it will also improve your visibility on the surface, specially if your equipment is all black, so it is worth carrying even if only as a signalling device. Bright yellow has been shown to be best for all round visibility at sea, but orange and red are fairly good too.
Robben Island
These sites are all boat dives. There is no other practical way to get to them, as they are all several kilometres from the mainland across major shipping lanes.The waters around Robben Island were proclaimed a Marine Protected Area in 2019, so a permit is required to dive there. The boat operator will have to have a permit for the restricted area. Details of how this will be done are not yet known.
Local geography:Robben Island is a low, rocky shored island in the mouth of Table Bay. The island and surrounding reefs are rock of the Tygerberg series of the late Precambrian Malmesbury group. These are folded sedimentary rocks, frequently with very steep dip, which often weather to form rather jagged outcrops.
The sites include:
- 1 MV Zaklad: S33°40.45' E018°19.95' (approximate)
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 30 to 50 m
- On 23 June 2000 the damaged Panamanian registered bulk ore carrier sank off the coast of South Africa approximately 7 nautical miles north of Robben Island.
- The vessel lies upright on a fairly level bottom at about 50 m depth. The superstructure was removed shortly after the sinking by sawing it off at about 30 m depth with a cable towed by tugs as it was a hazard to shipping.
- 2 Robben Island steamer wreck: S33°49.886', E018°21.524' (approximate centre of wreckage)
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 30 to 36 m
- Unidentified wreck of a steel steamship about 48 m long in reasonable structural condition.
- 3 MV Afrikaner: S33°50.012' E018°20.686'
- Samo dostop do čolna. Deep wreck dive. Depth 43 to 50 m
- The 61 m fishing vessel struck Whale Rock in 1993 and sank while being towed away from the rock.
- 4 Whale Rock: S33°50.112' E018°22.858'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: Mostly less than 10 m
- A large shoal area of rocky reef, usually with a break over the pinnacle, which is the last resting place of a few ships.
- 5 SS Hipatija: S33°50.10’ E018°22.90’ (Turner 1988)
- Wreck and reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: Shallow, maximum probably about 15 m
- British Houston Line steamer of 5 728 tons, built in 1902. Wrecked on Whale Rock in Table Bay on 29 October 1929 in fog while on a voyage from Beira to New York with a cargo of blister copper and chrome ore.
- 6 MV Daeyang Family: S33°50.388' E18°23.133
- Wreck and reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 15 m
- A large Korean ore carrier which was wrecked on Whale Rock on 1 March 1986 when anchors dragged in heavy weather. The wreckage lies at a depth of about 15:nbsp;m
Table Bay
- 7 MV Winton: S33°52.1514' E18°29.1828 (Engine block)
- Wreck dive. Boat access, though shore access is feasible. Close to surf line. Maximum depth about 6 m.
- Wreck of a small steel freighter on a flat sand bottom.
- 8 MV Gemsbok: S33°53.0' E018°20.5'
- Samo dostop do čolna. Deep wreck dive. Depth about 57 m on the sand.
- The 50 m 313 tonne buoy tender MV Gemsbok capsized and sank about 4 km from Green Point Lighthouse on 2 Seprember 1975 while transferring an anchor chain of a cargo vessel. The chain snagged and the weight of the chain caused the vessel to capsize and sink within minutes. The wreck lies on its starboard side.
- 9 Highfields: S33°53.13’ E018°25.83’ (Bow)
- Wreck dive. Boat access only. Close to major shipping lane at harbour mouth. Maximum depth 24 m.
- Wreck of a steel barque which sank after a collision in 1902.
- 10 SS Cape Matapan: S33°53.233' E018°24.533' About a kilometer north of Granger Bay harbour
- Wreck and reef dive. Boat access only. Maximum depth 25 m. The wreck is close to the shipping lane and there are no landmarks nearby.
- Wreck of a steel fishing boat which was sunk in a collision in 1960 in heavy fog.
- 11 RMS Atene: S33°53.85’ E018°24.57’
- Wreck and reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 7 m
- Union Company iron steam screw barque of 739 tons, built in 1856. Wrecked between Mouille Point and Green Point on 17 May 1865 during a north-west gale while trying to steam out of Table Bay. The site can be identified by the remains of the engine-block, which is visible above the water.
- 12 SS SA Seafarer: S33°53.80’ E018°23.80’
- Wreck and reef dive. Boat access recommended. Depth: Fairly shallow. Mostly between 5 and 9 m.
- The 8000-ton Safmarine freighter SS South African Seafarer was wrecked in a north westerly gale on 1 July 1966, and lies in front of the Green Point lighthouse.
- 13 Two Oceans Aquarium: S33°54.476’ E018°25.074’
- Shore access only. Confined water. Maximum depth 6 m
- Visitors may dive in the Predator tank, which is a large oval tank, or the Kelp Forest tank, which is roughly square. There are large windows, almost full height on one side, through which you can observe the other visitors watching you if you get bored with the fish.
Sea Point
Local Geography:There is a narrow coastal plain at the base of Signal Hill and Lion’s Head. The contact zone between the intrusive granites of the Polotok pluton and the sedimentary greywackes and shales of the Tygerberg formation of the Malmesbury series is in this area.The northern sites are on the Tygerberg rocks, which are steeply dipped and form parallel ridges and gullies, while Bantry Bay is on the granite, and has the characteristic corestone topography of rounded boulders and outcrops with sand bottom in deeper areas.
The sites include:
- 14 Three Anchor Bay: S33°54.36’ E018°23.85’
- Reef dive. Shore access. Depth: Shallow
- A small sand bottomed bay with reef to both sides. Easy access.
- 15 Vrhovi grebena Sea Point: S33°54.905' E018°21.421'
- Reef dive. Boat access. Depth: 17 to 27 m
- An isolated pair of corestone pinnacles on a low granite ridge.
- 16 Bantry Bay: S33°55.56’ E018°22.65’
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access Depth: Less than 10 m
- This little bay is at the southern end of Sea Point, towards Clifton.
Clifton
Clifton Rocks is generally considered a shore dive, but the Paws are quite a distance offshore and are only dived from boats. Parking in Clifton is often a problem, particularly in the kind of weather in which you may wish to go diving. Weekdays will be better and early morning will help. The offshore dives avoid this problem by using boats from Oceana Power Boat Club slipway, which has its own parking problems, though not quite as serious.
Local geography:The suburb of Clifton is built on the rather steep slopes of the base of Lion’s Head above Clifton Bay. There are four beaches in the bay which are famous for white sand, shelter from the south easter and cold water. North Paw is offshore of the headland to the north, and South Paw is offshore from Clifton Rocks, on the south headland. Access to the area by road is from Sea Point to the north and Camps Bay to the south.
The reefs of Clifton are granite corestones of the Polotok pluton. In this area the granite base of the mountain extends to approximately the height of Signal Hill, and is capped by sandstones of the Graafwater and Table Mountain formations. Occasional rounded granite outcrops can be seen on the mountainside, which is mostly deeply weathered granitic saprolite, with some sandstone scree.
The sites include:
- North Lion’s Paw: S33°55.854’ E018°21.849’ (Exposed Rock)
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 15 to 23 m.
- A spectacular site in good conditions. A popular part of the site is the cave rock, which is slightly offshore from the exposed rocks.
- 17 Severna levja šapa Severni vrh
- 18 Severna levja šapa Monty's Pinnacles
- 19 Vzhodni vrh Severne levje šape
- 20 Vrhovi severne levje šape Barry
- 21 Jamska skala severne levje šape
- 22 Glavni greben severne levje šape
- 23 Južna levja šapa: S33°56.308’ E018°21.890’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 20 m.
- An extensive reef of granite corestones marked by the large outcrop which extends above the water.
- 24 Clifton Rocks: S33 ° 56,346 ’E018 ° 22,222’
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 14 m.
- A large area of granite corestones, bounded to the north by sand bottom. The reef extends to seaward from the shoreline at the point.
- 25 Cleevejev predor: S33°56.540' E018°21.894'
- Reef dive. Boat access. Maximum depth about 20 m.
- A large corestone pinnacle with a long low tunnel
Camps Bay
Local geography:Camps Bay is in the corner made by Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. Access is over Kloof Nek from the city bowl, and round the coast from Sea Point via Clifton to the north, and from Hout Bay via Oudekraal to the south
The reefs of this area are like those of Clifton.
The sites include:
- 26 Bakoven skala: S33°57.555’ E018°22.204’
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth 17 m.
- This site is generally considered a shore dive. Parking is limited so it is most conveniently dived during the working week when there is less competition for space, otherwise get there early.
Oudekraal
This area includes some of the best and most popular shore dive sites on the Atlantic seaboard. Most can also be dived from a boat, and this is of particular importance to divers with restricted mobility on shore, as there is generally a rugged bit of coast to negotiate and in some cases a long climb. There is also a moderate to long swim at some of the sites, and at some states of the tide, heavy kelp inshore.
Local geography:The coastline at the base of the Twelve Apostles range just south of Table Mountain is steep, and south of Camps Bay, virtually undeveloped. Fortunately for divers, the coastal road is not far above sea level in the north of this area, and though there are not many off-road parking areas, the road is wide enough to park along the side.
This is an area of pale grey Polotok Granite corestone outcrops and boulders with some Table Mountain Sandstone boulders which have rolled down the mountainside to the water’s edge. The mountainside below the sandstone cliffs is deeply weathered granite saprolite with occasional corestone outcrops. The cuttings at the roadside display the granular yellow-brown saprolite with a thin soil covering. The underwater topography is almost entirely corestones exposed by erosion, surrounded by samd, and is a continuation of the granite boulders and outcrops at the water’s edge.
North Oudekraal
The sites include:
- 27 Dreadlocks Reef: S33°58'22.05" S18°21'42.59"
- Reef dive. Boat access. Depth: 1.5 to 20 m.
- A relatively new site. First survey 30th January 2010. This granite ridge peaks about 1.5m from the surface at low tide, but the tip is small and seldom breaks. Bottom on low granite at about 20m. Colourful and diverse invertebrate cover, and notable for the relatively large colonies of Dreadlock hydroids.
- 28 Geldkis Blinder: S33°58.67’ E018°21.62’
- Reef dive. Boat or shore access. Maximum depth about 20 m.
- A relatively infrequently dived site. The highest rock on the reef is a blinder beyond Geldkis rock which occasionally breaks the surface at low tide. Huge boulders and outcrops, and a few swimthroughs.
- 29 Jagodne kamnine: S33°58.725’ E018°21.658’ (approximate)
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 15 m.
- The two smaller rocks to the north of Geldkis rock. Several small caverns and swimthroughs.
- 30 Geldkis: S33°58.73’ E018°21.61’
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 15 m.
- A large group of rocks with lots of overhangs, swimthroughs and chimneys. The Dutch East Indiaman Het huys te Craijestein was wrecked on the rocks in the bay at Oudekraal on 27 May 1698 in thick mist. Three chests of treasure disappeared and the name "Geldkis" (money-chest) appears on maps of the area and is now applied to the offshore rocks.
- 31 Sejna soba: S33°58.761’ E018°21.151’
- Reef dive. Boat access, though possible from shore. Maximum depth about 21 m near the pinnacle, but deeper water nearby. about 10 m on top.
- A very large boulder with a large swimthrough cave and a large overhang in an area of high profile boulder reef.
- 32 Het Huis te Kraaiestein: S33°58.85’ E018°21.65’
- Wreck and reef dive. Shore access. Maximum depth 10 m.
- Remnants of the Dutch East Indiaman Het Huis te Kraaiestein of 1,154 tons, which was wrecked in the bay at Oudekraal on 27 May 1698 in thick mist while trying to find the way into Table Bay. Some cannon, anchors and a few baulks of timber are all that are usually visible above the sand.
- 33 Gobji vrh: S33°58.781’ E018°21.521’
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth 17 m.
- A submerged granite tor (stacked group of large corestones) between Geldkis and Justin’s Caves. The pinnacle is surrounded by lower outcrops separated by sandy gullies.
- 34 Sandy Cove: S33°58.90’ E018°21.65’
- Reef dive. Confined waters. Shore access. Maximum depth 4 m
- A shallow sheltered cove at Oudekraal, suitable for open water training exercises, refresher courses and testing equipment when you don’t need depth. Entry area for several other sites.
- 35 Justinove jame: S33°58.85’ E018°21.50’
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 13 m.
- A group of big granite corestone outcrops and boulders with several swimthroughs, overhangs, caves and deep narrow gaps between the rocks. Spectacular in good visibility, colourful reef life.
Central Oudekraal
The sites include:
- 36 Antipolis: S33°59.06’ E018°21.37’ (Bow section)
- Wreck and reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 10 m.
- The tankers "Romelia" and "Antipolis" were under tow on 28 July 1977 during a north westerly gale when the tow cable to the "Antipolis" snagged on the sea bed. In the ensuing confusion the cables broke and the two ships were driven aground by the wind. The "Antipolis" ran aground at Oudekraal and was later cut down to water level.
- 37 Klein Pannekoek: S33°58.91’ E018°21.09’
- Reef dive. Boat or shore access. Maximum depth about 15 m.
- A group of large fairly low and flat rocks visible offshore to the west of the "Antipolis" and north of Coral Gardens.
South Oudekraal
The sites include:
- 38 Groot Pannekoek: S33°59.13’ E018°20.75’
- Reef dive. Boat or shore access. Maximum depth about 15 m
- A large flattish outcrop of granite, which extends a short way above the sea level at all tides. Some overhangs, crevices and small caves.
- Koralni vrtovi (Oudekraal): S33°59.270' E018°20.782' (The pinnacles)
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth 17 m
- A spectacular dive in good conditions. Huge granite boulders in groups with open patches between them. There are overhangs, small caverns, a few swimthroughs, and many deep gaps and crevices. Extensively covered in colourful reef life. Possibly the best shore dive on the Atlantic side of the Cape Peninsula on a good day.
- 39 Koralni vrtovi
- 40 Coral Gardens Offshore Pinnacle
Llandudno
These sites can be accessed from the shore or by boat. Parking is limited, but the area is reasonably secure. Some walking is required, but no serious climbing as the parking is near the sea level.
Local geography:The small residential suburb of Llandudno is built on the moderately steep slopes of the Cape Peninsula below the peak of Klein-Leeukop, where the coast road (M6 – Victoria Drive) from Camps Bay crosses over the neck to Hout Bay. There is only one way into Llandudno by road, which is from the M6 near the top of the pass.This is an area of granite corestone reefs with sand bottom.
The sites include:
- 41 13. apostol: S33°59.486' E18°19.922'
- Reef dive. Boat access. Depth: 10 to 24 m.
- A large granite pinnacle on an area of low granite reef with occasional sand patches.
- 42 Llandudno Reef: S34°00.037' E18°19.897'
- Reef dive. Boat access. Depth: 10 to about 30 m, on sand
- An unsurveyed granite reef, with several pinnacles, outcrops and gullies.
- 43 Logies Bay: S34°00.25’ E018°20.53’
- Reef dive. Shore access. Maximum depth probably about 10 m.
- A small rocky cove to the north of Llandudno beach.
- 44 MV Romelia: S34°00.700’ E018°19.860’ approximately
- Wreck and reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 24 m.
- The tankers Romelia in Antipolis were under tow on 28 July 1977 during a north westerly gale when the tow cable to the Antipolis snagged on the sea bed. In the ensuing confusion the cables broke and the two ships were driven aground by the wind. The Romelia ran aground at Sunset Rocks, Llandudno, where its back was broken by the heavy surf and the ship split in two. Later the bow section sank, leaving the stern mostly above sea level on the rocks. Over the years the stern section has also broken up and is no longer visible above the water.
Oude Schip headland
Local geography:Oude Schip headland lies at the foot of the Karbonkelberg between Sandy Bay to the north and Leeugat to the south, It is a low rocky headland of Peninsula granite, with several reef dives and one known wreck. It is a fairly exposed section of coast but protected from the south easterly winds by the mountain. The sites are only accessible by boat as there is no road access to this part of the shore, and most are too far offshore to safely swim.
This is an area of granite bedrock of the Polotok pluton, The reefs are exposed corestone outcrops and boulders, with sand patches in the deeper areas
The sites include:
- 45 Koraki: S34°01.330’ E018°18.600’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 20 m.
- An area of high granite reef with deep gullies. Not actually in Leeugat, but just north of Oude Schip headland.
- 46 MV Harvest Capella: S34°01.600’ E018°18.750’
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 15 m.
- An area of mostly flattish granite reef with a few ridges and some wreckage of a steel motor fishing vessel, some of which has washed up onto the point and is visible from a distance. Not actually in Leeugat, but on the north shore of Oude Schip headland.
The Blue Flash Reefs
- 47 Rachel's Reef: S34°01.431' E018°18.151'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth between about 3 and 21 m.
- Rachel's Reef is a compact granite pinnacle with surrounding high profile reef.
- 48 Humpback Ridge: S34°01.548' E018°18.142'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth between about 4 and 21 m.
- A fairly massive granite pinnacle in the middle of a more extensive north-south ridge rising to about 12 m. Humpback whales have been seen near these reefs on several occasions.
- 49 Wilhelm's Wall: S34°01.502’ E018°17.931’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth between about 12 and 31 m.
- A granite ridge somewhat more than 50 m long with sheer faces to the north and south, a flattish bottomed gully to the south, and another, more broken ridge south of the gully. Colourful sessile invertebrates on the sides and seaweeds on top.
The Middelmas reefs:
- Hakka Reef (Middelmas): S34°01.747’ E018°18.328’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 21 m.
- 50 Die Middelmas is a rock that projects several metres above the water at all tides, to the west of the Oude Schip peninsula.
- 51 Hakka Reef Southeast pinnacles is off this rock.
- 52 Hakka Reef Sven's Caves pinnacles is nearby at a set of pinnacles near a sand patch.
- 53 Twin Towers: S34°01.920’ E018°18.330’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth about 20 m at the tops of the pinnacles to 34 m on the sand.
- A small but tall double-peaked granite pinnacle on a narrow base reef and surrounded by sand.
Leeugat (Maori Bay)
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Although several of the sites are quite close inshore, this area is in practice only accessible by boat, as the distance to the nearest parking is too far to carry dive gear (about 3 km as the crow flies, more on foot).
Local geography:Leeugat, also known to divers as Maori Bay, lies at the foot of the Karbonkelberg, between the northern headland of Oude Schip, and Duikerpunt to the south. It is a small bay, but fairly deep close inshore, which in combination with the partial barrier afforded by the reefs at the headlands, has provided the wrecks in Leeugat bay with better protection from wave action than those on more exposed parts of the coastline. This means that not only have they lasted well for their ages, but conditions are suitable for diving more often than for many other wrecks on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula.
This is an area of granite bedrock of the Polotok pluton, The reefs are exposed corestone outcrops and boulders, with sand patches in the deeper areas
The sites include:
- 54 MV Keryavor and the Jo May: S34°02.037’ E018°18.636’
- Wreck and reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: Not available, probably between 25 and 30 m.
- These two wrecks lie next to each other approximately between the Maori in Gelderland. The Jo May sank first and not much of her wooden structure remains. The Ker Yar Vor was a steel lobster fishing vessel and several chunks of hull structure and twisted sections of plating remain.
- 55 SS Maori: S34°02.062’ E018°18.793’ (Machinery)
- Wreck and reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 6 to 21 m
- SS Maori was a typical British steam cargo vessel of the early 1890s. The ship was wrecked in the bay between Oude Schip and Duikerpunt on 5 August 1909 in thick fog and drizzle while on a voyage from London to New Zealand.
- 56 SAS Gelderland: S34°02.070’ E018°18.180’
- Wreck and reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 30 to 35 m
- The Ford class Seaward Defense Boat SAS Gelderland was scuttled on 21s ecember 1988, north west of Duiker Point, as demolition trials.
- The vessel was about 40 m long but the main part of the wreckage is now only about 20 m long as the bow and stern sections were blown right off.
- Plan B pinnacle is just to the south of the southernmost wreckage.
- 57 SS Oakburn / MV Bos 400: S34°02.216’ E018°18.573’
- Wreck and reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: Maximum 22 m
- The "Oakburn", a British cargo steamer of 3865 tons, was wrecked on the north side of Duikerpunt in fog on 21 May 1906, on a voyage from New York to Sydney. The Oakburn has pretty much fallen apart, and on 27 June 1994, the French pipe-laying crane barge Bos 400, broke its towline and stranded virtually on top of the older wreck. The Bos has started to break up, and two large sections have collapsed into the sea, though the main crane section is still firmly stuck on top of the rocks.
Outer Hout Bay
This area includes the dive sites between Duiker Point and Duiker Island and the extensive reefs to the south as far as Vulcan Rock and Tafelberg Reef. All of these are only accessible by boat. There are a number of sites being explored in this area: the reefs between Kanobi’s wall and Stonehenge, and a wreck of a lifeboat which was used to salvage materials from the Boss 400 and which lies between Stonehenge and Duiker Island are among these. There are several unexplored pinnacles in the region identified on the SAN charts as bakleiplaas, where the sea is often very lumpy due to the influence of the underwater topography on the swell.
Local geography:The suburb of Hout Bay lies in the valley between the Constantiaberg to the east and the peninsula formed by Karbonkelberg and its lesser peaks to the west. One of these peaks, the Sentinel, gives its name to a dive site at its foot. At the mouth of the valley is the business area of Hout Bay, with its small commercial fishing harbour and marina, and a public slipway used by dive charters and private dive boats for access to most of the southern peninsula dive sites on the Atlantic coast. The slipway is in good condition, wide and accessible, and has a large parking area, which on occasions can be crowded due to heavy use by commercial fishing skiboats.
The bedrock of this area is granite of the Polotok pluton, and most of the sites are on corestone reefs of this rock.
The sites include:
Duiker Point sites:
- 58 Die Perd: S34°02.282’ E18°18.324’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: Not available, maximum probably about 20 m
- This rock off Duiker Point extends above the water and is surrounded by rugged reefs of high outcrops and deep gullies.
- 59 Kanobi’s Wall: S34°02.365’ E018°18.138’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 25 m.
- This blinder off Duiker Point is a good site with rugged topography, good biodiversity and large depth variation. Huge boulders are stacked, with tunnels, overhangs and caves of various sizes, and lots of vertical walls, some probably 10 m or more in height.
- 60 SURG Pinnacles: S34°02.375' E018°18.015'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 9 to over 30 m.
- A group of steep granite corestone pinnacles, probably mostly huge boulders, with walls, overhangs and a swimthrough. Deep narrow cracks divide the pinnacles. Spectacular topography, covered with lots of sea urchins and vast numbers of hairy brittlestars, a moderate variety of sponges, noble corals, gorgonians, and patches of cauliflower soft coral. Red bait and Laminaria on the tops of the pinnacles. Surge can be strong when a long swell is running.
- Star Wall: S34°02.466' E18°18.087' (pinnacle)
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 6 to 32 m.
- This site has the tallest and longest wall known in the Cape Town area and is a dive site well worth visiting. A massive and continuous granite wall of about 25m almost vertical height, extending for a length of 100 m on the south face and 50 m on the south-east face. Very diverse and colourful invertebrate cover on the wall face. The sites are:
- 61 Star Wall
- 62 Star Wall - M&M Cave
- 63 Star Wall - Lollipop Pinnacle
- 64 Sunfish Pinnacle: S34°02.475' E18°18.290' (pinnacle)
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 7 to 26 m.
- A fairly large pinnacle on a rocky bottom on the way to Duiker Point from Hout Bay harbour, which has been picked up quite frequently on the echo sounders of dive boats passing over it. It has now been dived, and to some extent mapped. The site is quite pretty and should make a pleasant alternative site. Topography is rugged, with high vertical walls on two sides of the pinnacle.
Stonehenge sites:
- 65 Canyon: S34°02.595’ E018°18.073’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 35 m.
- The area is named for a gully between rows of pinnacles. Big boulders and rock outcrops cover an extensive area.
- Stonehenge: S34°02.838’ E018°18.316’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 22 m.
- The area is named for a group of tall rocks which break the surface. Big boulders and rock outcrops cover an extensive area. High profile in the deeper areas, with swimthroughs, holes and overhangs. Heavy kelp in some areas. Included in this area, Stonehenge Blinder, a pinnacle that approaches the surface and breaks in a large swell or at low tide.
- 66 Stonehenge Dusky Pinnacles - Coral Pinnacle
- 67 Stonehenge North
- 68 A-340 Pinnacle
- 69 Stonehenge Central
- 70 Stonehenge South
- 71 Stonehenge Blinder
- 72 Stonehenge Wreck
Seal Island sites:
- 73 Otok Seal (Duiker island): S34°03.458’ E018°19.562’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: plitva, večinoma manjša od 6 m.
- Majhen kamniti otoček, označen na zemljevidih in kartah, saj je Duikereiland zaradi otoške kolonije tjulnjev, ki je postala turistična atrakcija, postal znan kot otok tjulnjev. Ne smemo ga zamenjati z Otok Seal v False Bayu.
Spletna mesta Vulcan Rock:
- 74 Di’s Cracks: S34 ° 03.855 ’E018 ° 18.400’ - Velik 14-metrski vrh - balvan na vrhu grebena. Približno 300 m severozahodno (328 ° magnetno) od vulkanske skale
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 10 do 30 m.
- Spektakularen potop, če je vidljivost dobra. Veliko sten in previsov, plavalnih platen in globokih, širokih razpok. Bogat pokrov nevretenčarjev. Dobro mesto za dramatične širokokotne scenske fotografije.
- 75 Vulkanska skala: S34 ° 03,967 ’E018 ° 18,582’
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Največja globina je več kot 25 m v bližini skale.
- Vulkanska skala je najvišja točka velikega granitnega grebena in v nekaterih stanjih plime razbije površino. Na vrhu je nizek in raven. Spektakularen potop, če je vidljivost dobra.
Najdišča grebena Tafelberg:
- 76 Greben Tafelberg: S34 ° 04,22 ’E018 ° 18,93’
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 8 do 30 m.
- Obsežno območje robustnih izpadov granita z visokim reliefom in peskastim dnom približno 29 m zahodno. Globoke razpoke in požiralniki. Ni veliko previsa, ampak veliko navpičnih obrazov. Zelo robustna in spektakularna topografija pri dobri vidljivosti.
- 77 Klein Tafelberg Reef (Skleda za solato, razbitina jahte): S34 ° 04.442 ’E018 ° 19.191’
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 14 do 36 m.
- Ogromen granitni izrastek z velikimi balvani. Dno peska v globljih predelih. Robustna in spektakularna topografija. Razbitine jahte GRP ležijo v vdolbini ob strani vrha. Možno je narediti potop od 40 do 45 m, začenši na pesku vzhodno od grebena in plavati po grebenu v smeri proti severozahodu, vendar je verjetno, da bo potrebna dekompresija, če pridete do plitvi vrh.
- Tafelberg Globoko:
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Največja globina približno 40 m na pesku.
- Nizko do srednje profilni izstopi granita, nagnjeni navzgor proti Tafelberški globoki vrh južno od vrhunca na grebenu Klein Tafelberg. Lahko se potopite na 50 m in plavate po grebenu, vendar bo potrebna določena dekompresija.
- 78 Tafelberg Globoko
- 79 Tafelberški globoki vrh
Zaliv Hout
To območje vključuje območja med Sentinelom in vrhom Chapmans. Večinoma gre za potapljanje z ladjo. Edina izjema, Sentinel, je brez velikih težav dostopna po kopnem, vendar ima varnostne težave.
Sentinel je tipično območje granitne obale z velikim številom balvanov vzdolž obale in jezerskih grebenov z običajnimi zaobljenimi profili. Razbitine Aster in Katsu Maru so na ravnem peskanem dnu, nahajališče Die Josie pa je razmeroma nenapeti granit na dnu pečin Spodnjega Chapmanovega vrha
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- 80 Sentinel:
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Globina: večinoma manj kot 10 m.
- To je kraj na atlantski obali, kjer je globina 30 m najbližja obali.
- Nekateri menijo, da je Sentinel območje pod navpičnimi pečinami in je območje ravnega grebena z veliko algami in meduzami ter nekaj velikimi balvani.
- Pinnacles so skupina kamnin blizu obale, tik pred pristaniščem Hout Bay, blizu kanalizacijskih naprav.
- 81 MV Aster: S34 ° 03,891 ’E018 ° 20,955’
- Potop v razbitine. Samo dostop do čolna. Največja globina 28 m.
- 340 ton dolgo, 27 m dolgo motorno ribiško plovilo "Aster" je bilo ribiško plovilo za jastoge, registrirano v Južni Afriki, ki je bilo pripravljeno kot potapljačem prijazen umetni greben s čiščenjem in zarezovanjem odprtin v konstrukciji in je bilo strto v zalivu Hout blizu razbitine "MV Katzu Maru" 9. avgusta 1997. Uporabljali so ga kot mesto za usposabljanje za prodiranje v razbitine. Plovilo je na dnu pokončno in se začne razpadati.
- 82 MV Katsu Maru: S34 ° 03.910 ’E018 ° 20.942’ (sredina razbitine)
- Potop v razbitine. Samo dostop do čolna. Največja globina približno 30 m.
- Japonsko vlečno orodje "Katsu Maru # 25" je na morju zadelo neznani predmet in je bilo izdolbljeno na pristaniški strani. Med vleko v zaliv Hout je plovilo poplavilo in je v zalivu potonilo 7. avgusta 1978. Razbitina leži na desni strani peščenega dna.
- 83 Die Josie: S34 ° 04,497 ’E018 ° 21,256’
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 7 do 17 m.
- Plitven greben pod Chapmanovim vrhom, ki je blizu pristanišča Hout Bay in je primeren za nočne potope. Eno redkih območij, kjer granita vremenske razmere ne zaokrožijo, kot je razvidno s pečin nad najdiščem.
Atlantski južni polotok
To območje vključuje celotno polotočno obalo južno od Noordhoeka. Za rekreacijske namene se pogosto ne potaplja, saj je daleč od dobrih izstrelišč in ni znanih veliko dobrih potapljaških mest. Na tem območju je več razbitin, zlasti na skalah Albatross / Olifantsbospunt. Le nekaj razbitin je bilo pozitivno identificiranih.
Spletna mesta vključujejo
- 84 SS klan Monroe: S34 ° 08,817 'E18 ° 18,949'
- Potop v razbitine in greben. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 4 do 8 m.
- Uničen nekoliko severno od svetilnika Slangkop pri Kommetjie. Zelo redko se je potapljal. Plitvo ravno greben peščenjaka, z razbitinami, obdanimi s koralnimi algami.
- SS Thomas T. Tucker:
- Potop v razbitine in greben. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: plitva
- Ta ladja je bila razbita visoko na skalah, deli razbitin pa so vidni na obali. Večina razbitin je v dokaj plitvi vodi.
- 85 Afriška zvezda:
- Potop v razbitine in greben. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: največ 27 m.
- 86 SS Bia: Odsek premca: S34 ° 16.140 'E018 ° 22.812' Glavni odsek: S34 ° 16.217 'E018 ° 22.638'
- Potop v razbitine in greben. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 3 do 8 m.
- 87 SS Umhlali: S34 ° 16.435 'E18 ° 22.487'
- Potop v razbitine in greben. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 5 do 8 m.
- 88 Albatros skala: S34 ° 16,495 'E18 ° 22,197'
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: Verjetno manj kot 15 m blizu skale.
- Jugozahodni grebeni:
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: negotova.
- Ogromno območje plitvih grebenov in alg na zahodu konice polotoka. Je strašilo lovilcev podvodnih lovcev in rakov, na potapljanju pa ni raziskano.
False Bay obala polotoka Cape
Uvod in nekaj nasvetov za potapljanje na obali False Bay na polotoku Cape (Simon's Town side)
Za razliko od preostale regije je zahodna stran False Baya zaščitena pred zimskimi zahodnjaki, v zameno pa vzame jugovzhodno glavo. Zaradi tega se regija običajno potaplja pozimi, ko jugovzhodna redko piha dolgo ali z veliko silo.
Zimske čelne nevihte nad Južnim oceanom povzročajo otekline, ki jih upočasni kontinentalni pas in se lomijo in razpršijo okoli polotoka Cape, tako da se širijo večinoma vzporedno z obalo in v času, ko se zavijejo proti, izgubijo veliko svoje energije obala. Nepravilna oblika obale tudi tu bolj varuje nekatera območja kot druga. Na splošno so tisti deli obale, ki potekajo bolj v smeri proti severozahodu proti jugovzhodu, bolje zaščiteni pred nabrekanjem jugozahoda kot od severa proti jugu, zato je izbira mesta potapljanja odvisna od nedavnih vremenskih vzorcev.
V poletnih mesecih, ko Jugovzhod piha pogosteje, dlje in na splošno močneje, to območje ni pogosto za potapljanje, vidljivost pa je na splošno slabša kot pozimi, tudi če so razmere sicer primerne.
Temperatura vode je v zimskih mesecih na tem območju poleti praviloma toplejša od atlantske obale, kar je nekaj nadomestila za krajši dnevni čas ter pogosto hladno in deževno vreme.
Temperatura vode se lahko spreminja glede na globino. Poleti je običajno termoklin, vidnost pa se lahko znatno spremeni pod termoklinom. Površina je lahko 18 ali 19 ° C z 10 ali 11 ° C na dnu, vendar je verjetnost, da bo razlika 5 ° C ali manj. Razmere na globini ni lahko predvidljivo in so lahko boljše ali slabše kot blizu površine. V površinskih plasteh lahko pride do cvetenja planktona in nenadnega izboljšanja vidljivosti s 3 m ali manj na več kot 10 m v vodi s hladnim dnom. Tudi globina termoklina ni preveč predvidljiva, vendar je znano, da je konec poletja med 12 in 20 m.
Pozimi je lahko voda enake temperature od zgoraj navzdol, in ker je manj sončne svetlobe za pogon cvetenja fitoplanktona, sta vidnost in naravna osvetlitev lahko boljši, čeprav je svetlobe manj.
Med mrzlo in deževno fronto so pogosto dnevi z malo vetra ali brez njega, sonce pa blago do toplo, ko je voda ravna in bistra, potapljanje pa čudovito, veliko število lokacij pa otežuje odločitev, kam iti. obstaja toliko izbire. Tukaj na koncu Afrike je težko življenje, toda nekdo mora to storiti.
Temperatura vode pozimi je običajno med 13 ° C in 17 ° C, čeprav je znano, da pade že do 11 ° C, zato je tudi tu potrebna dobra obleka. Poleti se temperatura lahko dvigne nad 20 ° C, vendar je verjetneje, da bo približno od 17 ° C do 19 ° C.
Večina potopov na obali je razmeroma plitvih, v globini največ 8 m do 15 m, čeprav je možno 30-metrski potop, če vas ne moti 700-metrsko plavanje. Zaradi plitve vode je suha obleka manj ugodna, toda ponoči izstopanje iz mokre obleke v vetru in dežju suho obleko spet potisne navzgor kot zaželeno možnost. Lepo je imeti izbiro, številni lokalni potapljači pa si izmenjujejo mokre in suhe obleke, odvisno od načrtovanega potopa.
Muizenberg do zaliva Kalk
Ta najdišča so najsevernejša na zahodni strani False Baya. So plitvi in izpostavljeni jugovzhodnim vetrovom in valovom, zato na splošno veljajo za zimske potope.
Lokalna geografija:Med pobočjem in morjem je ozek pas kopnega, ki ga zavzemata predmestju St James in Kalk Bay, na južnem koncu tega pa je majhen hrib, imenovan Trappieskop. Na tej točki se obala zavije v False Bay, preden se obrne nazaj in tvori zaliv Fish Hoek. V tem zalivu je zgrajeno majhno komercialno ribiško pristanišče v zalivu Kalk.
To je območje, kjer je obala peščenjak iz serije Table Mountain, potop pa je skoraj vodoraven na približno 7 ° južno. Obalna črta, ki nastane, je navadno skalnata, z nekaj peščenimi predeli in je presenetljivo plitva glede na strmino gorskega pobočja. Dno peska se začne pri približno 5 m globine pri Dale Brook in bližje 9 m pri pristanišču.
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- 1 Razbitine vlečne mreže Muizenberg
- Potop v brodolom, dostop do čolna. Največja globina približno 18 m.
- Dve jekleni plovili z vlečnimi mrežami, ki sta jih v sedemdesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja odnesla zaradi bombardiranja. So dokaj zapravljeni, vendar so strukture trupa zmerno nedotaknjene in močno zaraščene z nevretenčarji.
- 2 Dale Brook: S34 ° 07,436 ’E018 ° 27,154’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 6 m.
- To spletno mesto je v znanstveni literaturi dobro znano po veliki raznolikosti morskega življenja in je že dolgo območje svetišča, vendar ga potapljači redko potapljajo. Zaradi majhne globine in raznolikosti življenja grebenov je idealen kraj za potapljanje z masko in je v prijetnih razmerah zelo prijeten potapljanje. Je najbližje mesto za dostop po cesti iz večine mesta na vzhodni strani polotoka.
- 3 Pristaniški zid Kalk Bay: S34: 07.787 'E018: 26.967'
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 10 m.
- Betonska pristaniška stena s peskom in nizkim skalnatim grebenom na dnu. Spodnji relief ni zelo visok. Nizek greben peščenjaka, madeži prodnikov in peska na približno 8 do 9 m.
Fish Hoek in Glencairn
Ta razmeroma plitva območja so izpostavljena jugovzhodnemu vetru in nabreknejo ter na splošno veljajo za zimske potope. Vse je mogoče opraviti kot potapljanje na kopnem, čeprav se greben Fish Hoek in kamnolom Barge običajno izvajata kot potapljanje z ladjo, saj se od obale dolgo plava. Na tem območju so videli križarjenje velikih belih morskih psov.
Lokalna geografija:Nizko ležečo in razmeroma ravno dolino Fish Hoek na južni strani omejujejo strma pobočja Brakkloofrant in Else Peak, ki se na vzhodu strmo spušča tudi do morja.
Greben Fish Hoek je nekaj oddaljen od plaže, druga potapljaška mesta na tem območju pa so ob tem kratkem odseku skalnate obale. Glavna cesta do Simonovega mesta, M4, in železniška proga delijo ozek obalni pas. V Sončnem zalivu je prostora za nekaj hiš, tik mimo kamnoloma Else pa je zarezala manjšo dolino s plažo Glencairn. Omenjeni kamnolom je zapuščen kamnolom iz peščenjaka na pobočju gore nad cesto, severno od mesta za potapljanje s tem imenom.
To je področje, kjer so napake povzročile Namizna gora Peščenjaki, ki se raztezajo pod morsko gladino, stavka je na splošno vzhod-zahod in poglobitev je plitka, od približno 7 ° (južno) v zalivu Sunny do približno 10 ° (južno) v kamnolomu. Spajanje pa je približno severozahod / jugovzhod.
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- 4 Greben ribjega trnka:
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna ali obale. Največja globina približno 15 m.
- 5 Sončni zaliv: S34 ° 08,68 ’E018 ° 26,30’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 11 m.
- Poimenovano po železniški postaji na lokaciji. Zmerne reliefne kamnine peščenjaka, grebeni in žlebovi se odcepijo do peska na približno 10 m.
- 6 Kamnolom: S34 ° 09.390 ’E018 ° 26.157’ (vstopna / izstopna polica)
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 10 m.
- Poimenovan po starem kamnolomu peščenjaka v pobočju nad cesto nekoliko proti severu. Nagnjeni grebeni, podobni klančini, peščenjaka Table Mountain, približno pravokotno na obalo, z občasnimi peščenimi žepi. Profil ni zelo visok.
- 7 Kamnolom Barge: S34 ° 09,395 ’E018 ° 26,474’ (približno)
- Potop v razbitine in greben. Dostop do čolna ali obale. Globina 12 do 14 m.
- Majhna razbitina jeklene barke. Trup je dokaj nedotaknjen in leži pokončno na peščenem predelu med grebeni. Za dostop od zgoraj sta odprta dva zadrževalnika, nad glavo ob straneh pa sta trivialna.
- 8 Ventilacijski vrt Glencairn: S34 ° 09,418 'E018 ° 26,412' (približno)
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna. Globina 12 do 14 m.
- Precej obsežno območje peščenjaka z nizkim do srednje velikim profilom s peščenimi zaplatami in velikim številom ljubiteljev gorgonskega morja, večinoma oboževalca morja Palmate, pa tudi zmerno število oboževalcev vijugastega morja in nekaj navijačev biča.
- 9 Razbitina P87: S34 ° 09.570 ’E018 ° 26.420’
- Potop v brodolom, dostop do čolna. Globina: približno 15 m.
- Razbitine majhnega lesenega mornariškega patruljnega čolna. Njen položaj je na SAN1017 označen kot ¼ nm jugovzhodno od zahoda kamnoloma Barge v 15 m.
Simonovo mesto
Majhen zaliv na vzhodni strani polotoka Cape, znan kot Simonov zaliv, je najbolj zaščiten del obale False Bay pred jugozahodnimi nabreklinami in je tudi bolje zaščiten pred jugozahodnimi nabreklinami kot kateri koli drug kraj na tem delu obale .
Ker je glavno sidrišče Rta v zalivu Table Bay slabo izpostavljeno zimskim nevihtam na severozahodu, zaliv Hout pa je odprt na jugozahodu, je bil Simonov zaliv edino primerno varno nadomestno sidrišče v razumni razdalji od Cape Towna in iz teh razlogov je prvi nizozemski guverner na rtu Simon van der Stel izbral za zimsko sidrišče nizozemske vzhodnoindijske družbe na rtu.
Mesto, ki se je razvilo na tem sidrišču, je postalo znano kot Simonovo mesto, sidrišče pa se je razvilo v sedež in ladjedelnico za južno poloblo kraljeve mornarice in kasneje za južnoafriško mornarico, kar je ostalo do danes.
Kopenski dostop do mesta je razmeroma slab, zajema ovinkano in ozko glavno cesto vzdolž obale False Bay, z vzporednim Boyes Driveom in železniško progo, še bolj ovinkasti Chapmanov vrh na atlantski obali in Old Cape Road ( Ou Kaapseweg), dokaj strm in vijugast prelaz čez gore sredi polotoka. Vse so slikovite poti, vendar nobena ni zares primerna za velik promet in je lahko v prometni konici moteča. Vsi se zbližajo na obalni cesti False Bay tik preden pridejo do Simonovega mesta.
Mesta za potapljanje so dokaj zaščitena pred jugovzhodnim vetrom in nabreknejo, bolj južno pri Long Beachu in so za potapljanje večino zime in delno poleti.
Lokalna geografija:Mesto je na dnu obalnih gora, ki so precej strme in imajo ob vznožju pobočij zelo malo primerno ravnih tal, vendar je zaliv plitv in večinoma peščen, z zahodno stranjo dolge peščene plaže. Vzhodno od mornariške ladjedelnice obala spet postane skalnata z izpostavljenimi granitnimi kamni na Seaforthu.
To območje ima verjetno obalo peščenjaka Graafwater serije, vendar na mestih za potapljanje, ki so večinoma na dnu peska, ni izpostavljeno veliko grebenov.
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- 10 SS klan Stuart: S34 ° 10,303 ’E018 ° 25,842’
- Potop v razbitine. Dostop do obale. Največja globina 9 m.
- Britanski parnik "Clan Stuart", težak 3500 ton, je 21. novembra 1914 nasedel po vlečenju sidra v jugovzhodni kiši. Motorni blok ladje še vedno lomi površino.
- 11 Brunswick: S34 ° 10.880 ’E018 ° 25.607’
- Potop v razbitine. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Globina: 4 do 6 m.
- Angleški vzhodni indijanec z 1200 ton, ki ga je francoski admiral Linois ujel v Indijskem oceanu in ga pripeljal v Simonovo mesto. Nasedel se je pri Simonovem mestu 19. septembra 1805, potem ko je med jugovzhodno olujo izgubil tri sidra. Od razbitin ni ostalo veliko.
- 12 HNMS Bato: S34 ° 10,998 ’E018 ° 25,560’
- Potop v razbitine. Dostop do obale. Globina: 3 do 4 m
- Nizozemska vojna ladja z 800 tonami in 74 pištolami. Ladjo so že nekaj let uporabljali kot plavajočo baterijo v Simonovem zalivu. Zažgan in potopljen pred Long Beachom, Simonovo mesto, 8. januarja 1806, istega dne, ko se je začela bitka pri Blaauwbergu. Razbitin ni ostalo veliko.
- 13 Dolga plaža: S34 ° 11,239 'E18 ° 25,559'
- Potop v razbitine. Pot podvodne plovbe. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 9 m.
- Imenovan po dolgem delu peščene plaže. Na prvi pogled nenavadna, a natančna preiskava bo razkrila zanimivo in raznoliko življenje. To je kraj, kamor so razmere drugje slabe. Zelo priljubljeno spletno mesto za trening in odlično za urejanje novih konfiguracij opreme.
- Na navigacijski poti s kompasom lahko obiščete nekaj majhnih razbitin.
- 14 Pristanišče Simon's Town
- Potop z umetnim grebenom. Dostop do obale. Globina približno 2 m.
- Majhen pomol na betonskih stebrih. Zelo enostaven dostop in zelo zaščiten.
- 15 Privezi False Bay Yacht Club
- Potop z umetnim grebenom. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 8 m.
- Marina za jahte z malo grebena in nekaj razbitin. Razteza se do obzidja pristanišča Simon's Town, kjer nekatere razbitine še vedno plavajo.
Grebeni rimske skale
Podvodni potopi v bližini Rimske skale so razmeroma izpostavljeni jugovzhodnim nabreklinam, vendar so globlji, zato je učinek manj močan, ko ste na globini. Zaradi močnega jugovzhodnega vetra in sekljanja lahko izlet z ladjo postane neprijeten, zato jih poleti, ko je vidljivost pogosto slaba, pogosto ne potapljamo.
Lokalna geografija:Morsko dno je na tem območju večinoma zelo postopoma nagnjen pesek z masivnimi izstopi granita, ki so mesta za potapljanje. Pesek je precej greben stran od grebenov, v bližini dna kamnin pa je bolj grob pesek.
Obmorska območja Roman Rock, Rambler Rock in Castor Rock so ogromni granitni kamni Polotok pluton.
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- 16 Ciljni greben S34 ° 10,619 ’E018 ° 27,226’
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina 6 do 22 m
- Majhen granitni in ruševinasti greben z neuporabljenim betonskim podstavkom za ciljno mornariško puško.
- 17 Greben Livingstone: S34 ° 10,605 'E018 ° 27,571'
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina 14 do 23 m
- Granitni grebenski greben zmerne velikosti z dobrim reliefom in raznolikimi nevretenčarji.
- Grebeni Castor Rock: S34 ° 10,74 ’E018 ° 27,61’
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 4 do 20 m
- Obsežen greben granita. V bistvu zelo velik izrastek z občasno visokimi površinami, majhnimi požiralniki, balvani, majhnimi razpokami in previsi. Vrh grebena je zmerno reliefen, z razmeroma plitvimi peščenimi žlebovi, majhnimi previsi in balvani, na robovih pa ima nekaj strmih predelov.
- 18 Castor Rock - Severni vrh je čez ozko peščeno dno reže severno od glavnega grebena.
- 19 Castor Rock - osrednji vrh je na glavnem grebenu.
- 20 Čudi se Pinnacle je na zahodni strani južnega režnja Castor Rock.
- 21 Romanov počitek je na vzhodnem koncu južnega režnja Castor Reef
- Grebeni rimskih skal: S34 ° 10,87 ’E018 ° 27,60’
- Potapljanja na grebenih. Samo dostop do čolna. Največja globina 21 m.
- To območje obsega kopico granitnih izpadov, ločenih s peskovitim dnom, na največjem od katerih stoji svetilnik.
- 22 Rimska skala sever: Dokaj velik, a razmeroma nizek greben, približno severozahodno od svetilnika, brez posebnega zanimanja. Najplitva točka na približno 11 m, na pesku pa severozahodno približno 18 m.
- 23 Rimska skala: Spletno mesto za potapljanje je enostavno najti, saj ga zaznamuje istoimenski svetilnik ob mestnem pristanišču Simon's Town. Velik granitni greben z globino od 20 m na vzhodnem koncu do površine okoli svetilniških kamnin.
- 24 Spider Crab Reef: Dva majhna vzporedna grebena zahodno od Rimske skale, ki se dvigata iz peska na približno 21 m do 16 m na najgloblji točki. Ločuje jih ozka peščena reža in jih je mogoče videti med seboj v primerni vidljivosti.
- 25 Rimska skala jug: Majhen del grebena, vzporeden z glavnim grebenom približno 100 m jugozahodno od svetilnika, ki se dviga od peska na približno 21 m do verjetno približno 18 m na vrhu.
- 26 Tivoli Pinnacles. S34 ° 10,892 ’E018 ° 27,765’: Približno 250 m s 301 ° magnetnega signala do svetilnika Roman Rock.
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina 10 do 22 m.
- Kompakten, visoko profilni greben na kratki razdalji vzhodno od Rimske skale.
- Friskies Pinnacles
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina 12 do 22 m
- Dva majhna grebena z visokim vrhom na kratki razdalji vzhodno od grebenov Castor Rock.
- 27 Friskies Pinnacle: S34 ° 10,778 ’E018 ° 27,822’, večja in plitvejša, na jugu in
- 28 Severnofriški vrh manjši in globlji, proti severu.
- Grebeni Rambler Rock
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina 10 do 22 m.
- Visok granitni greben vzhodno od svetilnika Roman Rock ob mestnem pristanišču Simona. Na tem mestu obstajajo štiri glavne skupine kamnin.
- 29 Rambler Rock Severozahodni vrh: S34 ° 10,924 ’E018 ° 27,899’
- 30 Rambler Rock Severovzhodni grebeni: S34 ° 10,916 'E018 ° 27,996'
- 31 Vrhovi Rambler Rock Southern: S34 ° 11,011 ’E018 ° 27,918’
- 32 Hotlips Pinnacle: S34 ° 11,145 'E018 ° 28,091' (Hotlips Pinnacle)
- 33 Dome Rock: S34 ° 11.119 'E018 ° 27.776' (vrh kupole)
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina 16 do 25 m.
- Kompakten granitni greben južno od svetilnika Roman Rock in zahodno od južnega dela grebenov Rambler Rock.
- Naključni kamniti grebeni
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Majhna skupina grebenov južno od Rambler Rocks.
- 34 Rudyjeve naključne skale: S34 ° 11.329 'E018 ° 28.037' (Pinnacle na južnem koncu) Globina 21 do 26 m. Kompakten granitni greben.
- 35 Greben brez imena (mali vrhunci): S34 ° 11.365 'E018 ° 28.055' (Pinnacle) Delno raziskani greben neznanega obsega, verjetno precej majhen.
Seaforth do Froggy Pond
Ta mesta so vzhodno in južno od mornariške ladjedelnice v Simonovem mestu. So zmerno plitvi in izpostavljeni jugovzhodnemu vetru ter nabreknejo, zato na splošno veljajo za zimske potope.
Lokalna geografija:Ta mesta so vsa območja granitnega grebena, čeprav so morda občasni kamni iz peščenjaka.
Spletna mesta Seaforth vključujejo:
- 36 Barke za strelivo: S34 ° 11,408 ’E018 ° 26,985’
- Potop v razbitine. Dostop do čolna ali obale. Globina: 8 do 10 m.
- Dve majhni jekleni barki zahodno od plitvine Phoenix. Močno so zaraščeni in precej razpadli.
- 37 Plitvina Phoenix: S34 ° 11,388 'E018 ° 26,898'
- Potop na greben in razbitine. Dostop do čolna ali obale. Največja globina 10 m.
- "Phoenix" je bila britanska ladja s 500 tonami, zgrajena leta 1810. Ponesrečena je bila malo proti morju od Phoenix Shoal v Simonovem zalivu 19. julija 1829. Na grebenu je mogoče videti nekaj železnega balasta, steblo pa leži pokopan v pesku.
- Noetova barka in razbitine Ark Rock: S34 ° 11,533 ’E018 ° 27,232’
- Potop v razbitine in grebene. Dostop do čolna ali obale. Največja globina 14 m.
- Imenovan po veliki kamni z istim imenom na lestvicah SAN. Južno od skale je razbitina barke, na zahodu je razbitina manjšega plovila na parni pogon in večje železno ali jekleno plovilo, verjetno "Parana", uničeno leta 1862, na severozahodu. Razbitine v obliki izoliranih kotlov neznanega parnega čolna ali parnih čolnov najdemo južno in vzhodno od razbitine barke. Obstajajo tudi nizi betonskih stebrov, ki so ostali od neuporabljenega pomorskega razmagljevalnega območja na jugu, in še ena majhna jeklena razbitina vzhodno od skale.
- 38 Noah's Ark Rock
- 39 Razbitina Ark Rock Barge
- 40 Razbitina Ark Rock Boiler # 1
- 41 Razbitina Ark Rock Boiler # 2
- Razbitina kotla Ark Rock # 3a
- 42 Razbitina kotla Ark Rock # 3b
- 43 Razbitina Parana, glavni del
- 44 Razbitina Parane, majhen del
- 45 Noetova barka - dvojna vrsta betonskih stebrov
- 46 Noetova barka - enojna vrsta betonskih stebrov
- 47 Noetova barka - vzhodna razbitina
- 48 Noetova barka - izmenjevalec toplote
- 49 Noetova barka - barke z dvema dvojčkoma
- 50 Penguin Point (Balvani): S34 ° 11,889 ’E018 ° 27,254’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina 8 m.
- Imenovan po svetišču pingvinov. To je točka in obalni greben na jugovzhodnem koncu plaže Boulders pri Seaforthu.
- Grebeni Maidstone: S34 ° 11,581 'E018 ° 27,466'
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna Globina: 8 do 27 m.
- Imenovan po grebenu, prikazanem na kartah mornarice SA. Spletna mesta so Maidstone Rock, Anchor Reef in Ammo Reef
- 51 Maidstone Rock
- 52 Sidrni greben
- 53 Morski streliv
- 54 Photographer’s Reef (Greben JJM): S34 ° 11,839 ’E18 ° 27,434’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna ali obale. Globina 3 do 14 m.
- Ta greben je na SAN-kartah označen kot Photographer's greben. Znani so tudi potapljačem, ki so se v osemdesetih letih potapljali kot greben JJM. Spodnji greben na jugu je JJM junior. Na tem območju je še nekaj osamljenih grebenov, večinoma majhnih, dokaj nizkih in neimenovanih.
- 55 Torch Reef: S34 ° 11.700 ’E018 ° 27.960’
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Globina: 20 do 30 m.
- To je majhen greben vzhodno od grebena Photographer's. Na enem od prvih zabeleženih potopov na tej lokaciji je potapljač izgubil baklo in ime se je zataknilo.
- 56 Zunanji fotografski greben: S34 ° 11,778 'E018 ° 27,898'
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna Razpon globine 20 do 30 m.
- Velik izoliran granitni vzpon vzhodno od grebena Photographer's Reef približno 140 m jugozahodno od grebena Torch. Ploski vrh in prosojne stene.
- Morski grebeni na vetrnice
- Potapljanja na grebenih. Samo dostop do čolna Razpon globine 12 do 30 m.
- Veliko število razpršenih skupin izstopov granita. Redko se je potapljal, malo znan. Večinoma še niso anketirani. Delno anketirani so:
- 57 Nevaren greben Doug
- 58 Čipkasti greben
- 59 Vetrnica na morju
- 60 Zunanja vetrnica
Spletna mesta Windmill Beach in Froggy Pond vključujejo:
- 61 Plaža Windmill: S34 ° 12,06 ’E018 ° 27,40’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 8 m.
- Potop na obali z zelo zaščitenimi območji za vstop in izhod na plažo. Dno peska z velikimi granitnimi izrastki in balvani, nekateri z zelo visokim reliefom, ki segajo od ravnega peska do blizu ali nad površino. Počasi regali plaž. Priljubljeno spletno mesto za usposabljanje.
- 62 Žabji ribnik: S34 ° 12,22 ’E018 ° 27,40’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale Globina: manj kot 10 m.
- Ta mali zaliv se na uradnih zemljevidih in kartah območja dejansko imenuje Froggy Pond. Kljub svojemu imenu je to morski potop in žab ne bo. Peščena plaža z balvani v plitvini. Precej strmo police ob obali. Kamniti grebeni na obe strani.
- 63 Ribiška plaža: S34 ° 12,357 ’E018 ° 27,497’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Globina: manj kot 10 m.
- Naslednji zaliv južno od ribnika Froggy. Ima veliko daljšo plažo.
Oatlands Point
Oatlands Point je prva točka južno od območja Froggy Pond. Na morski strani glavne ceste je majhna skupina hiš, več gora pa po gorah. Zlahka ga prepoznamo po velikem ploščatem granitnem balvanu tik ob morju.
Lokalna geografija:Oatlands Point je ob vznožju vrha Swartkop, na 678 m, najvišji točki južnega polotoka. Pobočje je dokaj strmo, hiše pa so v dokaj ozkem pasu ob obali. To je del False Baya, kjer je 30 m izobata na najbližji točki do obale in kjer je dostop primeren za kopni potop.
Ta mesta so vsa območja granitnega grebena, čeprav so morda občasni kamni iz peščenjaka. Manjši balvani ob obali so pogosto peščenjak, ki se je skozi leta spuščal po gorah in bil zaokrožen v surfu.
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- 64 A-okvir (Oatlands Point): S34 ° 12,484 ’E018 ° 27,662’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 10 m
- Poimenovan po svetilniku za stojalo, ki ga je zdaj nadomestil preprost steber. Svetilnik je eden od mejnih oznak za morsko svetišče. Nahajališče je zaznamovano tudi z ogromnim izstopom granita, ki se razteza nekaj metrov nad vodo. Na severu je peščeno dno z nizkim grebenom in velikimi balvani, nekateri lomijo površino in nekaj preplavnih površin. Grebeni srednje višine segajo čez veliko skalo z vrhom na koncu proti morju. Na jugu je več izlivov in obsežno območje raztresenih majhnih balvanov in izlivov s peskovitim dnom, ki postajajo bolj kamniti proti obali.
- 65 D-okvir (Oatlands Reef, Wave Rock): S34 ° 12,378 ’E018 ° 27,996’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Globina: 15 do 30 m.
- To je točka na zahodni strani False Baya, kjer je 30 m kontura najbližja obali. Potapljači, ki se želijo potapljati 30 m na kopno, lahko to storijo tukaj.
- Greben obsega več velikih izpadov granita s peskovitim dnom med njimi. Ena točka se dvigne na približno 4 m od površine s skoraj navpičnim padcem na 14 m na obeh straneh. Večina delov še ni tako visoka. Južni greben ima previsen kamninski iztok, znan kot "Wave Rock".
Rocklands Point
Južno od Oatlands Pointa postane obala bolj strma in hiš ni veliko. Cesta se vije vzdolž obale, rahlo pridobiva višino proti Millerjevi točki. Rocklands Point je s ceste prepoznaven po španskem Rocku. zmerno velika granitna skala približno 100 m od morja in največja vidna skala na tem območju.
Obala je pri Rocklands Pointu precej strma, v neposredni bližini pa ni hiš. Obstaja obsežno območje plitvih skalnatih grebenov na obali slepila Rocklands in španske skale. Južno od španske skale in se razteza na slepo na jugu, znano kot Stern Reef, je območje razpršenega granitnega grebena, večinoma nizkega, vendar z nekaj dokaj visokimi izrastki. To območje je zapleteno in še ni kartirano.
Tako kot najdišča na severu in jugu je tudi to območje granitnih kamnov na peščenem dnu, čeprav na robu vode pogosto najdemo balvane iz peščenjaka.
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- 66 Greben norosti: S34 ° 12,817 ’E018 ° 28,044’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna. Globina: 2 do 14 m.
- Veliki izstopi iz granitnega jedra in kamniti kamni na dokaj ravnem peskanem dnu. Greben je dokaj majhen in razbit, vendar kompakten in vse skale so blizu. Na severnem koncu je ogromen balvan, ki je podprt z izboklinami in tvori majhno preliv s peščenim dnom s približno 4 vhodi.
- 67 Rocklands Blinder (Pečatna kolonija): S34 ° 12,9 ’E018 ° 28,0’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Globina: 3 do 13 m.
- Glavni greben so veliki izstopi granita, ki se dvigajo od približno 13 m na pesku proti severovzhodu, do približno 3 do 4 m globine na vrhu. Obalna stran se postopoma spušča navzdol do številnih majhnih balvanov in nizkih izvirov. Manjši drugi greben je visok in na peskanem dnu.
- 68 Španska skala: S34 ° 13,03 ’E018 ° 28,03’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina 13 m.
- Španska skala je visok vrh na peščenem dnu, ki se razteza nekaj metrov nad vodo. Sosednji nizek greben leži na severu. Na zahodu je še en vrh, ki obsega skupino velikih izlivov in kamnitih kamnov, od katerih eden občasno razbije površino.
- 69 Alpha Reef (Zunanji Španec): S34 ° 12,987 ’E018 ° 28,184’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna. Globina 2 do 15 m.
- Spletna stran je bila prej znana kot zunanji Španec, vendar se zdi, da je greben Alpha zdaj bolj pogosta uporaba. Greben je izrastek granitnih jedernih kamnov v dveh glavnih odsekih, ki jih ločuje vzhodno-zahodni žleb.
- 70 Greben Omega: S34.21426 E018.47412
- Potop na grebenu, dostop do čolna. Globina 15 do 25 m.
- Granitni grebenski greben, dolg približno 220 m od SZ proti JV, in širok približno 80 m. Ni pogosto potapljal.
- 71 Stern Reef: S34 ° 13,164 ’E018 ° 28,032’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 14 m.
- Obsežno območje visoko do nizko reliefnih granitnih izlivov na peščenem dnu, zaznamovano s skalo, ki v nekaterih stanjih plime in vode lomi površino.
Millerjeva točka
Local geography:This part of the peninsula coastline is a steep mountainside below the Swartkopberge. The mountainside is quite steep close to the shore, but on reaching the sea, the slope flattens out dramatically. The small rocky peninsula of Miller’s Point juts out rather abruptly into the bay and provides a sheltered site for the slipway from which most of the boat launches in this area are made. There is sufficient reasonably level ground for extensive parking areas off the main road, including boat trailer parking.
This area is characterised by large areas of granite corestone reef interspersed with sandy patches, and relatively flat sand bottom further out. There are also sandstone boulders along the shoreline. Many of the reefs are fairly large areas of massive outcrops with ridges, gullies and boulders on top, some of which are very large.
The sites include:
- 1 SAS Pietermaritzburg: S34°13.303’ E018°28.465’
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth 22 m.
- This 1330 tonne minesweeper was launched in 1943 as HMS Pelorus, and was sold in 1947 to the South African Navy and renamed HMSAS Pietermaritzburg. It was scuttled by explosive charges on 12 November 1994 to form an artificial reef. The wreck lies upright on the sand and is slowly collapsing.
- Karavan greben including PMB Pinnacles, North Caravan, Central Caravan, South Caavan, Inner Caravan.
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 3 to 22 m
- This site is offshore of the caravan park at Miller’s Point, which may be the origin of its name. Extensive granite reefs on sand bottom. The reef may extend continuously to Miller's Point.
- 2 Karavanski greben - vrhovi PMB
- 3 Karavan greben - severna karavana
- Caravan Reef - Caravan Central
- 4 Caravan Reef - South Caravan
- 5 Caravan Reef - Inner Caravan
- Millerjeva točka: S34°13.822’ E018°28.411’ (Slipway)
- Reef dive. Shore access. Depth: Shallow inshore.
- Fairly shallow rocky reef of granite outcrops and boulders, some smallish swimthroughs and quite a few overhangs and holes under boulders.
- 6 Priključek Miller's Point
- 7 Plinski bazen Miller's Point
- 8 Miller's Point - Rumbly Bay
- 9 Murphy's: S34°13.958' E018°28.988'
- Reef dive. Boat access. Depth: 14 to about 20 m.
- Small pinnacle with medium profile adjacent reef of boulders and outcrops over a fairly large area.
- 10 Čoln Rock (Bakoven Rock): S34°14.05’ E18°29.05’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth 22 m.
- Coarse shelly sand bottom at about 14 m with big granite boulders and reef. The rock that gives the site its name extends a few metres above sea level. High relief and a lot of small holes under rocks, mostly too small to swim through.
Grajske skale
This has been a marine sanctuary area for many years and as a result is one of the best sites for fish. There are several excellent dive sites accessible from a very limited amount of roadside parking, or by a short boat ride from Miller's Point.
Local geography:This part of the peninsula coastline is a steep mountainside below the Swartkopberge. There is very little ground along this strip which is not steep, but on reaching the sea, the slope flattens out and the small rocky peninsula of Castle Rocks juts out into the bay. There is sufficient reasonably sloped ground for a few houses above and below the main road.
This area is characterised by granite corestone reefs with sandy patches between them, and almost flat sand bottom further out. There will occasionally be the odd sandstone boulder which has made its way a short distance offshore with the assistance of wave action and gravity, and a lot of the smaller shoreline boulders are sandstone. Many of the reefs are fairly large areas of massive ridges, gullies with occasional loose boulders on top, and some of these boulders are huge.
The sites include:
- 11 Fan Reef: S34°14.165 E18°29.260
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 25 to 30 m.
- A low granite outcrop at about 30 m maximum depth, with a large number of sea fans.
- 12 Aleja morskih psov: S34°14.21’ E018°28.60’ Estimated
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 12 m.
- Named for the Cowsharks often seen at the site. Big granite boulders and outcrops with sand patches. Shark Alley is between the kelp forests on near-shore reef and the reef surrounding Pyramid rock.
- Pyramid reef
- Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth about 12 m.
- Named for the pointed rock that marks the site. It projects above the water at all tides and is easily identified. Large granite boulders and outcrops with sand around them in deep areas and at the bottom of some gullies. Several small tunnels, caves and overhangs. Lots of fish.
- 13 Piramidna skala: S34°14.225’ E018°28.698’
- 14 Castle Pinnacles: S34°14.356’ E018°28.826’ — A group of fairly tall pinnacles along the edge of the sand. One of them has a large swimthrough under it.
- Sansui Reef An area of picturesque small ridges and boulders on a rippled white sand bottom near the Castle Pinnacles.
- Castle Rocks and Parson’s Nose:
- Reef dive. Shore access. Maximum depth about 18 m.
- Castle Rocks applies to the point as a whole and the offshore rocks to the south east. The point is a small rocky peninsula that can be an island at high tide.
- The small headland just to the south of Castle Rocks is known as Parson’s Nose. Castle Pinnacles is actually part of the Pyramid Rock reef, though if dived from the shore, the Castle Rocks north entry is likely to be used,
- 15 Grajske skale severna stranS34°14.322’ E018°28.65’
- 16 Castle Rocks Point Grebeni (Outside Castle) S34°14.4’ E018°28.8’
- 17 Notranji grad (South Castle) S34°14.46’ E018°28.674’
- 18 Telefonski greben: S34°14.225’ E018°29.202’
- Reef dive. Boat access. Depth 15 to about 24 m.
- A small patch of granite reef east of Outer Castle and north of Giant's Castle. There is a compact group of tall outcrops to the east of the reef, with the top of the pinnacle at about 15 m depth, The reef is surrounded by sand bottom. There is some unsurveyed reef to the south.
- 19 Velikanski grad: S34°14.362’ E018°29.225’
- Reef dive. Boat access. Depth 17 to about 30 m.
- A small patch of granite reef east of Outer Castle. The main feature is a compact group of tall outcrops with the top of the pinnacle at about 17 m depth, Below 24 m and the reef extends mainly to the east, and it is surrounded by sand bottom. There is a small low outlier to the north and Zigzag Reef reef is a short distance to the east.
- 20 Zigzag Reef: S34°14.362’ E018°29.275’
- Reef dive. Boat access. Depth 20 to about 33 m.
- A small patch of granite reef east of Giant's Castle. The main feature is a tall and massive but compact outcrop with the top of the pinnacle at about 20 m depth, Below 24 m the low reef extends mainly to the north-east, and it is surrounded by sand bottom.
- Pie Rock reefs:
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 5 to 25 m.
- Large granite corestone outcrops and boulders. There is a pinnacle to the east of the site, where it is generally deepest. Spectacular site in good visibility, and there are usually lots of fish.
- 21 Zunanji grad (Blindevals): S34°14.320’ E018°29.002’ — Depth: about 3 to 33 m. A blinder off Castle Rocks, which breaks if there is much swell. It is marked on the SAN charts as “blindevals”. The main feature of the site is a huge granite boulder on a rock base standing on four points with a swimthrough gap underneath and a small air trap overhang. Part of the Pie Reef area.
- 22 Greben Severne pite: S34°14.375' E018°29.090' — Two adjacent groups of pointy pinnacles rising to about 9 m
- 23 Vrhovi skal South Pie: S34°14.445' E018°28.985' — A group of pinnacles on a lobe of reef extending southwards between two sand tongues.
- 24 West Pie Rock Reef: S34°14.396' E018°28.943' — A lobe of reef extending in a southwesterly direction.
Finlay's Point do Partridge Point
The stretch of coastline south of Castle Rocks to Smitswinkel Bay is not really accessible from the road, partly due to the higher altitude of the road in this area and partly due to the rather steep mountainside, so these dive sites, though mostly close to the shore, are almost always dived from a boat.
The stretch of coastline south of Castle Rocks to Smitswinkel Bay is not really accessible from the road, partly due to the higher altitude of the road in this area and partly due to the rather steep mountainside, so these dive sites, though mostly close to the shore, are almost always dived from a boat.
Local geography:There are two small points along this relatively straight coastline at Finlay’s Point and Partridge Point, where some very large granite corestones form reefs which extend some distance into the bay. A few of these project quite high above the water and are easy landmarks for the dive sites.
The shoreline is consistently rocky in this section, and is made up of granite corestones with sandstone boulders which have found their way down the mountainside over the years. Above the waterline, the lower mountainside is granitic saprolith with dense vegetation cover.
The Finlay's Point area sites include:
- 25 Finlay’s Point (Jenga Reef): S34°14.959' E018°28.611'
- Reef dive. Boat access. Shore access is possible but rather athletic. Maximum depth about 15 m.
- The last big boulders north of Partridge Point. Bottom is mostly low to moderate rocky reef of outcrops and boulders of assorted sizes, some pretty big, in chaotic arrangement. Directly off the big corestones of the point is an area of big boulders and rugged reef, with small patches of sand.
- Graeme's Spot and The Jambles
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 9 to 24 m.
- Large granite outcrop and huge boulders on an extensive area of granite corestone reef bordered by sandy areas to the west, north and east, and Carnaby Street Pinnacle tom the south. Good biodiversity and reef cover and spectacular topography.
- 26 Jambles: S34°14.885' E018°28.890' —
- 27 Graeme's Spot: S34°14.9029' E018°28.9170' —
- 28 Finlay's Pinnacle: S34°14.970' E018°28.780'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 9 to 18 m.
- Large granite outcrop and boulders on an extensive area of granite corestone reef bordered by a sandy strip to the south. Contiguous reef extends to The Jambles to the north and Carnaby Street Pinnacle to the east.
- 29 Carnaby Street Pinnacle: S34°14.980' E018°28.920'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 9 to 24 m.
- Large granite outcrop and large boulders on an extensive area of granite corestone reef bordered by sandy areas to the south and east, Graeme's Spot to the north, and Finlay's Pinnacle to the west.
- 30 Finlay's Deep (Mont Blanc): S34°15.005' E018°29.194'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 20 to 30 m.
- This is a small granite outcrop reef on a sand bottom directly offshore from Finlay's Point on the 30 m depth contour. Rich in Gorgonian sea fans.
- 31 Greben Atlantide: S34°15' E018°29'
- Reef dive. Boat access only Depth 4 to 27 m.
- A pair of huge granite pinnacles (The Pillars of Hercules), on an extensive area of high and low profile reef. Excellent diversity of reef cover, shoals of fish and some exceptionally dense groups of gorgonian sea fans.
The Partridge Point area sites include
- 32 Sherwoodov gozd: S34°15.190' E18°29.010' (Pinnacle) between Atlantis and Partridge Point.
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 30 m.
- Reported on Underwater Cape Town as newly discovered site on 3 May 2012. Lots of sea fans.
- 33 Akvarij: S34°15.229’ E018°28.930’ (Pinnacle)
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 21 m.
- Compact granite reef, Lots of sea fans.
- Partridge Point
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth 26 m.
- The site known as Partridge Point includes the Big Rock group of rocks to the south, while Seal Rock (or Deep Partridge) is the reef offshore of the low rock to the east of the point. Peter's Pinnacle is the reef inshore and slightly south of the Big Rock. Very large granite boulders and outcrops, some extending above the surface by several metres.
- 34 Seal Rock: S34°15.3370' E018°28.8920' — A fairly large flattish rock used as a haulout rock by seals with fairly shallow reef around it.
- 35 Deep Partridge: S34°15.3500' E018°29.0000' — A lobe of high profile reef sloping down to a sandy bottom at about 27 m.
- 36 Dave's Caves: S34°15.3780' E018°28.7040' — An exposed rock with a little cave under it in a kelp forest
- 37 Partridge Point - Big Rock: S34°15.4650' E018°28.7880' — A large exposed rock marking a moderate depth area of high profile reef with a large swimthrough and a small air-trap overhang. Maximum depth about 21 m on the sand to the south and east.
- 38 Peter's Pinnacles: S34°15.5150' E018°28.6870' — A group of shallow pinnacles with a swimthrough cave. Sand depth about 15 m
Zaliv Smitswinkel
The wrecks of Smitswinkel bay are among the best known and most popular boat dives of the Cape Town area. The water is deep enough to reduce surge significantly and shallow enough for recreational divers. The wrecks are easy to find, large and sufficiently intact to be recognisable, and have also developed a thriving ecology which includes a few relatively rare organisms.
Local geography:Smitswinkel Bay is a moderately large bay on the east side of the Cape Peninsula. The coast road gains altitude as it winds along the mountainside south of Simon’s Town and turns inland at Smitswinkel Bay.
To the north of the bay, the exposed rock at sea level is Polotok granite, but on the south side the Graafwater sandstone extends below sea level. The bottom of the bay is flat sand.
The sites include:
- 39 SAS Transvaal: S34°15.956’ E018°28.778’ (Bow)
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 27 to 34 m.
- Loch class frigate "HMSAS Transvaal" F602 was launched at Belfast on 2 August 1944. The ship was sold for scrap and scuttled by explosive charges in Smitswinkel Bay to form an artificial reef on 3 August 1978. The wreck lies upright on a sand bottom and has partly collapsed.
- 40 MFV Orotava: S34°16.023’ E018°28.796’ (bow)
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 23 to 34 m.
- The "MFV Orotava" was built in 1958. The trawler was donated to the False Bay Conservation Society along with the Princess Elizabeth by Irvin and Johnson. In August 1983 the vessels were towed out to Smitswinkel Bay and scuttled. The Orotava is the larger of the two trawlers and lies on the sand heeled to port about 20°.
- 41 Good Hope Reef: S34°16.049’ E018°28.899’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 30 to 35 m.
- A small granite reef with lots of gorgonian sea fans.
- 42 MFV Princess Elizabeth:S34°16.060’ E018°28.816’(bow) S34°16.068’ E018°28.839’ (stern)
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 22 to 36 m. The Princess Elizabeth was built in 1961. The trawler was badly damaged by a fire and was donated to the False Bay Conservation Society along with the Orotava by Irvin and Johnson. In August 1983 the vessels were towed out to Smitswinkel Bay and scuttled. The Princess Elizabeth is the smaller of the two trawlers and lies on the sand with a slight list to starboard.
- 43 SAS Good Hope: S34°16.80’ E018°28.851’ (midships)
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 27 to 36 m.
- The Loch class frigate "HMSAS Dobro upanje" was launched in 1944. The vessel saw service as a convoy escort during the closing stages of World War II and was for many years the flagship of the SA Navy. The ship was sold for scrap and scuttled by explosive charges in Smitswinkel Bay to form an artificial reef on 18 June 1978.
- 44 MV Rockeater: S34°16.135’ E018°28.855’ (Bow)
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth 34 m
- The 65 m "MV Rockeater" was built in New Orleans in 1945 as a coastal freighter for the United States Navy. The ship was bought by Ocean Science and Engineering (South Africa) in 1964 to be used for marine prospecting. The Rockeater was towed to Smitswinkel Bay on 15 December 1972 and scuttled.
- Smits Swim
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 22 m to maximum of 36 m
- It is possible to visit all five wrecks on a single no-decompression dive. This is occasionally organised for people who want to have been there and done that.
Območje Batsata
A small group of dive sites just to the south of Smitswinkel Bay. They are inaccessible by land due to the steep cliffs along the shore and lack of nearby roads.
Local geography:These sites are at the foot of Judas Peak, the mountain peak on the south headland of Smitswinkel Bay. Their position at the base of the steep cliffs gives them protection from south westerly winds and swell, but they will catch some of the north westerly wind which comes through the gap above Smitswinkel Bay. They are exposed to south easterly winds and waves.
The shoreline and shallow reef at Smits Cliff is Namizna gora Sandstone, probably Graafwater series, while the offshore reefs at Smits Reef and Batsata Rock are Polotok Granite. The unconformity is near sea level in this area.
The sites include:
- Smits Reef
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 6 to 27 m.
- This is a very large area of granite reef extending north from near the Batsata Rock into the mouth of Smitswinkel Bay. It is a huge outcrop rising from coarse shelly sand bottom at about 27 m at the east side to 5 m on top. The reef has gradually sloping low areas and vertical walls, narrow deep gullies and ledges along jointing lines. Kreef Reef is a fairly large, relatively low profile outlying reef to the north.
- 45 Kreef Reef: S34°16.360’ E018°28.780’ — A fairly large, relatively low profile outlying reef to the north.
- 46 Horseshoe Reef: S34°16.410’ E018°28.940’ — The pinnacle on the northeastern ridge.
- 47 Smits Reef: S34°16.4860’ E018°28.9290’ — The top of the main reef at about 5 m depth.
- 48 Smits Reef - Batsata Maze: S34°16.5170’ E018°29.0170’ — A group of huge boulders clustered together on the bedrock forming several small caves, gullies and swimthroughs.
- 49 Smits Reef - West Pinnacle: S34°16.495’ E018°28.863’ — A group of pinnacles rising to about 6 m at the south end of a large but relatively low outcrop to the west of the main reefs.
- 50 Smits Cliff (Hell’s Gate): S34°16.48’ E018°28.41’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Maximum depth about 16 m.
- The cliffs at the south side of Smitswinkel Bay are marked on the charts as Hell’s Gate. The site is not dived very often as there are more popular sites which are more accessible. As a result it is mostly unexplored and has not been mapped. The reef appears to be mostly sandstone.
- Batsata Rock Reefs
- Reef dives. Samo dostop do čolna. A large area of mostly granite reef.
- 51 Batsata Blinder: S34°16.553' E018°28.840' — The half-tide rock north of the exposed rock.
- 52 Batsata Rock: S34°16.602’ E018°28.830’ — Sandstone reef with granite substrate at greater depth. Fairly shallow around the exposed rocks, maximum depth not known.
- 53 Banging Rocks Reef: S34°16.775’ E018°28.830’ — Granite corestone reef, depth 6 m on top of the pinnacle, 19 m on sand patch a few metres to the east. Maximum depth about 24 m.
Buffels Bay
This site is inside the Cape Point National Park area. Access is controlled by the Parks Board and various fees are charged. A slipway at Buffels Bay is also controlled by Parks Board, and the facilities are usually in good condition, It would probably be more popular if access was allowed after 6 pm.
Local geography:Buffels Bay is the closest place to Cape Point where there is road access to a place sufficiently sheltered for a slipway to be viable.
The shoreline is sandstone in this area.
The sites include:
- 54 Bordjiesrif: S34°18.99’ E018°27.83’
- Reef dive. Shore access. Depth: Fairly shallow.
- Shallow sandstone reef in the Cape Point National Park area.
- 55 Buffels Bay: S34°19.217' E018°27.73'
- Reef dive. Shore access. Depth: Fairly shallow, less than 10 m.
- Shallow sandstone reef in the Cape Point National Park area.
False Bay na morju
Introduction and some tips on diving the Central False Bay sites.
All the sites in this area are fairly far offshore, and can only be done as boat dives. They are also relatively deep and because of the long boat trip and exposed positions, generally only dived when conditions are expected to be good.
This area is exposed to the same south westerly swells as the Atlantic coast, but they must travel over a much wider continental shelf, much of which is less than 100 m deep, so there is a significant dissipation of wave energy before it reaches the shoreline.
During summer the strong south easterly winds have sufficient fetch to produce sea states which are unpleasant and though the wave action may not produce a great deal of surge at the bottom, the surface conditions may be unsuitable for diving, and in winter the north-wester can have a similar effect.
As the area is affected by the winds and wave systems of both winter and summer, there is less seasonal correlation to suitable conditions, and it is simply dived when conditions are good, which is not very often, but may be more often than previously thought, and at some reefs the visibility may be better than inshore.
It is quite common for the surface visibility offshore to be poor, with better visibility at depth, but the reverse effect can also occur. These effects are often associated with a thermocline, which is associated with midsummer to autumn.
Water temperature can differ with depth in summer from 20°C on the surface to 9°C at the bottom at 28 m, sometimes with a distinct thermocline, though usually there is less of a change, and in winter the temperature may be nearly constant at all depths. A dry suit is recommended for any of these dives, but they are also often done in wetsuits.
There is often a surface current associated with wind at the offshore sites, which generally sets to the right of the wind direction.
Grebeni
These sites are not dived as frequently as the inshore reefs, as they are further from the launch sites and therefore take considerably longer to get to. They are also more exposed to the weather from all directions, so the trip is often bumpy. However, as they are relatively deep, and far offshore, the visibility can be very good, and may well be better than inshore areas at any given time, particularly with an onshore wind and swell. Unfortunately this is not reliably predictable.
Local geography:The topography of the reefs differs according to the geology of the area. As a result the character varies enormously.
Seal Island, Whittle Rock, Anvil Rock and Bellows Rock are granite outcrops, probably all part of the Polotok Cape pluton. Steenbras Reef is sedimentary rock, thought to be Tygerberg oblikovanje Malmesbury series, but looks more like sandstone than shale, and Rocky Bank is sandstone, probably of the Namizna gora skupini.
The sites include:
- 1 Choirboys Reef: S34°08.005' E18°45.270'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 20 to about 26 m
- Hard sedimentary rock reef, in moderate to low profile ridges and gullies.
- 2 Otok Seal: S34°08.25’ E018°34.95’
- Cage dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth shallow — the cages are only about 2 m deep.
- These dives are for one purpose only: to see sharks. Other fish may be attracted to the bait, but that is not what you do this dive to see. Cage dives must be done through a licensed Shark Cage Diving charter.
- 3 East Shoal: S34°08'54" E18°38'47"
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth probably about 2 to 25 m.
- The reef is said to be Namizna gora sandstone. A seldom dived site due to distance from launch sites, with an astonishing density of echinoderms.
- 4 Drop Zone: S34°08.561' E18°45.829'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth probably from about 12 to 25 m.
- The moderate profile but extensive reef is sedimentary rock, either Malmesbury series or Namizna gora sandstone. It was only dived by charter boats beginning in 2014. Colourful invertebrates, including large numbers of gorgonian sea fans.
- 5 Moddergat: S34°09.150' E18°49.650'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth probably from about 13 to 16 m.
- The moderate to low profile but extensive reef is sedimentary rock, either Malmesbury series or Namizna gora sandstone. It was only dived by charter boats beginning in 2014. Colourful invertebrates, including quite large numbers of nudibranchs. Also known as a fishing spot, but not many fish seen of a size worth catching.
- 6 Sterretjies Reef: S34°09.364' E18°45.039'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 16 to about 30 m
- Hard sedimentary rock reef, in moderate to low profile ridges and gullies.
- 7 York Shoal: S34°09.367', E018°35.583'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth is between 4 and about 28 m.
- The reef is a hard sedimentary rock. It is near Seal Island where Great White sharks are a tourist attraction.
- Steenbras Deep Reef
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 17 to 30 m.
- This site is at the southern end of a long ridge towards the east side of False Bay. The southern pinnacle is irregular in shape, with a large number of cracks, grooves and indentations, mostly not very deep. Sand is coarse and shelly with lots of bryozoan detritus at the edge of the reef. There is also a northern pinnacle, though both are relatively flat.
- 8 Steenbras Deep - North Pinnacles: S34°12.15’ E018°45.57’
- 9 Steenbras Deep - South Pinnacles: S34°12.642’ E018°45.498’
- 10 Off-Whittle Ridge: S34°14.364' E18°34.847'
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 19 m to more than 30 m.
- An area of granite corestone reef nearly 2 km to the west-northwest of Whittle Rock. The pinnacle is in the form of a ridge running roughly north-south with a cluster of large boulders to the northeast, and is quite small. The topography is rugged in the ridge area, with a wall down to about 25 m on the west side.
- Whittle Rock
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 4 m to more than 36 m.
- This is a large area of granite corestone reefs surrounded by sand. The topography varies considerably as it is such a large area. The top of the shallowest pinnacle is at about 4 m depth, and the surrounding sand is around 30 to 40 m.
- 11 Kelly's Anchor: S34°14.668' E18°33.646'
- 12 Riaan and Sven's anchor: S34°14.735' E18°33.590'
- 13 North-west corner pinnacles: S34°14.750' E18°33.482'
- 14 JJ's anchor: S34°14.756' E18°33.720'
- 15 September anchor: S34°14.762' E18°33.575'
- 16 Whittle Rock North-west Pinnacle: S34°14.765’ E018°33.622’
- 17 Evfrat sidra: S34°14.776' E18°33.801' and S34°14.783' E18°33.795'
- 18 Little anchor: S34°14.785' E18°33.666'
- 19 Whittle Rock West Pinnacle: S34°14.844’ E018°33.682’
- 20 Whittle Rock: S34°14.846’ E018°33.714’ — (Shallowest pinnacle)
- 21 Whaleback Pinnacles: S34°14.850' E18°33.508'
- 22 Whittle Rock Western Reef Pinnacle: S34°14.856' E18°33.269' (inside the MPA)
- 23 Whittle Rock South-east Pinnacle: S34°14.887’ E018°33.775’
- 24 Whaleback Rock: S34°14.900' E18°33.635'
- 25 South-east pinnacle chain (Neptune's bath plug): S34°14.917’ E018°33.753’
- 26 Flash pinnacle: S34°14.931' E18°33.718'
- 27 Georgina's anchor: S34°14.935' E18°33.784'
- 28 M&M Tower (the Spark plug): S34°14.043’ E018°33.549’
- 29 Whittle Cave Complex: S34°14.943’ E018°33.616’
- 30 Bus Stop (the Gnarly wall): S34°14.945' E18°33.573'
- 31 Wreckless Rock and the Little Labyrinth: S34°14.949' E18°33.707'
- 32 Table Top pinnacle: S34°14.968' E18°33.668'
- 33 Grant's Spike: S34°14.991' E18°33.450' (South-western pinnacles)
- 34 Labirint: S34°15.004’ E018°33.580’
- Anvil Rock
- 35 Anvil Rock 3 m pinnacle: S34°22.218' E18°31.090'
- 36 Anvil Rock caves: S36°22.244' E18°31.068' — Approx 20 m deep, area of nice caves/swim-throughs:
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 3 m to more than 20 m.
- The reef is Peninsula granite corestone.
- Rocky Bank
- 37 36 m Pablo's steps drop: S34°25.160’ E018°35.571’
- 38 32 m drop: S34°24.994’ E018°35.463’
- 39 30 m drop: S34°24.957’ E018°35.473’
- 40 25 m drop: S34°24.906’ E018°35.478’
- 41 22 m drop: S34°24.820’ E018°35.473’
- Reef dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth 22 m to more than 50 m on the south side.
- The reef is said to be Namizna gora sandstone. It is a beautiful site with bright colourful reef invertebrates, but is seldom dived due to the distance from the nearest launch site. Visibility is often better than inside the bay.
Razbitine
There are a number of wrecks in central False Bay. Only the ones that are identified and dived are listed here. Exploration of previously undived wrecks occurs sporadically and the list is sure to increase over time. Most of these wrecks are relatively deep, and are all too far offshore to dive from the shore. Some of them are considered among the best dive sites of the Cape Town area, at least partly because of the difficult access and rarity value.
Local geography:The "Lusitania" is on a site where the granite reef is ruggedly spectacular and the boat trip provides a magnificent view of Cape Point. The General Botha, Bloemfontein in Fleur are on the flat sand bottom of the bay and in these cases, only the wreck is of much interest. The Godetia is relatively shallow and on a mixed sand and sedimentary rock reef bottom.
The sites include:
- 42 ST Godetia: S34°6’ E018°44’
- Wreck dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 15 to 17 m.
- SS Godetia was a steam trawler operated by Irvin and Johnson that was sunk for target practice by the SA Air Force. The wreck is very broken up and lies on a bottom of small patches of rocky reef and sand at a maximum depth of about 17 to 18 m. The single scotch boiler and engine block are the most prominent artifacts, and stand on top of a small section of reef, surrounded by fragments of various sizes. The propeller shaft and propeller extend slightly to the west.
- 43 SAS Fleur: S34°10.832’ E018°33.895’
- Wreck dive. Deep dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 35 to 41 m.
- The SAS Fleur was a 'Bar' class boom defence vessel, formerly HMS Barbrake. The wreck lies almost level embedded in the bottom as if floating in sand with the weather deck at about 35 m. Hull structure is collapsing.
- 44 SATS General Botha: S34°13.679’ E018°38.290’
- Wreck dive. Deep dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 47 to 54 m.
- The River-Class cruiser HMS Temze was built in 1886 and later purchased from the Royal Navy and donated to the South African Government as a training ship for seafarers. The vessel was renamed the "South African Training Ship (SATS)General Botha".
- The General Botha was scuttled by gunfire from the Scala Battery in Simon’s Town on 13th May 1947. The hull is substantially intact from the ram bow to some metres abaft amidships, approximately level with the aft gun sponsons.
- 45 SAS Bloemfontein: near S34°14.655’ E018°39.952’
- Wreck dive. Deep dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 47 to 55 m.
- The SAS Bloemfontein M439 was a sister ship to the SAS Pietermaritzburg and has similar dimensions and layout. This Algerine class Minesweeper was built as HMS Rosamund, and was scuttled on 5 June 1967.
- The ship lies upright on a flat sand bottom and is substantially intact.
- 46 SS Luzitanija: S34°23.40’ E018°29.65’
- Wreck dive. Deep dive. Samo dostop do čolna. Depth: 35 to 40 m.
- Portuguese twin-screw liner of 5557 tons, built in 1906. Wrecked on Bellows Rock off Cape Point on 18 April 1911 in fog while on a voyage from Lourenco Marques (Maputo). The granite reef slopes down from Bellows Rock to the east, and drops off almost vertically from about 15 m to about 33 m, where the broken wreckage lies between the wall and some boulders further east. The wreck is very easy to find, and spread over a fairly large area down to 40 m.
- 47 Bellows Rock
Vzhodna obala False Bay
Introduction and some tips on diving the Eastern False Bay coast from Gordon’s Bay to Hangklip.
This coast is exposed to the same south westerly swells as the Atlantic coast, but they must travel over a much wider continental shelf, much of which is less than 100 m deep, so there is a significant dissipation of wave energy before it reaches the shoreline. There are other influences, as some of the swells must pass over the shoal area known as Rocky Bank in the mouth of False Bay, and this tends to refract and focus the wave fronts on certain parts of the shore, depending on the exact direction of the wave fronts. As a result there is a tendency for some parts of the coast to be subjected to a type of “freak wave” which appears to be a combination of focused wave front, superposition sets and the effects of the local coastal topography. There are a number of memorial crosses along the coast to attest to the danger of these waves, though the victims are generally anglers, as divers would not attempt to dive in the conditions that produce these waves.
This area, like the Atlantic coast, is a summer diving area, though there will occasionally be conditions suitable for a winter dive.Even in milder conditions there tend to be more noticeable sets than on the Atlantic coast, and it is prudent to study the conditions for several minutes when deciding on an entry or exit point, as the cycle can change significantly over that time. Timing is important at most of these sites, and often when returning to the shore it may seem that the conditions have deteriorated dangerously during the dive. If this happens, do not be in a rush to exit, hang back for at least one cycle of sets, and time your exit to coincide with the low energy part of the cycle, when the waves are lowest and the surge least. When you exit in these conditions, do not linger in the surge zone, get out fast, even if it requires crawling up the rocks on hands and knees, and generally avoid narrow tapering gullies, as they concentrate the wave energy.
The local geology has produced a coastline with much fewer sheltered exit points on this side of the bay, adding to the difficulty, but there are a few deep gullies sufficiently angled to the wave fronts to provide good entry and exit points in moderate conditions. The most notable of these is at Percy’s Hole, where an unusual combination of very sudden decrease in depth from about 14 m to about 4 m, a long, narrow gully with a rocky beach at the end, and a side gully near to the mouth which is shallow, wide, parallel to the shoreline, and full of kelp, results in one of the best protected exits on the local coastline. As a contrast, Coral Garden at Rooi-els, which is about 1.7 km away, has a gully that shelves moderately, with a wide mouth and very small side gullies, which are very tricky unless the swell is quite low.
There is no significant current in False Bay, and this results in relatively warmer water than the Atlantic coast, but also there is less removal of dirty water, so the visibility tends to be poorer. The South-Easter is an offshore wind here too, and will cause upwelling in the same way as on the Atlantic coast, but the bottom water is usually not as clean or as cold, and the upwelled water may carry the fine light silt which tends to deposit in this area when conditions are quiet, so the effects are usually less noticeable. These upwellings are more prevalent in the Rooi-els area, which is deeper than Gordon’s Bay.
As in the Atlantic, a plankton bloom frequently follows an upwelling. This will reduce the visibility, particularly near the surface. It is quite common for the surface visibility offshore to be poor, with better visibility at depth, but the reverse effect can also occur, particularly inshore. These effects are often associated with a thermocline.
Surface water temperature on this side of the bay can range from as high as 22°C to as low as 10°C, and the temperature can differ with depth, sometimes with a distinct thermocline.
Gordonov zaliv
This area includes some of the best and most popular shore dive sites in the east side of False Bay. All can also be dived from a boat, and this is of particular importance to divers with restricted mobility on shore, as there is generally a rugged bit of coast to negotiate and in some cases a long climb. There are also sites which are only dived from boats as the shore access is too difficult or dangerous. The dive sites are all close inshore, as sand bottom is quite close to the shore in most cases, There is little or no kelp at these sites.
Local geography:The coastline from Gordon’s Bay to just north of Steenbras River mouth lies approximately north east to south west along the foot of the Hottentot’s Holland mountain range. This is a steeply sloping area with low cliffs along the shoreline and no level ground. The southern part of the Gordon’s Bay urban area is perched along the northern end of this strip above the Faure Marine Drive (R44), which is the access road for all shore dives in this area except Bikini Beach.
The dive sites from Bikini Beach to Lorry Bay are along this part of the coast, and are more sheltered from south westerly swell than sites further to the south as a result of the orientation of the coastline approximately parallel to the swell direction.
Further south the coastline curves to the south east, so the sites are more exposed to the swell. By Rocky Bay the swell approaches the coastline almost perpendicularly, which makes it relatively rough in any south westerly swell.
The shoreline topography of this area is generally low rocky cliffs with occasional wave-cut caves, gullies and overhangs. The underwater profile is usually quite steep with the flat sand bottom quite close to the shoreline. Maximum depth increases from north to south, reaching just over 20 m at Rocky Bay, where the rocky bottom extends much further out than at the more northerly sites.
The coastal formation in this area is mostly light grey to yellow brown quartzitic sandstones of the Graafwater nastanek. This directly overlays the greywackes of the Malmesbury group which form the coastline further north from Gordon’s Bay to the Strand. Higher up the mountainside are the rocks of the Polotok formation, which are light grey quartzitic sandstone, with thin siltstone, shale and conglomerate beds. The strike is roughly parallel to the coastline, approximately ENE, and the dip is steep SSW, nearly vertical in places.
The sites include:
- 1 Bikini Beach: S34°09.923 E18°51.492
- Reef dive. Shore access. Maximum depth about 3 m.
- Priljubljena plavalna plaža v zalivu Gordon's Bay, ki običajno ni mesto za potapljanje, vendar je primerna za vaje, če valovi niso preveliki. Plaža se strmo poboči v območju surfanja, nato pa ravno peščeno dno z grebenom majhnih raztresenih zaobljenih balvanov.
- 2 Izstopi: S34 ° 10,193 ’E018 ° 50,726’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna. Največja globina približno 9 m.
- Imenovan po polički na obali tik nad visoko vodo, ki je mejnik s strani morja. Na severovzhodnem koncu police je tudi visok skalni iztok, kjer navdušenci skačejo v vodo z več metrov navzgor. Dokaj ravno dno z drobnimi kamnitimi kamni in občasno peskom med njimi.
- 3 Vogelsteen: S34 ° 10,302 ’E018 ° 50,355’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 12 m.
- Imenovan po veliki skali, ki so jo naklonjene morskim pticam in je rahlo prevlečena z gvanom. Zmeren relief blizu obale, vendar dokaj položen z le majhnimi balvani in izdanki. Znamenit po gredicah kamenčkov, mulja in školjk med skalnatim priobalnim pasom in ravnim peskovitim dnom, ki leži še naprej na morju, kjer lahko najdemo veliko število lažnih zalivov (Cerianthid).
- 4 Krava in tele: S34 ° 10.310 ’E018 ° 50.263’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 13 m.
- Imenovan po dvojnih grebenih tik ob morju, ki se približajo površini in včasih razbijejo površino ter spominjajo na kitovo kravo in tele. Robati grebeni peščenjaka s kvarcitnimi žilami. Grebeni so približno vzporedni z obalo. Spodaj je kamnita in srednje do majhna gromada s prodniki, peskom in lupino v razpokah. Tudi:
- 5 Kamniti pes
- 6 Vrhunec: S34 ° 10,468 ’E018 ° 49,981’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 14 m.
- Imenovan po skalnem vrhu, ki v večini držav plime razbije površje tik ob morju.
- Območje grebena peščenjaka, vključno z visokim vrhom, majhno votlino, številnimi jarki in grebeni ter veliko balvanov. Velika raznolikost nevretenčarjev na majhnem območju.
- 7 Tonijev greben: S34 ° 10,565 ’E018 ° 49,745’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna. Največja globina približno 14 m.
- Dokaj razgiban greben s srednje do velikimi grebeni in izdanki, ki se dokaj strmo spuščajo navzdol do prodnatega prodnatega območja in končno peskanega dna.
- 8 Trogloditov zaliv (Jama Gully): S34 ° 10,828 ’E018 ° 49,509’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 14 m.
- Najdišče je dobilo ime po jami na vrhu dotoka, ki kaže znake nedavnega bivanja v obliki smeti in zavržene posode. Grebeni peščenjaka so približno vzporedni z obalnimi formacijami in segajo do 9 m zelo blizu zunanjega roba obale, nato pa se police postopoma spuščajo do 14 m, takrat je droben pesek. Obstaja nekaj dokaj velikih izvirov in balvanov, visokih do približno 3 m, in nekaj previsov v bližini obale, zlasti na vstopu.
- 9 Tovorni zaliv: S34 ° 10,955 ’E018 ° 49,312’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna. Največja globina približno 10 m.
- Imenovano po koščkih motornih vozil, ki jih še vedno najdemo v zalivu. Več vozil je v preteklih letih zašlo s ceste nad zalivom in se končalo v vodi. Dno z ravnim dnom, pesek na približno 10 m. Dno valovitih zaobljenih balvanov v zalivu. Bolj robustno in strmo ob strani.
- 10 Phil's Bay: S34 ° 11,199 ’E018 ° 49,133’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna. Največja globina približno 14 m.
- Dno peska na približno 14 m, nato zmerno reliefni greben peščenjakov in grebenov s peščenimi režami, ki potekajo bolj ali manj vzporedno z obalo. Približa se obali in je globoko blizu obale.
- Rocky Bay in plemeniti greben: S34 ° 11,585 ’E018 ° 49,035’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina več kot 20 m.
- To pravzaprav sploh ni zaliv. Obala ima konveksno krivuljo vzdolž tega potapljaškega mesta. Letovišče na obali se imenuje Rocky Bay in iz tega sledi ime mesta. Plemeniti greben je greben severozahodno od območja Rocky Bay.
- Obalna črta je zelo strma in odraža in ne lomi valov, zato je sidrišče v nabrekanju zelo nerodno. Dno je dno postopoma nagnjeno, z zmerno velikimi grebeni in izdanki. Nadalje na morju postane na splošno bolj položno z nizkim skalnatim grebenom in prodniki ter majhnimi balvani in občasno višjim grebenom.
- 11 Rocky Bay: S34 ° 11,585 ’E018 ° 49,035’
- 12 Plemeniti greben Rocky Bay: S34 ° 11,332 ’E018 ° 49,123’
Rooi-els
To območje vključuje nekaj najboljših in najbolj priljubljenih mest za potapljanje na obali na vzhodni strani False Baya. Vse je mogoče potapljati tudi s čolna, čeprav je na območju omejen dostop za spuščanje, od Gordonovega zaliva pa je dolga vožnja. Na mnogih od teh krajev je razgiban del obale za pogajanja in v nekaterih primerih dolg vzpon. Potapljaške lokacije so večinoma blizu obale, v nekaterih primerih pa se raztezajo precej daleč. V plitvejših predelih teh krajev je običajno alga. Paviuni so lahko moteči za Rooi-els, čeprav tu niso tako problematični kot južno od Simonovega mesta. Ne puščajte hrane brez nadzora in ne hranite babunov, saj to spodbuja, da postanejo še večja nadloga.
Lokalna geografija:Najdišča severno od zaliva Rooi-els so ob vznožju Rooielsberga (636 m), ki se precej strmo poboči na severozahodni strani, vendar ima bolj postopen naklon tik severno od izliva reke Rooi-els, kjer je je peščena plaža, dobro zaščitena pred jugozahodom, nabrekne. Vendar je podvodna topografija v očitnem nasprotju s tem, saj je nahajališče v Bloukransu plitvejše in bolj postopno odlagano kot pri Percyjevi luknji, kjer globina na zelo kratki razdalji od obale pade na približno 12 m.
Izpadi temne kamnine na Tygerberg na Bloukransu, s peščenjaki iz Namizna gora nadalje južno. Strike je približno severovzhodno pri kraju Rooi-els, s padcem okoli 25 ° jugovzhodno.
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- 13 Blouklip (Bloukrans): S34 ° 16,439 ’E018 ° 50,163’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina 17 m.
- Imenovan po temnem skalnem grebenu Tygerberg formacija na vstopni točki. Pogorje za lokacijo je znano kot Blousteenberge, vrh neposredno nad njim pa je Rooielsberg.
- Obalni greben so balvani in izviri zmerne velikosti. Nadalje se spuščajo, dokler na 10 m ni dokaj ravnih gramoznih postelj. Nadalje je več izdankov, nekaj ravnih grebenov skrilavcev, več gramoznih postelj in še več izdankov. Med skalami in gramozom je tudi nekaj majhnih pešcev.
- 14 Blousteen Ridge: S34 ° 16,497 'E018 ° 49,924'
- Potop na grebenu. Samo dostop do čolna. Največja globina ni zabeležena, verjetno približno 18 m.
- Ta stran je nekaj sto metrov jugozahodno od Blouklipa. Razteza se do obale, vendar je dostop s ceste strm in težaven, v bližini pa ni parkirišča.
- 15 Whirlpool Cove: S34 ° 16,97 ’E018 ° 49,55’ (približno)
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 24 m.
- Poimenovan po turbulentni vrzeli med skupino kamnin in južnim koncem zaliva, ki v močnem navalu ustvari nekaj čudovitih vrtincev. Spodnji trendi se postopoma znižujejo v nizu vzporednih grebenov in žlebov iz peščenjaka, različnih velikosti, vendar doslednih potopitev in udarcev.
- 16 Percyjeva luknja: S34 ° 17.350 ’E018 ° 49.377’E.
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 23 m.
- To je eno najbolj znanih in najbolj zanimivih krajev na območju Rooi-els. Vhodni jarek se spusti na 14 m med glavama, na jugu je stopničast zid, na severu pa obsežni visoki kamniti grebeni s prelivom na obali izpostavljenega kamnitega vrha (Seal Rocks). Proti morju teh visokih grebenov se dno poboči do 23 m s peskovitim dnom, na severu pa je majhna votlina. To je območje raznolikih topografskih značilnosti in bogate ekološke raznolikosti.
- 17 Kruis (Križi): S34 ° 17,431 ’E018 ° 49,304
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 22 m.
- Imenovan po križu, postavljenem v spomin J.F.Maraisu, rektorju gimnazije Stellenbosch, ki se je utopil v bližini. Dovod se postopoma spušča proti severozahodu na obsežnem območju globljega nizkega profila z nekaj peščenimi zaplatami, dokler ne doseže peščenega dna. Proti morju od vstopnega žleba je dokaj velik, precej plitev greben, ki se strmo spušča na nizek globok greben.
- 18 Rooi-els Point: S34 ° 17,8 ’E018 ° 48,8’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 20 m.
- Točka na Rooi-elsu se zdi očitno mesto za potapljanje. Obstaja prelom, ki se razteza severno od točke, kar kaže na razširjen greben. Ti grebeni so nadaljevanje grebenov v Coral Gardens na severu in so si v marsičem zelo podobni. Robati grebeni in žlebovi iz peščenjaka, večinoma dokaj zlomljeni in spremenljive višine na razmeroma enaki globini dna.
- 19 Koralni vrtovi (Rooi-els): S34 ° 18,144 ’E018 ° 48,795’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina več kot 25 m.
- Imenovan po bogatih gorgonijah, morskih oboževalcih in mehkih koralah, ki jih najdemo na tem območju. Kamniti grebeni potekajo približno od severovzhoda proti jugozahodu. Veliki izdanci in balvani so močan relief in so življenjski prostor številnim nevretenčarjem. Ob najbolj oddaljenih obalah visokih grebenov so trije veliki vrhovi. Najjužnejši od teh grebenov ima lok značilnost južno od najvišje točke. Severni greben ima jamo / preplavitev pod velikim balvanom.
- 20 Andre se Gat: S34 ° 18,25 ’E018 ° 48,76’ (ocenjeno)
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina je 25 m.
- To spletno mesto je bilo pred leti uporabljeno za usposabljanje in kot splošno rekreacijsko potapljanje.
- 21 Balkon: S34 ° 18,454 ’E018 ° 48,911’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 10 m.
- Ta stran se večinoma uporablja kot mesto za usposabljanje ali kadar so razmere obrobne. Ni zelo globok in greben ni preveč spektakularen, vendar je bolje zaščiten pred nabreklinami kot večina območij na tem območju. Nizek do zmeren greben peščenjaka se strmo spušča na peščeno dno.
- 22 Ankers: S34 ° 17.350 ’E018 ° 49.377’
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale. Največja globina približno 20 m.
- Imenovan po prvotni hiši, ki je stala v vzponu nad zalivom, ki je bila porušena in obnovljena leta 2003. To je območje z razmeroma zaščitenim območjem za vstop in izstop.
- 23 Mike's Point: S34 ° 18,75 ’E018 ° 48,72’ (ocenjeno)
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 20 m.
- To je nadaljevanje grebenov, ki tečejo južno od Ankersa, na severnem koncu Container Baya. Spletna stran je redko potopljena in ni bila preslikana.
- 24 Kontejnerski zaliv (Mike's Bay): S34 ° 18,75 ’E018 ° 49,05’ (približno)
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna. Največja globina približno 14 m.
- Ta stran je dobila ime po posodi, ki je bila pred nekaj leti izprana na kopno in je skoraj popolnoma zarjavela. Na potapljanju se pogosto ne potaplja. Dostop je razmeroma dober.
Zaliv Pringle in Hangklip
Ta območja večinoma potapljajo podvodniki, znano pa je, da so se potapljali na potapljaških potapljačih. Na tej stopnji žal ni na voljo nobenih informacij.
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale.
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do obale ali čolna.
- Hangklip Ridge:
- Potop na grebenu. Dostop do čolna.
Sladkovodna potapljaška mesta
V regiji je le eno znamenito sladkovodno območje, ki je odprto za javnost. To je kamnolom Blue Rock na dnu prelaza Sir Lowry, blizu Gordonovega zaliva,
Spletna mesta vključujejo:
- Kamnolom Blue Rock: S34 ° 07,536 ’E18 ° 54,066’
- Potop v kamnolomu. Samo dostop do obale. Največja globina najmanj 47 m, lahko tudi več. Večinoma plitvejši od 30 m.
- Imenovan po gradbenem agregatu, ki so ga v preteklosti tu pridobivali in je bil temno modro-sive barve. Kamnolom je bil zaprt in je zdaj poplavljen in se uporablja za vodne športe, vključno s potapljanjem in smučanjem na vodi z uporabo nadzemnega kabelskega sistema.
- 1 Kamnolom Blue Rock Globoko
- 2 Plavajoči pomol kamnoloma Blue Rock
- 3 Kamnolom Blue Rock West End
- 4 Potop za potapljanje in pustolovski kotiček Modrega kamnoloma
Spoštovanje
Potapljanje na skalnatih grebenih
Praviloma se izogibajte stiku z živimi organizmi. V gozdovih alg je to očitno nemogoče, zato je sreča, da sta morski bambus in alga, ki se razdeli, hitro rastoča in žilava. Pravzaprav je priporočljivo, da če se želite vztrajno vznemiriti, uporabite spodnji del palic alg kot oprimke pred drugimi organizmi, če ni jasne podlage za prijemanje. Običajno so močno pritrjeni na podlago, saj morajo prenesti močno udaranje v nevihtah, zato se občasno zadrževanje potapljača zdi lahka obremenitev. V nekaterih primerih lahko majhne rastline alg odtrgajo močni navali. Naučili se boste prepoznati, kdaj se bo to verjetno zgodilo, nato pa morate narediti drug načrt.
Zdi se, da škoda, ki jo v naši lokalni morski ekologiji povzročajo potapljači, večinoma povzroča počasi rastoče razmeroma krhke organizme pod območjem surfa. Zdi se, da so lažne korale (Bryozoa) med bolj krhkimi in da se je treba izogibati vsakršnemu stiku z drsečimi, pornimi in staghornovimi lažnimi koralami. Tudi trde korale, mehke korale, vetrnice in morski oboževalci bi morali obravnavati kot zelo občutljive. Gobice so verjetno manj občutljive na dotik, vendar na splošno niso zelo močne in se lahko dokaj enostavno trgajo in so neprimerne za držanje.
Rdeča vaba (zelo pogosta in plodna velika morska brizga Pyura stolonifera) se zdi trden in odporen in se lahko uporablja kot oprimki, saj se zdi, da ne predstavlja opazne škode. To ne velja za vse ascide, večina je veliko bolj občutljiva. Rdeča vaba je pogosto tudi substrat za druge, bolj občutljive organizme, v tem primeru pazljivo ravnajte z njimi.
Brcanje po grebenu in mešanje peščenega dna s plavutmi je slaba oblika in znak nekvalificiranega potapljača. Temu se izognite tako, da vzdržujete nevtralno plovnost in se zavedate svojega položaja glede na okolico, naj bodo gibi nog in rok zmerni, urejate se, da omogočite primerno usmeritev telesa, in se izogibajte viseči opremi, ki lahko udari v greben ali se zaskoči na stvari in povzroči neposredno ali posredno škodo. Praviloma je vodoravna usmeritev s plavutmi, dvignjenimi nad trup, primerna in omogoča manevriranje z uporabo plavuti brez brcanja grebena ali mešanja oblaka peska.
Zdi se, da so se nekateri fotografi razvili zoprno navado, da stvari spreminjajo tako, da ustrezajo želeni sestavi slike. To je skrajno neodgovorno in se ga ne sme izvajati, saj je ravnanje z njimi lahko usodno za nekatere organizme. Tudi na morskih zavarovanih območjih je nezakonito, čeprav je v praksi skoraj nemogoče uveljaviti.
Zbiranje morskih organizmov je nezakonito brez ustreznega dovoljenja. Če organizme potrebujete za zakonit namen, poiščite dovoljenje. V nasprotnem primeru jih pustite nemotene in če pobirate, ne motite drugih sosednjih organizmov.
Obstajajo pomisleki glede vpliva športnega potapljanja na ekologijo grebenov. Nekateri od njih so lahko upravičeni, zato je treba preveriti, ali je to resnična težava. Število potopov v regiji se je z leti znatno povečalo, vendar številčni podatki niso na voljo. Povečalo se je tudi število lokacij, zato se pogostost potopov na večini strani ne bo sorazmerno povečala. Na žalost je vladna služba, prej znana kot upravljanje morskih in obalnih območij, ki je zdaj del ministrstva za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo in ribištvo, videla priložnost, da posega v športne dejavnosti in je uporabila raziskave o tropskih koralnih grebenih, da bi podprla prizadevanja za prevzem nadzora športnega potapljanja na zmernih grebenih okoli polotoka Cape. Za utemeljitev njihovih trditev ni mogoče izvesti nobenih raziskav zmernih grebenov in zdi se malo verjetno, da bi njihovo vmešavanje koristilo ne ekologiji ne potapljaški industriji.
Morska zavarovana območja
Večina potapljaških mest v Cape Townu je na morskem zavarovanem območju Narodnega parka Table Mountain ali morskem zavarovanem območju otoka Robben.
Za potapljanje v kateri koli MPA je potrebno dovoljenje. Dovoljenja veljajo eno leto in so na voljo v nekaterih poslovalnicah pošte. Začasna dovoljenja, veljavna en mesec, so lahko na voljo v potapljaških trgovinah ali pri upravljavcih potapljaških čolnov. Dovoljenja veljajo za vse južnoafriške MPA.
Meje tabele Zaščiteno območje morskega narodnega parka so prikazane na sliki, ki prikazuje tudi območja z omejitvami, kjer teoretično niso dovoljene nobene ribolovne ali nabiralne dejavnosti. To lovcev ne ustavi in če imate politični vtis, se zdi, da lahko dobite dovoljenja za gospodarski ribolov za nekatera območja z omejitvami.
Na morskem zavarovanem območju otoka Robben je tudi nekaj zmerno priljubljenih potopov v razbitinah, morsko zavarovano območje Helderberg pa je v False Bayu, vendar s tega območja ni znanih rekreacijskih potapljaških mest.
Potapljanje v razbitinah okoli polotoka Cape in False Bay
Potapljanje na razbitinah v Južni Afriki je priljubljena dejavnost, zgodovinske razbitine pa so pravno zaščitene pred vandalizmom in nepooblaščenim reševanjem ter ekstrakcijsko arheologijo. Zanimiva, čeprav ne posebno logična posledica zakonodaje je, da vsaka razbitina samodejno postane zgodovinska razvalina 60 let po datumu uničenja, kar povzroči, da lahko kup zarjavele smeti, ki jo lahko vsakdo po želji odstrani, čez noč postane dragocen in nenadomestljiv zgodovinski artefakt in del nacionalne dediščine. Zdi se, da ima podoben učinek tudi potapljač, ki se bo zavzeto brskal po razbitini v upanju, da bo našel artefakt, ki se ga ne bi upognili, če bi ležal na ulici.
Kljub temu potapljanje v razbitinah ima svoje zanimivosti, vode polotoka Cape in False Bay pa imajo veliko število razbitin. Razlogi za to so prvič v tem, da ena največjih svetovnih ladijskih poti poteka okoli Cape Pointa, in drugič, da so vremenske in morske razmere v tej regiji lahko zelo grobe. Sidrišče v zalivu Table nudi malo zavetja, če veter veje s severozahoda, kar je običajno pozimi, in so številne ladje med zimskimi nevihtami, ko so se sidra vlekla ali kabli odpovedali, v obalo Table Bay in blizu njega pripeljali na kopno. ne more premagati obale zavetrja. To se zgodi redkeje, odkar so ladje motorne, toda vsakih nekaj let se v okrožju Table Bay zaradi okvar ali nesposobnosti odnese še ena ladja.
Seznam razbitin je dolg, vendar je seznam razbitin na območjih, primernih za potapljanje, bistveno krajši in večje število razbitin, ki so verjetno na priročnih območjih, ni bilo mogoče najti. - Snemanje natančnega položaja, ko se je plovilo spuščalo, posadkam ni bilo pogosto v prvi vrsti, tudi kadar bi bilo to mogoče. Kot rezultat, neprestano raziskujejo in iščejo razbitine potapljačev, za katere so znani približni položaji, in nekaj je operaterjev, ki ljubosumno varujejo svoje znanje o lokacijah razbitin, da imajo lahko ekskluziven dostop.
Številne ladje so potonile znatno razdaljo nad točko, na kateri so bile poškodovane, mnoge pa v vodi bodisi pregloboko, da bi se potopile, bodisi naravnost na obalo, kjer so bile nato z valovnimi udarci pretepene do delcev. Drugi so se poslabšali do te mere, da jih povprečni rekreacijski potapljač komaj prepozna kot ostanke ladje. Zaradi teh dejavnikov je število razbitin, ki so priljubljena mesta za potapljanje, majhna podmnožica celotnega števila znanih številk, mnoge od njih pa so bile prvotno iztrebljene bodisi kot ciljna praksa mornarice bodisi kot umetni grebeni. Te razbitine se potapljajo dokaj pogosto, kot to dopuščajo razmere.
Poišči pomoč
V nujnem primeru
 | Opomba: National Hyperbarics je zaprt za nedoločen čas od januarja 2011. Na območju Cape Towna ni na voljo dekompresijske komore za rekreacijske potapljaške nesreče. Do nadaljnjega se obrnite na DAN ali Metro Rescue. |
V primerih, ko med evakuacijo obstaja potreba po življenjski podpori, se obrnite na eno od reševalnih služb, kot je Netcare 911. Če je potapljač član DAN-a, vsaj poskusite med evakuacijo vzpostaviti stik z DAN-om (Diver Alert Network), saj bodo nadalje se dogovorite. Za člane, ki niso člani DAN, se obrnite na reševalno službo ali neposredno na Metro Rescue.
Če potrebujete nesrečo sami, pojdite na Nujna medicinska enota bolnišnice Claremont prvič, kadar osebje ve za potapljaške nesreče in lahko zagotovi življenjsko podporo in ustrezno zdravljenje.
Močno priporočamo, da nekdo iz potapljaške skupine ponesrečenca spremlja v reševalnem vozilu, po možnosti z mobilnim telefonom, da lahko odgovori na vprašanja o incidentu. Potapljaški računalnik ponesrečenca je treba prevažati z njo, koristno pa je, če oseba, ki spremlja ponesrečenca, ve, kako iz računalnika izvleči zgodovino potopov.
- DAN Južna Afrika 24-urna vroča linija, ☏ 27 82 810-6010, 27 10 209-8112, brez cestnin: 0800 020 111.
- Netcare 911, ☏082 911 (domače). Reševanje na morju, helikopter, reševalno vozilo, hiperbarična komora, strupi in linija za nujno medicinsko pomoč.
- Metro reševanje, ☏10177 (domače).
- 1 Nujna enota bolnišnice Claremont (dostop z glavne ceste), ☏ 27 21 670-4333.
- Nacionalni inštitut za reševanje na morju, ☏ 27 21 449-3500.
- Gorsko reševanje, ☏ 27 21 937-1211.
- Ogenj, ☏107 (domače).
- S. A. Policijska služba, ☏10111 (domače).
- V primeru težav s klicem v sili, ☏1022 (domače).
Izvedi
- Južna podvodna raziskovalna skupina (SURG), ✉[email protected]. Za identifikacijo morskega življenja in vodnikov po terenu. Pošljite fotografijo na SURG in poskušali bodo prepoznati organizem.
- iNaturalistična južna Afrika. Za identifikacijo rastlin in živali. Naložite opazovalno fotografijo in lokacijo na iNaturalist in eden od sodelujočih lahko prepozna organizem. Svoje znanje lahko delite tudi tako, da določite temo svojih in fotografij drugih.
- Podvodna Afrika. "CPR potapljanja": Ohranjanje, promocija in zastopanje. Podvodna Afrika poskuša služiti svojim članom z opredelitvijo ključnih vprašanj, ki vplivajo na rast in uspeh rekreacijskega potapljanja. Združeni glas govori v imenu športa, njegova operativna naloga pa je ustvariti usmerjene programe, ki pozitivno vplivajo tako na rekreativno potapljanje kot na podvodno okolje. Natančneje, če imate težave pri pridobivanju potapljaškega dovoljenja od pošte na tujem potnem listu ali za osebe, mlajše od 16 let, bo podvodna Afrika poskušala rešiti vašo težavo, saj se nekateri uslužbenci pošte ne zavedajo pravil .
- Pomorski arheolog pri SAHRA, P O Box 4637, Cape Town, ☏ 27 21 462-4502, faks: 27 21 462-4509, ✉[email protected].
Poiščite storitev
Nauči se
Glej Imenik storitev za kontaktne podatke.
Šole potapljanja:
- Potapljaški center Alpha
- Potapljaški center v Cape Townu
- Potopna akcija
- Potop in pustolovščina
- Dive Inn Cape Town
- Potopno pleme
- Potapljaški center Indigo
- V modro
- Samo Afriško potapljanje
- Naučite se potapljati danes
- Podvodni klub Maties
- Oceanske izkušnje
- Oceanus Scuba
- Orca Industries
- Potapljači Ribe
- Šola potapljanja
- Podvodni raziskovalci (samo za tehnologijo)
Nakup
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Potapljaške trgovine:
Našteti so trgovci na drobno, specializirani za potapljaško opremo. Tudi druge trgovine s športno opremo lahko dobavijo omejen nabor potapljaške opreme.
- Potapljaški center v Cape Townu
- Potopna akcija
- Potapljaški center Indigo
- V modro
- Orca Industries
- Potapljači Ribe
Polnila s podvodnim valjem:
Našteti trgovci bodo polnili jeklenke za splošno javnost. Nekateri drugi ponudniki storitev izpolnjujejo pogoje samo za člane ali za lastne študente ali stranke. Za več podrobnosti glejte imenik.
- Potapljaški center Alpha: Zrak.
- Potapljaški center v Cape Townu: Air, Nitrox
- Potopna akcija: zrak, kisik
- Izvršilni varnostni material (ESS): Air.
- Orca Industries: Zrak, zrak, združljiv s kisikom, Nitrox (stalni in delni tlak vsi odstotki), kisik.
- Potapljaški center Indigo: Zrak.
- Into the Blue: zrak.
- Potapljači rib: zrak, zrak, združljiv s kisikom, dušik (vsi odstotki delnega tlaka), kisik
- Raziskovalna potapljaška enota: Zrak, zrak, združljiv s kisikom, Nitrox (stalni in delni tlak).
- Šola potapljanja: Zrak do 300 barov, Nitrox
Najemnina
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Nekateri potapljaški operaterji vam bodo najeli opremo, ko se boste potapljali z njimi. Preverite pri rezervaciji. Navedeni operaterji najamejo polno opremo za potapljanje. Večina čarterskih čolnov ima na zahtevo polne cilindre.
- Potapljaški center v Cape Townu
- Potopna akcija
- Potop in pustolovščina
- Dive Inn Cape Town
- V modro
- Potapljanje rib
- Šola potapljanja
Ali
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Najem čolnov:
Potop s čolna s posebnega potapljaškega čolna. Običajno en potop na potovanje, včasih dva. Rezervacija nujna. Nekateri operaterji nudijo voditelja potapljanja, nekateri bodo najeli opremo, drugi pa le prevoz. Potop se lahko odpove do zadnje minute, če se razmere poslabšajo. Če je potovanje odpovedano, lahko pričakujete vračilo kupnine. Nekateri operaterji bodo odpovedali, če mislijo, da potop ne bo dober, drugi pa bodo začeli, razen če se zdi preveč nevarno. Preverite pogoje pred rezervacijo.
Ta seznam vsebuje operaterje, ki imajo v lasti in upravljajo čoln. Večina potapljaških trgovin in šol, ki nimajo lastnega čolna, bo naročil potop za stranke na teh čolnih. Običajno gre za to, če želite najeti opremo ali potrebujete prevoz. Neposredna rezervacija je primerna, če imate svojo opremo. Večina potapljaških najemov bo najela jeklenke.
- Živalski ocean
- Modra bliskavica (tehnološko prijazna)
- Dive Action (prijazen do tehnologije in opreme za oddih)
- Potop in pustolovščina
- Potapljaški center Indigo
- Naučite se potapljati danes
- Oceanske izkušnje
- Potapljači Ribe
- Podvodni raziskovalci (tehnološko prijazen)
Vodeni obalni potopi:
Shore potopi pod vodstvom potapljača. Običajno en potop na potovanje. Običajno je potrebna rezervacija. Večina operaterjev najame opremo, nekateri zagotavljajo prevoz do kraja z določenega montažnega območja, običajno potapljaške trgovine. Preverite pogoje pred rezervacijo
- Potapljaški center Alpha
- Rt RADD
- Potapljaški center v Cape Townu
- Potopna akcija
- Dive Inn Cape Town
- Potapljaški center Indigo
- V modro
- Samo Afriško potapljanje
- Naučite se potapljati danes
- Oceanske izkušnje
- Potapljači Ribe
- Šola potapljanja
Potapljaški klubi:
Kraji, kjer se potapljači zbirajo, da si napolnijo jeklenke, pijejo pijačo in se pogovarjajo o potapljanju. Klubi na splošno članom ponujajo tudi usposabljanje in najem opreme, polnjenje zraka in občasno Nitrox in Trimix. Tu so navedeni le potapljaški klubi, ki niso izključno povezani s potapljaško šolo ali potapljaško trgovino. Nekateri klubi obiskovalce sprejemajo na potapljaških izletih, nečlani pa bodo običajno morali zagotoviti lastno opremo.
- Klub vodnih alkoholikov
- Podvodni klub Bellville
- Klub Cape Scuba
- Podvodni klub False Bay
- Podvodni klub Maties (Podvodni klub Stellenbosch)
- Old Mutual Sub Aqua Club
- Podvodni klub Univerze v Cape Townu
Potapljanje v kletki (morski psi)
Majhno število licenciranih operaterjev ponuja potapljanje v kletkah na odprtih vodah, da bi se lahko približali velikim belcem v njihovem okolju.April do septembra je čas za ogled velikih belcev v Južni Afriki. Obstajajo jutranji in popoldanski izleti na otok Seal, kjer si lahko ogledate znamenite velike bele morske pse False Bay in potapljanje v kletki, včasih vse na enem potovanju. Niso vsa potapljanja v kletkah na potapljanju - pravzaprav se večina opravi z dihanjem. Preverite ob rezervaciji.
- Ekološke listine afriških morskih psov
- Odprave morskih psov Apex
- Shark Adventures
- Raziskovalci morskih psov
Popravi
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Vzdrževanje in popravilo opreme za potapljanje:
- Potapljaški center Alpha
- Potapljaški center v Cape Townu
- Potopna akcija
- Potapljaški center Indigo
- Orca Industries.
- Potapljači Ribe.
Pregled in testiranje jeklenk:Večina potapljaških prodajaln bo odpeljala jeklenke na servis v preskuševalnico, tiste, ki so naštete tukaj, pa dejansko.
- Izvršilni varnostni sistemi. Hidrostatično preskušanje in vizualni pregledi
- Orca Industries. Testiranje vrtinčnih tokov aluminijastih jeklenk in vizualno čiščenje s kisikom na zahtevo.
Servis in popravilo suhih oblek:
- Modra bliskavica.
- Morski bič.
Popravila mokrih oblek in vgradnja po meri:
- Koralne moške obleke.
- Reef oblačila.
Imenik storitev
- 2 Ekološke listine afriških morskih psov, Trgovina WC13, Simonovo mestno središče, St Georges St, Simonovo mesto, ☏ 27 21 785-1941, 27 82 674 9454 (mobilno), ✉[email protected]. Pisarna: od 9.00 do 18.00. Potaplja se kletka belih morskih psov. Kletka za velike bele morske pse R1450-1750.
- Morske pustolovščine živali Ocean, Mobilno delovanje - brez pisarn, ☏ 27 79 488-5053, ✉[email protected]. Na voljo kadar koli po e-pošti ali mobilnem telefonu. Potapljanje z masko, morski safariji, čarterji, sardele in specialne fotografske odprave. Lokalni potop R200 brez opreme, najmanj 2 osebi.
- 3 Potapljaški center Alpha, 96 Main Rd, Strand (nasproti železniške postaje), ☏ 27 21 854-3150, faks: 27 86 551 0702, ✉[email protected]. M-Ž 7:30 - 18:00, sobota od 7:30 do 20:00. Izobraževanje NAUI, PADI in DAN; prodaja in najem opreme; zračna polnila; servis regulatorja in BC; čolni in obale (Gordon's Bay).
- 4 Odprave morskih psov Apex, Quayside Building, trgovina št. 3, Main Rd, Simonovo mesto, ☏ 27 21 786-5717, 27 79 051-8558 (mobilno), ✉[email protected]. Potapljanje v kletki z belim morskim psom.
- 5 Podvodni klub Bellville, Park Jack Muller, Frans Conradie Drive, nasproti srednje šole DF Malan, ✉[email protected]. Noč kluba v sredo, od 19h do 23h. CMAS-ISA in IANTD usposabljanje; klubski potopi večino ob nedeljah; polnila za zrak in nitroks za člane; družabni klub za rekreativne in tehnične potapljače.
- 6 Modra bliskavica, 5 Glenbrae Ave, Tokai, ☏ 27 73 167-6677, ✉[email protected]. Servis, popravila in prilagoditve suhih oblek; novo (Cape Gear) in prodaja rabljenih suhih oblek; rekreacijski in tehnični potapljaški najem; izleti s hitrimi čolni in morske ture; raziskovanje novih razbitin in grebenov (polotok Cape). Na spletni strani se lahko naročite na tedenska e-novice. Lokalni potop s čolnom R400 brez opreme.
- 7 Potapljaški center v Cape Townu, 122 Main Road, mesto Glencairn Simon, 7975 Western Cape, ☏ 27 84 290 1157, ✉[email protected]. 9.00–30.30 (nekoč dlje). PADI trening in odkrivanje potapljaških izkušenj. Za tiste, ki so že certificirani, spuščanje čolnov in potop na kopno. Prodaja in izposoja potapljaške opreme ter servisiranje in popravilo opreme.
- Cape Scuba Club, ✉[email protected]. Tedenska družabna srečanja. Cape Scuba Club je zabaven, družinski klub za potapljanje. Člani prejmejo: popust v zraku, popust pri najemu čolnov, podporo izkušenih potapljačev, potapljanje ob koncu tedna v Cape Townu, ki ga vodijo izkušeni potapljači, vključno z nočnimi potopi, potopi v brodolome, potapljanji na ladjah in vhodi na kopno ter potapljaški izleti ob koncu tedna.
- 8 Koralne moške obleke, 60 Hopkins Street, Salt River, ☏ 27 21 447-1985, faks: 27 21 448-8249, ✉[email protected]. Zaloge in oblačila po meri. Krojenje in popravilo mokrij.
- 9 Potopna akcija, 22 Carlisle St, Paarden Eiland., ☏ 27 21 511-0800, ✉[email protected]. M-Ž 8:30 - 17:30, sobota od 8:30 do 13:00. Izobraževanje PADI in IANTD (NAUI na zahtevo); rekreacijski in tehnični potapljaški najem (polotok Cape); prodaja in najem opreme; polnila za zrak, nitroks, kisik in trimiks; servis regulatorja in BC; polnila za ponovno dihanje in sorb. Izleti in ture s hitrimi čolni. Lokalni potop s čolnom R350 brez opreme.
- Potop in pustolovščina, Gordonov zaliv, ☏ 27 83 962-8276, ✉[email protected]. Usposabljanje CMAS-ISA; najem opreme; najem čolnov (Gordon's Bay); zračna polnila; trening skiperja z majhnimi čolni.
- 10 DiveInn Cape Town (Carel van der Colff), ☏ 27 84 448-1601, ✉[email protected]. Zasebno usposabljanje za potapljanje PADI & RAID, strokovnjak za lovce na Nudibranch, Ministrstvo za delo je odobrilo tečaj prve pomoči prek DAN-a, najem opreme, zasebne ture do Cape Winelands, mesta Cape Town, polotoka Cape, potapljanje z ladjo, zasebni potapljanje preko obale, Potop na kopnem, vključno z utežmi in zrakom R380.
- 11 Izvršilne varnostne službe (ES), 4 Dorsetshire St, Paarden Eiland, ☏ 27 21 510-4726, faks: 27 21 510-8758, ✉[email protected]. M-Th 8 AM-16 PM, F 8 AM-15 PM. Vizualni pregled podvodnega valja in hidrostatično preskušanje; Servis stebrovskih ventilov; Zrak napolni do 300 barov.
- 12 Podvodni klub False Bay, Pod cestnim mostom Wetton, Wynberg (Vhod je po cesti Belper, s ceste Kildare), ✉[email protected]. Noč kluba v sredo, od 19h do 23h. Izobraževanje CMAS-ISA, SSI in IANTD; klubski potopi večino ob nedeljah; polnila za zrak, nitrox in trimix za člane; družabni klub za rekreacijske, tehnične in znanstvene potapljače, Spearos in podvodni hokej.
- 13 Potapljaški center Indigo, 16 Bluegum Avenue, Gordon's Bay, ☏ 27 83 268-1851 (Mobilno), ✉[email protected]. M-Ž 9.00–17.00, sobota od 8.30 do 20.00. SSI usposabljanje; prodaja in najem opreme; zračna polnila, servisiranje opreme. potopi s čolni in obalo. Potapljaški najem in morski safari
- 14 V modro, Glavna cesta 88b, Sea Point (Tik nasproti Pick 'n Pay v glavni cesti Sea Point), ☏ 27 21 434-3358, 27 71 875-9284 (mobilno), ✉[email protected]. M-Sa 9.00–18.00. PADI trening. Najem opreme. Shore potaplja 7 dni na teden, če to dopuščajo razmere. Potop z ladjico W, Sa in Su. Rezervacije in prevoz morskih psov. Prevoz iz središča mesta. Potop za čolne R280, najem celotne opreme R360 / dan.
- 15 Samo Afriško potapljanje, Enota 17, nakupovalni center Old Cape, 33 Beach Rd, Gordon's Bay (Vogal Sir Lowry Road. Trgovina je na zadnji strani nakupovalnega središča.), ☏ 27 82 598 1884, ✉[email protected]. M-F 8 AM-18 PM, Sa-Su 8 AM-13 PM. Trening PADI, potopi na obalo in čoln, izleti z ladjo po otoku Seal Obalni potopi od R300 z valjem, potopi za čolne od R450 brez valja.
- 16 Naučite se potapljati danes, 5 Corsair Way, Sun Valley, Cape Town, ☏ 27 76 817-1099, ✉[email protected]. SDI in PADI potapljaški trening, najem čolnov ter vodeni potapljaški čolni in obale. Najem opreme za študente. DAN poslovni član.
- 17 Podvodni klub Maties (Podvodni klub Stellenbosch), Športna igrišča Univerze v Stellenboschu, Coetzenburg, Stellenbosch. Rekreacijski potapljaški klub z odprtim članstvom. Potapljanje, podvodni ribolov, podvodni hokej; Najem opreme in polnjenje zraka za člane.
- 18 Oceanske izkušnje (OceanX), V&A Waterfront, trgovina 8, nabrežje 5, Cape Town, ☏ 27 21-418-2870, ✉[email protected]. Vsak dan od 9.30 do 18.00. PADI 5 * center za potapljanje in freedive: Tečaji potapljanja od preizkusnih potopov in začetnih tečajev do profesionalnih ravni, tečaji potapljanja od začetnih do nadaljevalnih nivojev Potop za čolne in obale. Najem čolna z izletom iz Cape Town V&A Waterfront z 8,5 m dolgim rebrastim ali 40-metrskim katamaranom. Potapljanje na dah z masko in potapljanje s tjulnji iz rtov, potapljanje na brodolome, grebene in gozdove alg. Pustolovske vožnje s čolni, kombinirani paketi Adventure s partnerskimi helikopterji v Cape Townu. Stand up paddle boarding lessons and trips in the V&A Waterfront Canals, Granger Bay & Windmill Beach. Surfing and Kitesurfing lessons.
- Oceanus Scuba, Mobile Operation (based in Tokai), ☏ 27795225903, ✉[email protected]. PADI training, guided dives (shore and boat), equipment rental & sales.
- Old Mutual Sub Aqua Club (OMSAC), Old Mutual head office in Pinelands. Thursday nights from 7PM. Air fills and equipment hire for members. Open membership recreational diving club.
- 19 Ollava, 122 Main Road, Glencairn, Simon's Town, 7975, ☏ 27 217861261, ✉[email protected]. PADI recreational and technical diver training, PADI emergency first response training, equipment sales and rental, Air and nitrox fills, equipment service See website.
- 20 Orca Industries, 3 Bowwood Road, Claremont, ☏ 27 21 671-9673, ✉[email protected]. M-F 8:30AM-5:30PM, Sa 8:30AM-1PM. Naui & CMAS-ISA training; equipment sales; air, nitrox and oxygen fills; regulator and BC servicing; scuba cylinder inspection and testing (Visual Plus); oxygen cleaning.
- 21 Pisces Divers, Goods Shed, Main Road Simon's Town, Cape Town, ☏ 27 21 7863799, 27 83 231-0240 (Mobile), fax: 27 21 7862765, ✉[email protected]. Tu-F 8AM-4:30PM, Sa Su 8AM-4PM, M closed. PADI training; dive charters (Cape Peninsula); equipment sales and rental; air and nitrox fills, regulator and BC servicing. Local boat dive R400 excluding equipment.
- 22 Reef Wetsuits, Royal Park, Percy Road, Ottery, ☏ 27 21 703-6662, fax: 27 21 703-6678, ✉[email protected]. M-Th 8AM-4:30PM, F 8AM-2:30PM. Stock and custom wetsuits, Wetsuit tailoring and repairs
- Shark Adventures, 11 Faure Street, Gordons Bay, 7150, ☏ 27 21 856-4055, 27 83 225-7227 (mobilno), fax: 27 86 627-0374, ✉[email protected]. White shark cage dives.
- Shark Explorers, ☏ 27 82 564-1904, ✉[email protected]. Shark, seal and kelp forest diving packages. Cage dives with Great Whites R1300 per person.
- The Scuba School, Western Cape, Independant, fax: 27 86 662-3989, ✉[email protected]. PADI recreational & technical diver training, EFR & DAN First Aid training, Sharklife training, air and nitrox fills, equipment rental, boat and shore dives.
- Underwater Explorers, PO Box 60604, Flamingo Square, 7439, Cape Town, ☏ 27 82 648-7261, ✉[email protected]. Rebreather diving and rebreather courses; Technical diver training; recreational and technical dive charters. DAN Diving Safety Partner. Local boat dive from R330 excluding equipment.
- 23 University of Cape Town Underwater Club (UCTUC), Lower Campus Sports Complex, off Woolsack Road, Rondebosch. Training, equipment rental and air fills to members.
Obiti
Transportation to shore dive sites or boat launching sites is best done by road. In most cases there is no other option. The public transport in the region is not diver-friendly. Trains do not stop near most of the sites, Buses are infrequent, and also usually do not pass near the sites, and Mini-bus taxis are geared to maximising the number of passengers. If you are visiting for a short period and do not wish to rent a vehicle, it may be possible to arrange transport through a local divemaster or charter organisation. Ask if they have facilities for fetching you from your accommodation when you arrange a dive. Not all will offer this service, but it can be a great convenience if available. Some will even fetch you from the airport.
If travelling in your own or a rented vehicle, bear in mind that many dive sites, particularly on the Cape Peninsula, are notorious for theft from parked vehicles. Do not leave any items that may attract unwanted interest in the front of the vehicle, and ensure that the luggage compartment is secure. Dive clubs will sometimes arrange for an attendant to watch over parked vehicles during club dives.
The Street Guide to Cape Town, published by MapStudio and available at most book shops in Cape Town, is recommended for finding your way around to any of the sites north of Miller’s Point on the peninsula, and north of Steenbras river mouth on the east side of False Bay. This is adequate for most divers.
The map shows the most useful main road routes for getting around the dive sites. Road signs for these routes are as good as any in the region. The National roads are indicated with white numbers on blue signs and the prefix N. Regional routes are white on green signs prefixed with R. Main routes in the greater metropolitan area are prefixed with an M and are usually black on white signs.
Map links to Geocoded sites — Most of the dive sites, harbours and slipways featured in this guide are Geocoded . Look in the left hand sidebar 'toolbox' for a "Map" link. If you click on this a choice of on-line zoomable street maps will become available. The Google maps have the advantage that a photo-overlay is available as an option.
Potop s čolni
Enodnevni izleti
Most of the dive charter boats of Cape Town are large rigid hulled inflatable boats powered by twin outboard engines. These boats are usually launched from a slipway for the day’s dives and are transported to the slipway on trailers. The boats are usually from 6 to 7.5 m in length and are licenced to carry from 8 to 12 divers.
Bookings are made by phone, e-mail or in the shop. If you are not known to the operator you will be asked to present certification, and usually to sign a disclaimer.
Many of the dive charter boats in this area are purely transport facilities, leaving the responsibility for safety during the dive to the divers. If you want a guided tour, or need a buddy, check whether this is provided before booking.
Equipment is usually loaded onto the boats before launching or at a jetty near the slip. Diving suits are generally put on before boarding and worn during the ride, though occasionally jackets may be carried and put on at the site if the weather and sea conditions are suitable. Ask your skipper.
If you dive with unusual or specialised equipment such as large twin cylinders, side mounts, rebreather or bulky video equipment it is recommended that you clear this with the operator before booking. Similarly if you wish to dive solo or do scheduled decompression this should be cleared before booking, as some charter boats do not cater for these procedures.
Liveaboards
There are no liveaboard dive boats based in Cape Town. However there are a number of large motor and sailing yachts that may be chartered, and there is no fundamental reason why they could not be chartered for a dive trip. Enquire about diving equipment and compressor rental when booking, as these will generally not be included.
Pristanišča in priključki
Atlantic seaboard:
There is a beach launching area behind the point reefs at Melkbosstrand which is sometimes used for dives to the Zaklad. Adequate parking, Restaurants nearby, Security dubious but probably better than on the southern Peninsula.
- 1 Melkbosstrand launch site: S33°43.705' E018°26.330'
Most launches for the Table Bay and north Peninsula sites are from the Navoz Oceana Power Boat Club at Granger Bay, just west of the V&A Waterfront.
- 2 Navoz Oceana Power Boat Club: S33° 54.074' E018° 24.926'
The V&A Marina slipway near the Cape Grace hotel in the V&A Waterfront has also been used, but access is limited and parking can be a problem.
- 3 V&A Marina slipway: S33°54.570' E18°25.244'
The southern part of the Atlantic seaboard is served by the Hout Bay harbour and slipway
- 4 Pristanišče na pristanišču Hout Bay: S34°03'01.76" E018°20'42.97"
The launching area at Kommetjie is only for vessels less than 5.8 m long. This is a beach launch into a protected gully. Parking is usually adequate except in Rock lobster season. Security unknown. There is a public toilet about 200 m back along the road you come in on.
- 5 Kommetjie launch gully: S34°8.406' E018°19.314'
- 6 Kommetjie parking: S34°8.496' E018°19.455'
The Peninsula south of Noordhoek is also served by the Witsand slipway at the Crayfish factory near Scarborough.
- 7 Witsand slipway: S34°10.692' E018°20.684'
False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula:
Western False Bay launches are from the slipway at Millerjeva točka or the slipway at the False Bay Yacht Club in Simon's Town.
- 8 False Bay Yacht Club slipway: S34°11'32.54" E018°26'0.22"
- 9 Priključek Miller's Point: S34°13'49.63" E018°28'25.12"
The municipal jetty of Simon's Town is also used for diver pickups, but it has no launching facilities and parking is limited. Long Beach is also sometimes used for diver pickup and drop-off, as it has fairly extensive parking, but no slipway. Boats can be launched at the False Bay Yacht Club by members or prior arrangement, or at Miller's Point slipway.
- 10 Municipal jetty parking: S34°11'33.56" E018°25'56.49"
- 11 Municipal jetty: S34°11'31.49" E018°25'58.06"
There is a slipway at Buffels Bay, but that is seldom used by divers.
- 12 Buffels Bay slipway S34°19'15.24" E018°27'40.29"
Gordon's Bay:
On the east side of False Bay, there are two good slipways in Gordon's Bay: at the Old Harbour in ob Harbour Island.
- 13 Old Harbour slipway: S34°09'53.48" E018°51'33.90"
- 14 Harbour Island slipway: S34°09.132' E018°51.470'
Rooi-els:
There is a small and very shallow slipway at Rooi-els which can only be used by local residents who have permits, and is too small for the charter boats.
- 15 Rooi-els slipway: S34°17'56.27" E18°49'2.67"
Hangklip:
Lastly there is a slipway at Masbaai just east of Hangklip, which is open to the public, but is very shallow at low tide.
- 16 Masbaai slipway: S34°22'49.62" E18°49'51.70"
Ostani varen
The regional and local hazards are of the following main types:
Topografske značilnosti
Many of the local dive sites require some level of fitness and agility to access as shore dives. Research the site, ask the locals, but the final responsibility is with the diver to assess each site personally. Beware of loose rocks and slippery slopes.
Sea and weather conditions
These are variable, and even the experts get them wrong occasionally from forecasts and reports. You just have to estimate which area looks most promising, and go there to take a look. Be aware that a strong offshore wind can develop in a relatively short time, and plan accordingly. This is particularly prevalent in summer, when a strong South-easter can spring up from a quiet morning, and make a long surface return swim hard work.
Many of the shore dive sites have limited access areas, which may vary in suitability with changes in tide or weather conditions.
The air and water temperatures can also be considered as hazards, particularly in summer on the Atlantic coast, where on an extreme day it is possible for the air temperature to be over 30°C and the water below 10°C. Both hyperthermia and hypothermia are possible on the same dive outing.
Boats and shipping
Some areas are more heavily used by seaborne traffic than others. In this respect, shore dives are not generally a problem, except for a few of the deeper shore dives on the west side of False Bay, in the vicinity of Miller’s Point. It is recommended to tow a brightly coloured SMB with an Alpha flag if you dive Boat Rock, Outer Castle, Oatlands outer reefs, or Photographer’s Reef as a shore dive.
Bakoven is a launching site for the National Sea Rescue Institute, and divers are required to tow a SMB when diving there.
The Law requires all powerboats to be in the charge of a licensed skipper who is theoretically aware of the international regulations regarding divers in the water and keeping clear, but in reality there are a number of skippers who are either ignorant or don’t care. Look out for yourself and do not fasten the SMB to your equipment in an area of boat traffic, in case it gets hooked up on a boat and you get dragged up. Report incidences of dangerous boat-handling to Table Mountain National Park offices if in their jurisdiction, or to the nearest harbour master.
Incidences of dangerous or illegal boat handling can be reported to the SA Police Services Water Wing in Simon's Town, but it appears that they only work alternating weekends, so there is a 50% chance there will be no-one there, and the regular police charge office does not know how to deal with this class of offense. More action is likely if you report the problem to SAMSA, (South African Marine Safety Authority). Try to provide as much information as possible to identify the offenders. Ideally the registration number of the vessel should be included, and a photograph can be helpful.
Marine life forms
The Great White Shark is found in False Bay and is considered by some to be a danger to divers. This may be true, and it would be prudent to avoid them when possible. There are areas and seasons when they are more common. The west side of False Bay from Muizenberg to Simon’s Town seems to be the most popular inshore cruising ground, particularly in spring and summer, and Whittle Rock has also been reported to be a popular site for the sharks. Seal island is known as their main feeding area, and there are known cases of attacks on divers and close encounters of the terrifying kind from that area. If you want to see the sharks, do a cage dive with a licensed operator. If you do encounter one during a dive, try to avoid looking like a seal. Some divers suggest keeping close to the bottom, most recommend getting out quickly. Hanging around in mid-water or on the surface is not recommended by anyone. If there are Great Whites around, a safety stop may not be safe. On the other hand, if you do a cage dive, some cage operators will tell you that the noise of open circuit scuba keeps the sharks away, but this may be to save them money by not providing air and space on the boat for scuba equipment. Cow sharks are not kept away by scuba noise.
An analysis of sightings by shark spotter personnel has shown that some conditions are correlated to shark sightings:
- More sharks are seen in summer than in winter. This trend has been known for a long time, and is confirmed by the data.
- Sea surface temperatures of 16-20 °C increase the probability of a sighting — the probability of a shark sighting at Muizenberg is significantly higher when the water is warmer. This is thought to relate to the preferred temperature range of many of the shark’s prey species.
- There is a greater probability of shark sightings from 3 quarter (waning) to new moon than at full moon.
Bluebottles ali Portuguese Man o’ War are often seen in the bay, and can give an unpleasant sting, which may be dangerous to sensitive people. A wet suit is good protection. Avoid contact with your face; hands can be used to cover the exposed parts, or dive below the trailing tentacles, which can be quite long. Box jellyfish are also reputed to sting. The stinging cells of bluebottles and jellyfish may become attached to your gloves or other equipment by contact during a dive, and may later sting you if they come into contact with unprotected skin. The triangular shaped leafed succulent beach groundcover creeper the 'Sour Fig' provides excellent treatment. Rub some of the leaf`s juice on the sting. Ammonia also works well as does Meat Tenderiser.
Cape Fur Seals are not considered a hazard, though they make some people nervous. If they are relaxed, there are probably no Great Whites hunting nearby. If you ignore them they will typically get bored eventually and go away. They are big, strong, fast and have large teeth with strong jaws, so don't molest them.
Stingrays are theoretically a hazard. If you walk on one it may swipe you with its tail barb. This does not happen here, as we don’t walk on them. If you don’t try to grab hold or harass them they will not sting you.
Električni or Torpedo rays may shock you if you touch them. This is unlikely to happen as they are shy and usually avoid divers, but it could happen that you might touch one inadvertently when it is buried under the sand. This is highly unlikely, and will probably not do any lasting harm. Don’t worry about it, and don’t touch any yellowish brown disc-shaped ray that your buddy suggests you handle.
Sea urchin spines are a real but minor hazard. Surge or inattention may result in you getting spiked by these. If they bother you, get medical attention, but usually they will dissolve or if large may work their way out in time. A few spines is not usually considered a reason to abort a dive. There are so many sea urchins that it is only a matter of time before you get spiked by one. It is no big deal, the local urchins have fairly short and non-venomous spines, but they will go right through most suits and gloves.
There are various polychaete worms with bristles that may be an irritant. Avoid touching them. Gloves which are recommended as thermal protection will also protect against these bristles.
Rdeče plime have occasionally produced irritant aerosols which can affect the respiratory passages. More often they do not and merely cause poor visibility, but bear this in mind. If by some chance you find yourself diving in waters where the air on the surface seems to be an irritant, breathe off your scuba gear until clear of the water. Associated toxins in the water may also produce a skin rash in these conditions, so get out as soon as possible.
Terrestrial life forms
Most of the terrestrial life forms in the Western Cape are not ordinarily considered a hazard to divers, though theft from parked vehicles at dive sites puts people at the top of the list.
Baboons in the southern peninsula and Rooi-els areas have become an occasional nuisance as they have learned to steal food from tourists, and as they are quick and strong and are armed with large teeth, they should be taken seriously. Some have learned how to open car doors and break into houses. Do not feed them, do not let them see that you are carrying food, and do not leave food where they can get to it. If you do you may be prosecuted, and will certainly be contributing to a problem that may result in serious injury to people and the necessity to kill the offending baboons.
There are a few species of venomous snake in the area, but mostly they are shy and keep away from people.
At some sites it is necessary to walk through bush with overgrown paths. Some of the bushes may have thorns. They will not usually penetrate a wet-suit, but be careful.
Microbiological hazards
These are not generally considered a problem in the region. There are no endemic parasite-transmitted diseases. The area is free of Malaria, Bilharzia, Sleeping sickness and other tropical diseases. Aids can be avoided by the usual precautions, and municipal water supplies are safe to drink. Sewage is treated before discharge to the sea, and the greatest hazard is probably storm water runoff from the Cape Flats after heavy rains. Most of the dive sites are in areas well clear of major storm drainage, and if the water looks clear it should be fine.
Marine filter feeders should not be eaten after Red tides, but anything served in a restaurant should be safe.
Artificial hazards
Unfortunately some of our citizens and visitors are complete slobs and dispose of their garbage illegally, and broken bottles and similar hazards may be encountered. This can happen almost anywhere, but is most common at the roadside within throwing distance and along the paths where you need to walk. Some places are worse than others, and you will just have to be careful. Wet-suit boots are not always sufficient protection. Areas controlled by SAN Parks Board are usually better than those theoretically maintained by the City Council. Areas outside the municipal and Table Mountain National Park area appear not to be maintained at all.
Spopadite se
Most divers will drive to the meeting point by car. Public transport is very limited and does not usually get you where you need to go. Uber and other taxi services will get you there, but at a price. It may be cheaper to rent a car. Minibus taxis are cheaper, but crowded, and are restricted to a route. Some dive operators will collect visitors from their accommodation by arrangement, but this should be negotiated as early as possible during the booking process. Make sure you know exactly where the meeting point is when making a booking. For shore dives, it is sometimes possible to just drive along the coast until you find a suitable parking place and find yourself a path to the shore and a suitable entry and exit point, but a lot of effort can be avoided by consulting local knowledge through a dive shop, a local diver, or a website. There are several websites provided by local dive shops, but they tend to tell you almost nothing about doing your own thing, as they would prefer you to pay them to take you diving, which is fair enough - that is their business. The sites that are more likely to provide practical information are those of dive clubs and Wikivoyage, which is particularly detailed for the sites around Cape Town.
Hazards of the parking lot
Security at parking areas in South Africa is unfortunately a big problem, and some of the worst places are harbours nominally under the control of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, who pay no apparent attention to security, since the local fishermen and poachers are too much for them to handle. If they do show themselves, it is usually to be officious and harass someone unlikely to fight back, like tourists and divers. Sad, but that’s how it goes.
Parking attendants may improve security. They are a mild equivalent to a protection racket, but not organised. They are usually unemployed and what they get in way of tips is their income. However if a couple of Rand can reduce the risk of having your car broken into and the contents stolen it is a bargain. Car guards who have some form of a uniform are usually semi-official at least, and are less likely to turn a blind eye on vandals and thieves as their income depends on satisfied customers, and they could lose their spot. Don’t leave your car unlocked unless you are watching it. Some dive charters employ a person specifically to guard the customers' cars.
Parks Board controlled parking areas are usually acceptably secure, and most areas where you pay to get through the gate are not too bad (Hout Bay harbour excepted).Some south peninsula parking areas have an added hazard: Baboons are intelligent and have learned how to open unlocked car doors, and will do so on the chance there may be food inside. They will not intentionally steal anything else, but may damage and befoul anything that happens to be in the wrong place at the time. They are very strong, and have large teeth. Do not attempt to get between them and the only escape route. They will go right over you.
Shore potopi
Getting to the water for shore dives
Most Cape Town shore dives are from rocky shores, or from beaches with some surf. These entries can be more physically challenging than the actual dive. In some places the parking area is about 50 m above sea level, with a scramble over boulders to get to the water, and occasionally a further scramble over boulders in the water. In other places there may be a surf line to cross.
Entry and exit
When you plan a shore dive there are a few complications that must be considered.
One is that you need to find your way back to a suitable exit point. Often this is the same place as the entry point, but not always. There are places where it is easy and convenient to get in, but not to get out. Be sure you can recognise the exit point from the sea, and find your way to it after the dive.Ideally you should be able to find the exit point while underwater, but at an unfamiliar site this is seldom possible, so make sure you know the landmarks which will be visible from where you are likely to surface. They will look different from the sea. Check them out before you descend, and take a bearing. Keep track of your movements underwater if you swim a long way, and try to keep a picture in your mind of where you are in relation to where you will need to be later.Another complication is that the conditions may change at the exit point while you are underwater, and it may not be so suitable when you get there. Have an alternative planned where this can happen.
Obvestilo
When you do a shore dive it is a good idea to let someone on shore know your dive plan, so that they can start things happening if you are not back on schedule. This can be a hassle, but if you end up drifting out to sea in the wind at the end of a dive, you will have some idea of when the search party is likely to be notified.The other side of this is that if you don’t report in at the expected time, you may be sitting in the pub looking out to sea and wondering what all the fuss is about. This will not be appreciated by the rescue teams.
Potop s čolni
The joys of rubber ducks (not the bath-time version)
In South Africa, the standard dive boat is a large (6 to nearly 9 m) Rigid Inflatable Boat These are known as rubber ducks. Power is generally twin outboard motors, which may be two-stroke and smoky, but are increasingly often either four stroke, or the improved two-strokes which are cleaner and quieter.
These boats are generally powerful and fast, but speed is usually limited by sea state. They have a wet ride in a bumpy sea or if there is a crosswind. You travel in your dive suit, quite often with your hood on, and sometimes with your mask on to keep the spray out of your eyes. It has been known for the occasional diver to also use a snorkel to keep out heavy spray in rough conditions. If you wear a hat to protect your head from UV, make sure the hat is a tight fit, and preferably with a lanyard. The combination of cool sea air, wind, spray and high levels of UV can grill you in quite a short time, even in winter. Wear a good blockout or other method of keeping the sun from your skin. Unfortunately some blockouts wash off easily, and others sting your eyes if water gets into your mask and sloshes around a bit. A ski-mask is considered slightly eccentric, but it does the job.
Preparing for the dive.
If using all your own equipment, pack it as you find convenient, and check that everything is in good working order before leaving home. It will be wet on the way home, a waterproof bag or bin will keep the water off the upholstery. If using rental gear, get to the shop early to make sure it fits and works properly. If you are an unusual shape or size you may have difficulty finding a suit which fits well.At some places you will kit up at the side of the road or in a parking lot, and at others there will be changing rooms provided by the dive operator. If this is an issue, find out before the dive, You might want to take along a small mat or towel to stand on while putting on your suit, particularly if the ground is sandy or muddy.Some operators provide facilities at the dive shop for the customers to change into their dive suits and assemble equipment and load the boat before leaving for the launch site. In these cases the heavy equipment is usually loaded by staff, and the divers carry their light equipment to the boat. Where the boat collects divers from a jetty, the divers are expected to get their own kit to the boat. Actual loading will usually be done or supervised by the skipper.You will almost always be expected to wear your dive suit on the boat trip. There is no space to put it on during the ride, which may be wet.
What to take
- A small bag is useful to carry items like sunglasses, sunblock, hat, etc. Cell phones and car keys are usually kept in a waterproof bag or box by the skipper, and stored in the console. Large boxes for underwater cameras or video equipment should be negotiated before the dive, as there may or may not be space for them on board. In summer sunblock is advised for most skin types. UV factor is generally high and reflection from the water grills you from below. A peaked or brimmed hat may help if securely strapped on against the wind generated by boat speed.
- Kit bags for dive gear are not usually carried, but a medium sized soft bag to hold fins and mask, and other dive accessories like DSMB, reel, computer, dive light etc. is OK.
- On a long boat trip a small bottle of water or other suitable rehydration drink is nice to have, specially for after a deep or long dive. Similarly a small amount of high energy food may be welcome after a cold dive. In Cape Town, many dive boats supply a small chocolate bar or other sweet (candy) to each diver after the dive.
- A light waterproof windbreaker jacket is useful if the wind is strong, the weather or water is cold, or the trip is long. This can reduce wind-chill, particularly after the dive if you wear a wetsuit.
- A small emergency supplies (dive saver) kit of spare O-rings, fin strap, etc is acceptable.
What not to take
- Don’t take anything that you do not intend to use on the trip. (emergency equipment excepted).
- Don’t bring anything that must not get wet unless you have a watertight bag or box for it. A towel is usually a waste of time, as it will probably get wet. The same goes for dry clothing.
- Space is limited and must be shared by all. Do not annoy everyone by bringing a huge bin for your kit and fighting with the skipper at boarding time. No-one will have sympathy when you are evicted.
Loading kit and getting into the boat
The boat may loaded before launching, except where the water at the slipway is too shallow, when the boat is not taken out between dives, or when the slipway is not at the same place where the divers will be boarding.Loading of the boat is usually done by the skipper and divemaster. You are usually expected to transport your own equipment to the boat and hand it over to the person who will stow it for the trip. The standard arrangement is to stack scuba sets along a centreline rack, and tie them in place. You will usually sit at your scuba set, so if you want to do pre-dive buddy checks, ask for your gear and your buddy’s to be stowed together.Weight belts and pockets may be stacked on deck or in a box at the front or back of the rack. They are handed out when the boat gets to the site, so be sure you can identify your weights.
Fins and masks are usually stowed by the diver. There are often no special places reserved for this purpose, and fins are generally stowed either behind a handrope along the inner side of the pontoons, or between scuba sets along the rack. Be careful how you do this, as simply stacking them on top of the scuba sets can sometimes result in a fin or two being blown overboard by wind. This can ruin your dive, and is usually expensive. Masks are commonly stored in the foot pocket of a fin. The deck is not a good place for fragile items.Large cameras with strobe arms should be carried in the smallest plastic bin or crate that will hold them. There will often be several divers with camera boxes contending for the same limited storage space. Do not expect special treatment unless you have specifically organised it with the charterer.Some crews will carry your scuba set to the boat, but don’t count on it. If you need help, say so. If you are renting gear from the same organisation that runs the boat, they will usually load it for you. Make sure you can identify your rented gear and that it has all been loaded.
Slipway launches
Slipway launches are standard in the Western Cape
Where launching is from a slipway the procedure is fairly relaxed, and much depends on how far the slipway is from the parking area, and whether there is a convenient jetty.In some cases, usually at low tide, the water may be too shallow to launch the boat loaded with kit, but more often the boat is loaded with most of the dive gear, but not the divers, before launching. The boat is then launched with usually just the skipper on board, and the divers either get in from shallow water or from a jetty, as described above.Sometimes there may be commercial ski-boat fishermen launching at the same slipway. There are exceptions, but the lasting impression is of a mob of hooligans with no respect for anyone. They are generally a law unto themselves, and you will not gain brownie points by pointing out the error of their ways, and are likely to be given a brief introductory course in local invective at no charge.
Getting into the boat will depend on the launch site. In most cases the boat will be launched with only a skipper on board. Divers will board from the jetty or from the water.
Boarding from a jetty
Boarding from a jetty is usually easy, unless the step down to the boat is high. The crew will help where necessary and direct boarding. Follow their instructions. Do not leap down onto the deck, as it may not be designed to take this kind of shock load, and the sound of cracking glass fibre will not bring a smile to the skipper’s face. Also don’t leap down onto the pontoon, as this is likely to be followed by an inelegant face-plant onto the rack of scuba gear. The owners may be more concerned with damage to their equipment than your injuries.
The roll bar at the stern is a good place to hold if you can reach it. The radio antenna, plastic windscreen and engine control levers are not.Try to avoid getting parts of yourself between the boat and the jetty. The pontoons are fairly soft, but the jetty usually isn't, and may be decorated by barnacles and other abrasive material.
Boarding from shallow water
If boarding from standing in the water, try to get in where the water is not too deep, as most divers do not have the agility and upper body strength to boost themselves in without fins or a jump. Ask for help if you need it, but your fellow divers are more likely to be enthusiastic than skillful at pulling you in, Say goodbye to dignity, and hope for a reasonably comfortable landing.
The stern of the boat (blunt end) is usually lower and therefore easier to get into. This is often combined with it being in the shallowest water, so get in and out of the way of the people who have to hold the boat while the rest are getting in.
If you are a gymnast or acrobat you may safely ignore this advice.
Sedež
Seating is almost exclusively on the pontoons, with your back to the water. This puts you in a position where losing your balance backwards will result in falling into the water, a manoeuvre most divers prefer to restrict to times when the boat is stationary at the dive site. To prevent unscheduled backward rolls, use the foot-straps and hand-ropes provided. As a general rule, sit opposite your scuba set, so you don’t have to move around when kitting up on site.
Occasionally there may be a seat across the stern in front of the motors. This will be the most comfortable place on the boat but may catch more spray in your face. The boat will bounce up and down as it hits waves. Bigger boats less so than small ones, and the part that bounces the least is the stern, so the most comfortable seating is as far back as you can get. This puts you close to the motors, and if they are two-stroke, closest to the exhaust smoke when the boat is not moving. You may not have much choice where you get to sit, but if you have a bad back or other disability which makes a rough ride a problem, mention this to your dive-master or the skipper as soon as possible. You will not be popular if the boat has to stop to re-arrange passengers. With practice it is possible to sit with one foot in a foot-strap (preferably the foot nearer the bow (pointy end)) and ride the bumps with very little effort. It is much like riding a horse, don’t fight the motion, absorb the bumps by relaxing a bit, and you will bounce less. A death-grip on the hand ropes will be exhausting if the ride is long.
Some boats have no footstraps. You will have to find something else to hold onto, or lean into the boat to keep more weight on your feet. Some divers may be seen comfortably sitting on the tubes, riding the waves with no obvious concern as the boat bounces along. They may not even need to hold on. They have done this before.
Moving around in the boat
If possible, don’t move around while the boat is moving, unless asked to trim the boat. You will be expected to sit where directed by the skipper, and unless there is a good reason not to, do as requested. Standing up when the boat is moving and there is nothing to hold onto can result in a fall and possible injury if the boat hits a wave or moves in an unexpected direction. If equipment comes loose under way, shout to the skipper, who will stop if it is safe, so that the equipment can be re-stowed.There may be cables and pipes in places on the deck. These are usually routed through areas where they are reasonably protected, but as a rule don’t stand on them or use them to hold on to. Batteries are often stored in plastic boxes near the transom, to keep the wires short. The lids are not usually load bearing structures, do not use them as steps.
Getting out of the boat
Getting into the water is usually done by a synchronised backward roll – falling into the water alongside your neighbour, neither on top nor underneath. Generally all the divers or a nominated group will roll off together, on a countdown from the skipper or divemaster. It is important to all roll together, as if you do not, the later divers may fall on top of the earlier ones, possibly casing injury or equipment damage. If you are not ready, or are not happy with this procedure, wait until the others are in and the boat is clear of them. The skipper will then let you roll in clear of the others, but you may have to fin a bit to get to them. This can be a problem if diving in a current. Some divers may not wish to backward roll with a large camera setup. Skiperja lahko prosijo, naj jim preda kamero, ko je v vodi. V tem primeru naj ostanejo blizu čolna in ga po možnosti držijo, dokler se njihova kamera ne spusti.
Strelna linija in označevalna boja
Večina potapljanja v Cape Townu je na grebenu ali razbitini. Običajno položaj pred potopom označimo s strelsko črto, da se potapljači lahko spustijo na pravo mesto. Če je na površini majhen tok, se bo streljač oddaljil po vetru, da bo zavzel ohlapnost. V tem primeru je običajno vstopiti v vodo navzgor od toka boje in začeti spust takoj, ko je črta vidna skozi vodo, da se zmanjša delo plavanja nazaj proti toku. Če peljete vse do boje, boste morali plavati nazaj proti toku. Vrvica ni sidro. Če se potegnete navzdol po liniji boje, bo ta morda povlekel strel in na koncu boste ostali navzdol, tako kot vsi ostali za vami. Če je meja za streljanje prekratka, jo bo morda dvignila in odnesla s kraja, zato potrebuje nekaj ohlapnosti. Tok morda ne bo tekel neposredno proti vetru. Tudi če gre za tok, ki ga povzroča veter, ga bodo Coriolisove sile odmikale v nasprotni smeri urnega kazalca od smeri vetra na južni polobli, kar je znano kot Ekmanov transport. Učinek je približno 45 ° na površini, bolj ko gremo globlje, vendar z manj hitrosti.
Lahko izberete površino na strelski liniji ali stran od nje. Če spletnega mesta ne poznate, boste težko našli pot nazaj. To ponavadi ni težava in večina potapljačev v Cape Townu se bo povzpela povsod, kjer koli se znajdejo na koncu potopa, vendar je v tem primeru močno priporočljivo, da DSMB postavite na površino svoje boje ali boje vašega prijatelja. DSMB bo opozoril na prisotnost potapljača, da se bodo čolni na tem območju lahko držali prostega prostora in da bo lahko vaš skipper potapljaški čoln spremljal, kje bodo verjetno izšle njegove stranke.
Če obstaja velika verjetnost, da bi na območju z velikim čolnskim prometom pripluli stran od strelne črte, potapljače spodbujamo, ali pa se od njih zahteva, da nosijo DSMB in ga postavijo pred izplavitev. Druga mesta, kjer bodo od potapljačev morda potrebni DSMB, so tista, ki so oddaljena od morja ali kadar koli, za katerega skiper meni, da ga je zaradi morskih razmer težko najti. Za rekreativno potapljanje je izbira barve in velikosti osebnega DSMB odvisna od potapljača. Najpogostejša je rumena, oranžna in rdeča, občasno pa se vidi tudi živo roza in če skiperja izrecno ne obvestite o posebnem pomenu barve, se domneva, da razen označevanja vašega položaja ni nobenega posebnega pomena. Nikogar ne bo zanimalo, kako velik je, dokler je viden z razumne razdalje. Neobvezni so tudi odsevni trakovi, utripajoče lučke in vaše ime.
Potapljaški mojstri
Na čolnu je lahko eden ali pa tudi ne. Čolni, ki poskrbijo za domačine, imajo manj možnosti, da zagotovijo potapljača kot čolni, povezani s šolami, ali ki na splošno poskrbijo za mimoidočo trgovino in obiskovalce. Če niste prepričani, da se potapljate, ne da bi vas kdo razkazal, to omenite pri rezervaciji in vprašajte o možnostih.
Potapljanje z algami
Na območjih, kjer je veliko alg, potapljači med potapljanjem praviloma ne vlečejo malih in srednje velikih podjetij. Na srečo so to običajno tudi kraji, kjer ni pomembnih tokov, čeprav je val lahko močan. Številne obale in obale Cape Towna imajo močne alge, zlasti na atlantskem morju. Na teh območjih potapljače spodbujamo, da nosijo DSMB-je in jih uporabljajo, ko plujejo stran od strelne črte, tako da lahko skiper spremlja, kje so vsi na površju, in tako, da imajo mimoidoči čolni možnost, da vas ne povozijo, če koga moti. da pazi. DSMB-ji so zelo učinkoviti tudi za signalizacijo čolna, ko ste na površini - veliko bolj kot roka v črni mokri obleki. To je lahko še posebej dragoceno, če veter med potopom naraste in je površina zakrknjena z belo vodo.
Vrnitev v čoln po potopu
1. pravilo: Ne sezujte plavuti v vodi, če ni lestve. Potrebujete jih, da vas okrepijo. Večina gumijastih rac nima lestve za vkrcanje. To je še bolj pomembno, če se vkrcate po vetrovni strani čolna, saj bo čoln skoraj vedno drvel po vetru hitreje kot potapljač. Približajte se čolnu in primite zunanjo vrv. Poskusite ves čas obdržati čoln in ga spustite toliko časa, kolikor je nujno potrebno, da odstranite komplet, saj se lahko čoln oddalji, medtem ko se ne držite.
Nekaj jadrnic ima lahko kratko oprijemalno črto z zanko, skozi katero lahko podrsate roko, vendar je to iz nekega razloga izjemno redko. Še manj pogosta je črta s sponko, ki jo lahko pritrdite na opremo, preden jo snamete. Verjetno povpraševanje kupcev po teh predmetih ... Posadka ali drugi potapljači bodo na krovu dvignili vašo opremo.
Priporočen postopek je, da najprej oddate vse kamere ali drugo ohlapno opremo, nato pa vzemite in dvignite uteži. To zagotavlja, da boste po odstranitvi BC-a plavali. Ne spustite se, dokler se ne prepričate, da ima sogovornik dober oprijem, jermeni z utežmi se zelo hitro potopijo. Pomagate lahko tako, da potisnete pod komplet, ko se dvignejo, in preverite, ali se DV-ji in merilniki ne zaskočijo na ročnih vrveh. Po potrebi lahko kadar koli dvignete masko in dihalko. Dobro oprijemajte priložene ročaje ali vrv, ki je čim višja ob strani pontonov. Potopite se kolikor je le mogoče, da dvignete vzgon, nato močno plavut navzgor in se z rokami potegnite čim višje, nato potisnite vrv ali ročaje, medtem ko zgornji del telesa spustite na ponton. Prestavite oprijem na notranji ročaj ali vrvico roke in z nogo zavihajte v čoln. Morda je priročno, da se ustavite tukaj, medtem ko vam nekdo odstrani plavuti, nato pa sedite in z drugo nogo zamahnite v čoln. Z dobrimi plavutmi, dobro tehniko in razumno trdnostjo se lahko na to pot vkrcate udobno in dostojanstveno. Ta metoda je veliko težja, če je na močnem vetru na strani vetra.
Če nimate moči, je postopek podoben, vendar s pomočjo posadke ali potapljačev, ki so že v čolnu, ki vas bodo privlekli z glavno silo in s čimer koli se lahko primejo. Preden kogar koli obtožite nespodobnega napada, razmislite, ali bi zanj obstajal primeren nadomestni kraj, ki bi bil uspešen. Eleganca je obratno sorazmerna vaši velikosti in masi. Če imate pred obleko stegenske žepe, se v žepe ne vkrcajte s krhko ali zajetno opremo. Stranski žepi običajno niso problem.
Pri nekaterih čolnih je nov trend zagotavljanja lestve za vkrcanje. Slog "božično drevo" je razmeroma priljubljen, saj je nanj enostavno plezati s plavutmi na nogah. Na gumijastih racah je navadno obešen na bok, pri katamaranih s trdim trupom pa je prednostni krmen.
Izstop iz čolna po potapljanju
Prihod na pomol je običajno preprost, vendar ga lahko zaplete zaradi visokega pomola in oseke. Če je težava, bo posadka pomagala in dajala navodila. Če delate po svoje, veljajo enaka opozorila kot za vstop z pomola. Še posebej o tem, da se ne boste znašli med čolnom in pomolom.
Izhod na plažo je v Cape Townu nenavaden, a razmeroma enostaven. Običajno je varneje in bolj priročno izstopiti s spodnje strani, če se čoln nagne med vožnjo po plaži. Če ste na visoki strani, počakajte, da ostane prostora, in se premaknite na nizko stran, sicer bo visoka stran postala nizka, ko bo čoln pri odstranjevanju tovora padel nazaj. Ne poskušajte raztovarjati kompleta čez visoko stran, če ste na napačnem mestu in se čoln spusti na vas. To je še posebej verjetno, če čoln ni popolnoma valovit.
Glej
Vode polotoka Cape in False Bay podpirajo cvetočo ekologijo hladnih zmernih morskih organizmov, ki so mnogi endemični za Južno Afriko ali celo manjše regije, in čeprav ribe niso tako spektakularno obarvane kot tiste v tropskih vodah, jih veliko precej barvita, da bi se zakrila med izredno žive nevretenčarje, ki pokrivajo grebene.
Morske živali
Med potapljanjem v tej regiji lahko opazite širok spekter morskih živali, med njimi pa je tudi nekaj najbolj čudovitih in spektakularnih srečanj za potapljača.
Kiti in delfini
False Bay je cilj, opazen za opazovanje kitov. Vsako leto zaliv obišče veliko število kitov južne desnice, med potopom pa je nenavadno videti enega. Druge vrste kitov, ki jih občasno opazimo v False Bayu, so grbavci, Brydejevi kiti in Orca, še manj verjetno pa jih je videti med potapljanjem. Če imate srečo, da med potapljanjem naletite na kita, bodite previdni, saj se zaradi njihove velike velikosti potapljač zlahka poškoduje nenamerno.
Delfine vidimo tudi v False Bayu in na atlantski obali. Navadni delfini občasno obiščejo šole, ki štejejo od sto do tisoč, potapljači pa jih pogosto ne vidijo. Mračni delfini običajno potujejo v manjših skupinah, vendar je verjetneje tudi, da na varnostnem postajališču preiskujejo potapljača. Druge vrste občasno obiščejo, vendar so bolj znane po nasedlih dogodkih, ki jih potapljači vidijo pod vodo.
Morski psi
False Bay je eno najzanesljivejših krajev za ogled belih morskih psov, čeprav redko kot potapljač, pogosto pa je opaziti tudi več drugih vrst morskih psov. Sevengill ali Cowshark je pogosto mogoče videti na nekaj krajih, medtem ko so morski psi Gully in Catharks bolj razširjeni. Lokalno obstajajo štiri pogoste vrste mačjih psov, od barvitega puffadderja do veliko večjega pižamskega morskega psa. Druge pelagične morske pse običajno opazimo le na potapljaških potopih z modre vode ob južnem polotoku, na podobnih potovanjih pa lahko opazimo več velikih pelagičnih vrst rib.
Pelagike
Na nekaterih potapljaških mestih občasno opazimo velike jate rumene repke, ob nepredvidljivih priložnostih pa imajo potapljači srečo, da vidijo oceanske sončne ribe, južne desne kite, grbaste kite, navadne delfine ali delfine.
Navadni snoek, ki je temelj lokalne ribolovne industrije, je potapljač kljub svoji navadi, da v velikem številu pade, ga skorajda nikoli ne vidi.
Pingvini in tjulnji
V False Bayu obstajajo kolonije afriških pingvinov, vendar jih je izjemno nenavadno videti med potapljanjem. Po drugi strani pa so tjulnji iz Cape radovedni in se ne bojijo potapljačev, zelo pogosto pa jih je mogoče videti tako v False Bayu kot na Atlantskem morju. Obstaja več krajev, kjer jih je skoraj zagotovljeno videti.
Reef ribe
Grebenske ribe v tej regiji so najbolj raznolike v False Bayu, najpogostejše pa na območjih z omejitvami na morskih zavarovanih območjih, kjer so z zakoni zaščitene že več desetletij, čeprav je lov še vedno prisoten, izvršba pa je precej nezanesljiva. Večina grebenskih rib je do neke mere prikrita. Številne so srebrno sive in zasenčene, na primer povsod prisotna Hottentotova morska plavca, srebrna Fransmadam in Steentjie. Druge imajo navpične črte ali temne madeže, ki lahko pomagajo razbiti njihov profil v algah, kot so bele stumpnose, zebre in bele steenbre, medtem ko so številne manjše vrste kriptično obarvane in se zelo dobro prilegajo svojemu okolju. To so navadno ribe, ki večino časa preživijo na grebenu ali zelo blizu njega, njihova obarvanost pa je ponavadi znak značilnih barv njihovega habitata. Mednje spadajo različni endemični klipfish, nekaj blennyjev in gobic, prstni plavuti, rt triplefin, škorpijoni Smoothskin, dve vrsti preslice, pipef in Rocksucker. Obstaja tudi nekaj rdečih rib, ki so dokaj vidne, na primer zelo pogosta rimska in redkejša rdeča trna in rdeča steenbra. Večina omenjenih rib je samotnih ali jih najdemo v majhnih jatah, obstajajo pa tudi Strepies in Maasbanker, ki se ponavadi jata v dokaj velikem številu, zmerno velike jate Hottentota pa je mogoče videti pogosto. Galjoen je dokaj redek in ga običajno vidimo v majhnih skupinah na vrhu grebena, kjer je veliko gibanja valov, podoben videz Cape knifejaw pa ima raje globlji in visoko profilni greben med skalami. Morski ribi so sramežljivi in podnevi ponavadi preživijo v razpokah in luknjah.
Peščena območja
Na peščenih območjih so tudi značilne ribe, med katerimi je nekaj vrst žarkov, podplati, gurnardi, ribe vlečniki in kljunasta peščena riba, ki je podnevi redka in sramežljiva, vendar jo je mogoče v večjem številu videti ponoči na nekaterih lokacijah, ko izhaja iz peska, v katerem se skriva, in prosto plava naokoli. V peščenih vrstah je tudi nekaj vrst klipfishov, pri čemer imajo različne vrste raje različno gostoto peska, tiste, ki imajo raje droben pesek, ki ima bolj kačje telo, medtem ko so tiste v grobem pesku bolj robustne. Njihov vzorec telesa se nagiba tudi k vrsti peska.
Reef nevretenčarji
Bentoški nevretenčarji zagotavljajo večino svetlih barv na grebenih te regije, razširjenost vrst pa je za različne podregije tako značilna kot globina in temperatura vode. Raznolikost je velika in v prevladujočem grebenskem pokrovčku so velike razlike tako po globini kot po geografski legi. Značilno življenje grebenov se med vzhodno in zahodno stranjo polotoka Cape precej razlikuje, kar je znano kot meja med bioregijami Jugozahodni rt in obalno Agulhas. Navpična conalnost je značilna tudi za različne bioregije, zato so lahko opazne razlike v tem, kar je mogoče videti na različnih lokacijah.
Obstaja splošna težnja, da na določenem območju grebenov prevladujejo določene vrste organizmov, na primer zvezde navadnega perja, morske kumare z rdečimi prsi, morske kumare Mauve, rdeča vaba ali morski ježki, če del površine pokriva prevladujoči organizem. To ne pomeni, da sorte ni, saj je na večini grebenov veliko habitatov, odvisno od orientacije in robustnosti, v veliki meri pa sedeči organizmi živijo tam, kjer lahko, kar je v veliki meri odvisno od tega, kje so planktonske ličinke najti oporo.
Midwater
Pelagični nevretenčarji so po svoji večinoma planktonski naravi nepredvidljivi, kdaj in kje jih je mogoče videti. Vključujejo več vrst meduz, nekaj vrst glavničastega želeja, nekaj občasnih sifonoforjev, salp in pteropodov ter veliko stvari, ki so premajhne, da bi jih bilo mogoče zlahka opaziti. Obstajajo tudi lignji, ki pa so zelo sramežljivi in jih redko vidimo podnevi.
Gobe, žrebci, želeji iz glavnikov, ploski črvi, segmentirani črvi, členonožci, mehkužci, briozoani, iglokožci, ascidiji, ribe, morske ptice in morski sesalci, zabeleženi v tej regiji, so navedeni v Wikipedia: Seznam morskih živali na polotoku Cape in False Bay. Mnoge od njih bi lahko videl rekreativni potapljač.
Morske alge
Gozdovi alg
Gozdovi alg so najbolj očitne morske alge v Cape Townu. Obstajajo trije rodovi, ki jih najdemo lokalno, včasih v neposredni bližini. Najbolj očiten je morski bambus, ki doseže površino, ko je popolnoma zrasel, in ima na vrhu debelo palico s plinsko napolnjeno votlino, ki listo drži blizu površine za največjo izpostavljenost svetlobi. Ta alga je zelo pogosta na atlantskem morju in jo najdemo tudi na obeh straneh False Baya, vendar pogosteje proti južnemu delu zaliva.
Manjša alga s splitskimi oboževalci raste na globljih grebenih in ne doseže površine. Proge so krajše in v njej ni napolnjene s plinom votline, zato ostaja listje potopljeno v temnejših vodah. Ta alga najdemo v globlji vodi kot morski bambus, s podobnim geografskim območjem.
Tretja je alga mehurja, ki ima grozde dolgih tankih trakov z dolgimi listi in velikim številom majhnih mehurjev, napolnjenih s plinom, ki alge držijo pokonci in liste na površini. Te alge ne najdemo v False Bayu, večinoma pa jo vidimo v bližini otoka Robben.
Podalnice z algami in gozdovi alg.
Pod listi alg je lahko greben na plitvejših območjih, kjer je dovolj svetlobe, pokrit s podraznimi vrstami morskih alg, posamezne vrste pa bodo odvisne od različnih dejavnikov, vključno s količino razpoložljive svetlobe in količino vode premikanje. Zelene in rjave morske alge praviloma najdemo v plitvejših predelih, rdeče pa globlje, saj lahko preživijo z manj svetlobe. Najgloblje so pogosto rdeče koralne alge, ki lahko na zgornjih površinah skal tvorijo gosto trate.
Inkrustiranje koralinov.
Kjer je surf premočan ali je svetloba premajhna za druge morske alge, se lahko gnečeče koralne alge še vedno nahajajo na oporišču in uspevajo. Te rdeče alge na grebenu tvorijo dokaj trdo in tesno oprijeto skorjo, znane pa so tudi kot "roza barva", kar je dober opis njihovega videza - sploh niso videti kot morske alge. Njihov domet je skoraj povsod v regiji, kjer prodre dovolj svetlobe in na grebenu ni nobenega drugega prebivalca.
V tej regiji je v regiji zabeleženih približno 57 zelenih morskih alg, 49 rjavih in 240 rdečih alg Wikipedia: Seznam morskih alg na polotoku Cape in False Bay.
Razbitine ladij
The Rt neviht in Rt dobrega upanja so tradicionalni označbi za to regijo in to z dobrim razlogom. Vreme je včasih lahko zelo slabo in obala je zelo izpostavljena, z malo zaščitenih pristanišč, hkrati pa je tudi pomembna smerna točka na eni od velikih pomorskih trgovskih poti. Posledično je ob lokalni obali zabeleženo zastrašujoče število brodolomov.
Mnoge od teh razbitin niso bile nikoli najdene, številne druge pa so bile razbite do neprepoznavnosti ali prekrite s peskom ali v primeru Table Bay pokopane v okviru projektov melioracije, vendar je več na mestih za potapljanje in jih lahko obišče potapljači, če so pogoji primerni.
Globine potapljaških razbitin se gibljejo od 3 do 4 metrov do več kot 65 metrov, stanje pa se giblje od polovice zakopanih drobcev lesa ali jekla do ladij, ki ohranijo večino svoje prvotne zgradbe in izgledajo iz globin, kot da jadranje skozi peščeno dno.
Večina jih je močno obdanih z grebenskimi organizmi, od morskih alg v plitvi vodi do številnih barvitih nevretenčarjev v globlji vodi. Zavetijo tudi različne grebenske ribe in jih lahko ob nepredvidljivih priložnostih obiščejo pelagične ribe. Dejansko služijo kot umetni grebeni, zato so na splošno zanimivi tudi za potapljače, ki jih kot artefakte ne zanimajo posebej.
Topografske značilnosti
Za številna najdišča so značilne zanimive topografske značilnosti, vključno z vrhovi, žlebovi, kavernami, prelivi in previsi. Te značilnosti so opazne ne le po njihovem prispevku k morski pokrajini, temveč tudi zagotavljajo velike razlike v razpoložljivih habitatih na tem območju, rezultat pa je močna povezava med visoko biotsko raznovrstnostjo in zanimivo topografijo. Splošni topografski značaj območja je odvisen od geologije, granitna območja pa se takoj ločijo od sedimentnih peščenjakov in skrilavcev. Granitne kamnine so običajno zaokrožene in zložene kot kamniti kamni na izpadih iste kamnine, pogosto z belim kremenčevim peskom med njimi ali kot postopoma nagnjena podlaga. Ti skladi različnih kamnin pogosto tvorijo vrhove in žlebove v dokaj naključnih smereh, previsi in luknje med njimi pa so v nekaterih primerih dovolj veliki, da lahko potapljači preplavajo in zagotavljajo spektakularno strukturo grebenov.
Plasti peščenjaka ponavadi proizvajajo formacije, v katerih prevladujejo lokalni potop in udar, kar je bolj predvidljivo. Vendar detajli v manjšem obsegu običajno ustvarijo več majhnih lukenj, razpok, polic in grebenov kot granitna območja, ki pa so praviloma manj spektakularna. Obstajajo izjeme, kjer so grebeni peščenjaka zelo razgibani, ponavadi tam, kjer je potop precej strm, vendar ne navpičen, in obala je precej strma, vendar v drugi ravnini od potopa.
Na srečo stari izrek "tako zgoraj, tako spodaj" velja dokaj dobro, značaj grebenov pa je mogoče dokaj zanesljivo napovedati z opazovanjem sosednje obalne krajine. Glavna izjema tega pravila je južno od zaliva Smitswinkel, kjer so nad vodo peščenjaki, spodaj pa granit.
Geološka zgradba in zgodovina te regije je na kratko opisana v Wikipedia: Morska geologija polotoka Cape in False Bay
Preberite
Referenčne knjige o ekologiji voda Cape Towna:
Od SURG, posebej za potapljače v tej regiji: Na voljo v izbranih potapljaških trgovinah in knjigarnah v Cape Townu in neposredno pri SURG-u.
- Jones, Georgina. 2008. Terenski vodnik za morske živali polotoka Cape, SURG, Cape Town. ISBN 9780620416399
- Zsilavecz, Guido. 2005. Obalne ribe polotoka Cape in False Bay, SURG, Cape Town. ISBN 0620342307
- Zsilavecz, Guido. 2007. Nudibranci polotoka Cape in False Bay, SURG, Cape Town. ISBN 0620380543
Od drugih založnikov in splošnejše uporabe:
- Branch, G. in Branch, M. 1981, Žive obale južne Afrike, Struik, Cape Town. ISBN 0869771159
- Podružnica, G.M. Griffiths, C.L. Branch, M. L. in Beckley, L. E. 2010, Dva oceana - vodnik po morskem življenju južne Afrike, David Philip, Cape Town. ISBN 9781770077720
- Gosliner, T. 1987. Goliči južne Arice, Sea Challengers & Jeff Hamann, Monterey. ISBN 0930118138
- Heemstra, P. in Heemstra E. 2004, Obalne ribe južne Afrike, NISC / SAIAB, Grahamstown.
- Ed. Smith, M.M. in Heemstra, P. 2003 Smithove morske ribe. Struik, Cape Town
- Stegenga, H. Bolton, J.J. in Anderson, R.J. 1997, Morske alge južnoafriške zahodne obale. Bolus Herbarium, Cape Town. ISBN 079921793X (precej tehnična)
Referenčne knjige o geologiji polotoka Cape:
- Compton, John S. 2004, Skale in gore Cape Towna. Dvonadstropna, Cape Town. ISBN 1919930701
